Family Affairs (Five, 2005)
After taking a look back at the strange final episode of Night And Day, here’s a look at another TV soap’s ending, this time Channel 5’s Family Affairs. This was a soap that I didn’t watch too much but when it came to an end after 2,285 episodes in December 2005 I thought that it was worth a look. What would exactly happen? They couldn’t blow everything up of course because that had long since happened on the show, but maybe there would still be the chance for some scores to be settled with all the characters in this final episode that was written by Lisa Evans. 
Following the introduction by the continuity announcer who almost sounded a little upset about the whole thing, the episode begins, with a theme that doesn’t sound as much like “Speed Of Sound” by Coldplay as I remember. Family Affairs was also set in a fictional place called Charnham, which I think was in London, although its actual location seemed to change depending on what week it was. 
Because I didn’t watch Family Affairs that often by the end I am not too familiar with most of the cast in the episode, but I will try and piece together what happened. We start with Eileen who turns up with a handsome young man with her and announces that she has won the Lottery. Nathan and Eve get married. George the plain nurse gets sacked but feels she did the right thing. At last, the mouse roars! 
Now unlike my sister, I am unable to claim that I used to be in the same class at school as someone who went on to have a UK Top Ten hit single in the 1990s, but I am able to claim that I was in the same class at school as someone who appeared in the final episode of Family Affairs. It was Ryan Davenport who played Justin. What an honour. It’s just a shame that he only had about one line in this finale though. 
Meanwhile, Cat and Doug (played by Gareth “stick a red nose on your conk” Hale) are in the pub and appear to be having some marital trouble. But it gets worse, Yasmin doesn’t want to go to the ball! She does decide to go eventually though. What a relief all round, especially for Damian the vicar. It also looks like the rather creepy Rex who has been holding some people hostage is about to get his comeuppance. 
The show ended on something on a happy note though, as someone said “I’m going to miss this place”, and then the whole cast gathered to welcome in the New Year and perform “Auld Lang Syne” among fireworks. As the show ends, the announcer returns to inform us that he thought the episode was fantastic and that the website will be remaining open so that fans can discuss what happened in the forum. I’m sure it crashed in all the excitement and the cast all hastily sent their CVs to EastEnders. 
Family Affairs had fairly consistent ratings, they weren’t huge but they weren’t too bad, and the finale was watched by over a million viewers, so presumably some people somewhere were big fans of the show and sorry to see it go. After this Channel 5’s commitment to soaps was buying in Neighbours from BBC1 to show alongside Home And Away which it had already taken from ITV to fill an hour with action from Australia every afternoon and evening.
ADAM'S NOSTALGIC MEMORIES 