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Tears, tantrums, plane crashes, car smashes and chaos - yes,it's Christmas with the soaps. Scriptwriters pulling out all thestops to win the all-important ratings war has become as traditional asturkey and mince pies.
This year, in Coronation Street, Ken Barlow's love-life isbeing turned upside down again and millions are wondering if Curly Watts will mend his broken heart with a new woman.
Cancer-battling Peggy Mitchell's surprise engagement couldprove a ratings winner for EastEnders - while it promises to be ared-hot Christmas in Brookside Close, where a simmering feud explodes inflames. And over at Emmerdale they are aiming for a Christmas cracker when troubled Alice decides to run away. Here DAVID ROWE and HILARYKINGSLEY recall the top soap's festive offerings from the last fiveyears...
Max attack 1991
TOP PROGRAMME:
EASTENDERS (19 million)
CORONATION STREET: (16m): As Ken and Alma become close, Alma isleft alone on Christmas Day. Big mistake by Ken. The Street'sserial seducer, factory boss Mike Baldwin, knew his luck was in andmanaged toget her into bed, beating boring Ken in the love stakes onceagain.
EASTENDERS (19m): During Sharon's first Christmas as landlady of The Vic, Grant surprised her by fixing their wedding for Boxing Day.Phil is the best man at the register office and then it was all back thepub for a traditional East End knees up.
EMMERDALE (7m): Vet Zoe Tate, who had been working in New Zealand,came back with a new boyfriend called Patrick. Her dad Frank was lessthan pleased when he found Patrick was around his age. Nick Bates wasreunited with his daughter Alice when his ex-girlfriend Elsa came backon Christmas Eve. Any hopes that their relationship would be rekindledwere dashed when she left him holding the baby as a single dad.
BROOKSIDE (7m): Typically unhappy soap Christmas at theFarnhams' household when formidable second wife Patricia launchedinto drippy husband Max, trying to force him into confessing that he hadbeen two-timing her with first wife Suzannah.
Pat's shame 1992
TOP PROGRAMME:
EASTENDERS (21 million)
CORONATION STREET (20m): It was the Mike Baldwin versus Ken Barlowshow again. Shameless Mike turned up at Maggie's with a present forson Mark only to discover that Ken was spending Christmas there.
EASTENDERS (21m): Arthur Fowler and Mrs Hewitt spent the nighttogether when Pauline was visiting her brother Kenny in New Zealand. PatButcher got tanked up in the Queen Vic and then drove her cab withtragic consequences, hitting a little girl. The child lost her battlefor life after brain surgery. Police said the storyline was as effectiveas any official drink-drive campaign.
EMMERDALE (10m): Kim has been romping with Frank's best friendand business partner Neil. Unaware of the affair, innocent Frank invitedhis friend over for Christmas drinks - and sparks flew. Frank hit thebottle, threw Kim out and she went to stay with Neil. Frank caused aBoxing Day fracas when he confronted Neil on a fox hunt.
BROOKSIDE (5m): Love complications loomed for long- sufferingsingle mum Fran when she agreed to spend Christmas with Terry Sullivan.Her baby Stephen's dad, heartbreaker Barry Grant, was furious whenhe got wind of it.
Disaster day 1993
TOP PROGRAMME:
EASTENDERS (23million)
CORONATION STREET (20m): Money-grubbing `Terry Duckworth broke mumand dad Vera and Jack's heart by selling little Tommy to his othergrandparents Geoff and Doreen Horton in a bizarre pounds 5,000-a-yeardeal. And Bet met Charlie the trucker coming home from the sales when hegave her and Raquel a lift in his lorry.
EASTENDERS (23m): The Fowlers were still struggling to get overPete's death in a car accident. Pauline was so distraught shecouldn't cook the Christmas dinner. Mandy and Aiden faced Christmason the streets. Then Aiden, his footballing dream gone, ran back toIreland.
EMMERDALE (12m): Just a few days after the fifth anniversary of theLockerbie disaster a plane crashed in Emmerdale, killing off fourcharacters and pulling in 17 million viewers. There were more than 1,000complaints and the Independent Television Commission said it wasdisappointed by the insensitivity shown.
BROOKSIDE (5m): A child was born in Brookside Close, but there waslittle seasonal cheer. It was thought to be the illegitimate fruit ofBev's affair with Ron Dixon, who was keeping a vigil at thehospital bed of his gravely-ill son Tony while she went into labour.
Ken's crisis 1994
TOP PROGRAMME:
CORONATION STREET (19 million).
CORONATION STREET: Heavily-pregnant hairdresser Denise toldshattered Ken Barlow she wanted to raise their child on her own becauseshe did not want to get involved in a long-term relationship. Ken'sex, Deirdre, and her handsome toyboy loverSamir, quit chillyWeatherfield for the Moroccan sun. Street gossips said it would neverlast.
EASTENDERS (18m): After the trauma of Sharongate', when shehad an affair with his twin Phil, Grant Mitchell tried to get Sharon tosign divorce papers by chasing her around the bar of the Queen Vic withthe documents. Sharon didn't want a divorce because she fearedhe'd get the Vic, so she walked out of the pub.
EMMERDALE (11m): A second church wedding for Frank Tate (NormanBowler) and Kim (Claire King) when they remarried after the break-up ofher affair with Neil Kincade. Kim was given away by Seth Armstrong (StanRichards). Angharad McAllister confronted Kathy Tate over her affairwith Dr McAllister.
BROOKSIDE (6m): That loveable rogue Sinbad was in for the fright ofhis life when he decided to try to win downtrodden mum MandyJordache's heart by buying her home for her. He didn't know hewas purchasing an added bonus - Trevor's body under the patio.
Arthur's anguish 1995
TOP PROGRAMME:
EASTENDERS (22 million)
CORONATION STREET (20m): A tearful Raquel secretly married Curly ina Manchester register office and they set off on their honeymoon on theQE2. Bad boy Steve McDonald had his roast turkey spoilt when the policeburst in and arrested him on Christmas Day for receiving stolen whisky.
EASTENDERS (22m): Arthur Fowler spent Christmas depressed, inprison - the second time he had been banged up. This time he had beenstitched up by wicked Willy Roper, who had designs on Pauline. Long-lostcar dealer Frank Butcher turned up to wreck Pat's first Christmaswith Roy - and tried to woo her back.
EMMERDALE (11m): While Frank Tate was in hospital after a heartattack, Kim spent Christmas with her lover Dave Glover...in Frank'sbed. Kathy broke off her engagement to Dave and Zak's brotherAlbert arrived with a robbery scam for the Dingles. Yorkshire-born JamesCrossley, better known as Gladiator Hunter, surprised villagers when heturned up as a contestant in the tug-of-war.
BROOKSIDE (7m): There was little Christmas joy for the small-timevillain Jimmy Corkhill. First his house was riddled with bullets by druggangsters, killing his cat. Later the police burst through his door, butJimmy had already removed the drugs from his loft.
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