Tony Hutchinson Tony Hutchinson Tony Hutchinson is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera "Hollyoaks;" he is played by Nick Pickard. Tony first appeared on-screen on 23 October 1995 and is currently the longest serving character in the soap. The character was created by Phil Redmond as one of several main characters for the soap opera. Tony has since been part of various storylines including marriages to Mandy Richardson (Sarah Jayne Dunn), her stepsister Cindy Cunningham (Stephanie Waring) and Diane O'Connor (Alex Fletcher), an affair with married woman Helen Cunningham (Kathryn George), the death of his daughter to sudden
Soap opera Network weekday series aired in a daytime slot in 15-minute installments. "The Story of Peter Grey" ran for 164 episodes. The first successful wave of Australian evening television soap operas started in 1967 with "Bellbird", produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. This rural-based serial screened in an early evening slot in 15-minute installments as a lead-in to the evening news. "Bellbird" was a moderate success but built-up a consistent and loyal viewer base, especially in rural areas, and enjoyed a ten-year run. "Motel" (1968) was Australia's first half-hour soap opera; the daytime soap had a short run of 132 episodes.