Eldorado is returning to screens (Image: BBC)
An iconic soap is making a comeback 32 years after it was sensationally axed.
Eldorado aired on the in 1992 but was cancelled just a year later after 156 episodes due to poor ratings.
The series was conceived as a glitzy drama centred around affluent British expats residing in the fictitious town of Los Barcos on Spain’s Costa Eldorado.
Eldorado was meant to entice fans with its sunnier setting, a far cry from UK soaps like and .
Although low viewership led to its cancellation, the series went out with a bang as the final episode saw one character making a dramatic escape into the sunset after an assassination attempt involving a car bomb.
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Eldorado aired in 1992 but was cancelled after just one year (Image: BBC)
Despite being widely considered a humiliating failure for the – which had invested significant resources and capital into the project – Eldorado is returning to screens for a new generation to discover and enjoy.
However, it will not be in the form of fresh episodes. UKTV plans to start broadcasting reruns of the series on its U&Drama channel from Monday 27 January, with all 156 episodes expected to be shown.
The original cast featured Jesse Birdsall, who later joined Hollyoaks, Polly Perkins, who went on to portray Dot Cotton’s sister in , Derek Martin, who became Charlie Slater in , and Julie Fernandez, known for her role as Brenda in the comedy The Office.
Eldorado was filmed on location in Spain, with its purpose-built set in Coin, inland from the Costa del Sol’s Fuengirola, left abandoned after filming.
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The series was filmed on location in Spain (Image: BBC)
Polly Perkins, who played Trish Valentine, toured the set for News with David Sillito in 2017. But the actress was shocked when she saw its current state.
The 81-year-old said: “It could do with a lick of paint, this place. If I’d have been here, it would’ve been done by now.
“It’s been let go to rack and ruin – I think it’s a terrible shame, what a waste. It’s not like it’s just scenery – these are real homes.”
Fans campaigned for Eldorado to return in 2013, but were met with no success.
While viewers hope that the series will one day be revived, their only option is to relive the Eldorado glory days on U&Drama for now.