Is Corrie getting better?

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

I was never really a fan of Phil Collinson. Too many casting decisions and plot lines just weren't in the true spirit of Corrie for me. Stuart Blackburn has been at the helm for some time now, so I'm wondering, are all things Coronation Street on the road to recovery?

It's a mixed picture from what I can see. I know it's easy for us fans to sit in our living rooms and criticise the powers that be because we're not the ones with the power and all the important decision making that comes with it. So here's what I think are the positives and negatives in Corrie at the moment.

One of the biggest improvements as far as I can see is the change in management at the Rovers Return. Liz might not be everyone's cup of tea, but the Rovers just feels so much better now the McDonald's are back behind the bar. The Price family are thankfully being rested following a period which saw them appear in practically every episode. 

Another improvement for me was the decision to split up Sophie and Jenna. Most of us agree this pairing just never worked. The characters didn't gel, there was no spark between them and they had practically no storylines. Jenna can be saved if they concentrate on her relationship with dad Lloyd. As for Sophie, who cares? Getting rid of rancid Ryan was also a smart move; another character who went nowhere.

Roy and Hayley continue to be sublime. I'm not sure how much of that is down to the powers that be though. David Neilson and Julie Hesmondhalgh could entertain and move me reading from the phone book. The bond between Hayley and Carla has also been a highlight for me. Finally, another important change is the transformation in Deirdre Barlow. For a time Deirdre simply existed as a damp dish cloth propping up tedious Tracy. Now Deirdre is funny and random again, she stands up to Tracy and I always look forward to seeing her on screen. Let's just give her a story of her own now, eh Mr Blackburn?

Some things, however, just aren't working for me. Sally and Tim just shouldn't be together. Both Sally the character and Sally the actress deserve so much better. The whole Faye storyline is always a struggle and the addition of evil Grace really hasn't helped things. We know Faye has had a hard life, however we are expected to care for her and see past her unpleasantness, without actually knowing that much about her life before Anna adopted her. Tim is now a wasted character. For a while he was promising, now he's just a flatlining waste of space.

TIna is now being shoehorned into every scene in the style of St Ella of the Back Room. The direction Tina and Peter are going in is repellent. The actress has already announced she is leaving, so why not just let her go? It's unbelievable that Peter would suddenly fall for Ms McIntyre as he is preparing to get married (again). I'm a big fan of Carla and while I might look forward to seeing Mrs Connor show Tina who's boss, I just wish we could have one Weatherfield wedding without this kind of carry on. I don't know what Peter is thinking. Why go out for a hamburger when you can have steak at home?

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Rita and Dennis, but why must Rita continually treat Dennis like a naughty little boy? As a pensioner, why must Dennis always be seeking work? Mary continues to float about in an aimless fashion - let's have her grounded and let's see her softer, human side once again. Todd needs to be less unpleasant and quick - what's the point of bringing him back if all he's going to do is alienate everyone?

Finally, please, please, please give Gail a purpose outside her family! This is not EastEnders! The poor sap spends her day lurching between Nick, Kylie and David. The clock is ticking for Gail. She used to be strong, capable and fearless in the face of Lynne Perrie's erm...face. Now she engages in the battle of the mops with Stella, appears to have no interests other than her sweatily close grown up children and meddles without skill. I long for the days when a feisty Gail battled Alma to keep the cafe's sandwich delivery round. Yes, that's how pathetic Gail has become.

So that's what I think. Over to you: what do you love and loathe about Corrie at the moment?


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Corrie A-Z: Z is for Zadic - Miklos Zadic

(This post was originally posted by Llifon on the Coronation Street Blog in October 2013.)

How many of you know who was Miklos Zadic? And how many remember him? I certainly don’t – he appeared 23 years before I was born!

Zadic, along with Jimmy Gibson, was responsible for overseeing the demolition of the Mission and Elliston’s Raincoat Factory in early 1968. The demolitions went smoothly apart from when the Barlow twins wandered into the site before the bulldozers moved in to demolish the factory. Miklos halted the machines and helped Ken to carry them out safely.

Miklos Zadic hailed from Hungary and when he entered the Rovers, he caught the eye of many of the street’s womenfolk – mainly Lucille Hewitt. However it was with another woman that Miklos would be associated with and that woman was, surprisingly, spinster Miss Emily Nugent. They’d been set up on a date by Emily’s pals Val and Irma Barlow. An unlikely pairing, they hit it off. Miklos was passionate while Emily was more conservative and didn’t believe in sex before marriage. After unsuccessfully leading Emily into bed, he decided to respect her beliefs and distanced himself from her. As the demolition had ended, he planned a transfer to Newcastle but planned to holiday in Scotland first. He asked Emily to join him and she accepted, knowing they’d have sex. Emily returned alone (Miklos had gone to Newcastle), a virgin no more and had no regrets. She later moved into the Rovers with the Walkers.

As well as his romance with Emily, Miklos’ other storyline included being accused of stealing Albert Tatlock’s coin collection. Oh, how Corrie’s crimes have changed since then! Albert had shown Miklos the collection only for Albert’s house to be burgled soon after. It was later revealed that a worker from the building site was responsible.

Miklos Zadic was played by Greek Cypriot Paul Stassino, born in 1932. He moved to the UK in 1952 and entered RADA. His credits included Thunderball (1965) and The Saint. He returned to Cyprus in the 1970s and acted and directed in the theatres there. He stayed in Cyprus and retired there and died in 2012 in Limassol.

Sadly, the possibility of Miklos visiting Emily in the future is very unlikely. And I always thought it’d be nice that she’d open the door and find him on the doorstep. He’d sure put Norris’ nose out of joint!

And there you are – the end of our A-Z feature. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the posts and voting in the polls as much as I enjoyed researching and writing them.

Stay tuned for my next project in the next few weeks.

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Are some Corrie characters without real character?

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

We are always divided when it comes to which Corrie characters work and which simply do not. Most avid viewers will always appreciate characters like Deirdre, Audrey, Rita, Steve and Lloyd. Roy and Hayley will always be true Weatherfield legends. 

However more and more it feels like our screens are being filled with dead end characters that we don't care about in the present, never mind hoping they will develop into the next generation of Corrie legends.

While Fiz, Tyrone, Jason and Leanne have achieved longevity and popularity as they developed, will we one day say the same about Sophie, Jenna, Tim or Faye? It's hard to believe the current incarnation of Sophie Webster has been on screen for nearly ten years. She was adorable as a child actor, very sharp, funny and the antithesis of sister Rosie. Then she grew up, stopped being sharp, funny or even interesting. I didn't get Sophie and Sian; I didn't like Sophie and Jenna. All she does is moan, whinge and strop. She should really get herself to EastEnders with manners like hers.

Jenna is a more sympathetic character (it wouldn't be hard). Apart from her scenes with Lloyd, she just doesn't seem to gel. Maybe it was just me, but Jenna's scenes with Roy on Friday evening just didn't quite come off. I would like her to stay around, but she really does need to escape the mess Sophie got her into. Would it be wrong to have one young female Corrie character with a successful career away from the street itself?

TIm was an interesting arrival. Joe Duttine is a great actor with a good track record in other telly and films. The writers kept us guessing for ages - was Tim really a dreadful father or just a bit hopeless, but still genuine underneath. Putting TIm with Sally is a huge mistake. I do love Sally. She's like Leanne in many ways - she has different facets and can go from sympathetic (her lovely chat with Roy recently) to snob (her comments on Anna's soft furnishings) with ease. However Tim's character development seems to have hit the skids. There's only so many times we can see him let everyone down and appear not to care. 

Of course it doesn't help that the daughter at the centre of this storyline is Faye. She remains deeply unlikeable and I can't for the life of me see why Anna is so besotted with the little madam. Adding the vile Grace to the mix really isn't helping one bit. We all know what will happen. Grace will encourage and pressurise Faye to do increasingly horrid things to other adults and children, daft Anna will defend them both to the hilt, blinkered as usual, then it will all come out in the wash. I cannot wait.

So is it just me, is there really a clutch of unsympathetic, unlikeable, EastEnders style characters populating our favourite street at the moment? Can you see a way forward for Sophie, Jenna, Tim or Faye?

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Corrie Canada sneak previews for Dec. 2 - 6

Without further ado here is a brief sneak preview of what you'll see on  next week's Corrie in Canada.

Brian betrays Julie. Beth and Sinead are busted. Simon is bullied and shouted at all in the same week.  Grace and Faye continue to harass Mary. Anna is starting to see the light about Grace. Liz and Michelle continue to tease Steve who considers quitting his course.

For more details and photos, visit the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net



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Conversation Street podcast 68

Gemma and Michael's podcast for the episodes in Canada that aired up to last night can be heard here. Don't worry, they don't do spoilers so you won't hear anything you don't want to!

This was a short week, with only three episodes to review. Gemma and Michael talk about Stealing Simon, Jane's funeral and it's ramifications on Roy and Todd's new job. The character profile is Claire Peacock. 


You can also subscribe to them on iTunes, Like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter (@conversationstr).




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Clever Stuff

(This post was originally posted by Scott Willison on the Coronation Street Blog in November 2013.)

When Coronation Street started, way back in the mid 20th Century, it was the ordinary tale of working class folk.  People who scrubbed their doorsteps, smoked fags in ginnels, and had a half of bitter at the end of the day as a treat.

The exception to this was Ken Barlow, who'd gone off to University and come back with all sorts of fancy ideas.  The conflict between aspirational Ken and the rest of the Street was a cornerstone of the early days of the show, particularly when contrasted with jailbird wastrel Dennis Tanner a few doors down.

The weird thing is, even though society has changed in many ways and Corrie has adapted with it, underneath it there's a weird antipathy towards people "bettering themselves".  Just as if you scratch EastEnders, the word FAMILY bleeds out, and despite its many explosions and lesbians, Emmerdale is happiest going down t'shed to birth a calf, Coronation Street is essentially about uneducated working class people.  It has no time for people with letters after their name.

The latest casualty of this phenomena is Todd Grimshaw.  When he lived on the Street, Todd was a sweet boy who abandoned plans to go to college to work in a corner shop.  The only person who really disliked him was Gail, but then he did knock up her daughter and snog her son, so that's sort of understandable.  Fast forward ten years and Todd, with a raft load of educational improvements under his belt, is now a raging ar*ehole.  He's barely been back a week and he's already annoyed his family, insulted most of the employers in Weatherfield, and usurped Fat Brenda on the switch.  It's no coincidence that he suddenly has the same hair as Hitler.

The same thing happened to Amber, a fiercely intelligent, wise beyond her years girl who was packed off to London to study.  When she returned, she was a wastrel who antagonised her stepmother for no apparent reason, treated her half-siblings with contempt and sexually confused Sophie Webster.  She was finally sent packing, and no-one was sad to see her go.  Ryan repeated the pattern, leaving Weatherfield as a sensitive musician and returning as a coke-addled womaniser.  The message was loud and clear: degrees are dangerous.

In the last twenty years, Corrie has introduced dozens of young teenage characters, a lot of whom have been smart school pupils.  Yet hardly any of them have gone on to do A-levels, never mind attend University.  Greater Manchester has a huge student population, but none of the Street's youth seem to show any inclination to attend.  The only character in recent years who's attended college was David Platt, who took time out from being PURE EVIL to go to hairdressing school offscreen.  It's notable that even an exam in Perming and Tinting is viewed as the kind of thing only a sociopath would be interested in.

Sophie dropped out of her A-levels, but Sian stayed on.  Which one was then written out of the show?  Tina is bright as a button, but thinks the only way she can improve her job prospects is to give birth to someone else's baby or act as a paid dog walker to the undeniably puppy-ish Simon.

If a character arrives with their education intact, then they're to be laughed at.  Brian is a buffoon.  Both Curly and John Stape were treated as comic relief for their love of astronomy and poetry.  Jenna was only allowed to stay on the Street once it was established that she could never do anything clever with her degree again; the only person who was bothered by this was Mandy, and she was incredibly annoying.  Roy's knowledge of classical music and science is part of his, shall we say, "quirky charm".  And Ken Barlow remains a figure of fun, sitting around in his armchair reading Proust in a silk dressing gown; we're invited to laugh at him, and to empathise with Deirdre missing Diamante Hour on QVC because he wants to watch Newsnight.

The laughs continue if anyone tries to return to their studies at any point.  Rosie Webster dropped out, but was persuaded to return to her A-levels only by the prospect of a quickie with the teacher in a layby; when the affair ended, the textbooks went straight in the bin.  Raquel and Sally tried to improve themselves a little, but their efforts were laughable, and right now Steve McDonald is heading back to college mainly as a way of avoiding doing any work.  When he announced his intentions to take an evening course, the reaction from his family and friends was pure hilarity.

If you want to study, you have to leave the show.  Andy tried doing a degree, but dropped out to work at Bettabuys; when he decided to go back to his studies he was written out.  Similarly, Toyah Battersby disappeared to That London to study and was never seen again.  It's a strange trend, not least because surely sending characters to University is a ripe storyline thread?  If, say, Faye Windass decided to go to Uni to get her degree in being obnoxious, that's three years when she's living at home and still has plenty of time to get involved in other people's storylines.  Plus, students tend to have friends who are also students, meaning the producers can introduce some other young sexy characters to join them.  We don't have to see them in the lecture hall every other week; they don't have to be buried under a pile of coursework all the time.

I'm not suggesting that Corrie should turn into Fresh Meat.  It'd just be nice to have a character who decided that a bit of studying might be a good idea; who genuinely wanted to not have to work in a knicker factory until they were arthritic; who wanted to better themselves, but in a good way, not in a Todd Grimshaw fascistic fashion.  I'm calling it now: Simon Barlow for the Class of Weatherfield University 2024!

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Fairytale of New York - with Weatherfield lyrics

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog November 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

We learned recently that The Pogues' Shane MacGowan will sing Fairytale of Weatherfield with the Coronation Street cast this Christmas as part of ITV's Text Santa - more on that here.

Now then, I love Fairytale of New York.

I'm a big fan of The Pogues and a huge fan of the late, great, Kirsty MacColl. 

And as you know, I also love my Corrie, and so, without any further ado, here is my version of The Fairytale of Weatherfield.

 "It was Christmas Eve, babe
 In the Rovers
 And Norris said to me: won't see another one
 And then Rita sang a song
 The rare old red-haired bird
 I ordered half a stout and dreamed about you

 Steve bet on a lucky one
 Came in eighteen to one
 Fat Brenda’s got a feeling
 He’ll buy her biscuits
 So Happy Christmas
 We love you, Corrie
 Liz is back behind the bar
 And all our dreams came true

 The Red Rec is a mess, it’s got rivers of mud
 But the wind goes right through you, it´s no place for the old
 When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve
 You promised Rosamund Street was waiting for me

 Peter’s handsome, Carla’s pretty
 Queen of Manchester city
 But when she finds out about Tina, Carla won’t be best pleased
 Her fists will be swinging, Peter’s neck she’ll be wringing
 She’ll be knocking back red wine
 And fewmin' all night

 And the boys from the Glad Tidings Mission choir were singing Galway Bay
 As Deirdre gives Tracy what for, on Christmas Day:

 You´re a bum, you´re a punk
 Lost a kidney on junk
 Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
 You’re a scumbag, you’re a maggot
 You’ve got a daughter, don’t forget
 Happy Christmas, your a*se,  I pray god it´s our last.

And the boys from the Glad Tidings Mission choir were singing Galway Bay
 As Deirdre and Ken lament their woes on Christmas Day:

 K: I could have been someone
 D: Well so could anyone
 K: You took my dreams from me, when I first found you
 D: I kept them with me, Ken
      I put them with my own
      Can´t make it out alone
      I´ve stuffed a marrow for you.

 And the boys from the Glad Tidings Mission choir were singing Galway Bay
 And the Rovers bell was calling time on Christmas Day. "



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Pics: Corrie cast at Julie Hesmondhalgh's leaving party

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog November 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Last night, Friday 22 November was Julie Hesmondhalgh's leaving party after she filmed her final scenes on Coronation Street this week as Hayley Cropper. 

Julie's leaving party was held at Duke's 92 in the Castlefield area of Coronation Street and there are some great pictures at the Manchester Evening News website.   Note that some are wearing flashes of red in honour of Hayley.



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The importance of being Hayley

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

There's a beautiful tribute to Hayley Cropper in the Guardian.  The article is about how Hayley, having been brought into Coronation Street as a quirky love interest for an even quirkier Roy, has turned into one of the best-loved characters in the world of soap.  And oh boy, will she be missed when she's gone.

Read it here

You may also wish to read our exclusive interview with the the real-life woman who worked with and advised Corrie on the character of transsexual Hayley. Working with Press for Change, the lobbying and educational organisation, which campaigns to achieve equal civil rights and liberties for all transsexual people in the UK, she’s been the advisor to Coronation Street since April 1998, three months after Hayley first appeared on screen.

Read the interview here


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Blogger Graeme's meeting with a Corrie icon

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

I admit it freely, I was chuffed to little mint balls to be going back to Manchester, home to Granada Studios and the wonderful Coronation Street.

I journeyed north for a face off with a group of experienced journalists well versed in media press conferences. As with all these things, I worried my lack of experience would show. However I needn't have as the event was thankfully dominated by the truly wonderful, warm and naturally funny Julie Hesmondhalgh.

Julie is very much the lady of the hour, and probably the year, as the terminally ill Hayley Cropper. Over the past fifteen years, we've all taken Hayley to our hearts. The character and actress really have demonstrated what is best about Coronation Street. For me, Hayley is right up there with the legends of Annie, Hilda, Elsie and the rest. Meeting the actress behind the character on what turned out to be her last day on set was an absolute privilege and something I'm likely to boast about for a long time to come.

The press conference dealt with many aspects of Hayley's final episodes, which for the moment we can't really talk about. I for one am quite glad as writing about it really does bring the end closer, something I'm sure none of us want.

I did struggle to get in any questions during the initial barage from all the journalists, however at the end, as everyone filed out, I plucked up the courage to approach Julie and tell her how much I had enjoyed watching Hayley over the years, and how great it was to meet her before she left Corrie. I'm so glad I did this as she was absolutely lovely to me and it really made my day.

Both Julie and her husband Ian Kershaw know the Coronation Street Blog, and Julie said how important blogs written by fans are for the continued success of the show.

Leaving Granada on Monday really did bring a tear to the eye. Before too much longer, not only will Coronation Street be saying goodbye to these legendary studios, home to so many wonderful memories, but also to an actress who really has typified what is best about Coronation Street in recent times.



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Corrie A-Z: Y is for YouTube

(This post was originally posted by Llifon on the Coronation Street Blog in October 2013.)

YouTube – a haven for Corrie fans! Since 2005, we have been able to watch or upload clips and episodes of Corrie – from the 1960s to the present day.

There are fabulous channels that include classic Corrie episodes – be it from episodes recorded on old VHSs from Granada Plus, ITV or CBC. Then there are episodes of the video series profiling various Corrie characters up to the early 1993, titled ‘The Coronation Street Collection’. Characters profiled include Ken, Deirdre, Rita, Emily and Mavis, Bet, Annie, Len and Elsie, Alf and Audrey and Ena, Minnie and Martha.

My favourite Corrie channel has to be mrmagister1. He’s got great episodes from the 1970s up to the 1990s.

Have you got favourite Corrie clips on YouTube or a favourite Corrie channel?

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It's Grimshaw up North

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

Todd Grimshaw's return was, as is always the case with returning characters, going to be an interesting one. Had he just come back the same as before, fans would probably have quite rightly said, "so what?" However Eileen's pride and joy has reappeared on the cobbles with a definite evil glint in his jaded London eye.

I know Todd has only been back a week, and the reasons for his harsh unpleasantness may soon be revealed, however I must admit I'm really not enjoying it. 

So far he's cost his mother £500 she cannot afford and will probably never see again, given her a load of cheek and strop, freeloaded from Julie and anyone else who looks his way and attempted to blag a job from Nick Tilsley. Yes, the guy he tried to snog while being shacked up with his sister. Not bad for a week's work.

He is only still under his mother's roof because he knew Sean would be a soft touch. After all Sean has been through, would he really be that gullible? Probably. Would Todd really think asking Nick/Gail for a job would be a good idea?! The only chink of light I can see in all this is that it may lead to a rematch on the cobbles between Gail and Eileen. That scene from 2004, all wet hair, pursed lips, camp insults and towelling fabrics askew, will stay with me for years to come. More please!

It would appear Todd is going to set his sights on poor Marcus in the weeks and months ahead. Obviously that means Todd the terror is going to remain Bruno Langley's characterisation for the foreseeable. If Marcus and Maria do split up, I hope it is because Marcus or Maria realise the relationship is not working, not because Todd has decided to propel himself and his dodgy haircut directly at Marcus Dent's face. I don't think I can cope with Maria going into another hysterical meltdown. If she did, Audrey might have to get David back to cope with the Renshaw twins, and that would never do.

Perhaps lovely Marcus, who we hardly see at all, sadly, will be the one to make Todd see the error of his ways? Mr G certainly needs some sort of positive influence, otherwise he's destined for a life of Eileen's cottage pie and forty hours a week in Packing. 

The one thing that Todd's return has made me realise is just how far Ryan Thomas has come as Jason over the past thirteen years. When the brothers first hit our screens I couldn't stand Jason, much preferring the more sensitive, kindly soul that was Todd. Jason's character has grown onscreen, more consistently of course because Ryan Thomas has stuck with Corrie throughout. I think that's paid dividends though, as Jason is by far the stronger character now.

So do you like what you've seen so far from Todd? Are you happy to see the character back on screen? What are your hopes for Todd, and indeed the other Grimshaws in the months ahead?





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Corrie Canada weekly awards for Nov. 18 - 22

One Up award: Gail and Eileen bragging up their respective children in the cafe.

Pants on Fire award: Todd really did prove himself to be a world class liar.

Back in the saddle award: Kylie got her job back, albeit because of a crisis. Where was Stella? Why did Gloria call her instead of Kylie?

Fashion moan: Could Kylie's earrings get any bigger?

Best Defence is a good Offence: Todd is blaming Eileen for his lies because he's not the Golden Boy she wants him to be. Sounds like an excuse to me.

Cat out of the bag award: Roy has admitted to Anna about Hayley's plans.

Apt comparison: Owen compared Grace to a young Tracy Barlow.

Bully award: Faye should know better. She's been bullied before and Grace is nearly as bad, manipulating her.

Educational sponge: Steve does have a few more clues about history than his mother, girlfriend and mate but is going to go back to school anyway. Good on him.

Reality check: Jane's death has really thrown Hayley and I think she's as scared as she is angry.

Stupidity, thy name is .... Anna.

Lines of the week:
Gail "I do have an amusing turn of phrase when I put me mind to it"
Sally "Some of the dance moves are a bit suggestive. I'm not sure you're ready for male buttocks"
Todd about Eva "I guess I can't compete with a blow up doll"
Gloria "You don't get this old by being daft"
Steve "I'm not a total numpty you know"
Steve "Is it all right if I leave the room before you start slagging me off?
Hayley to Roy "You don't have to paper over the cracks"
Sean to Todd "Don't let it change who you are" (too late)
Steve "I answer to no man" Michelle "STEVE!" Steve "Yes, dear"
Roy "If it's not one of a pair, what use is it?" (*gulp*)
Lloyd "The world of academia's loss is the pub's gain"
Mary "My haven on wheels often engenders envy in adults shackled to bricks and mortar"
Lloyd "Normal apathy will be resumed"
Hayley "If you love someone, set them free. You can even get it on fridge magnets"


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Coronation Street - to OB or not to OB?

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Coronation Street has a long tradition of outside broadcasting, or OB.

I'm thinking particularly of filming locations outside of Weatherfield and away from the set, places like Freshco and Bettabuys, that were woven into the lives of regulars of the Street.

Even places that we knew were sets but, importantly, appeared to be away from Coronation Street itself were important to the storyline and a regular part of it - places like Mike Baldwin's favourite restaurants The Clock, Delphine's and Valandro's.

Maybe it's because we're in a recession and we don't have characters like Mike Baldwin any more  to splash the cash, but there's a distinct lack these days of any outside filming at all.

When did we last see the inside of the Weatherfield Arms or the Flying Horse?  Come to think of it, even nearer to home, when was the last time we saw inside the chippy? We know it still exists because characters go out to buy a chippy tea. But we never see inside it, not any more.

All we see these days for a bit of excitement is the Bistro - over and over again.  We see the Red Rec now and then and we saw Salford Quays a couple of years ago, likewise the canal.  We might see churches for hatches, matches and dispatches, but not much more, any more. That's why when Corrie does do OB, as in Roy and Hayley's recent trip to Blackpool, we lap it up a lot.  But nothing seems to be woven regularly into the lives of the characters any more, like the pubs and the supermarket used to be.

Even Audrey's house in leafy Grasmere Drive seemed an exotic diversion away from the cobbles but we haven't been inside her hallowed hall for, ooh, yonks.  Speaking of which, wasn't there a storyline brewing about a damp patch that Owen was quoting for mending for the fragrant Mrs Roberts? And didn't Audrey move out of her des-res into flat-share with Marcus, Maria, little Liam and Ozzy?  What's going on there, then?  Mind you, when Owen had his run-in with Pat Phelan, we did see Pat's house, which has been used before for filming on Corrie.

I wonder if the Street's set move to the new site at Media City will mean more, or less, outside broadcasts for Coronation Street?  For now it looks like all we'll get are yet more scenes shot in The Bistro and the medical centre (which appears to double for Weatherfield General Hospital too).  

Will we ever see the likes of The Clock again? Will the Wethy Arms be shown on screen or just be talked about and never seen, much like Fat Brenda and Big Garth? And what'll happen to Terry Duckworth's unfinished and abandoned club, 7eventh Heaven? 

Which Corrie set that we no longer see, would you like to make a come-back?

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Sunday Comments November 24

Nick's gone back home with Leanne and now Kylie's moaning about her life. But there doesn't seem to be any chance Leanne will let her go back to work at the Bistro. Nick is clearly not really ready to be back at work. His memory isn't up to it yet. A group of 10 women comes in which cheers him up but it's difficult for Leanne and Gloria to cope. (where's Stella?) The women are celebrating a divorce and flirt shamelessly with Nick. He pitches in with the cocktails but the noise and the confusion are too much for him and Gloria called in the reserves, Kylie ... and they had no choice. Guess she's back on the roster for good now, that's how these things work.

The big story this week is Todd's return. But it's not all it should be and it seems Todd's come back under a cloud. He's dumped Jules and been sacked but hasn't told any of this to Eileen who hears it from a man Todd's been dating and just dumped. Even worse, he let the other fella, Alex, pay for a holiday and then left him standing at the gate. Alex has blown Todd's cover and was frantic to find out why he's been treated so badly. Eileen soon realized Alex was right. She kept bringing up topics and Todd keeps lying and looking shifty when she turns her back.

Meanwhile, miserable Alex is in the pub insulting Manchester and Sean isn't best pleased but Alex joins him at the bar. Turns out Todd was cheating on Jules with Alex and it was Jules that did the dumping when he found out. Well there's the inevitable confrontation, Todd was busted and Alex wants his money. He gets it from Eileen and now she's very, very disappointed. Todd continued to lie to her and spin the story and Eileen seemed to buy it but Jason sure didn't. Turns out Eileen knew darn well Todd was lying.  Todd blames Eileen for idealizing him to the point where he has to lie.

It seems like they've taken another nice character and turned him into a wastrel and a liar. But then, the last time Todd visited he was stuck up and arrogant so maybe this is the end of an ongoing process? Todd is painful to watch, all that spin and arrogance. He's sucking in Sean to his side and Sean believed every word. But emotional blackmail aside, she doesn't want to lose her son and Todd knew it. Jason will be a harder sell than Eileen. Todd says he was looking for work. Somehow I don't believe him. Maybe he could be Kirk's next packing apprentice. HAH! Later in the same show, Julie told Todd there was a job in packing. I KNEW it!!! Of course it wasn't good enough for Todd. He's slowly sucking in Julie as well, playing on her  need to be an auntie.

Nick's memory has a long way to go. Will it ever really come back? Good to see that they aren't curing him overnight, though. At least his memory isn't so bad, he did remember Todd who pretended he was an old friend of Todd's. Why would Todd even think Nick would hire him? It served to rehash the old history between Todd and the Platts.

Roy's in obsession mode again, intent on redecorating the bedroom. Anna and Mary don't think he'll manage it by Friday but he won't allow them to help. He snaps at Mary when he finds out she has gone up to the flat to fill up some garbage bags with stuff and finally, Anna insists that he tell her what's wrong because something clearly is. She may regret asking that! Her kindness is weighing on Roy. Anna really can't understand why he's not spending every moment he can with Hayley but we know he can barely stand to look her in the eye just now. He blurted it out and shocked Anna to her core and now she's got to keep the secret, too.

Well, now Anna has  a big secret to keep and it's heavy on her shoulders. Roy and Hayley are never going to see eye to eye on it and even Anna can sort of see Hayley's side of things. Well at least she rescued Roy from paper hanging hell and just in time, too because Hayley was released early! Clearly she's been avoiding him, too and she didn't like Roy's wallpaper choice either.

Roy's still fussing over Hayley who wants to visit dying Jane. I really like Carla and Hayley's friendship. Roy is still avoiding talking the big talks with Hayley and avoiding the hard situations like visiting Jane. He delayed and delayed, passive aggressively making sure that Hayley got to the hospice late but sadly, Jane died the night before. Surprised nobody contacted Hayley or at least Roy seeing as her husband said Jane considered Hayley a good friend.

It's not fair that Hayley blamed Roy, though. If Jane died the night before, it didn't matter how much he delayed their arrival at the hospice. Oh wait, he'd diverted Hayley from visiting Jane the other day, that's what she's upset about. Jane's death has really thrown Hayley. She's snapping at Roy but knows she shouldn't. I think it's a reality check and she's scared. Now the pair of them can't stop arguing. Hayley's desperate and Roy can't accept it.

Why is Roy cleaning the paint off the brushes. I guess he managed to get all the wallpaper off but he only had a bit of it off earlier in the show. He must have stripped like a demon!

Grace is winding up Faye again and this time she's got her to tell tales on Sally to Tim. Sally left them to nip over to the shop so the girls made it look far worse than it was and lied that there was someone breaking in. It had the desired effect of ruining Tim and Sally's evening. Anna is just as much of a sucker parent as all the others on the Street. Easily manipulated. Owen wasn't best pleased to have his decision about Faye going to the concert contradicted. Faye might have enjoyed the gig but she's feeling the late night and Owen is surly about it all.

Mary's conversation has turned her into Grace's latest target for disdain. She's such a brat and Faye might be seeing the light. Not enough to drop her as a friend, though, and Owen's dislike of Grace is growing. Anna's blinders are getting bigger. Throwing rocks at the motor home was Grace's next little game and then spraying insults on it, making Mary feel bullied. They were practically caught red handed  yet Anna still refuses to believe it's true. 

Wow, Amy. Haven't seen her in ages aside from the Halloween party. Michelle is back, too. I'm not really sure what it was Steve was trying to create out of toilet rolls and scraps but it looked worse than what Amy could probably make! Steve's project turned out to be every bit as rubbish as we thought. He never was much of a student and now he feels a bit bad for letting Amy down. He got the wrong war for Armistice Day so he's decided to enrol in college for a night course. You know he's doing it to try to get out of more work and he is, doubling the amount of time away from work that it's actually going to take, But it's not right that they're all taking the mick out of him, too.


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Corrie A-Z: X is for Xtra special

(This post was originally posted by Llifon on the Coronation Street Blog in October 2013.)

Due to a lack of words beginning with ‘x’ that are linked to Corrie, forgive me for using the word ‘xtra’, minus the ‘e’. Sorry to those who are particular about their spelling!

As we know, Coronation Street is extra special. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be watching it, and certainly we wouldn’t be writing countless posts about it!

What makes Corrie extra special for me compared to other TV shows is: its history, its sense of familiarity (the show’s been blessed with long running characters over the years), its mix of drama and humour and of course its great characters (that are seen in the collage above). 

What makes Corrie special for you?

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Conversation Street Podcast 67

Gemma and Michael's podcast for the episodes in Canada that aired up to last night can be heard here. Don't worry, they don't do spoilers so you won't hear anything you don't want to!

This week's podcast discusses the return of the Native, Todd Grimshaw and Roy's efforts at decorating, masking his avoidance of all the important issues they're facing.  The character profile is Todd Grimshaw.


You can also subscribe to them on iTunes, Like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter (@conversationstr).




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Poor Old Steve

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

I'm all for strong female characters in Coronation Street, but exactly what were Liz and Michelle on last night? I don't know, but their treatment of Steve got right on my nerves.

I know Steve is often portrayed as a buffoon, but he is an extremely likeable character and I love seeing him back behind the bar at the Rovers. Liz I can tolerate, Michelle less so. Really though, was all that necessary last night? Steve was only trying his best to be a good dad to Amy (remember her? Yes, she even had dialogue last night!)

 I'm all for a bit of micky taking when a Corrie character gets a bit pompous, but I think Steve's decision to enrol at the local college was a brave one.

Michelle really has become a very annoying character, quite obviously thinking herself a cut above. She lords it over Steve in the Rovers, even though of course, the Rovers isn't really good enough for her. She's ungrateful, domineering and treats Steve like a doormat and a daft little boy. Now Baby Jane is back and the pair are turning into a rather overwhelming, gruesome twosome. It wouldn't hurt for either of them to be a bit more supportive to poor old Steve.

I'll stop moaning now. After all, having Liz and Michelle back behind the Rovers bar is still a hundred times better than what we've just seen the back of. I just hope future Rovers storylines balance out a bit to show that both Liz and Michelle are capable of a few personality flaws.

So do you think the powers that be have made improvements at the Rovers? Every time I catch a glimpse of the wonderful Betty on the wall of the pub, I can't help but think we'll never see her like again.



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Toxic Tracy, tedious Tina and Todd the troublemaker

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

I really was looking forward to the return of Todd Grimshaw. His original stint in Coronation Street was very successful and the coming-out storyline well scripted and well handled by all concerned. However, reading the spoilers for next weeks episodes, it looks as if our Todd has had a personality transplant since leaving to live in that London.


Going on next weeks episodes there appears to be a touch of the Tracy Barlow about Mr Grimshaw these days. The previously intelligent, thoughtful, caring character now apparently boasts the dubious qualities of a lying manipulator.

He's also gone from a promising young student to someone else desparate for a job in the Bistro. I think we all know what Nick will make of that development. It is also such a cliche that Todd would attempt to split up Marcus and Maria, if the rumours are true. I think Corrie can do better than this.


It just seems such a shame to me. Nice characters need not be boring, so I don't know why we have to suffer through so many mean, nasty feuds these days. The current Tracy, Tina spat is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Characters being at each others throats all the time isn't necessarily dramatic and involving for us viewers. Corrie have of course pulled this trick before. The powers that be brought back both Amber and Sunita, did nothing with them of any note, then transformed their previously pleasant characters into very much the complete opposite. The ruining of Sunita's character in particular was embarrassing and uncomfortable to watch. Let's just hope Todd doesn't go the same way.


I know it is far too early to judge, I just get very frustrated with my favourite soap when I see patterns repeating themselves. Let's hope Todd's return to Weatherfield does eventually live up to my expectations. I'm not saying I want a rehash of what he did during his original stint, however it would be great to see evidence of this character having matured and developed for the better during his absence.




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Corrie Canada sneak previews for Nov. 25 - 29

Without further ado here is a brief sneak preview of what you'll see on  next week's Corrie in Canada.

Roy does the right thing for Hayley after they attend a funeral. David gets drunk and dirty and  changes his living arrangements. Tina helps out with Simon. Grace and Faye's next target is Simon. Todd gains employment, ungratefully. Sean seems smitten. Carla asks a favour of Hayley. Brian comes clean.



For more details and photos, visit the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net




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10 reasons why Gail Platt is a cultural icon

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

With thanks to Vada Magazine and writer Martyn Hakan Hett for allowing us permission to post this fab tribute to Gail Platt to the Coronation Street Blog, 

Martyn is on twitter @MartynHett and is the person responsible for the Audrey Roberts noise. Check out the 10 reasons he's a Deirdre Barlow fan, also published online in Vada Magazine here.

But for now, enjoy the magic that is Gail Platt.

1) Her seduction skills are second to none

Ever wondered how Gail has gotten through so many men? I’d most definitely put it down to her powers of seduction. In the following video, we see Gail subtly attempt to have a quickie with her mother’s ex Lewis on her lunch-break. You have to admit, the girl’s got stamina. Unfortunately Lewis was only pretending to fancy her so he could steal her vast fortune; but had it been any other man, I doubt they could have possibly said no:

2) Her talent knows no bounds

Former waitress, receptionist and now head cleaner at the bistro – Gail has already built up an impressive resume. But her talents don’t end there. She’s also an incredible singer and dancer, and her repertoire is vast and versatile, ranging from the Nolans all the way to Katy Perry.  I should probably point out that it took me 3 entire hours to locate the 90s version of Gail singing ‘In The Mood For Dancing’, and when I did eventually find it, I almost suffered a seizure, so please enjoy it:

3) She’s the Elizabeth Taylor of Weatherfield.

Gail’s never had it easy when it comes to men. Her first marriage to Brian Tilsley was abruptly ended when she had an affair. Unsurprisingly, a man can only stay away from Gail for so long, and they remarried her shortly after. However, it seems karma is a bitch, and Gail’s second chance of happiness was thwarted when Brian was stabbed in a back alley outside a nightclub. Thankfully, Gail traded in for a younger model and found love in toy-boy Martin Platt. Unfortunately Martin did the same to Gail and had an affair with a Geordie nurse (who eventually got bored and emigrated to Kuala Lumpur). Gail soldiered on and began a relationship with Richard Hillman, whom she married in 2002. But once again, the curse of Gail struck and he turned out to be a serial killer who drove her entire family into a canal. Standard. At this point, most people would have given up – but not our Gail! Her 5^th marriage to a man named Joe McIntyre ended in tears when he sailed into the night on a boat, got a bit pissed, fell off and died. Despite these 5 unsuccessful attempts at marriage, Gail still remains confident that one day she’ll find her Mr Right. For that, I applaud her.

4) She partakes in recreational drug usage

5) She champions the polo-neck

Despite the polo-neck being a trend that comes and goes as the years go by, Gail has remained defiant, wearing them consistently for the past 38 years. Not only this but Gail manages to change and adapt the garment in order to suit every occasion. In the collage I created below we see Gail looking pretty in polo-necks at funerals, weddings and even in jail.

6) She has mood altering stairs

In the clip below, we see Gail enjoying a foot massage from a male companion. Once again, she turns on her sultry swag and claims that it’s “so good it must be bad for me”. It seems as though Gail’s finally about to get some when her male friend takes her by the hand and leads her to the stairs. But for some reason, as soon as her delicate, massaged feet touch the first few steps – Gail goes all psycho-bitch on his ass and throws him out without so much as an explanation. Perhaps she was predicting her future stair-based attack from her son David?

7) She’s a power bottom

8) She’s developed her own labelling system. It’s simple, but it works.

Gail is very precious about her personal possessions. Presumably as a result of the abuse she’s suffered from the various tenants she’s had in her house (second only to Eileen who somehow manages to house 86 people in her 2 bedroom terrace), Gail has developed a labelling system. It’s simple, but it works – and if you are stupid enough to abuse this system, you WILL face Gail’s wrath.

9) She does a great ‘end of part one’

Corrie may not have a ‘duh duh’ moment like EastEnders, but there’s often space for a dramatic moment before the commercial break – something EastEnders definitely lacks. In the below video, Gail gives us one of the finest ‘End of Part One’ moments ever featured in Coronation Street. It was 1979, possibly before the ability to freeze-frame shots. As a result of this, Gail remains poised and still for an awkwardly long time as the ‘End Of Part One’ text fades in. She’s so graceful, you’d never even know she was in motion.

10) She’d have your back in a fight

You’d never think that such a delicate flower like Gail would condone or partake in the act of violence. But you are incredibly mistaken. Because I have far too much time on my hands, I’ve created a compilation video of Gail’s various scuffles. Passionate and determined – it’s safe to say she’d definitely have your back in a fight.

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Now you can watch Coronation Street on Virgin Atlantic planes

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog November 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Stape's on a plane! Now you can watch Corrie in the air!

Virgin Atlantic have already proved they're Coronation Street fans by naming an aeroplane after one of Corrie's biggest characters.  And now the airline's teamed uup with ITV to show episodes of Corrie and Emmerdale  as part of the in-flight entertainment on Virgin Atlantic planes.

The new catch-up service, which launches this month, will include weekly updates of the latest episodes from Weatherfield and the Dales.

Martin Goswami, director of pay and distribution at ITV, said: 'Soaps are the cornerstone of ITV's prime-time schedule and a key driver of national conversation up and down the country. We are thrilled to have teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to offer them a new and exciting service enabling their soap-loving passengers to catch up on any episodes they have missed on board their flights."

The airline flies to 36 destinations around the world including cities in the United States, Africa and the Far East.



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Parklife

(This post was originally posted by Scott Willison on the Coronation Street Blog in October 2013.)

In many ways, 1997 was a pivotal year for British society.  Tony Blair became Prime Minister, ending 18 years of Tory rule.  Princess Diana and Mother Teresa died.  Britain won Eurovision for the first time since 1981, and the first Harry Potter novel was released.  Meanwhile, on Coronation Street, everything started going a bit mad.

The show was in its late thirties, and seemed to have a bit of a mid-life crisis.  Its soap rivals were  eclipsing it in every way.  EastEnders was lording it over all and sundry, dominating the headlines with its storylines and characters.  Emmerdale was newly resurgent, the air crash on the village in 1993 having captured a different audience.  Brookside's commitment to being as insane as possible at all times was leading to numerous stories about "droogs" and surrogacy and incest and violence.  And Hollyoaks had started in 1995, filling the screen with pretty, dumb actors doing pretty, dumb things, usually with their shirts off.

Next to all of this, the Street seemed old fashioned.  It was still getting massive viewing figures, but the audience was aging, and so was the cast.  Most of the cast of Hollyoaks wouldn't remember figures like Elsie Tanner or Annie Walker; they'd left when they were barely out of nappies.

A new producer was appointed, Brian Park, and he went to work on the show with a bloody axe.  His most famous cull was Derek Wilton, who'd worked his way up from minor incidental character to well-loved resident over the years.  Park decided to kill Derek, for what seemed like no reason other than spite.  In fact, it was a shot across the bows, a sign that he was going to shake things up.  Killing a well-liked older character was his message to viewers that things were changing.  It had the incidental effect of outraging Thelma Barlow so much she immediately handed in her notice, sending Mavis off to run a B&B.

Meanwhile, Park split up Kevin and Sally, one of those soap couplings you thought would be together forever, and Don Brennan was blown up in Mike Baldwin's Jaguar.  Brennan's funeral saw the return from Canada of Nicky Tilsley, now reshaped into a vaguely human-shaped piece of Play-Doh.  This was the second prong of Park's vision for the show - sex.  The new Nicky had floppy hair, a vaguely befuddled personality, and a fatal allergy to shirts; he apparently existed in his own microclimate where it was permanently 90 degrees in the shade and so he had to wear the bare minimum at all times.

Also introduced at this time was Chris Collins, a garage mechanic straight out of a low-rent gay porn, and a new lodger for Emily Bishop.  Percy Sugden was packed off to sheltered accommodation and replaced by Spider Nugent, an eco-warrior who bore a legally just distinct enough resemblance to the then popular Swampy.  Over the road, Ashley Peacock took over the Wilton's house with Maxine, while the Mallets moved in Zoe to be their surrogate mother.  Everywhere you looked there were suddenly Clearasil'd teenage faces.

 

Everywhere you looked that wasn't Battersby shaped, anyway.  Emmerdale was having a great popular success with its nightmarish Dingle family, and so Corrie stole the plans, photocopied them, and made their own version, the Battersbys.  For a while Les, Janice, Toyah and Leanne were all over the show, either driving the Street's residents mad or forming unlikely alliances.  By Christmas, Leanne had replaced Mavis in the Kabin and was spooning with Nicky, a coupling that was just sexy enough to get them on the front of teenage magazines.

The biggest storyline of course was Deirdre Rachid being imprisoned.  At that time Deirdre was a bit of a floating character, still in the show but without much purpose, and hanging on in there mainly through good will from the audience.  Park realised that if he wronged Deirdre, there would be outrage even among people who'd stopped watching the show, though I doubt he realised that wrongfully imprisoning her would end up in Hansard.  The Free Deirdre campaign caught the public's imagination and was milked for all it was worth.

By now it was 1998 and Brian Park's storylines were really yielding fruit.  Corrie was being talked about again as a popular show, not as the preserve of your mum or your nan.  He began pushing the envelope even further.  The first transsexual on a British soap opera was introduced, which got instant headlines about "sensationalism".  True, Hayley was little more than a punchline at first ("Roy's finally found a girlfriend - but she's a MAN!") but Julie Hesmondhalgh's excellent performance and careful writing turned her into a much-loved character (admittedly, mainly after Brian Park left).  Nicky and Leanne married, got pregnant, got an abortion, and divorced, all within about six months.  Les Battersby found he had an improbably handsome long-lost son, Greg, who subsequently turned out to be a psychopath.  Anne Malone froze to death in Freshco's freezers - still one of the most macabre and out-of-nowhere soap exits.

Even long term characters began to do strange things.  Ken Barlow became an escort.  Emily Bishop climbed a tree.  Jim McDonald was pushed off some scaffolding by Steve.

The final straw came with the Cult of Nirab, which Countdown fans will recognise as an anagram of "Brian".  Poor Zoe Tattersall - who'd lost her baby and then her mind - became a sex slave to Ben in the worship of a strange God.  This was frankly bonkers, and worse, not even original (Brookside had a cult at number 5 for months).  The storyline was half-hearted, unrealistic and just plain stupid.  It was Park's last throw of the dice; he departed the show to create well-known bastions of realistic storytelling like Footballer's Wives and Bad Girls.

The weird thing is, though he is still spoken of in horrified tones by some Corrie fans, he genuinely did what he meant to do.  Brian Park took the show, shook it up and gave it a future it might not have had.  Now, in 2013, Britain's in bits over the loss of Hayley; Leanne is a pillar of the community; Nicky's on his third face.  There are young people in the show all the time, but they fit well, and have been allowed to grow into regulars. Tyrone, Fizz, Chesney, Sophie, David, Tina - they were all introduced as youngsters and have been allowed to mature into mainstays of the programme, something that very few characters under the age of twenty were allowed to do before (think of the ever disappearing Tracy Barlow).  His cull wasn't all bad, either; he got rid of Bill Webster, which seemed like a loss at the time, until he returned a decade later and reminded us that no, he was useless after all.

It was a strange, strange time on Coronation Street.  And it's useful to remember that, no matter how crazy the plotlines get these days, no matter how many comedy murderers there are or falling trams or who's the daddy babies, things will never, ever, be as bad as that cult plotline.

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