Post by carld2 on Jun 21, 2009 5:33:16 GMT -5
Crossroads was a British soap which aired in three different incarnations. The first was from 1964-1988, on a low-rent network, ATV. Set at the Crossroads motel, the show was very small in budget, and had a lot of humor to go along with the usual drama.
The second version was from 2001-2002. Still set at the motel. This version had a few characters from the old Crossroads, but was mostly new characters.
The ratings had declined, but weren't awful, but ITV put the show on hiatus and they returned in 2003 with a new format. This was supposed to appeal to a gay audience, and had names such as Jane Asher and Kate O'Mara (one unknown name who would later become famous was Freema Agyeman, who plays Martha on Doctor Who and Torchwood). This was not very well-received, and the final version did not last long.
The 2003 version had a gay character named Vince, although I don't know much about him. I think he had a story about cheating on his boyfriend, who was soon killed.
www.planetcrossroads.co.uk/characters/char.php?person=vince
The 2001-2002 version probably had the most high-profile gay characters.
Tom worked as a waiter in the cafe. His parents had been killed in a car accident and he had to raise his younger brother, Daniel. He struggled with being a parental figure and with accepting the death of his parents. He didn't even want Daniel to look at photos of them. (Tom was played by Toby Sawyer, who played a sexually confused guy on Hollyoaks named Bazz, and who was in the movie Quills (he was in the threesome sequence).
Bradley worked as a handyman. He'd been into a more wild scene when he was younger (and of course we could tell he was a wild character because he had long hair), but had settled down.
Here are their profiles.
www.planetcrossroads.co.uk/characters/char.php?person=bradley
www.planetcrossroads.co.uk/characters/char.php?person=tom
Tom's brother Daniel was upset to learn of Tom's relationship with Bradley and especially when Tom wanted Bradley to move in. There was always some doubt about whether their aunt and uncle would take Daniel away. Finally, when Bradley rescued Daniel from homophobic bullies at school, Daniel accepted him.
By late summer 2001, Tom had been beaten up by anti-gay bigots and didn't even like to leave the apartment. He wasn't sure about staying in that area, and his relationship with Bradley began to wind down. Bradley got drunk and, even though the character was established as gay (and out since he was a teenager), he had sex with a woman named Tracey. They rewrote it as saying his first time had been with a woman but because his first serious relationship was with a man, he'd always identified as gay, because you have to choose. After he slept with Tracey, she pursued him, and eventually everyone found out. This was the last nail in the coffin, but Tom and Bradley managed to part on good terms before Tom and little brother Daniel moved to Manchester.
A few months later, when Bradley needed an exit after time on the backburner, Tom returned to sell the cafe. He rekindled his romance with Bradley, and they left town together.
There seem to be almost no clips of this relationship online. I did find one:
members.lycos.co.uk/pegimount/twodescphotos1.html
There are a few clips of Tracey and Bradley here:
www.cmd1.moonfruit.com/#/video-vault-2/4509541107
Did any of you watch this show?
The second version was from 2001-2002. Still set at the motel. This version had a few characters from the old Crossroads, but was mostly new characters.
The ratings had declined, but weren't awful, but ITV put the show on hiatus and they returned in 2003 with a new format. This was supposed to appeal to a gay audience, and had names such as Jane Asher and Kate O'Mara (one unknown name who would later become famous was Freema Agyeman, who plays Martha on Doctor Who and Torchwood). This was not very well-received, and the final version did not last long.
The 2003 version had a gay character named Vince, although I don't know much about him. I think he had a story about cheating on his boyfriend, who was soon killed.
www.planetcrossroads.co.uk/characters/char.php?person=vince
The 2001-2002 version probably had the most high-profile gay characters.
Tom worked as a waiter in the cafe. His parents had been killed in a car accident and he had to raise his younger brother, Daniel. He struggled with being a parental figure and with accepting the death of his parents. He didn't even want Daniel to look at photos of them. (Tom was played by Toby Sawyer, who played a sexually confused guy on Hollyoaks named Bazz, and who was in the movie Quills (he was in the threesome sequence).
Bradley worked as a handyman. He'd been into a more wild scene when he was younger (and of course we could tell he was a wild character because he had long hair), but had settled down.
Here are their profiles.
www.planetcrossroads.co.uk/characters/char.php?person=bradley
www.planetcrossroads.co.uk/characters/char.php?person=tom
Tom's brother Daniel was upset to learn of Tom's relationship with Bradley and especially when Tom wanted Bradley to move in. There was always some doubt about whether their aunt and uncle would take Daniel away. Finally, when Bradley rescued Daniel from homophobic bullies at school, Daniel accepted him.
By late summer 2001, Tom had been beaten up by anti-gay bigots and didn't even like to leave the apartment. He wasn't sure about staying in that area, and his relationship with Bradley began to wind down. Bradley got drunk and, even though the character was established as gay (and out since he was a teenager), he had sex with a woman named Tracey. They rewrote it as saying his first time had been with a woman but because his first serious relationship was with a man, he'd always identified as gay, because you have to choose. After he slept with Tracey, she pursued him, and eventually everyone found out. This was the last nail in the coffin, but Tom and Bradley managed to part on good terms before Tom and little brother Daniel moved to Manchester.
A few months later, when Bradley needed an exit after time on the backburner, Tom returned to sell the cafe. He rekindled his romance with Bradley, and they left town together.
There seem to be almost no clips of this relationship online. I did find one:
members.lycos.co.uk/pegimount/twodescphotos1.html
There are a few clips of Tracey and Bradley here:
www.cmd1.moonfruit.com/#/video-vault-2/4509541107
Did any of you watch this show?