Keeping the Corrie regulars regular

(This post was originally posted by Graeme N on the Coronation Street Blog in May 2013.)

I wonder if anyone else feels the same way as I do? Coronation Street seems to be following a strange pattern at the moment. Certain characters and stories seem to dominate to the extent that we often don't see half the cast for months on end. I don't remember it ever being like this before.

Back in the day Corrie truly did feel like a repertory company. Everyone had their moment and all the regulars were erm regular! Occasionally actors took time off so characters took holidays, however this was always explained in the plot. However these days characters disappear into that Corrie Cupboard with little or no explanation.

Yes, I know the Corrie cast is more than double what it used to be in the 1970s and 1980s but it really does feel sometimes that some of the cast are little more than well paid extras. I find it frustrating when we only catch glimpses of terrific, longstanding characters like Sally or Audrey while both the Price and the Windass families seem to appear in nearly every episode at the moment. When Jenna and Sophie appeared the other night I had almost forgotten they were in my favourite soap, and as for Emily, that's been an awful long shift volunteering at Weatherfield General!

I know some big stories do dominate from time to time and rightly so. However the key to Corrie's success has always been its sense of community spirit. These days most of the characters seem to be travelling on their own separate tracks and they rarely collide.

Also, what we do see are the same characters interacting with each other all the time. It's always the Price family in the Bistro, Carla and Michelle with Rob and Tracy or the extended Windasses. I'd love to see a scene between Carla and Emily Bishop just for the random quirkiness of it all. There must be characters in the show that have never shared scenes together which to me is just bizarre.

Stuart Blackburn has mentioned several times that Corrie needs to remember its roots. I hope this includes re-introducing a sense of community and ensuring more characters get some regular interaction.

Do you agree? As always, I'm interested to hear what you think.



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