Legendary UK soap axed 31 years ago finally returns to TV screens after ‘fake death’ ending
A LEGENDARY soap that was axed 31 years ago is finally returning to screens after its ‘fake death’ ending.
The hit show originally launched in 1992 and gained a loyal audience on BBC One.
Bosses at the broadcaster had hoped the soap would gain the same success as EastEnders.
However, Eldorado was short-lived and axed just a year later after nearly 160 episodes amid poor ratings.
The show has largely been forgotten about by fans – until now.
Digital station UKTV will begin airing reruns of the series on its U&Drama channel from Monday, January 27.
Eldorado starred Jesse Birdsall, Patricia Brake, Campbell Morrison, Kathy Pitkin and Rodger Walker.
It also featured two EastEnders stars, including Derek Martin and Polly Perkins who played Charlie Slater and Rose Cotton respectfully.
Reruns of Eldorado were screens in the late 90s and early noughties on UK Gold.
A number of episodes were added to defunct streaming site BritBox in 2021.
It appears episodes will also be available to stream online once again, with UKTV’s platform U adding a dedicated section for the soap.
Eldorado ended with Jesse Birdsall’s character Marcus surviving an attempt on his life that saw his car blown up.
Viewers watched as the fan-favourite sailed off into the distance on a boat with his girlfriend.
Soap's most harrowing teen storylines
We take a look at other harrowing teen soap storylines from soaps Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks.
Belle Dingle’s schizophrenia in Emmerdale – Belle’s (Eden Taylor-Draper) traumatic journey in Emmerdale took a dark turn when, after accidentally killing her best friend Gemma at just 16, her mental health began to spiral.
The storyline, which saw Belle struggling with her grief and guilt, showcased her battle with hearing Gemma’s voice inside her head, leading to a dramatic decline in her well-being.
Hannah Ashworth’s anorexia in Hollyoaks – Viewers were horrified as they watched Hannah (Emma Rigby), a seemingly innocent teen, spiral into dangerous behavior, starving herself in an attempt to achieve what she thought was the ideal body.
As Hannah’s condition worsened, the storyline became more intense, culminating in her being hospitalised for two months as she fought for her life.
Bethany Platt’s grooming ordeal in Coronation Street – Vulnerable schoolgirl, played by Lucy Fallon, was at the centre of one of Corrie’s darkest storylines to date when she fell under the spell of her older boyfriend and sexual predator.
The controversial scenes saw Nathan groom and manipulate the 16-year-old before coercing her into sleeping with his friends, with one of them raping her.
Whitney Dean’s abuse from Tony in EastEnders – Since the age of 12, she had been in a twisted relationship with her stepmum Bianca’s boyfriend, Tony King. The predator had groomed young Whit (Shona McGarty), making her believe she was in love and planning to run away with him.
On her 16th birthday, the traumatised teen finally revealed the years of abuse to Bianca. Tony was swiftly sent to prison sentenced for 13 years.