Sharpe family

Hollyoaks
Current title card, introduced in September 2016
Genre	Soap opera
Created by	Phil Redmond
Directed by	Various
Starring	Present cast Former cast
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	4630
Production
Executive producer(s)	Bryan Kirkwood
Editor(s)	Alistair McMath David Mercer
Camera setup	Single-camera setup
Running time	30 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production company(s)	Lime Pictures
Distributor	All3Media
Release
Original network	Channel 4 (1995–) E4 (2001–)
Picture format	16:9 (HDTV)
Original release	23 October 1995 – present
Chronology
Related shows	Hollyoaks: In the City Hollyoaks Later
External links
Website
Production website

Hollyoaks is a British soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the Channel 4 soap Brookside. The programme is set in a fictional suburb of Chester called Hollyoaks, and features a large cast of characters primarily aged between 16 and 35. It is mostly filmed and produced in Childwall, Liverpool, although nearby locations are sometimes used. Beginning with a cast of just seven major characters in 1995, the serial now has approximately 50 main cast members. Hollyoaks has a high cast turnover in comparison with other British soaps; as of May 2014, just thirty-seven characters have spent five years or longer on the show. The programme, which is currently the UK's youngest television soap opera, has won 28 British Soap Awards, 11 Inside Soap Awards, one TRIC Award and one National Television Award; at the 2014 British Soap Awards, Hollyoaks won Best British Soap for the first time, breaking the 15-year draw between rival soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street. It is also popular around the world. The longest-serving cast member is Nick Pickard, who has played Tony Hutchinson since the first episode in 1995.

Current producer Bryan Kirkwood originally joined the show in 2006, but left three years later to become producer of EastEnders. After he left his role in 2009, a number of producers worked on the show, resulting in a number of creative reinventions and changes in direction during this time. Kirkwood's successor Lucy Allan stepped down from her position in 2010 after twelve months; her replacement, Paul Marquess, introduced a wide variety of new characters before leaving one year later, to be replaced by Gareth Philips.Emma Smithwick later replaced Philips in Autumn 2011. In late September 2012, it was announced that Bryan Kirkwood would be returning to Hollyoaks, replacing Emma Smithwick. The programme celebrated 20 years on Channel 4 in October 2015.