Hollyoaks Later: All you need to know

For those of you merely tuning in to see what all the fuss is about, after Channel 4 and E4 taunted you with a series of thrilling Hollyoaks Later (HL) adverts, here is your Dummies Guide to… Hollyoaks Later.

Are you ready? Concentration is the Key.

Story 1: Stephanie De La Dean, Craig Dean and Tom Cunningham are staying in a cottage in Scotland. Niall Rafferty follows them to create havoc among the Scottish Highlands.

Steph and Craig are sister and brother – daughter and son of Frankie Osborne. Tom is the brother of the deceased Max Cunningham. Steph and Max got married this summer. Only for Niall to ‘accidentally’ run Max over on their wedding day. In his will, Max left guardianship of Tom to Steph. Steph became involved with village hairdresser Niall. Unbeknown to her, Niall is actually the son of Myra McQueen. Myra McQueen had a child when she was a teenager and abandoned him on the doorstep of a local church. Niall returned to Hollyoaks to seek his revenge on Myra and the rest of her family. Kidnapping Myra and her children, Niall took them to the church where he was abandoned. He blew the church up, resulting in the death of one of the McQueen sisters, Tina. Niall went on the run.

In HL, Craig convinces Steph to get away ‘everything and everybody’ and whisked (in the least romantic sense of the word) Steph and Tom off to Scotland. Niall, wanting to reconcile with Steph and get her back, follows them.

Story 2: Nancy Hayton, Zoe Carpenter and Sarah Barnes embark on a girlie road-trip. First stop is Zoe’s old school and then on to Silverstone Race Course where Sarah has a photo shoot.

Nancy and Sarah have been friends since they both attended Hollyoaks High. Zoe appeared on the scene when she began her undergraduate degree at Hollyoaks Community College (HCC). The three became friends over a period of time. However, Sarah and Zoe experienced a turbulent time in their friendship when they Zoe started to date Sarah’s dad, Mike Barnes, who she is still in a relationship with.

Story 3: Zak Ramsey and Elliot Bevan have been collecting tokens in order to get a cheap trip to Dublin, Ireland. Mercedes McQueen has made the quick decision to find her love, Malachy Fisher in Belfast. When Zak and Elliot miss their boat and Mercedes misses hers, they decide to stick together and all go to Belfast to help Mercedes find her love.

Zak and Elliot are both students at Hollyoaks Community College. Mercedes (who went through the terrible ordeal described in Story 1 with Niall Rafferty) was dating Malachy until she discovered that he was HIV positive and had neglected to tell her. Malachy found out that his father had died (but was buried disguised as Jack Osborne) and had to go to Belfast to break the news to his mother. Through numerous phone calls and text messages Malachy reveals his undying love for Mercedes and asks her to marry him. She ignores his pestering but eventually makes up her mind that she needs Malachy in her life. Mercedes leaves Chester for Belfast and is accompanied by two university students, Zak and Elliot.

Story 4: Josh Ashworth, Amy Barnes, Michaela McQueen and Sasha Valentine make up the band, The Dirty Diegos. Josh finds out that they have got through to the Battle of the Bands in Liverpool and the four hopefuls travel to the city to perform alongside The Saturdays.

Josh, Amy, Micaela and Sasha all attended Hollyoaks High. They have all experienced personal tragedy in their lives. Josh is in love with Amy and has been since they were young teenagers. He lives with his parents, his brother and sister, and his brother’s best friend, in the pub which his father has just recently bought. The Ashworth family were subject to village gossip when it was revealed that Josh’s older brother, Rhys was having an affair with his half-sister, Beth, and also, when Josh’s sister Hannah, was admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with anorexia.

As a result of a park romp, Amy fell pregnant at the age of 15. She does not know the father of her daughter, Leah. Amy became involved with unsavoury Ste Hay and they moved in together. Ste began physically abusing Amy. Amy didn’t tell anyone about this but eventually ran away. She returned to live with her father (Mike Barnes) and sister (Sarah Barnes).

Michaela was accused of being a heroin addict after she was found, unconscious at a McQueen house party with a needle by her side, and was admitted to hospital. It was later revealed that her estranged older brother, Niall Rafferty had injected her with the heroin in an attempt to get revenge on his mother. Niall then kidnapped the McQueen clan and blew them up in the church where he was abandoned by his mother, Myra McQueen. Michaela has had trouble coming to terms with losing her sister, Tina in the explosion.

Sasha became a heroin addict after her ex-boyfriend, Fletch introduced her to drugs. Her addiction spiralled out of control and resulted in her sleeping with her drug dealer just to get a fix. Her family helped her to come clean, providing her with Methodone.

Story 5: Malachy and Kris Fisher are in Belfast mourning the death of their father.

Kris Fisher is a student at Hollyoaks Community College and his brother, Malachy is a builder. Malachy tried to give blood but found out that he is HIV positive. After he received the news, he embarked on a three day bender in order to deal with the trauma. Meanwhile, the woman he was seeing, Mercedes slept with his brother Kris. On his return, Malachy told Kris about his condition and Kris had to take emergency medication. Malachy failed to immediately alert Mercedes to his condition and continued to have a sexual relationship with her. When she did eventually find out, Mercedes spit up with Malachy. She has to wait 3 months to find out if she is infected.

Meanwhile, Jack Osborne and his son, Darren found the body of Kris and Malachy’s father in the car park of their (then) pub, The Dog. Due to the current financial situation Jack had found himself in, Darren convinces him to pretend that Darren had actually found Jack’s body in the car park. Darren can then claim Jack’s life insurance save The Dog. Everyone believes them. Jack goes into hiding and the village bury what they think is Jack, but is actually the father of Kris and Malachy.

Finally, after months of waiting, Niall decided to play out his revenge in full, he discovered Jack and Darren’s fraudulent secret. It also happened that the copper who put Niall’s biological father in jail, was Jack Osborne. Convenient. Niall tries to kill Jack but fails (can the abandoned boy do nothing right?). Jack is alerted to Niall’s nasty plan and attempts to help the McQueen posse, revealing himself as alive in the process.

Darren had to confess to Malachy and Kris that the man that they all buried was in fact their father.

Malachy and Kris head to Belfast to break the news to their mother and to have their father’s wake.

Story 6: Dom Reilly is living with Justin Burton and Ste Hay after moving out of the flat he shared with brother, Tony Hutchinson. Dom attempts to move on from the loss of his wife and falls for a woman he met in a strip club.

Dom Reilly, Robin to our Batman (he is Tony Hutchinson’s brother) recently lost his wife, Tina, in Niall-gate. Getting over her death, Dom moves out of the flat he shares with Tony and moves in with losers Ste Hay and Justin Burton, who end up brandishing themselves as the three musketeers.

Now you know the absolute ins and outs of the stories of Hollyoaks Later, immerse and indulge yourselves in the dramas to come… there will be many.

Sarah’s Cardigan

Latest fashion update for those of you wanting to incorporate every part of the ‘Oaks into your daily lives.

In tonight’s first episode of the thrilling Hollyoaks Later, Sarah is sporting the lay-person’s equivalent of the absolutely necessary Mulberry bag… in cardigan form.

The over-sized navy blue cardigan, otherwise known as the POCKET CARDI, Sarah is seen wearing when storming out of Zoe’s old school with Nancy and Zoe is a delightful Topshop purchase.

For a mere 15 squiddies, you can pur-chase this versatile piece of clothing in 9 different colours.

Click here to be taken directly to Topshop’s Pocket Cardi page.

Wear on its own, or over a strap top or long-sleeved plain tee for the ultimate-cool-winter look.

Team with skinny jeans or leggings to add a slimming contrast.

Hollyoaks Later: NUMERO UNO

Monday 24th November 10.00pm

To know where to begin at the start of this delicious concoction of Hollyoaks drama is like trying to find a needle in a beautifully arranged haystack.

At first glance, there are 5 stories that we need to be concerned with…

Steph, Craig, Tom and the return of Raffers.

Nancy, Zoe and Sarah’s trip from school to deserted to wood to possible racing track.

Zak, Elliott and Mercedes’ quest to conquer Belfast.

The Dirty Diego’s mission to win Liverpool’s Battle of the Bands.

Malachy and Kris’ family and personal battles.

After finally recovering from the initial drama of Niall-gate, the ‘Oaks writers are attempting to increase our blood pressures once more with his hooded, rough and ragged return.

Steph, Craig and Tom make their merry way up to the remote hills in Scotland. Pink heart-shaped ear-muffs in tow.

Craig wants to take them away from everything and everyone.

That is the main ingredient in a recipe for disaster.

Niall Rafferty (played by Barry Sloane) is back and by the looks of him, badder and a lot dirtier than before.

We briefly saw him in Monday’s 6.30 episode. But a hooded Niall he was.

Breaking into Steph and Tom’s humble abode, Nasty Niall lowers his ‘head warmer’ and reveals the dark, unshaven, bruised and cut man he has become.

A far cry from the tailored, well-groomed nasty hairdresser we once knew.

And exactly what we want. Shivers run down our spines as we fearfully and helplessly watch him discover where his beloved Steph and little Tom have disappeared to.

No prizes for where Niall headed. The penultimate scene shows Niall atop a mountain , silhouetted by the Scotland sky, looking down on the cottage Steph, Craig and Tom are inhabiting.

Nancy’s mundane role of complaining, fighting, whinging and stomping out of rooms in her post-pubescent Emo/Goth style is finally pushed aside in an attempt to take control of her two cat-fighting companions.

That isn’t until she has calmly watched Zoe and Sarah tear each other apart in a cat fight watched by teenagers, children and millions around the country. Words were thrown. Slaps were girlishly flung.

Nancy’s finest moment of feminist triumph bestows her in a later scene.

Sarah commonderes a couple of young men in a van. Nancy, revolted by their response, grabs their car keys and throws them into a field, shouting

‘I may be short, but at least I’m going places… SO SUCK ON THIS’

Absolutely brilliant. That pent up unused teenage angst from Nancy’s schooldays has bubbled to the surface and exploded in a volcano of rage.

The saga of the Double M (Malachy and Mercedes) continues, with a little bit of brotherly cross-dressing thrown in for good measure.

Malachy and younger brother, Kris (Francis) are still in Northern Ireland, preparing for their drunken father’s funeral.

In a fit of sibling-bonding and the ultimate rebellion, Kris reveals to his mother that he is a cross-dresser. Kicked out by his mother, Kris (wearing a Kylie-esque outfit; see the white one-piece in the video for Can’t Get You Out of My Head ) accompanies a pining Malachy and their father (URN) to the local pub.

Meanwhile Mercedes has broken, desperately weeping in the toilets of the recently re-named Jolly Rodger (originally The Dog).

Deciding that she can no longer be alone, Mercedes dashes to Belfast. Missing her boat she stumbles upon Zak and Elliott who are attempting to get to Dublin with their token-fuelled £1 tickets.

Kind Elliott comforts a distraught Mercedes and assures her that Zak and himself will accompany her to Belfast.

A trio that is almost as weird as The Three Musketeers (Robin aka Dom, Justin and Ste) but a little easier on the eyes.

We will have to see where ‘Oaks leads us with this one.

The Dirty Diegos are back with a bang (and a baby and a half) as Josh receives the ‘good’ news that they are going to participate in the Battle of the Bands in Liverpool with The Saturdays.

The future predicts a road trip fuelled by a wannabe rock star, an ex-heroin addict, a depressed adolescent, a pregnant teenager and a toddler.

The scope for chaos is unprecedented.

What would Barnesy say?

To tie up loose ends would not do justice to the tasty delights and treats the ‘Oaks gang have ready to serve up for us this week.

In what must be the first late-night ‘Oaks with no sign of Batman (Tony), if this is only a pre-dinner appetiser, the HH is gagging for starters.

Hollyoaks Later: BREAKING NEWS

BREAKING NEWS…

Like a broken puppet on a caffeine-high, we eagerly await the arrival of Hollyoaks Later.

The adverts have promised romance, danger, jokes, fights, tears and giggles… and the return of the Ultimate King of the Soap Bad Boys… the Hooded Niall.

It is about to start…

Stay with The Hollyoaks Herald for the HOLLYOAKS LATER lowdown…

Batman leaves his Batmobile at home

Monday 24th November

It is difficult to know where to start with this episode.

In the typical ‘Oaks version of the calm before the storm (Hollyoaks Later is only 3 and 1/2 hours away from lift-off) do we first mention that our in-house Batman (Tony H) has gone off the rails or do we mention that our disappearing bad-boy Niall IS BACK?!

Batman has gone off the rails.

Leaving his batmobile (his moralistic conscience) our Batman (Tony Hutchinson) leaves a desperate and hopeful Jacqui cooking for him at the McQueens and parties-it-up Tony-stylee with Russ and Cindy at a school disco night at The Loft, with Russ.

Alas. Dear old, reliable Tony had a few options he could have taken here. If only the HH advisor was sitting on his shoulder. We’d have been happy to help and provide these alternatives:

a) go to the McQueens, chat and eat with Jacqui, make up and be merry.

b) go home to Hutchinson Manor and settle down to Newsnight with a bottle of Merlot

c) go home BY YOURSELF after getting totally trolleyed at The Loft

But Tony is on a mission. To forget the past year and the McQueen mess in which he had been involved.

And that mission involved a young girl by the name of Theresa.

To the trained Hollyoaks eye, trouble is sticking out like giraffe in a field of cows.

This young girl looks very young indeed.

But the view from Batman’s beer goggles is a little more hazy. Off to Hutchinson Manor they both go.

It’s a shame that after 13 years of living in Hollyoaks, Tony has not learnt that when you take someone back to your humble abode, the repercussions are enormous.

But we can’t wait for them!

Steph and Tom are back from their trip away (the ‘Oaks characters seem to have these ‘trips away’ but no-one really ever knows where they jet off to. Nancy is on her very own one right now…) and Cindy and Mandy (previously part of the Barbie-posse) aren’t too thrilled.

Neither is McQueen gang-leader, Myra. In a confrontational one-on-one toned down (it IS 6.30 after all) ‘conversation’ between Steph and the (Mc)Queen-bee, some very good points are made. (Someone has been watching their Kyle)

(M) ‘If you hadn’t left him, this wouldn’t have happened’

(S) ‘My conscience is clear’

(M) ‘The girlfriend always knows’

(S) ‘So does the mother’

Cutting, yet Steph cuts straight to the chase. The ‘Oaks has the amazing ability of teaching lessons that really hit home, whilst being incredibly entertaining.

Educational, yet fun.

And mentioning the ‘F’ word, the Nevilles have a whole load of fun in store for them on the opening night of The Jolly Roger.

Advertised in The Chester Herald, The Jolly Roger’s opening night is exposed as a gay pub. Neville and Suzanne are thrilled with the turnout. Rhys is not as pleased – he had hoped that the opening night would be a taster for a women-filled future. In his dreams. Hannah is the only one on the end of the flirting stick this evening.

Will The Jolly Roger end up being the first gay pub in the vill-age?

And as this episode of drunken fun and female confrontations draws to a close, we have our first glimpse of what is to come in Hollyoaks Later…

Nasty Niall is back and hooded…

Calvin: me me me

Tuesday 18th November 2008

Hollyoaks has the irritating characteristic of building up stories through adverts then letting them go wild like a pack of lions, on our television screens. Meanwhile, during the build-up prior to the release, the ‘Oaks has a tendency to stalk around issues, never quite getting to the ‘Oaks-point.

Whilst undoubtedly this is necessary in order portray some sense of normality (yeah right, who are they kidding?) in the village, it does mean that we have to sit through the everyday formulaic relationships between Russ and Nancy, Ste and Justin,

But it is clever. The erratic nature of storylines emerging from absolutely nowhere ensures that Hollyoaks is always scheduled in our daily lives.

Perhaps there is a glimmer of hope shining through… every cloud…

Calvin tells Warren that he is going to confess to Carmel that he killed his little sister’s (Sasha) drug dealer, Nige.

Oh what a tangled web he weaves.

Warren, who always tries to the decent and honourable thing, talks him out of it, convincing him that Calvin that he has a good job, a good family, a lovely wife, and a good life. And that confessing to Carmel could throw all that down the drain.

Well. Strictly speaking, that perfect picture of Calvin Valentine happiness is a little shaky around the edges. And that has nothing to do with the self-defence he displayed towards Nige.

Job-wise: Calvin is hardly ever actually at work and his colleague is attempting to cop (geddit?) off with his wife.

Good Family: Calvin’s sister was as drug addict, Calvin’s brother has disappeared, Calvin’s father is a recovering gambler, Calvin’s step-mother ran away, Calvin’s half-sister is a troublemaking, desperate-for-sex Goth and Calvin’s half-brother has joined his brother in the Holloaks version of Room 101.

Hardly the Swiss Family Robinson.

Good Wife: Well yes that is definitely true. But in the last episode Calvin threw that into the bin like a discarded sweet-wrapper.

Good Life: See above.

So tell away Calvin, things can’t get very much worse.

Oh but they may do… Calvin spots sleezy womaniser Mark trying to kiss sweet Carmel. Running away in anger, Calvin fails to see Carmel pushing Mark away in disgust.

If only these ‘Oaks men would just stop and pause for a minute, we wouldn’t be confronted with these situations.

And for those keen Hollyoaks Fashionistas, if you are dying to know where Hannah’s amazing gladiator-style high-heeled sandals are from (she steps out of the taxi – body shot from the feet up) New Look. They are also featured in Look magazine. Go get ‘em girls.

Hollyoaks Later

From Monday 24th November until Friday 28th November, E4 plans to run Channel 4′s latest spin off Hollyoaks late-nighter in 5 exciting bursts… Hollyoaks Later.

The trailer which ran after tonight’s (Monday 17th November) Frustration Station episode certainly wets our appetite and like a dog lusting after a piece of meat, we are left salivating for more.

Watch the trailer:

The added thrill of knowing these Hollyoaks Later episodes come after the 9 o’clock watershed only entices us further.

And like the dog, once we have got the meat, when Friday 28th comes, we are not going to want to let go.

The trailer gives us snippets of Niall’s comeback. Of Malachy’s desire to wed Mercedes. And weirdly, of Nancy’s quest to become a girl-racer.

However, what about those poor ‘Oaks viewers who are unable to indulge in this televised bag of goodies?

Hollyoaks is aired at 6.30pm (Channel 4) and 7.00pm (E4) on weekdays. The omnibus is aired on T4 (Channel 4) on Sunday mornings 9.30am – 12.30am.

That is prime-time school kid viewing. The unjustness of putting quality acting and drama on past the bedtime of some ‘Oaks fanatics is unmatched.

And for those juggling work AND a social life, whilst making sure Hollyoaks is at the top of their list of priorities, the 10 o’clock viewing will need to be slotted into diaries across the UK with more than the weeks notice Channel 4 has dished out.

How will the ‘Oaks explain the 6.30 showing on Monday 1st December after a week of late-night carnage?

Whilst the HH has eternal faith in Phil Redmond and his team, The Hollyoaks Herald will be reporting on all the events in Hollyoaks Later.