Hollyoaks just delivered a masterclass in how to introduce a new soap family

I didn’t expect the Keanes to make the instant impact that they did (Picture: Metro/Lime Pictures)

It’s a risky business bringing a brand new clan en-masse to a soap. Family is the foundation to the genre, but we fans have pretty high standards when it comes to appreciating newcomers.

So to have a whole bunch of unknowns at once can feel unsettling and, while they spend time getting embraced into the community (or like the Battersbys, totally shunned), our opinions are already formed and it’s often a difficult task to win us round.

A family needs to be crafter with stories in mind, relationships planned out, defined personalities and, most importantly, a clear bond and chemistry between the actors.

Sometimes it can be cliche – dodgy dad, feisty mum, hearthrob son, troubled teen daughter – it generally fits a formula a lot of the time. <...