Lucy Allan at Hollyoaks

When producer Bryan Kirkwood left Hollyoaks at the start of the year, his deputy, Lucy Allan, took over after three years as his deputy. Now, as the first episodes shot with her at the helm reach the screen, she tells Kris Green on Digital Spy about her plans for the series.

What were your visions for the show when you took the reins?
"I know I've said it on numerous occasions, but I think it was a show that was in brilliant shape when I inherited it, so therefore you don't want to make big, key changes to something that works. However, I think there are things coming up over the course of the summer and into the rest of the year that show certain changes in terms of style and the way we perhaps tell stories."

Meanwhile, on The Guardian TV blog, Daniel Martin pays tribute to what Kirkwood achieved.

His combination of lightning-fast storytelling, genuinely ambivalent lead characters and absurdist fantasy has made it more than a soap. He even made a decent fist of the feared Late Night spin-offs. Skins had a better press campaign, but Nu-Hollyoaks broke more ground, and in more compelling style.