The show targeted teenagers and initially dramatised the lives of seven teenagers living in Hollyoaks, a fictional suburb in the city of Chester in Cheshire, England.
It is set in Chester and is mostly filmed in Liverpool on Abbey Road. Since 1995, the cast has expanded from just seven major characters to approximately 50 cast members. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill.
Hollyoaks is a village situated in Chester, Cheshire. On Oakdale Drive at the heart of Hollyoaks is Hollyoaks Village - an area home to several residents and businesses. Hollyoaks Village is surrounded by the city walls and a grand entrance archway.
A scene from Hollyoaks being filmed on location at The Groves (pictured) in Chester in 1999. Although set in Chester, the majority of Hollyoaks is filmed at Lime Pictures' studios in Childwall, Liverpool.
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Has Hollyoaks ever done a live episode?
The Cheshire-set teen show, which will have its 20th anniversary in 2015, is now the only major British soap opera which hasn't screened a special live edition.
The Dog in the Pond (commonly known as The Dog, briefly named The Jolly Roger) is a fictional public house in the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. It has been at the centre of the show's setting since it began in 1995.
D.I. Alistair Banks was a detective who was active in Hollyoaks from at least 2013 up until 2026. However, in 2026, Banks went into a partnership with gangster Grace Black, trafficking and pimping vulnerable people.
Featuring exclusive footage, live interviews and candid conversations, The Hollyoaks Anniversary Tour invites fans to get up-close to the show they love. Whether you're reliving classic episodes or discovering the impact Hollyoaks has had over three dramatic decades, the 30th anniversary tour is not to be missed.
Is Phoenix in Hollyoaks transitioning in real life?
Phoenix is also a trans man, with his on-screen transition reflecting Tylan's real life transition in his early 20s. Tylan is the first Black actor to portray a character with autism in a television series and has been nominated for several British entertainment awards.
Did you know Chester-set soap Hollyoaks is actually filmed in Liverpool? That's not the only unexpected thing happening behind the scenes. The show films three months in advance which means they shot the Christmas episodes back in September!
The Dog in the Pond is a gastropub, and the main public house in the Hollyoaks village. It is currently co-owned and managed by Tony Hutchinson and Diane Hutchinson but has a long list of former owners, licensees, residents and employees.
Emmerdale Village, as it is today, was purpose-built in the grounds of Harewood estate in 1997 after the programme's former location of Esholt became so popular with visitors that filming scenes became impossible!
Diane Hutchinson (née Drinkwell, previously O'Connor) is the sister of Lynette and Babs Drinkwell, the ex-wife of Tony Hutchinson and Rob O'Connor, the mother of Anthony Hutchinson, Ro Hutchinson and Eva Hutchinson, the adoptive mother of Dee Dee Hutchinson and the stepmother of Finn O'Connor, Sinead O'Connor, Harry ...
At its inception, the soap was targeted towards an adolescent and young adult audience, but now has broadened its appeal to all age groups. It has famously covered many taboo subjects rarely seen on British television.
Roscoe's Motor Maintenance was a garage owned by the Roscoe family, and mostly run by Freddie, Ziggy and Joe. The garage was later purchased by Warren Fox and became Warren's Wheels.
The reduction in the number of episodes per year was the result of changing viewing habits, with Channel 4 research showing that many fans would only watch three of the available five episodes per week due to the amount of other content available to consume on various platforms.
It introduced the residents of the fictional Chester suburb, focusing on a group of young characters, including Kurt Benson, Tony Hutchinson, and Jambo Bolton.
What happened to the dog in the pond in Hollyoaks?
The Dog in the Pond explosion was a disaster that occurred on 8th September 2006 when escaped prisoner Sam Owen doused the pub in petrol and held the customers hostage, threatening to set the place alight. The lighter ended up being dropped and the pub exploded.
Did you know Chester-set soap Hollyoaks is actually filmed in Liverpool? That's not the only unexpected thing happening behind the scenes. The show films three months in advance which means they shot the Christmas episodes back in September!
