Family Affairs was a British soap opera that was aired on Channel 5. It debuted 30 March 1997 and screened as five thirty minute episodes each week. The series never achieved high ratings, so the producers conducted several drastic revamps of the series. There were several wholesale changeovers of the cast, and the premise of the series was refocused from a family in a quiet suburb, to a range of different people living on a bustling outer London street. On 2 August 2005, Channel 5 announced they would not renew Family Affairs. Production ceased on 4 November, and the final episode was broadcast on 30 December 2005. The series was shot on video to give a film look. In 1999 and 2004, single episodes used standard video presentation for testing purposes. Producer Sean O'Connor changed to standard video presentation from September 2005 until the final episode.