"If this bar was a person its name would be Leanne"

I have had something on my mind all day today and its all because this show.  I watched the episode which aired here on Thursday which saw Leanne succumb to Nick by launching herself at him following the opening of their new bar and three glasses of champagne on an empty stomach.

I am such a fan of Nick and Leanne and I must warn you this isn't my first blog about them and it won't be my last.

I have been swooning all day over the show.  Hands up ladies who would have done the same following all of that praise.  I would have been his after being called magnificent personally (lol).  He gave her the one thing Peter couldn't, the Joinery.

Eastenders and Corrie mash up

(This post was originally posted by Chewy on the Coronation Street Blog November, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

On my travels across the interweb, I stumbled across an interesting pic. It seems Coronation Street and EastEnders are finally doing a charity crossover for this years Children in Need, which will aired on Friday 19th November.

Edited to add:
And here's a Youtube of the end result, bloody brilliant!

50 years of Corrie in 50 days - 2000

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Day 40 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

In 1999 Granada closed their visitor attraction, The Granada Studio Tours, which included the outdoor set for Coronation Street. This gave the producers the opportunity to expand the set and include the exteriors of some places that we’d only ever seen the inside of and to include some new locations as well. A medical centre and chip shop (sadly not Jackson’s Chippy) were placed on Rosamund Street on the site of the old Graffiti Club and on Victoria Street shops for Elliott & Son’s Butchers, Roy’s Rolls and D & S Hardware were built. Strangely a new viaduct which had never been seen or mentioned before also appeared crossing Rosamund Street behind the Rovers. Photographs of the new additions can be found here.

The year started with the Street’s first ever two-handed full episode, featuring Raquel and Curly Watts. At 2 in the morning, just as Curly is in the kitchen mixing up something to try and help him avoid too bad a hangover, there is a knock on his back door. He thinks it's just the lads and shouts at them to go away, but the knocking persists and he opens it to see Raquel, his estranged wife. Curly hopes that she has returned for him, but although she says she still cares for him, she says she doesn't love him the way he wants and she can't some back. Her first bombshell is that she and Curly have a daughter called Alice, although she didn't know she was pregnant when she left and she didn't tell him about it because she didn't want him chasing after her to Kuala Lumpur. Curly is over the moon that he's a father, but very annoyed that she hadn't told him about her, especially as she returned to England to have the baby and stayed with her sister. In his anger, he makes cruel insinuations, asking if she's really his, but Raquel assures him there was nobody else and that she's told Alice all about her father and she's looking forward to meeting him. On a visit to the bathroom, she takes a look round her old home and sees that very little has changed, her old dressing gown is even still hanging on the back of the bedroom door.

As they look at the star that Curly bought for her, he says he's prepared to forgive and forget and that they can start again, but she drops her second bombshell when she tells him there's someone else. When she was in hospital having Alice, she befriended a French couple, the wife of which was dying of cancer. She's been working as a nanny looking after their 2 children as well as Alice and now lives in a chateau, 'a real one, detached and everything', in the Loire valley (she even speaks fluent French and knows a bit about wine). The wife died 2 years ago and since then she's helped put Armand, the husband, back together again, got him loving his children again and the pity she felt for him when his wife first died has blossomed into love. Curly realises that the next thing she'll be asking for is a divorce, which she duly does and she knows he'll give her one, because he's a nice bloke who still loves her and wants her to be happy. She finally drops her third bombshell, announcing that she's pregnant and needs to be married in case the child is a boy, for inheritance purposes. Curly opines 'Why can't it be me, why can't it ever be me', but as Raquel predicted, Curly agrees to the divorce and seems to be finally accepting that it's over. She says she wants Alice to get to know her real father and that he can come over to France any time and that when she's older, she can come over and stay with him during the holidays and they set the first visit for Easter. As dawn is starting to break, she says goodbye and leaves by the back door with tears in her eyes.

Another landmark this year came in the form of the 40th Anniversary of the programme. Rather than celebrate another decade with a special TV Times supplement and a couple of TV specials it was decide to broadcast an hour long episode featuring the culmination of a campaign to save the Street’s cobbles which the council was threatening to tarmac over. But more than that, the real headline grabber was that this episode would be broadcast live for the first time since February 3rd 1961. The only members of the cast remaining who had ever known what it was like not to be able to redo a fluffed line were Bill Roach and Eileen Derbyshire. There were significant logistical problems with the shoot as well. All the action was taking place on a single day so most outdoor scene had to be crammed in to the first part of the programme before it started to get too dark. The final scene was a major problem too as it took place outside the Rovers after everyone had emptied out of the pub, so the final interior scenes for the Rovers had to be filmed in the shell on the outdoor set. Despite all the problems the programme was a great success and the cobbles were saved when Stan Potter (played by Noddy Holder), turned up with a fake preservation order for them.

Also in 2000: Steve McDonald borrows money off Jez Quigley to start Streetcars; Bethany Platt born; Mike Baldwin marries Linda Sykes; Kevin Webster marries Alison Wakefield; Alison Wakefield commits suicide; Peter Barlow returns; Terry Duckworth sells a kidney for £25k and does a runner; Vera Duckworth donates a kidney to Paul Clayton; Eileen Grimshaw makes her first appearance; Jim McDonald kills Jez; Jim McDonald and Liz remarry; Curly Watts and Emma Taylor get married.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1999

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Day 39 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

In August 1999 the country was gripped by all things celestial when the population of the UK were to get a chance to see a full solar eclipse. In Weatherfield, Spider Nugent and Toyah Battersby decided to spend a night under canvas on the Red Rec, hoping to catch a glimpse of the event themselves. Instead, something much more earthly happened. Back at Aunty Emily's, she asked them both how the evening had gone. "Er.. cosmic", said Toyah . But Spider wasn't so sure and spent most of the week afterwards trying to avoid her. Leanne told Spider if he didn't do the decent thing with Toyah she would threaten him with Les Battersby but Spider really did seem confused. Finally though, Toyah got her man after she stormed round to see him at Aunty Em's and demanded to know what was going on. After a couple of snogs the pair of them seemed a lot happier.

When Les found out who Toyah's new boyfriend was, he was less than pleased: "You mean that dozy crusty's sleeping wi' our Toyah?" he yelled before storming round to the café, intending to pull the legs off Spider before flushing him down the toilet, no doubt. Fortunately for Spider, all the shouting in the café brought Hayley downstairs and she sorted out the lot of them. Spider managed to sweet talk Aunty Em into letting Toyah stay there for a while after the fall-out with Les. Aunty Em agreed, on the understanding that no hanky panky went on under her roof. They both agreed, well, at least they tried to, but hormones being hormones and all, well Aunty Em was not best pleased when she found out what was going on and threw Toyah out. Curly let the young lovers use his spare room, while worried about incurring the wrath of Les next door.

In October 1999, Spider and Toyah set up home in a tent on the Red Rec but the sanitary arrangements left a lot to be desired, with no toilet or fresh water. When Audrey found out that "Mr Hippy, the armchair anarchist" had set up home in one of the parks she had control over in her role of councillor, she wasn't best pleased. Aunty Em went off on holiday with Maud Grimes and while she was away, Spider and Toyah moved back in to her house. While the two of them were upstairs playing battleships in the bath tub, a candle set fire to Aunty Em's curtains and the living room ended up with serious smoke damage. Spider enlisted Hayley to help out redecorating Aunty Em's front room after the fire, and while she got cracking making new curtains, Spider and Toyah did the wall-papering and the place looked ok again.

Hayley happened to mention that her old bedsit was free and so Spider and Toyah could have a home to call their own. Only one slight problem, they couldn't afford it, so Spider decided it was time he got himself a job. Off he went to the jobcentre and tried to get a job as park keeper but the job had already gone. However, Ernest in the jobcentre tried to find something suitable for him. He offered slaughterhouse work (no - he's vegetarian), pest control (no - he couldn't kill creepy crawlies), car park attendant (no - we all know the damage they do to the environment), baker (no - too many animal fats and GM foods) and canal dredger (no - he couldn't work with Toyah's dad). "Principles don't put bread on the table", Gail told him, so there was only one thing for it - he went for an interview with the establishment - the Benefits Agency itself. A bit nervous before the interview, he started talking to a guy who worked there, only to find it was fellow crusty, Ganja Tim. "There's something I should tell yer" said Spider, "I'm an anarchist". "So am I" replied Ganja Tim. It was a done deal, he got the job and planned to make the system work to help claimants with their benefits rather than becoming one of the establishment himself.

Spider uncovered evidence that showed Les Battersby was working while claiming benefits. He and Toyah decided to get rid of the incriminating evidence but he was caught by his boss, Miss Finch and had some explaining to do. Spider settled into a more responsible lifestyle, wearing a suit and tie for work each day, looked after Toyah and the pair of them entertained friends with vegetarian dinner parties in their bedsit. However, working at the Benefit Agency became too much for Spider when he had to refuse a single mother her benefits - and he walked out.

He headed home to sit around a candle and went 'um' in an unconvincing Buddhist way and told Toyah he'd booked them both on a spiritual journey. "Were not going to the Millennium Dome, are we?" she asked. “No, Toyah, you're going to India.” Well, Spider would have liked her to have gone to India with him, he'd bought two tickets after all, but it was too much for Toyah to take in, too sudden. She couldn't just up and leave, so in the end, finally, and tearfully she decided her own destiny, remaining in Weatherfield without him. And so he went, just like that. He said goodbye to Aunty Em, paid a month's rent in advance and left £100 in the bank for Toyah.

(With many thanks to Flaming Nora for her profile of Geoffrey ‘Spider’ Nugent. To read the whole profile click here.)

Also in 1999: Ashley Peacock finds out that Fred Elliott is not his uncle but his father; Ashley marries Maxine Heavey; Alf Roberts dies; Judy Mallett dies; the Desai family buy the corner shop; Rita Sullivan gives Sharon Gaskell the Kabin and then buys it back; Mike Baldwin is blackmailed by Julia Stone; Norris Cole returns and starts working at Kabin; Ken and Deirdre reconciled by Tracy; Nicky Tilsley bullies Leanne into having an abortion; Nicky leaves for Canada; Leanne gets involved with Jez Quigley and develops a cocaine habit.

Corrie Canada weekly awards: August 29 - Sept 2

Oh Grow Up award: Nick whinging about the bar, they're all out to get me. Poor diddums.

Suck it up award: Molly feeling all "poor me" and hard done by, Sorry chick, you've had it coming for a long time.

I'm a builder, not a whiner award: Owen does know what he's doing. Nick is a useless twit.

Rememberence award: Poppy Red star: In the show it was close to Nov. 11. Remember last year when Gary scoffed and Ted reprimanded? Now Gary is fighting for his country.

Pants on Fire award: Molly lied to Jack and Auntie Pam and said she did love Tyrone. Liar! She only went back to him because Kevin wouldn't have her.

Sabotage award: Gold Star: Carla got nicked for drinking and driving and she made Peter come bail her out. She's got money, and could have called a cab after, was this her way of ruining the bar opening for Leanne?

Asshole award: Platinum star: Kevin Webster.

Self destructive award: Gold Star: Leanne *always* ends up shooting herself in the foot! This affair is not going to end well.

Lines of the week:
Ashley "We can't carry on like this" Claire "Who says we're going to carry on at all?" (Oh shut up)
Liz "I don't want to go somewhere where you have to hold your glass down every ten minutes while a tram clatters overhead. " (ahem)
Chris about the bar "I'll give it six months" (you'd lose that bet)
Kevin "I have so much love to give and nowhere to give it" (Hello? Family? Wife and kids?)
John "This is just a nut job!" (Takes one to know one)
Molly "Everything I say feels like a lie" (um...)
Carla to Peter "Stop trying to fix everything" (then stop calling him when you're in trouble)
Carla "Leanne doesn't drink and drive or throw herself at other men!" (you're half right)
Nick about Jason "He puts the G in Gormless"
Jack "Come on. Let's go do a bit of living"
Tyrone "Good night, Dad" (gulp)

Unreality TV and Jack Duckworth's Death

(This post was originally posted by Merseytart on the Coronation Street Blog November, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Coronation Street exists in a hyper-reality, I know that.  How many backstreet terraces are so frequently afflicted by disaster?  How many neighbours are so intimately involved with one another, it'd need a spider diagram to work out who's been out with who?  I get all that.

It has, however, always been filmed in a resolutely realistic style.  Corrie was born out of the 'kitchen sink' movement of the late 50s, where people's lives were suddenly put onscreen, warts and all.  Plays and films like A Taste of Honey and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning presented the working classes in stark black and white.  The British soap operas followed this style, which is why the UK's one of the few places where continuing dramas are resolutely down to earth.  Everywhere else in the world, soap operas mean glamour, wealth and excitement; in Britain, it's about the working class, the ordinary, the downtrodden.

Which is why the return of Vera didn't work for me (last week).  I understand why it was done, dramatically, but to me it felt out of place in Corrie's "house style".  The simple, unpretentious set ups and shots make it feel like you're getting a slice of life - a peep into these people's real existence.  The fantasy of Vera came into this and seemed to clash with everything else.  I like to feel that these are real people living real lives, and five times a week we get a peep behind the net curtains.

There are other stylistic touches that don't work for me in soaps either - the flashback, the musical montage.  Every now and again they have a stab at it and it strikes a false note.  (This isn't exclusive to Corrie, incidentally; EastEnders also fell into the trap when Peggy wandered around the burnt out Queen Vic, hearing voices).  It seems self-indulgent to me and I hope it's a one-off.

What do you think?  Do you think this is something Corrie should do more often?

Sunday Canadian Corrie Comments, September 4

 Made of money? Tyrone paid for a Christening party and a few days later, a birthday party for Jack. Didn't it break your heart to see his disappointment with Molly? How guilty is she going to feel now that he's gone, knowing he knew about her betrayal of Tyrone? You make your bed, you lie in it, ladeh. I was feeling quite vengeful at all the ways Molly was made to feel guilty this week. Sorry, I couldn't help meself.

Yes, Jack is gone. Was it not just perfect, though? Corrie does a lot of things that make me wonder what they were thinking but by gosh they do scenes like this with perfection. Surrounded by memories and old friends in the pub, his thank you/goodbye speech, the old music on the jukebox, and later, when he left the pub to go home, (to the tune of Wind beneath my wings sung by Bill Tarmey himself, actually) it was Ken Barlow that was the last to give him the nod, appropriately. Jack and his pigeons, and then that last dance with Vera. Having Vera come to fetch Jack was just exactly the right end for him, reunited with his Swampduck. I loved the camera work, going up through the house, seeing Jack's overcoat across the bed...."As I Leave You There".

By the way, CBC skipped a scene where Jack was out back with his pigeons a short time before he died.

Molly was good with Tyrone at first but was a bit bitchy about Tyrone having to do all the funeral arrangements. So what if Jack has a son? Everyone knows how Jack felt about Terry and he sure as heck wouldn't want Terry to do the arranging. Terry's only concerned with Jack's will and you can be pretty sure Jack will have left it all to Ty.

Kevin really needs to leave Molly alone. He's turning into a stalker. and he's an ugly drunk. I have absolutely no sympathy for him or Molly. They deserve every ounce of angst and stress they get.

Sophie and Sian are suffering the morning after and the fallout of their very public coming out is going to be far reaching. Their church friends are shocked and the parson is going to blow a gasket. In fact he came straight to the house to lay on the fire and brimstone, cheeky git. That's the whole thing though, if God made everyone, then God made them gay. Full stop. Poor girls, Sophie thought Emily was disapproving when really, she was just feeling ill and upset about Jack, though she still probably doesn't really approve. But Emily would also realize Sophie has to be herself.

John is getting more and more on edge. Phantom calls, he keeps running to Charlotte and is it me or does she seem rather smug about it all? Well the week ended with a shadowy figure outside the Stape house. It is indeed Charlotte that's sending the anonymous messages! She was getting very touchy feely towards John, you could see it coming.

CBC skipped a whole scene on the Monday night show. it went something like this (garnered from the corrie.net updates):
Nick is complaining about the bar which was flooded the day before. Audrey can't see what the problem is, the insurance will surely cover the costs of repairs and he can get someone in to fix it all. He whinges and moans his way to the bar. Audrey figures it doesn't matter if they have to open a day or two late but he just whines some more about everything happening to him. Me, Me, Me. Audrey gets fed up and tells him to just quit it all then. She basically tells him to grow up and be a man only not in those words. She's much more polite and flattering about it.

Just as well. I couldn't have stomached Nick's whinging. Good thing Leanne is a smart cookie, or that bar would never open much less on time. Did you see Nick's face seeing her in her wedding dress? I know she needed the ride there but it was obviously awkward for her having him see her like that. There's so much history and maybe some unfinished business from their past. And maybe she's getting a little case of cold feet. I truly believe she loves Peter so this burgeoning thing with Nick must be a bit of nerves. Having him pledge his love to her weeks before the wedding had to have thrown her.

So the bar has opened. Leanne looked stunning, didn't she? Did you see that vintage outfit Julie was wearing? When they showed her later posting for a camera, she had on a different jacket. Chris chatted up Maria. And Peter ended up with Carla who fell off the wagon. I'm not really sure why unless it was Peter gushing about Leanne. Yep, it was. She's got a crush on Peter and Nick is lovesick over Leanne. The staple fabric of a soap, all this love triangle and quadrangle. I am glad she really hauled off and slapped him, though, because I've been wanting to do that for months. But as much as i hate Nick, Leanne has to take responsibility for this, too.

Now, with Barlow Genes and Battersby Genes, you just know one or both of them is going to fall off the Faithfull wagon. Did you guess it would be Leanne? Nick reckons she loves him because she bonked him. No, that would be lust and being ticked off at Peter for leaving a bit early. Nick took full advantage and plied her with champagne.

Double duty Sean, serving pints in the Rovers at dinnertime. I guess they recruited him for the extra busy Jack birthday drinkies? Carla's off the booze at the moment and everyone thinks she's pregnant!

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1998

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Day 38 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

With two failed marriages and a third husband dead, Deirdre Rachid hadn’t had much luck in the love stakes over the years. So, when she was on a girl’s night out with Liz McDonald and she met a handsome, courteous and dashing pilot called Jon Lindsay who seemed interested in her, she thought her luck had changed. He lavished extravagant gifts on her, in a way that she’d never experienced before and she soon became besotted with this straightforward charmer. But all was not as it seemed as by chance Ken saw him working in a tie shop at Manchester Airport.

When Deirdre confronted him Jon told her that he’d only deceived her to try to impress her and she believed him as they continued to live the high life, which he paid for with for with forged credit cards. She gave him five thousand pounds to use as a deposit on a home for them and when he proposed she was over the moon. They bought a luxury house in Didsbury but joy soon turned to sadness as on Christmas Day she found out that rather than being away on business trips, Jon was still living with his wife and children.

After confronting Jon over the fact that he was married, she refused to believe he still loved her and set about trying to recover the money she’d given him. Using a credit card he’d given her she started to withdraw money from their joint account only to be arrested as the account was in the name of a Captain Jenkins. She told the police all about Jon but they refused to believe her as he had disappeared. When Jon eventually turned up he portrayed himself as an innocent accessory to the deception and told the police that Deirdre had been the mastermind behind it all. Unfortunately for Deirdre, the jury believed him and Deirdre was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Jon got away with a suspended sentence.

Back on the Street the residents were shocked by the verdict and despite their differences, Ken and Mike got together with Emily to prove Deirdre’s innocence and campaign for her release. In the meantime, Deirdre was stuck sharing a cell with gobby Jackie Dobbs who tried to show her the ropes of prison life but her constant assertions of innocence annoyed inmates and warders alike and she was sedated. Eventually Ken and Mike’s tireless investigations into Jon’s life bore fruit when another woman who had been tricked by him came forward and after spending three weeks in gaol, Deirdre was released.

The other big story of the year was the introduction of transsexual Hayley Patterson and her subsequent romance with Roy Cropper. Hayley started working at Firman’s Freezers and whilst slightly gauche she had a very sweet nature. Though initially portrayed as rather creepy and sinister, Roy had developed into a nice, quirky but harmless character who was a bit of an outsider. Roy and Hayley were attracted to each other though because of their shyness some matchmaking of the pair had to be undertaken by Alma Baldwin before they got together. The courtship ended suddenly when Hayley broke the news that she was a transsexual and confused, Roy refused to have anything to do with her anymore. Further intervention was required from Alma to make him understand that if he really cared for Hayley, then nothing else mattered. Hayley was delighted when Roy flew out to Amsterdam, where she’d gone for her final operation to become a woman, tracked her down and asked her to return to Weatherfield with him.

Also in 1998: Nicky Tilsley and Leanne Battersby elope to Gretna Green and get married; Anne Malone freezes to death; Des Barnes and Natalie Horrocks marry; Des Barnes is killed; Gary and Judy Mallett have twins; Emily Bishop protests up a tree with Spider Nugent; Jim McDonald ends up in a wheelchair; Sally Webster has an affair with Greg Kelly; Zoe Tattersall joins the Cult of Nirab.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1997

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Day 37 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

‘The Street is currently being terrorised by a smiling axeman.’ So wrote Victor Lewis-Smith in The Daily Mirror about the arrival of new producer Brian Park. Over the years various producers had come in and set about rejuvenating the Street after it had become stale and complacent but none had carried out such a large scale restructuring of cast and storylines as Park was about to. Coronation Street was losing the ratings war with Eastenders and it had gone from a programme that your mother watched to one that your grandmother did. Park also thought that it was facing bias from the press which perceived the programme as being old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy.

On his first day he sacked Peter Baldwin (though credit for this decision has to go to his predecessor Sue Pritchard), who played dopey Derek Wilton, causing outcry across the globe but he’d only just started. Other casualties of Park’s cull were Don Brennan, Percy Sugden, Andy McDonald, Anne Malone, Bill Webster, Billy Williams, Maureen Holdsworth and Scamper the dog and new arrivals included Zoe Tattersall, neighbours from hell The Battersbys and a new look Nicky Tilsley, played by Adam Rickitt. As well as making changes to the cast he also tried to introduce bigger, bolder and longer storylines and move power away from the script writers and more towards the storylining team, feeling that they took a more long-term view towards the stories than script writers who just dealt with one episode at a time.

The Battersbys arrived on the Street with a bang, They were loud, brash, inconsiderate and the sort of people who think that the world revolves around them. They weren’t popular with the residents and Percy Sugden got up a petition to have them forcibly removed, while life became unbearable for next door neighbour Curly Watts who had to suffer loud music blaring out from no. 5 at all hours of the day and night. At the end of his tether he broke into their house and threw their CD player out of the window onto the cobbles below. In response, and much to the amusement of Leanne and Toyah, Les head butted Curly, smashing his glasses.

Toyah took a part-time job at the café and Leanne joined her mother at Underworld, only to get the sack for smoking and setting off the fire alarm. Nick Tilsley returned from Canada to study PE at the local technical college and much to his mother’s horror, started a relationship with Leanne who took his virginity. Meanwhile Toyah fell for Emily Nugent’s eco-warrior nephew, Geoffrey ‘Spider’ Nugent who had moved into his auntie’s spare room. Together they liberated Teresa the turkey that Les was planning to eat for Christmas dinner but the bird wandered out on to the cobbles and was run over by Les.

Also in 1997: Brad Armstrong is born in the back room at the Rovers, delivered by Betty; Fred Elliott marries Maureen Holdsworth but she runs off to Germany with Bill Webster, Don Brennan dies crashing Alma’s car into the viaduct; Mavis Wilton moves to Cartmel to open a B & B; Alec Gilroy bails out Jack and Vera over their VAT bill; Alec opens Golden Years dating agency; Kevin Webster leaves Sally and moves in with Natalie Horrocks; Deirdre starts seeing airline pilot Jon Lindsay; Fiona Middleton is jilted at the altar after she admits to Alan McKenna to having slept with Jim McDonald; Flaming Nora and Sunny Jim meet for the first time, on the set of Coronation Street.

Corrie Tram Crash Drinking Game

(This post was originally posted by Rebecca on the Coronation Street Blog November, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

So, I can't have been the only one to notice that since they announced that there'd be a tram crash the powers-that-be have been playing us the noise of a tram going over some points at least once per episode, so that we all forget that there's never been a tram on that viaduct ever-ever-ever, and actually that no one's mentioned even the viaduct itself since Don Brennan drove into it. Have they? Maybe I'm wrong but we definitely have heard the chuck-chuck-chuck of a train on a track a lot more recently.

You could even hear it on When Walford Met Weatherfield, when Eileen and that-one-out-of-Goodness-Gracious-Me-who-I-didn't-even-know-was-in-Eastenders were drinking tea (out of cups with saucers!)

So I propose a drinking game from now until the 15th of September (in Canada). You don't have to drink alcohol for this - your tipple of choice can be tea or orange juice or even Ribena for all I care - at least then you'll be well-hydrated, unlike us lushes who'll be so drunk Monday the 6th that we'll be tittering as the heroic Dr Carter strides in like John MacLane in Die Hard. (Oooh, though, please don't let there be any broken glass and bare feet! I have SUCH a phobia of that, I watch that scene in Die Hard from behind a cushion).

So, anyway, back to the game. All you have to do is drink one drink every time you hear the tram. Take two drinks every time someone mentions the tram. Three drinks every time someone - no spoilers so take it as everybody - mentions about how happy they are, about how they love their life/spouse/children, about how they want nothing to change. Then by the time it comes we'll all be too sozzled to care! Tis nearly the season, and all that.

Cheers!

Corrie is The Awesome sometimes, isn't it?

The last two nights, CBC aired Coronation Street episodes that were broadcast in the UK on November 12. These two episodes were nearly perfection, in my opinion. They contained drama, a few little smiles, pathos and the plot was moved along really well into new territory.

The new bar opened, secrets were revealed and lust reared it's ugly head (ugly in this case, at least).

I wrote a longer blog post about it on my UK Corrie blog here. There are a couple of spoilers, one to do with an actor leaving the show (but not how) and some speculation as well.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1996

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Day 36 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

With its ratings share declining, ITV decided that they needed to spread their most successful programmes further and insisted on a fourth episode of Coronation Street being produced, to be shown on Sunday evenings. With only so many hours in a day and with weekend shooting already having become commonplace since the switch to three episodes per week a way had to be found of accommodating the extra episode into production schedules. The result was that it was decided to do away with the producer/technical rehearsal that had been a feature of the Street from day one. This technique of rehearsing immediately before shooting a scene was already a feature of location shooting but now it would be brought to the studio.

Most of the cast had no real problem with the new process as despite the extra scenes required for the fourth episode, the rejigging of the schedule would actually mean they had more free time. The writers were more concerned however. By holding a technical rehearsal some days prior to the actual filming they were able to watch the rehearsal and make adjustments to the script if a line could be improved or if an actor had taken something the wrong way. Also there was a loss of continuity as the scenes were no longer filmed in transmission order, so actors would sometimes lose their knowledge of where a scene was going and how it all sat within the overall story. This was especially true if an actor had a heavy workload and only bothered to read their own scenes and so didn’t really understand how they fitted with everybody else’s.

Furthermore, the amount of story material had to increase and consequently, as we have seen over the years, the stories move further from the viewers’ own reality, which initially drove the programme, to a point where suspension of disbelief is stretched to breaking point. Finally, the extra episode didn’t sit well with the audience. Viewing figures for the new Sunday episode were always lower than the Monday, Wednesday and Friday programmes. Despite Friday regularly ending with a major cliff-hanger to try to draw the audience in on Sunday, people never really got used to the weekend scheduling.

One cast member who was uncomfortable with the switch was Sarah Lancashire who played Raquel Watts. As a popular character she was much in demand on screen and had been carrying long running storylines for months without a break. She announced her decision to move on and left a week before the first Sunday episode was transmitted in November. Raquel took up aromatherapy and hired the back room at the salon to work with clients. Then she decided to enrol on a course in Maidenhead and shocked Curly when she returned much more confident that when she left. She had an interview with an international firm and was offered a job in Kuala Lumpur. Curly put on a brave face when she broke the news in floods of tears but inside he was heartbroken. Before leaving she left Curly a pile of ironed shirts with her wedding ring sitting on top and after giving the Street one last sentimental look, turned to Judy Mallett and said: ‘Look after him.’

Also in 1996: Jim McDonald hits Liz; Steve McDonald gets sent to the big house for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; Liz catches the eye of Frazer Henderson; Alec Gilroy returns and opens Sunliners travel agency; Fiona Middleton buys the salon; Terry Duckworth sells Tommy again; Terry gets Tricia Armstrong pregnant; Audrey Robert’s estranged son, Stephen Reid, turns up; Norris Cole buries Angela’s golf clubs in the Wilton’s allotment; Don Brennan attempts suicide.

William Roache gets a commemorative Ken cake

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

To celebrate Coronation Street’s 50th anniversary and William Roache breaking the world record for the longest serving character in a soap opera as Ken Barlow, the Variety Club Bolton hosted a spectacular event to mark the occasion, which raised money for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children.

Greenhalgh’s Craft Bakery helped their local charity commemorate an event by creating a very special cake to present at the ceremony along with Jack and Vera gingerbread characters for all the guests.

After much deliberation over how to decorate the cake, one of the many fight scenes between Mike Baldwin and Ken Barlow was chosen.

William told journalists he planned to take the cake to the Street and share it with the rest of the cast.

Corrie Canada Sneak Preview, September 5 - 9

Without further ado, here's a brief run down of next week's Coronation Street on Canadian Screens:

Remember, Corrie airs for one hour every weeknight starting Monday, September 5.

Word of Jack Duckworth's death spreads and the funeral is held. Jim McDonald returns for a visit and clashes with Owen. Leanne admits her secret, Carla takes advantage.

Sophie and Sian are shunned. Anna's fears come true as Gary returns home.

Charlotte continues her campaign and there's another twist to Stapegate. Will John figure out she's the anonymous stalker?

Owen bends to the inevitable. Kevin is grumpy, Molly makes a decision,  Graeme is ambitious.  David gets his test results.

For more detail and a few photos, see the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1995

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Day 35 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

As first barmaid and later landlady, Bet Gilroy was part of the Rovers’ furniture but it was all to come to an end. Newton and Ridley announced that they no longer wished to keep the Rovers as a tenancy and put the pub up for sale. The brewery at least gave her first refusal and a slightly reduced price tag of £66000 but with no savings it was never a sum she could hope to raise through normal channels. She approached her good friend Rita Sullivan for a loan and for a while she contemplated the deal and starting up a partnership with Bet but it was clear that Bet had little business sense and as an investment it didn’t look like a good prospect. She approached Vicky McDonald as well but she too saw the deal as a bad risk and turned her down. Rita’s refusal soured relations between the two who had been good friends and Bet felt like she didn’t have a friend in the world. Dejected, she packed her bags and disappeared into the night leaving no forwarding address.

The brewery decided that the Rovers would go to whoever came up with the asking price of £68000 first. Two couples were interested, Jim and Liz McDonald and Jack and Vera Duckworth. Unfortunately the McDonalds were late getting to the brewery as Jim couldn’t get away from work as Mike Baldwin’s chauffeur, though he tried so hard that he lost his job. The Duckworths had come into some money with the death of Jack’s brother Cliff. They’d considered using the windfall to buy the corner shop and had then arranged to buy Des Barnes’ house on the other side of the road as they fancied having a garden. They’d agreed the sale of no. 9 to Gary and Judy Mallet but the sale stalled when Des decided he didn’t want to move after all. And then the Rovers came on the market and they snapped it up.

With Vera Duckworth’s name over the door, they settled into life in the licensed trade but struggled hard to make a success of it. They enjoyed the idea of being mein hosts but they had little business sense and matters weren’t helped by constantly borrowing money from the till and by drinking so much of the profits. Terry turned up hoping to profit from his parents’ new venture though even he soon realised that he wasn’t going to get anything out of it and left but not before getting Tricia Armstrong pregnant. Andy McDonald helped them with their book-keeping but they were soon in trouble with the VAT and were presented with a huge tax bill. In order to pay it they had to sell half the pub to Alec Gilroy who had returned to the area having been made redundant by Sunliners.

The partnership was fraught with tension and was doomed to failure from the start as Vera could never see eye-to-eye with Alec. Alec bought out the Duckworth’s remaining share of the pub and kept them on as employees but the arguments still raged. Alec tried to throw them out of the pub but they managed to barricade themselves into the upstairs living quarters. In the end Alec couldn’t take any more and when Natalie Horrocks offered to buy the pub he washed his hands of the place and headed off to Brighton to help his granddaughter Vicky run a wine bar. Natalie was left with the problem of getting rid of the Duckworths who eventually moved out and lodged at Eunice Gee’s Bed and Breakfast.

Also in 1995: Raquel and Curly marry in 35th anniversary episode; Daniel Osbourne is born; Tracy Barlow suffers kidney failure; Samir is killed and Tracy receives his kidney; Ivy Tilsley dies and leaves her house to Nicky if he changes his name back from Platt; Roy Cropper makes his first appearance; Alf Roberts receives the OBE; Arthur the gnome goes on his travels; Bill Webster returns; Betty Turpin marries Billy Williams; Steve McDonald and Vicky Arden run away to St. Lucia and get married.