Footballers' Wives first aired 20 YEARS ago 😲
We feel so OLD!
It was the TV drama that had us all captivated in the noughties, as we fully invested in the lives of the players and wives from fictional Premier League football club Earls Park F.C, but we can't quite believe it's been 20 years since Footballers' Wives first hit our screens!
That's right, in news that is most likely going to leave you feeling VERY old, the popular show, which aired between 2002 and 2006, is celebrating it's 20th anniversary!
Actress Susie Amy, who played the iconic role of Chardonnay Lane-Pascoe in the series, took to Instagram to address the news, sharing a photo alongside her cast mates Zöe Lucker (Tanya Turner), Cristian Solimeno (Jason Turner), Gary Lucy (Kyle Pascoe), Sarah Barrand (Shannon Donnelly-Lawson), and Nathan Constance (Ian Walmsley).
She wrote: '20 YEARS!!!!! Unbelievable to think it’s that long now since series 1 aired.
'Thank you @alynwaterman (our amazing make up designer) for posting. So many amazing memories with these five @_zoelucker @katrich101 @gary.lucy @crisolimeno #nathanconstance #footballerswives #2002
'I still remember this photoshoot! Outside the Pascoe house in Orpington in Kent.' (sic)
The original cast were quick to comment on the throwback photo.
Gary Lucy, who is now starring in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, wrote: 'Ahhh thanks for posting this pic made me smile.. What a lovely memory … love ya ! ❤️❤️'. (sic)
Cristian Solimeno added: 'Feels like no time at all in some ways, but a hundred years ago in others! Miss you lovely lot though. Hope you’re well ❤️'. (sic)
TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher then wrote: 'Oh wow 20 years!!!! Just fabulous 🔥❤️'.
Footballers' Wives ran for five series between 2002-2006, with the show landing a spin-off show called Footballers' Wives: Extra Time on ITV2 in 2005. However, due to low ratings throughout the final series, Footballers' Wives was cancelled and despite a number of rumours about a revival, the show has never returned.
Check out which other TV shows we really wish would make a comeback:
Footballers' Wives
Broadcasting between 2002-2006, Footballers' Wives followed fictional Premier League football club Earls Park, as well as all of the drama from both the players and their fiery wives!
Bad Girls
Set inside a fictional women's prison, Bad Girls aired on ITV between 1996-2006 and featured some very famous faces, including Claire King and Debra Stephenson.
The Bill
First broadcast in 1983, police drama The Bill certainly proved popular, airing until 2010. The show focused on the lives and work of police officers and starred well-known actors such as Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole and Mark Wingett.
Don't Try This At Home
Who remembers sitting down in front of the TV on a Saturday night, watching on as Davina McCall helped members of the public take on tough and fearful challenges?
This needs to come back!
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
She was confident, funny, magical AND she had a talking cat. Sabrina made us all want to be a witch!
The show was also rebooted between 2018 and 2020 as a Netflix series called Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Ugly Betty
Believe it or not, it's been a massive 16 years since Ugly Betty last aired on our screens! The show, which featured actress America Ferrera, followed a character called Betty Suarez, who despite her lack of 'style', landed a job at a very prestigious fashion magazine.
Where The Heart Is
The British drama, which was filmed in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, proved very popular with viewers between 1997-2006, showcasing the lives of a group of district nurses and their families.
It's a Knockout
It was stupid, it was crazy, but it was certainly fun! It's a Knockout started way back in 1966, but the show made a number of returns on BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
We'd love to see Will Smith get back into his character alongside Carlton Banks, however we got the next best thing earlier this year, with the Fresh Prince reboot called Bel Air, which was released earlier this year where Jabari Banks played Will Smith.
Stars In Their Eyes
A true classic! Stars In Their Eyes, originally hosted by Leslie Crowther, first aired in 1990 with Matthew Kelly taking over in 1993. The show did make a return with Harry Hill in 2015, but it didn't quite take off!
The Queen's Nose
Who would have thought that rubbing a 50p coin would be so interesting? We used to love watching the adventures of Harmony as she used up her magic wishes.
Gossip Girl
Although the show was given a reboot in 2021 with a brand new cast, it didn't live up to expectations of the original series, which aired between 2007-2012.
Fun House
We used to love watching two schools battle each other in three rounds of madness. Bring back the gunge and Pat Sharp's crazy hairstyles!
Grange Hill
Despite being at school all day, we loved to come home and watch other people be at school. Strange. But gripping story lines and relatable characters had us glued to our screens.
London's Burning
Airing between 1988 and 2002, London's Burning documented the lives of a fictional London Fire Brigade Blue Watch at the fictional Blackwall fire station.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory was on TV from 2007 until 2019. The show centred around two physicists who shared an apartment, Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter and Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, and their friendship with Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco, who lived opposite.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones lasted for eight seasons between 2011 – 2019. The show starred Sean Bean as Eddard 'Ned' Stark and Kit Harington as Jon Snow.
House of Dragons is the new prequel but we really wish we'd have gotten more (or another ending) to the original Game of Thrones TV show. Who knows, maybe when the last book is out they might make some more episodes…
A number of other popular actors went on to join the cast of Footballers' Wives, including Ben Price, who played heartthrob Conrad Gates, and Laila Rouass, who played his wife Amber Gates.
The show was known for its juicy storylines, including a fiery love triangle between Tanya, Conrad and Amber.
Other storylines included a fake kidnapping staged, numerous affairs, and a number of tragic deaths.
If you are feeling nostalgic, all series of Footballers' Wives are available to stream on Amazon Prime.
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