3 Reasons why Adam Barlow should take over Underworld

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog July 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


This week in Coronation Street we're going to see Adam Barlow take his blackmailing of Aidan (over the filmed snog with Maria) up to a new level.

First, Adam teams up with Eva in his bid to get one over on Aidan Connor and Adam has a takeover at the factory clearly in his sights. Eva's already fired up with hatred for Aidan, so will she help Adam with his master plan?  I think she should - and here's why I reckon we need to see Adam Barlow take up the reins at Underworld.

1. He's his father's son and all the girls would flutter round him just like they did with Mike Baldwin. For a while, until they went on strike.

2. Adam and Carla Connor. Speaking of women, Adam and Carla Connor would make the perfect power couple. Because she is coming back, right? I mean, she has to, surely?

3. He's as idle as the day is long. And he's therefore perfectly placed to fit right in with the factory girls and Sean who'll do anything to skive off. Adam could easily run Underworld down into the ground and then it's up to Carla to return home to save it all. Because she is coming back, right? (see above).

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Celebrating 20 Years of Corrie's Knicker Factory, Underworld

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog May 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Tonight in Coronation Street, Aidan Connor throws a party to celebrate Underworld's anniversary.

After some helpful research on Corrie.net and Corriepedia, I've found out that there isn't just one reason to celebrate Underworld's anniversary, but two!

Underworld in 1997

First off, it's the 20th anniversary of the opening of Underworld.

In 1997 Mike Baldwin opened the Street's knicker factory in the building that had once been used as Steve McDonald's printworks, Dun 2 A T.  Mike started making sportswear in his new factory after he secured a contract from Stephen Reid, Gail's brother and representative of the Canadian company Kbec.  Don Brennan had a grudge against Mike and set fire to the factory - and up in went in smoke.

When it was rebuilt, Mike took out a contract with Angie Freeman to manufacture lingerie. In 2004 Janice Battersby dropped a cigarette onto a pile of clothes in the stockroom - and up it went in smoke.

In 2006 Mike Baldwin died on the steps of his factory, in Ken Barlow's arms.

Danny Baldwin stepped in to run the place until it was sold to Paul and Liam Connor.

And this is where the second anniversary comes in for the knicker factory.

It was 10 years ago that Paul and Liam Connor took over Underworld, the first of the Connors to run the place. Carla, as we know, ended up taking Paul's half of the factory after he was killed in a car crash. She wasted no time in making herself at home in Underworld. Carla and her brothers covered up the death of a Polish worker at the factory.

And if you'd like to read all about Carla's time at Underworld, from the very first moment she arrived waving champagne bottles around, through to being held hostage by Tony Gordon and escaping the inferno, it's all in The Little Book of Carla Connor.

In 2010, Tony Gordon ended up running Underworld - and up it went in smoke.

More drama ensued when John Stape buried a body there.

Frank Foster, Luke Strong, Rob Donovan, Rosie Webster and Peter Barlow have all held shares in Underworld through the years.   Rosie lost her investment when Luke Strong did a runner with her cash.

And then in 2015 a new knicker king in the shape of Aidan Connor arrived.

Aidan invested his dad Johnny's money in the place and bought it from Carla when she left for Devon. Underworld has since seen some blossoming romances:

So here's to the future of our favourite knicker factory! May it always give us pleasure, drama, and... hang on a minute. It hasn't gone up in smoke for a while, has it? Oh no...!!

Read our blogger Tvor's post: Factory of Death

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Everybody out! When Coronation Street goes on strike

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog September 2016, reposted to this blog with permission.)

The factory workers revolted recently in Coronation Street.  Led by Sally Metcalfe, they walked out on strike after they found out there was a mole in the camp who had grassed them to the boss after their film-watching session.

Mind you, they were soon wooed back in with cakes and a winning smile from Aidan Connor. 

The publicity picture from ITV, above, of the factory workers out on the cobbles, on strike, reminded me very much of the strikes in days gone by at the factory too.

There was always turmoil and trouble at the factory with the girls ganging up on Mike Baldwin, their boss.

Their firebrand leaders were Vera Duckworth, Ivy Tilsley and the indomiatable Ida Clough.

Ida Clough. Ooh, now there's a name to be reckoned with. It'd take more than a smile and a cake to woo her back to work.

More please, Corrie.

Want to see some classic Corrie strike action?  Have a look at this YouTube clip, below:






Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

Corrie's affectionate nod to Patrick Macnee

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog June 2015, reposted to this blog with permission.)

The sad passing of actor Patrick Macnee was announced yesterday.  The actor was best known for playing Steed in The Avengers.

Coronation Street's senior storyline writer, Martin Sterling took to twitter to say that one of Underworld's clients in Corrie was named after Patrick Macnee.  Martin has 'protected tweets' on twitter and has given me permission to post a screen grab of his tweet, below.

Martin tells us here at the Coronation Street Blog that calling Underworld clients Macnee's was an affectionate nod as he was a huge fan of The Avengers growing up.

Read more about Martin Sterling here.



Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

Carla proposes to Peter - and offers him a new job - Will either last?

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

In this week's Coronation Street, Carla proposed to Peter.  And as well as marriage on her mind, it's a merging of business with pleasure that she offered Mr Barlow with a new job at Underworld.  Will it work? Who knows? All I care about is what a wonderful wedding this could turn out to be!

Over at Digital Spy, Alison King, who plays Carla Connor, talks about the current bookies storyline and says it's Deirdre who gives Carla the idea to propose to  Peter. Good one Deirdre.  It's great to see more of her instead of as just a tea-making drudge for Ken.  She'll be playing the harmonica again soon, just you mark my words.



Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

How can Underworld be flourishing?

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

I just don't understand it. How can the Coronation Street faktry be doing so well during the economic downturn? Apart from a convenient plot device to allow the gruesome Rob and Tracy more airtime, I just don't get it.

People have long commented on this blog that back street factories like Underworld are few and far between these days. Tough economic circumstances across the country are forcing many of these small businesses under. Corrie has been somewhat slow to react to the recession on screen, however while it finally has got its act together, I think it has picked on the wrong business. Yes, it looks like Barlow's Bookies has had its day.

Bookies are still ten a penny as far as I can see, and most people would still buy a lottery ticket, so why would Peter's business suddenly go wrong? Meanwhile Carla's little empire is going from strength to strength and other businesses like Nick and Leanne's "posh" Bistro don't appear to be faltering either.

So how can Underworld be so prosperous? As long as the Connors have been in charge it seems to have lurched from one financial crisis to the next. It's been burned to the ground by a mad Scotsman (no, not me) and has such a high staff turn over I half expect to see Emily Bishop stitching gussets next. The current workforce aren't exactly go-getters either are they? Fiz has put in about two and a half shifts in the past 10 years and as for what Beth and Kirkeh manage to get up to in Packing, heaven only knows. Most of the staff spend longer on cake runs than they do behind sewing machines.

As for the current management, well they leave a lot to be desired. Carla has swapped Mike Baldwin's bottom drawer bottle of Scotch for a case of Pinot Noir and spends most of her time refereeing tedious fights between boyfriend Peter and boring brother Rob. And as for Michelle? As I've pondered before, where has her sudden business acumen come from? She's gone from crooning in back street bars and pulling pints to scoring major knicker orders faster than a script conference can cry "this character desperately needs a new direction!" 


No, as far as I'm concerned this current knicker stitching boom in Weatherfield is just all thong, I mean wrong. It can really only be a matter of time until the bottom falls out of the market...


Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

Is it time to close Underworld?

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

This blog post is inspired by Graeme's post on rancid Rob, who got me thinking about the future of Underworld. Industry has been a part of the lay-out of Coronation Street since its inception when the raincoat factory dominated the even side of the street before it was demolished in 1968. There was a hiatus between 1968 and 1971 before the warehouse was established that then became Baldwin's denim factory in 1976. Then the factory was knocked down in 1989 and there was another hiatus until 1996 when Underworld was established. But, I wonder, is it apt to call time on Underworld after 17 years?

 

Producers and writers have attempted to resurrect the glory days of Baldwin's Casuals with the gobby machinists and management/employees clashes, but it doesn't bode well for this Corrie fan. With the increasing number of factory closures, is the fact that Underworld, a small factory in a backstreet, is still open a bit ludicrous? I say close the factory and use the building for another purpose.

 

If that would happen, what would you like to see?

 

Myself, I think, to get the best character interaction, is to make it into a community centre.  And not have just a big hall, but have various rooms for various activities. What about an art class (led by Deirdre!)? Yoga? Coffee morning? Book club? One o'clock club? Cooking class? One commenter mentioned maybe establishing a crèche where all the Corrie babies can go. Something that all the characters can take part in. What about doing a play or a musical? The children can do their Natvity there.  

 

Dennis would be the perfect candidate for caretaker and then he'd get more screen time too!

 

If Corrie can show a community getting together, maybe it'll influence viewers all over the country to do something in their community and re-introduce that community spirit that Britain has been lacking these past few years!

 

Do you agree? Or maybe you have other ideas about Underworld's future? Maybe you want things to stay as they are?

Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

Anne Foster - bizarrely brilliant?

(This post was originally posted by me on the Coronation Street Blog in March 2012.)
While I haven’t been enjoying the murder of Frank Foster storyline as much as I’d hoped, I have been enjoying the extra screen time that has been given to his poor mother, Anne Foster.

While I often get the impression that as a character she has only been introduced to facilitate the current storyline (in the same way that poor Amber was used and discarded now Sian has left) I can’t help but enjoy watching her.

She’s very over the top dramatically and I think she’s one step away from going completely bonkers over Frank's death but after seeing her interact more with characters such as Norris, Mary and Stella I think she’d work really well as a long-term character.

In fact I’d love to see her taking over Underworld and turning the place into an almost military style operation or becoming arch nemesis with Norris and/or Sylvia over a tiny misunderstanding that ends up getting blown way out of proportion!


So whether or not the current whodunnit will see the end of Anne or not, I for one have enjoyed her time on Coronation Street and hope that some of you have embraced her as well.

Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

Factory of Death or the Curse of the Connors (WITH SPOILER at the end)

(This post was originally posted by me on the Coronation Street Blog in February 2012.)

The Coronation Street factory name Underworld seems to be more appropriate than you might have thought. Anyone who works there caught saying "this factory will be the death of me" better watch themselves. That's more of a jinx than they know!

People have died there over the years and it is about to be the scene of one more death (revealed at the end of the post).


Let's go back in time.

The problems seem to have started when original owner Mike Baldwin expired on the factory steps in the arms of his rival, Ken Barlow in April 2006.


When the Connor brothers took over after Danny Baldwin and Adam Barlow were persuaded in turn to sell out, that little cloud of death over the factory started raining down.


It was April 2007 and the Brothers Connor hired a group of Polish women to work in the factory.  At the time, Carla was trying to get her own line of clothing started and a few of the new workers agreed to work at night on that order, in addition to working their regular day shift. Early one morning, Kasia was trying to carry too many boxes down the stairs and missed the top step, crashing down to the factory floor and she died. Her death was covered up so that Health and Safety wouldn't realise the long hours she'd been working.


Come forward a few years to 2008 to Tony Gordon's term as one of the factory owners. After putting a hit out on Liam Connor for having an affair with Carla, Tony nearly killed pensioner Jed Stone. It was a near thing but Jed survived to tell the tale. Tony nearly killed Carla when she found out and put two and two together, realising that Liam's death was Tony's fault. She left Weatherfield but when she returned, she and Roy pushed so many of Tony's buttons that he broke apart, nearly drowned Roy and then turned himself in.


The next death comes into play when Tony escaped from prison in June, 2010, intent on revenge, and held hostages in the factory. He shot his henchman first, and then decided to set fire to the factory, trapping himself and Carla inside. Carla managed to escape but rather than allowing himself to be caught, Tony stayed inside and when the petrol cans caught fire, the factory exploded and took Tony to "Underworld" for good.

Barely a month later, however, another dead body was entombed under the floor of the factory when John Stape hid the body of Colin Fishwick in a hole in the factory during the reconstruction after the explosion. The body was wrapped in a rug and the builders poured concrete in the hole to rebuild the floor. The better part of a year later, the body was discovered when a drainage problem resulted in excavations, John himself being the one to dig up the body before anyone else could find it.


SPOILER WARNING!!!!!


The latest death is set to be Frank Foster, partner in the factory with Carla Connor. How he will be killed has yet to be revealed but the scene will probably be set with a number of potential candidates as the murderer.


So, did Mike Baldwin start this all off or is this the Curse of the Connors? Maybe Carla ought to get out while she can!


Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook