The votes are in and ATV Today reveals your favourite Reg Watson saga.
Last week we asked you which Reg Watson saga was your favourite. From his UK offering of Crossroads to the long running Australian hit Neighbours. The winner, however, became a late-night hit in the UK during the 1980s and 90s.
Yes topping the poll with a strong 55% and over 1300 votes was detention centre drama Prisoner: Cell Block H. The show, produced by Grundy Television, ran originally in Australia, twice a week, from 1979 to 1986 clocking up nearly 700 episodes.
The show has given soap-land some of its most iconic characters including elderly alcohol loving lag Lizzie Birdsworth, top dog Bea Smith, stern warden Vera Bennett – nicknamed ‘Vinegar Tits’, the fair but firm governor Erica Davison and possibly the show’s most famous cult figure: Joan Ferguson – nicknamed ‘The Freak’.
Speaking to ATV Today on the win Scott Anderson, Co-Founder of ‘Prisoner: On The Inside’, said:
“Prisoner fans are a very loyal bunch – if it wasn’t for their continued support, the series would not have been released onto DVD nor would any of the events have taken place over the last few years.
“The series itself has a timeless quality – within those flimsy brick walls were some fantastic storylines, most of which are still relevant today. Coupled with a brilliant cast and crew, Prisoner is something which has stood the test of time. Other prison series have come and gone but none of them have quite stood up against the mighty Prisoner – and we’re quite proud of that.”
In second place, with 34.5%, is Reg Watson’s second-longest running serial – clocking up over 4500 episodes and 24-years on ITV – the motel based daily soap, Crossroads.
It was the UK’s first daily serial and as the television regulator, the IBA, pointed out the show was ‘the most cost-effective form of television drama’. While loved by up to 18 million viewers its ‘rough edges’ due to lack of budget and studio time didn’t fair well with the TV newspaper critics, and while the view of the show has been coloured by those critical claims since the series ended in 1988, it still continues to have a large following. The star of Crossroads was Noele Gordon who played the lead character of Meg Richardson.
Michael Garrett, manager of the ‘Noele Gordon and Crossroads Appreciation Society’, told ATV Today;
“The main problem with Crossroads is that its most-loved era [the 1960s and 70s] has been mainly wiped by ATV to save money, so can never be repeated. At the time it was as big – sometimes even bigger – than Coronation Street. Despite the fact so much is missing in the archive we’re proud that we’ve had over 20 volumes of what does survive released on DVD, proving Reg Watson certainly knows how to make shows that last the test of time.”
In third place with 5.8% you placed Sons and Daughters while in forth was medical saga The Young Doctors. A show which was produced between 1976 and 1982 to the same format and formula as Crossroads – and suffered the same fate: popular with viewers, loathed by critics. It’s still clearly popular with some fans with over 70 votes for the show.
Neighbours however seems to have lost its sparkle. Currently the show is the only Reg Watson saga still in production, and celebrated 25 years on air earlier this month. But it seems with only 42 votes its glory days are well and truly over.
Useful Links:
The official Prisoner: Cell Block H fan club can be found here:
http://www.prisoner-cellblockh.co.uk/
The official ITV Crossroads Fan Club can be found here:
http://www.crossroadsmotel.co.uk