Albion Market must be the most hyped up flop of the eighties( barring Sigue Sigue Sputnik, who were around at the same time). ITV were badly rattled by the success of Eastenders and decided to launch their own market based rival with an expensive round of promotion and a boast from its producer that Albion Market would last at least 25 years and be a massive ratings hit. Unfortunately the cheap looking set, depressing story lines and hopeless acting, not to mention Albion Market being shown opposite the ratings hit Open All Hours, meant Albion Market sank without trace and struggled to attract 2 million viewers in its peak time slots. Some ITV regions, embarrassed at the soap's terrible ratings, moved it out of peak time slots and a massive campaign in the TV Times to promote the soap failed to halt the complete apathy to the show. Even a move away from the grim up North story lines to a glossier yuppy style approach, which saw Helen Shapiro appear in the soap, failed and Albion Market was cancelled with no comment after 100 episodes. Truly a flop if ever there was one and a cautionary tale about believing your own hype too much.
