Crossroads Motel - Wed 14th Jan 1987 (Barry Hart resigns, Margaret & Beverley Grice arrive)

"Benny has spotted a removal van - outside the village shop." - TVTimes 10th - 16th January 1987

The dreaded "Grice Family" begin to arrive in Kings Oak...

Hated by traditional viewers as well as a large percentage of fans who had come to enjoy the more glamourous melodrama of the Phillip Bowman Produced era, the introduction of The Grice Family and the enormous amount of onscreen time and money spent on them was seen as one of the biggest mistakes made by Producer William Smethurst when he took over the programme. Although the actors themselves were very good and quite believeable in their roles, audiences were unsympathetic to them and found watching scenes featuring them depressing.

Meryl Hampton and Karen Murden make their first onscreen appearances as Margaret and Beverley Grice in this episode with Ray, Jason and Mrs Babbitt (Margaret's mum) played by the late Al Ashton, Simon Lowe and Margaret Stallard respectively, make their onscreen debut in the next one.