'Oaks boss reveals vision for show future

Hollyoaks boss Paul Marquess has revealed that he is keen to 'refocus' the show in order to better appeal to its target audience.

Speaking in an interview with DS, Marquess claimed that the teen drama needs to rediscover its roots to offer an alternative to the approach of other soaps like Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Asked to describe his vision for Hollyoaks' future, Marquess replied: "My conversations have really been about where Hollyoaks will be in five years' time as much as where it is now and in six months' time, so it was very much about rediscovering the USP.

"If you came from America, you'd look at Corrie, Emmerdale and EastEnders and say they are essentially the same format with different accents, whereas Hollyoaks is different.

"It's very focused in terms of its target demographic and I think it ought to be focused in the way it tells stories. It was about working out what a Hollyoaks story is, as opposed to an EastEnders story."

He continued: "By October/November on screen, it's much more focused on the point of view of the younger characters. It doesn't mean we won't play the older characters but it's telling stories that are about rites of passage, about discovering things for the first time and that are essentially about working out who you are, as opposed to being defined by your parents or teachers or background."

Marquess was recruited as Hollyoaks' series producer in January following the departure of Lucy Allan. Since then, he has axed a number of characters, shaken up the soap's core production team and announced a hoard of new castings.

> Click here to read our interview with Paul Marquess
> Click here to read more from Paul Marquess in Soap Scoop