Corrie Canada weekly awards: April 9 - 13

Smug cow award: Faye's face after "consoling" Owen about the fish tells it all.

Deny Deny Deny award: Kirsty wouldn't admit she's behind Rita's arrest but she fixed it. Sounds like a guilty conscience to me. But that led to..the Busted Award!!

Lottery award: Gold Star: Dev had to sell his shops. He was nearly bankrupt just a few months ago and he can afford a car for Amber now?
Silver Star: Steve was broke too and he's ready to hand Becky over more cash for Streetcars and got a mortgage no problem for Number 13.

All around win award: Becky made contact with the hotel and the cute guy that manages it. and All around fail... he's moving to Barbados!

Fancy Footwork award: Stella confronted Peter but he managed to wriggle out of it. Barlow lying genes are very good.

Pushed aside award: Jealous star: Faye is feeling left out with Anna's attention being taken by everyone else.

Stylista of the week. You may be attending your husband's funeral, but there's no reason you can't be stylish.

Crazy on a stick award: Kirsty. Rear end collisions are always the fault of the driver behind for following too close. Bet Ty didn't think of that.

Sexist Snobbish Pig award: Devendra Alahan.

Death stare award: If looks could kill!

Deer in the headlights award: Deirdre couldn't have looked more guilty when she saw Becky waiting for her.


Appropriate headgear fashion award: Could this look have been any closer to the real Tracy? Bride from Hell, anyone?

Lines of the Week:
Tyrone "Once a mug, always a mug" (doesn't your heart just break for him?)
Becky to Tracy "When I want your opinion, I'll yank your chain"
Frank "I promise I'll wear this watch till the day I die" (Uh oh)
Beth about Sally "She could do with a fake tan and a pushup bra!"
Kylie "I never admit to something I *have* done. I'm damned if I'm going to admit to something I haven't"
Sylvia to Becky "Misery is as misery does. Think on!"
Leanne's Phrase of Doom "I've got a man in a million whom I trust and adore. What more could a girl want?" (a faithful one?)
Sunita to Dev "For the best dad in the world? You're pretty average in the rest of the departments" (That good?)
Becky "This is beginning to sound like a date" Danny "Looks like a duck, walks like a duck..."
Roy to Becky "You're smiling" Becky "Am I?" Roy "I missed that smile" (Oh God i love Roy!!!! What a guy!)
Beth "Once a bloke's had a bit of this, they don't forget easy!"
Steve to Peter "You, Simon, Leanne, a model family!" (koff)


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Has Coronation Street ever had a matriarch?

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

With Pat Butcher's departure from Eastenders earlier this month, I began to think about all those soap matriarchs over years. And guess what? I can't think of any Corrie matriarchs. None at all. I can list ones from the others: Peggy Mitchell, Pauline Fowler, Meg Richardson, Helen Daniels, Madge Bishop, Susan Kennedy, Annie Sugden and Lisa Dingle. But none from Corrie. Do you find that weird - the soap that's known for its portrayal of strong women has not had a matriarch in 52 years?

If you look at the original three women on the Street - Ena, Elsie and Annie. Although they were strong women they were hardly matriarchs. The three had strained relationships with their children. Ena battled with daughter Vera; Elsie clashed with both Dennis and Linda; Annie's daughter Joan looked down on her while son Billy only visited the Rovers to sponge off his mother. And if you look at all those mothers that have graced our screens over the years, none of them are matriarch material. Just look at Hilda, Vera, Ivy, Gail, Audrey, Sally, Deirdre and Liz.

While Corrie has maintained the battleaxes (Ena, Blanche, Ivy), gossips (Martha, Hilda, Blanche), sirens (Elsie, Bet, Rita) and mother figures (Minnie, Rita, Betty) throughout it's tenure, the role of matriarch has never come about. While it's had head of the families in the shape of Blanche and Audrey, they lack something a true matriarch has. Maybe the fact that both were absent from their children's lives for so long. While Blanche filled the role of battleaxe and gossip; Audrey, although the Platt family's voice of reason, has on many occassions clashed with her family and the fact that she lives on her own away from the Street shows that weakness. Both, in their own way, never defend their family name and usually ridicule their family's decisions instead of supporting them.

Do you agree or disagree? Has Corrie had a matriarch? Does it need a matriarch? Or is the fact that it doesn't have a matriarch make it different to other soaps and that's why you love it?

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Sunday Canadian Corrie Comments, April 15

Rita is all out of sorts about the driving license problem and what do you know? Kirsty got it all sorted out. Looks more and more like she was the instigator in the first place. There's more aggro and shouting between Tina and Kirsty of course. Everyone seems to think Tina's in the wrong more than Kirsty who makes herself out to be very reasonable but then we see these looks and pointed remarks she makes to Tina and we know something's not right. Tyrone believes the best in everyone so he's not going to believe Kirsty is instigating things unless he catches her red handed. Meanwhile she keeps pouring poison in his ear and isolating him from his mates. Bad sign, that.

Ah but Kirsty's smugness got her caught red handed after all and Tyrone overheard her bragging to Tina. Right. Out damned spot! Rightly so, too! poor broken hearted Ty, loser in love again. Kirsty reckons Tina is after Tyrone. Doesn't seem to occur to her that men and women can be just mates. Then when she spots the two of them out for a curry she pulls rank and tries to pull them over. Tina objects and tries to outrun her. At least we didn't have a repeat of John Stape's accident but there was still a rear ender, because Kirsty was following too closely. She ended up in hospital and lo and behold, she's pregnant!

This changes everything!!! I'm not so confident it is Tyrone's no matter that she says it is. If it is, i smell a trap. She pretends it wasn't planned but maybe it was.Tyrone was still not quite willing to take Kirsty back until she showed him the scan photo which couldn't have been more than a photo of a peanut considering that she can't be that far along. It was enough to win Tyrone back on side, though and enough to get Tina to leave the house. Tina's making a formal complaint so that's one more reason for Kirsty to have a grudge against her and she really let Kirsty have it with both barrels. There's no going back after the things she said to them. One down, one to go. One positive result is that Kevin and Tyrone actually shook hands.


Stella is pretty sure Peter and Carla are having it off but Peter out and out lied to her face so she's not got proof. Well let's face it, he's very good at lying isn't he? Peter's scared now because Stella will be watching him like a hawk. But it doesn't stop them does it? And will they be more discreet? Probably not. Anne nearly caught them in the factory when she went to tear a strip off Carla. And finding out that Peter was there has put a bug in Frank's pants and he's determined to find out if there's an affair going on. He hires a private investigator to follow them! It shouldn't be that difficult, they're always just running into one another these days and whispering in corners.

Carla's finally rehired Fiz so I guess though Sally told her Frank was hiring, she didn't do anything about it. I probably wouldn't want to work for him either but she was desperate for a job. Not that desperate i guess. Nice to see her back in the factory where she belongs though. Carla has found out about Sally and Frank and she thinks Frank is just using Sally as a shield of respectability for the court case. So do I. Now with Frank's father dying so suddenly and Anne putting the blame on Carla for causing the stress that killed her husband, it's all a powder keg ready to blow!


Dev is continuing to spoil Amber and buys her a car for her 21st birthday. He's another one, like Steve, who was stone broke not that long ago, nothing that a year's worth of profits from one shop would help even if he managed to sell all the other ones. He certainly cries poor when it suits him and it annoys Sunita to no end. He is always undermining her and Amber plays them off against each other all the time. Sunita has had enough and has taken a part time job at the bar that St. Ella has offered.


First night behind the bar she's done up her make up and bought a push up bra too! Sunita has boobs! Who knew?? She never showed them before so she must have bought the Wonderbra to pi$$ off Dev and it worked. Karl sure got an eyeful and Dev is horrified that his wife works behind a bar, snob that he is.

There's more squabbling over that flaming pond between Owen and David. Owen lets Faye name the fish. But it's not up to him to complain about the names if he's let her do it. And Anna keeps putting Faye last, she sets up girly nights and then has to cancel them. Faye wondered why Owen is always there. me too. He may own the house but is he meant to be taking over the property like that just because he's dating Anna? Well now the fish are dead and of course he blames David and of course that was too obvious. David says he's willing to do a lot of things but not killing a living creature. Turned out it was Faye in a fit of jealousy.


You can't forget she's a damaged child and needs a lot more attention which she's not been getting and sees Owen as a threat. And threat he was when he found out and smacked her across the legs. Not surprised, i'm sure that's probably something he's done before with his own kids, Katy at least though probably not Izzy. And he didn't even tell Anna about the smack. Did he think Faye wouldn't tell? I don't blame Anna for going off on him. Her child, hers to discipline and a child like Faye isn't going to respond well to violence. No child is going to take it well but a kid with her background learning to trust especially not.


Steve is really rude to Becky isn't he? It's like he's morphing into a Tracy clone. He tried and tried to get Becky to take another cheque to buy back her bit of the taxi company and when she finally did agree, he said no. That's a spiteful childish move and just something like Tracy would do. He compared his marraige to Becky like a horror movie that keeps coming back at you. I rather think that's more like Tracy don't you? Anyway, Deirdre talked him round because it would behoove everyone if Becky was paid off and gone so that Tracy's secret stays just that. Ohh mark my words, the bigger they are the harder they fall and fall he and Tracy will if Becky and Kylie have anything to say about it.


The wedding is almost upon us. Tracy's hen night with all the middle age and senior citizen neighbours was a bit pathetic but at least Beth showed no compulsion for shyness and decided that as an Ex of Steve's (one date) she would join the group and make a few more friends. Steve's stag do... oh my God! Steve, Ken and Peter looked more than glum at the Bistro.

Meantime Becky has connected with cute Danny again. Steve again has been sticking his oar in but Danny fancies Becky so he's willing to deal with Streetcars if she's doing the dealing. Steve is determined to get her out of Streetcars and is pushed right along by Tracy. Becky is just as determined to dig her heels in and prove her innocence as well. Danny turned out to be a widower with a little boy. Even more perfect for Becky, a lovely new man with a little boy for her to mother But wouldn't you know it? Danny has a job transfer to Barbados!! Figures doesn't it. just when things may be looking up for Becky. But wait.... he wants her to go with him! Becky's not so sure it's a good idea. Oh go on, you know you want to!

Becky's encounter with Deirdre further ups her suspicions that there's just something not right and she is on a quest to prove her innocence with Kylie's help. She got the break she needed when Danny recognized Tracy as having a medical emergency at his hotel the night he met Becky and Steve!!


I'm surprised Tracy would want David to do her hair for the wedding considering he hates her and believes Becky not her. I know this musical challenge between Norris and Sylvia is meant to be funny and it might be if Mary wasn't around bullying Norris. I really think that character is long overdue to go away, far away. She's not quirky anymore, she's weird and nasty and pointless. Did you notice that Kylie's earrings looked like fish lures when Owen was screaming at David about the dead fish? Nice touch.


Sylvia is burning up the phone lines calling America and won't use her mobile, that would cost too much :)) Paul is still sniffing around Eileen and tells her he is losing Lesley's carer. Cue Eileen to volunteer at least for a day. Doormat! It's a very bad idea to have someone care for someone in Lesley's condition with no experience.


Sally is blissfully happy with smooth Frank. Kevin is more surly than usual now d his divorce is final. That was fast!! It was only a few days ago Sally was going to start the divorce proceedings. Sally's friends were so concerned they went to talk to her and warn her off Frank but would she be told? Eck as like. Tracy acts like nobody ever bought her a house before but Blanche bought number 7 for her and Amy when Amy was borne, remember? i'm constantly irked by Nick looking for a flat when Dev still has the one around the corner in the posh place. Why doesn't Nick just go to Dev first? I really love how Sylvia and Becky have become friends. Sylvia is downright protective of her, maybe not in the way Roy is but she's very sympathetic.



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Pic: Coronation Street barmaids - how they are now

Flitting around th'internet looking for pictures of the wonderful Suzie Birchall, as you do - well I do anyway, I came across this fabulous photo of a whole bunch (is that the right collective noun?) of Coronation Street barmaids as they are now. It appeared in The Sun in 2010, in the run up to the 50th anniversary and the article also contains a few quotes from the actresses about their time pulling pints in the Rovers. How many do you recognise?

There's a key in the bottom right hand corner and if you go to The Sun's website, it will tell you who is who.

Review: 1968 Coronation Street at the Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog January 2012, reposted to this blog with permission.)

You'll have to excuse any spelling errors in this blog post, I'm a little bit merry after drinking the afternoon away on Ena's Cuppa. I don't know what she puts in it put it was being served up behind the bar at the Lass O'Gowrie pub this afternoon where I spent a very happy few hours with our blogger Sunny Jim and a couple of friends who enjoy Corrie as much as we do.

Corrie fan Emma has already posted a little review of the Corrie 1968 live episodes which have been acted out in the Lass O'Gowrie pub this week as part of their winter festival called LassFest. While the Corrie episodes are finished now, the festival is still going on until February and you can find out more at http://www.lassfest.co.uk/

And so to Corrie.  We watched three live episodes acted right in front of us. The episodes were all written by Jack Rosenthal and Jack's widow, the wonderful Maureen Lipman was in the very small audience (maximum allowed in was 30) with us.

The first episode from 1968 was Stan and Hilda Ogden's visit to a Chinese restaurant for their first ever foreign meal.  The casting was superb with Joan Kempson as Hilda who got Hilda's sing-song voice down to a tee.   The dialogue was far funnier than you remember 1960s Corrie being, it came faster too. The show was performed 'in the promenade' which meant the audience had to follow the action around the pub. Sometimes we were in the bar, watching Annie and Jack Walker - played by the wonderful Dave Dutton who has appeared on Corrie in eight different roles - bicker. And other times we were in the corner shop with Ena and Emily, and then again we moved to join Stan and Hilda in the Chinese resturant, or the 'Golden Mandolin' as Hilda wrongly, wonderfully pronounced it.

After a wonderful episode that finished with a terrified Ena investigating a loud crash in the corner shop, Dave Browning's trumpet solo ended the show and it was back to the bar for another pint of Ena's Cuppa. And er, another.

And then we were treated to two Corrie episodes of the wedding of Dennis Tanner to Jenny Sutton. Special mention goes to actor David Crowley for his performance as Dennis. We all raised our glasses at the wedding, and it was a poignant moment when Jerry Booth walked out and away from the Street, saying goodbye to Len, who couldn't hear him, and nobody even noticed he had gone.  A wonderful Elsie Tanner was played by actress Jeni Howarth Williams but there wasn't one single member of the cast whom I can possibly single out, they were all absolutely fantastic.

It was great to see actress Emma Edmondson, who once played Corrie's Mel Morton, on stage as a stroppy teenage Lucille Hewitt.  She was wonderful to watch. As was Tom Burroughs who played Jery Booth. Eagle-eyed Corrie fans will spot Tom's name as he played the tram driver in the Corrie tram crash.

The event was raising awareness for the charity Myeloma UK which was the disease that Jack Rosenthal died from. And Maureen Lipman gave a very moving speech about Jack, a speech laced with both humour and tears.

And then the night ended, much too soon.  But the cast were all ready to do it all over again, for a special show for Corrie cast and crew, some of whom started to arrive in the pub before we'd finished our final glass of Ena's Cuppa.  We saw famous Corrie faces and all I can say is that they're always much shorter in real life than they appear on screen.  No names will be mentioned!

It's been a wonderful event, well worth making the journey from the north-east to the north-west for and worth spending the time and money on a weekend in Manchester for. If this fantastic event should run again next year, get your tickets soon because they had to turn away people from the door who wanted to get in.

Special thanks go to Dave Dutton for taking your rather shy blog editor by the hand, into the Snug at the Lass O'Gowrie pub and introducing me to the Corrie cast.

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Corrie's Katy Cavanagh: "I'd love Julie and Brian to get wed"

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog January 2012, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Katy Cavanagh, who plays the wonderful Julie Carp on Coronation Street, has given a lovely long interview in today's Mirror.  The interview plugs the upcoming Corrie musical, Street of Dreams, which Julie will be in - and it's a good read.

Katy says that Corrie's Julie  is a big hit with men of a certain age, particulary lorry drivers!

She says: “It’s really weird, but I always get men over the age of 40 coming up to me and saying: ‘I love Julie, I love Julie.’ Not the wives – it’s always the husbands who are fond of her. I get lots of lorry drivers talking to me, too. And I get fan mail from men as well. I had a really lovely poem from a man who was slightly in love with Julie. He must have been over 60 and it was really nice. So I think there’s something going on there with Julie and the male psyche.

"She’s a throwback to a time when women behaved themselves, one of those old-fashioned women who’d do anything to keep her man happy. Maybe that appeals to slightly older men. And she’s always nicely turned out. Sometimes men like it when women make an effort and we don’t always make so much of an effort nowadays.”

Katy and her husband Chris run the London-based company Production Drive and she says she'd love Julie and Brian to get wed on Corrie. "These things are out of our hands," she says, "but I would love them to get married – it would be hilarious.”

Read the full interview here

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Was Owen right to smack Faye?

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog January 2012, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Hundreds of complaints have been received about Owen slapping Faye on Coronation Street. Or so say the tabloids although ITV officially report only one complaint received so far.

But what do you think? Should he have hit the kid?  Should Anna dump him?

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Gogledd Cymru and Corrie

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


Hello all! As I'm from North Wales, I thought I'd delve into the Corrie archives to see the links between the soap and North Wales. North Wales and the cities of Manchester, Liverpool and Chester have strong links through tourism, shopping and retirement and Corrie hasn't ignored this link with characters referring to towns like Rhyl and Llandudno. As well as links through the characters, both cast and crew have links as well.

Firstly, those who were born in the region. Ian Puleston-Davies who plays Owen Armstrong was born in Flint; Huw Garmon who played factory owner Phil Dunbar in 2011 was born in Penmynydd on Anglesey; Iain Rogerson who played cleaner Harry Flagg between 2002 and 2004 was born in Wrexham; Wyn Bowen Harries who played Reverend Gerald Douglas (the Les Battersby lookalike who conducted Sophie and Sian's blessing) hails from Llanllechid near Bangor; and Sue Roderick who played barmaid Megan Morgan in 1989 was born in Porthmadog.

Two individuals who had links with Corrie passed away in North Wales. H. V. Kershaw, a writer, script-editor, producer and executive producer on Corrie between 1960 and 1988 retired to Prestatyn and died there in 1992 aged 74. Jack Howarth, who played Uncle Albert for 24 years passed away in Llandudno hospital in 1984 aged 88.

Those who have or had other links with the region include the following: William Roache (our Ken) was educated in Colwyn Bay, is a patron at a hospice in Llandudno and has a holiday home in Abersoch on the Llyn peninsula; Jack Howarth worked in the theatre in Llandudno and ran a cinema in Colwyn Bay where he met William Roache for the first time - both having no idea they'd work alongside each other for nearly 25 years on Corrie; Eileen Derbyshire (Emily) used to (don't know now) have a holiday home in Rhoscolyn on Anglesey; Bruce Jones (Les Battersby) had a holiday home in Conwy; and Chris Gascoyne (Peter Barlow) was ironically caught drink driving in Llandudno in 2008.

Various characters have holidayed or moved to North Wales over the years. Here are some that come to mind:

Frank and Ida Barlow holidayed in Colwyn Bay in 1961, weeks before her untimely death

Irma Barlow moved to Llandudno in 1972 before emigrating to Canada

Albert Tatlock and Ena Sharples holidayed in Llandudno in 1973 but Ena returned home early due to suffering a heart attack



Mavis told a bemused Rita in 1976 about how she was proposed to by Sunday school inspector Mr. Eccleston while on a trip to Rhyl. He told her that if they missed the coach, they'd marry, but sadly they caught the train instead. Rita's reaction: "British rail - spoilsport". Mavis Eccleston has a ring to it doesn't it?



Fred and Eunice Gee honeymooned in Rhyl and Llandudno in 1981



Hilda Ogden and Sally's uncle Tom Hopwood went on a coach trip to Rhyl in 1987

Martin and Gail Platt honeymooned in Abersoch in 1991
Emily considered retiring to Rhos on Sea in 1991 but decided to stay put in the end



The Websters and Rita holidayed on Anglesey in 1995

John Stape hid out in Anglesey while on the run in 2011

And to finish. In a classic scene when discussing what to do with her brother's inheritance money in 1983, Hilda said she'd like to go on holiday with Stan. "They say Lanzarote's nice" said Betty. "Oh no, we want to go somewhere further than Wales" said Hilda. Hilda thought the exotic Canary Island was in Wales and to me, that's very flattering! She probably thought it was near 'Landudno' (mispronounced as it's Llandudno).

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Sneak Preview of next week's Canadian Corrie, April 16 - 20

Here's a sneak preview of next week's Coronation Street on Canadian screens.

Becky gets proof with Kylie's  help. Steve and Tracy's wedding gets underway. Becky has her revenge but how will she go about it? Afterwards, she decides to leave the Street. Goodbye Becky!

Eileen looks after Lesley for a day and can't cope with Lesley's violent outburst. Paul makes a temporary decision about Lesley and he and Eileen's relationship doesn't sit well with Jason. Mary and Norris scheme.  Brian's healthy eating program at school doesn't mix well with Kylie's mothering skills. Nick finally leaves the nest. Rosie and Jason get frisky and the earth moves.

Frank's trial is brought forward and his private detective still hasn't got evidence that might help. Anna finds out what Owen did to Faye and she's not pleased. Not at all.

For more detail and pics, check out the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net

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Fab Photo Friday

(This post was originally posted by Sunny Jim on the Coronation Street Blog in January 2012.)

It's Friday again so it's time for this week's fab Coronation Street photo. Here Ena Sharples takes on wrestler Big Ian Campbell in 1964. Poor fellah.

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Jonathan Harvey interview on Corrie and Beautiful Thing

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog October 2011, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Coronation Street writer Jonathan Harvey has been interviewed by Pink News about his play Beautiful Thing which is showing at  Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre from November 9th to December 3rd. 

The interview's well worth a read and it's online here but here's what he has to say about writing for Coronation Street:

From Pink News: "One of Harvey’s unquestionable successes has been writing for Coronation Street, the long-running ITV soap first broadcast in 1960. Its then executive producer, who had separately produced three one-off TV dramas written by Harvey, persuaded him to join the programme’s writing team.

“She said I’d love it and she was absolutely right,” says Harvey. “It’s a brilliant opportunity to reach a massive audience. The very first episode I wrote in 2004 centred on a character called Todd, who was in the process of getting married to his girlfriend Sarah, but was having a relationship behind her back with another guy. In the episode I wrote he told Sarah he couldn’t go ahead with the wedding because he thought he was gay. That episode got 13m viewers! When Beautiful Thing first opened the theatre could only hold 80!

“As a writer you spend a lot of time writing stuff that never gets made. With Coronation Street every time I write something I know it’s going to be on television in eight weeks time. There’s also a huge amount of mutual support among the show’s writers, which is great.”

Having written for many of Britain’s most famous actors and actresses, including Catherine Tate and Dawn French, I ask him if there’s anyone left he’d like to write for.

“I’d love to work with Julie Walters,” he answers. “I’ve sent her a few things in the past, but she’s always turned me down. I imagine she’s probably sick of me asking her by now, but I’d still love to work with her.”

Ooh, let's hope that Julie Walters will give in soon and turn up on Coronation Street one of these days. We already know Corrie producer Phil Collinson is keen to have on the show too.

Find out more about Jonathan Harvey

Stella Price - and why I like her

(This post was originally posted by Rebecca on the Coronation Street Blog in January 2012.)
Unpopular opinion time: I like Stella.

I wasn't sure about the casting or the character when it was first announced, because I all-too-vividly remember Michelle Collins as the shrieking harpy that was Cindy Beale, one of about a zillion women who have for some unfathomable reason married Ian Beale. She cheated on him, obviously, and ended up dying in childbirth, which is appropriate, as I mostly remember Cindy shrieking while heavily pregnant. Anyway! This blog is not about the sarf, but the north, so to Coronation Street we must go.

I do think it was a good move to bring in more family for Leanne, as with Janice gone she's a little bit out on a limb with only Peter's family for company - and obviously since that might go belly up because of Peter and Carla, that would have left Leanne with no ties to Weatherfield. She might have even had to go to That London to see Are Toyah. Bringing her estranged mother in made complete sense, as did that mother having another child and a partner.

They're a good family unit I think, and I like Karl a lot, and the chemistry he and Stella have. Karl seems like a typical Corrie fella - a bit feckless, a bit reckless, and a bit soft for his woman. Eva I could do without, because she's one-dimensional, but I do love the actress and I think they will redeem the character somehow. I like her and Nick together because they're both dreadful people - it will end in tears in a vein similar to Steve and Karen!

I was convinced that Michelle Collins was not the right choice to play Stella, and she did (rightly) get a lot of flack for her accent. But it's obvious that she's worked on it a lot, and there are only a few niggles that remain for me - mostly the way she says her 'U's - they're not flat enough and can have traces of a Southern 'uh' instead of a Northern 'u'. It could be explained away I think, by saying that Stella had lived in the south for a while, perhaps. She's grown on me, has Michelle, and I'm hoping that Stella stays a while.

I've seen criticisms, on here and elsewhere, that Stella has been crowbarred into every storyline going. I don't see it that way. With Leanne, of course she's going to be protective, she hasn't seen the girl in about 30 years. I'm loving all these people who are suspicious about Peter and Carla, and can't wait to see where it goes. It's natural for her to be interested in the people (the Barlows) who have been her daughter's family for a long while.

As for the other storylines that she's got into - she's the landlady in the Rovers. Every good landlady knows every movement up and down her little street. It's partly why they did need a woman there since Becky left. The frightening alternative is Tracy, and no one would want that, would they? Landladies are always involved, because everyone tells them everything, and everything happens in their pub. It's natural.

Definitely, for me, Stella and Michelle are positives for Corrie. The only remaining question is - what the heck did Stella ever see in Les Battersby?!

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Fat Brenda's Cream Horn

(This post was originally posted by Fat Brenda on the Coronation Street Blog in January 2012, reposted with permission.)

“If you’ve got a problem with a lass or fella,
Pop in’t back and talk to Stella”


And so say all of us! Stella's helped everyone round these parts. She’s been raising money for them starving kiddies in hot countries an’ that by embarking on a ‘Therapathon’ - where folk sponsor her for therapeutic sessions in the back room of the Rovers - or "Stella's Surgery" as she calls it - so she can give ‘em advice on a number of issues ranging from problems with their marriage to the best way to boil an egg using nowt but a flask of tepid water and a lace hankie. I've even heard rumour she’s going to singlehandedly look for Gail McIntyre’s dad who’s been missing presumed Ted!

The only folk round here who don’t seem to be impressed with Stella’s superhuman ability to understand the inner thoughts and insecurities of us lesser mortals are Peter and Carla! She's onto 'em! I’m not flamin’ surprised though, it’s only a matter of time before their secret is out. I’ve been getting taxis for the pair of ‘em to fandangle with one another for weeks now and I reckon it’s gonna end in tears – Simon’s probably, poor lad. Still, at least if it's all out in't open they won't have to meet in a back passage.

After finding a cancer cure and developing a non-genetically modified way of growing hairy vegetables that will feed the world’s hungry while providing them with warm clothes, Stella is probably gonna buy the Rovers if she can find the money… after she’s run a marathon in aid of blind hamsters and troubled stoats… AND after she’s raised awareness for men’s baldness by shaving her own hair off and re-growing it using the patent hair follicle repairing lotion she created using the distilled tears of joy from orphans she has helped to find homes…

Actually, now I come to think about it, Dev in’t too happy with Stella either. It’s not been going well for the Alahans of late . Sunita has been very down and confided in Stella (well why not? It’s not like she’s a virtual stranger) about her worries. Stella isn’t the only casual acquaintance Sunita has been papping on to about her problems, she’s been telling me about Dev’s inability to satisfy her appetite! Apparently he never cooks enough food to go round and prioritises Aadi and himself over the two lasses (or three when Amber’s round their house for a meal) - sexist!

Maybe Sunita’s part time job at the Rovers will inject a bit of je ne sais flamin’ quoi into their flagging marriage/ relationship (they're not married but Dev still says things like "don't talk to my wife like that!" to Kevin Webster). Maybe Dev and Sunita could do a bit of role-play! He could pretend to be a stressed out small business owner and she could pretend to be a woman who feel like she’s taken for granted and longs for a bit of romance… wait a minute… that’s not actually role-play is it? Oh, forget it!

I tell you what loveys, I don’t know what I was more shocked by, Sally and Frank being an item or Anne’s funeral fascinator! What the flamin’ hell?! Is that all the rage nowadays or summat? I thought fascinators were just for weddings but Frank’s mum looked like a crow had flown onto her head to nest before dying of Silvikrin hair lacquer inhalation! I’ll never be up with these trendy older lasses that shop in M and S and Principles!

Tina has been proved right about Kirsty! But then Kirsty’s been proved right about Tina being an annoying, screeching, troublesome flamin’ aggro merchant so it’s one all! Mind you, I suppose Tina won in the end cos Kirsty got driven out of Tyrone’s house and then drove into the back of Tyrone’s car! She makes Fatal Attraction look like an episode of Chucklevision, that Kirsty!

How can Anna date that Owen (the multiple personality builder) over my Eddie?! Owen cares more about his flamin’ fish than he does owt else! I’ve suggested some flamin’ names for his fish - Like, I’m, Flamin’ and Bothered (Bothered is me favourite fish of all!) He didn't thank me though loveys, he just messed with me pipes until me water works went awry like he does when anyone has a run in with him!

Finally, they were MY flowers that were delivered but I felt sorry for Becky and let her have 'em (for 20 Dunhill)

Right, I'm off. Tweeter me here!

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Amber Waves

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

Am I the only one who thinks Amber's been getting a rough deal of late?  It seems that she's getting blamed and criticised for events that really aren't her fault, and in the process becoming something of a pariah.

Take Sophie & Sian.  Somehow it became Amber's fault that Sophie fell for her.  A single kiss - a kiss delivered to rescue Sophie from an unwanted suitor, remember, not a romantic one - and Amber became the target of Sophie's desires.  She did nothing to encourage it, there was no affair or furtive hand holding, and when Sophie came clean Amber immediately said she wasn't interested.  After that, she was simply being a good friend, rightly questioning how Sophie could declare her love for Amber one minute and Sian the next.

The kiss at the hen do was a bit extreme, but again, she was right; Sophie needed to realise that she wasn't ready for marriage to Sian.  Yet Amber's the one who's getting screamed at in the Street and given the cold shoulder.

Similarly, Amber seems to be getting the blame from Sunita for her new car.  It was her 21st birthday and Dev surprised her - why is she getting any heat at all?  Sunita, of course, just plain dislikes Amber, which is another problem for me - whatever the circumstances of her birth, she's Dev's daughter, and Sunita needs to stop being jealous of how he treats her.

I love Amber.  She is more brittle since she returned, admittedly, but I love her sarcasm and her willingness to prick Dev's pomposity.  She's also just a fun character - while Sophie is full of angst and pain, it's nice to have a girl who just wants to go out on the lash, have a couple of snogs and enjoy herself.


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Krazy Kirsty on Coronation Street

Reprinted with permission from fab TV Blog PauseLiveAction

The moment Tyrone approached her in the quietest nightclub in the country and she eagerly got her claws into him, I knew there was something not right with Kirsty. She follows all of the Street’s regular rules for being an established psychopath and I can guarantee that within six months from now, she will be driving her cop car into a canal with Tyrone and Tina tied up inside or she’ll be blowing up the garage.

How do I know this? Well, just take a look at the quirks and rules followed by previous Street fruitcakes and see how many boxes loopy Kirsty ticks…

Corrie Psycho Rule Number One: Develop an inexpicably over the top obsession in a somewhat bland love interest. Let’s face it, despite his adorable, teddy bear-esque nature, Tyrone is no oil painting. He’s not really even a Crayola Wax crayon scrawl. Sure, there are many women who would love to give him a hug and tell him that there is someone out there for him, but not many would be willing to actually BE that woman. Well, Kirsty isn’t just being that woman, she’s excelling to the point where she wants to spend 24 hours of each and every day in his company. Maria and Molly couldn’t even cope with evenings in front of the box with him! So is Kirsty besotted and sees a side in the bumbling mechanic that no one else does or is she several tangerines short of a fruit basket? I would suggest that it was a little from Column A and a little from Column B but she is by no means the first Corrie villain to find herself becoming deranged for a very surprising suitor. Weird Irish nanny Carmel Finnigan developed a bond  for a character so boring that the actor who was axed is now famous for making cheese. She fantasised a relationship that wasn’t there and was prepared to take Gail’s side of the marital bed. I’m sure the female readers could think of many more interesting men to lose their sanity over than Martin Platt. And Gail herself isn’t exactly the catch of the century. Aside from being the Street’s black widow, she is interfering and irritating to boot, but that didn’t stop suave Richard Hillman building up a body count for her.

Corrie Psycho Rule Number Two: Have a very respectable and trustworthy occupation. Don Brennan aside, Corrie fruit loops have held such respectable positions such as solicitors, factory owners and property developers so it’s really no surprise that the first long term character since Curly’s wife Emma to be an officer of the law has to be nuttier than squirrel excrement.

Corrie Psycho Rule Number Three: Have an aversion to pensioners. The moment that Kirsty seemed at ease with allowing poor Rita Sullivan to lose her driving licence as part of her campaign against Tina McIntryre should really have set alarm bells ringing. Richard Hillman waged a one man rampage against OAPs by clobbering Emily Bishop over the head with a crowbar and also set fire to the house of Audrey Roberts. And Joy Fishwick didn’t last long around John Stape, who went on to lock the parents of Charlotte Hoyle in a cellar.

Corrie Psycho Rule Number Four: Have a nemesis whom no one will listen to. Tina has said from word go that Kirsty was a wrong un but Tyrone refuses to listen. He is not the first one to turn a blind eye to the psychotic antics which should really be blindingly obvious, despite warnings. Both Norris Cole and Audrey Roberts had Richard Hillman’s card marked, but Gail didn’t really clock anything was amiss until she was gagged and driven into a canal. Sunita Parekh warned Dev Alahan that his manic solicitor girlfriend Maya Sharma was a corner shop short of a tin of peas…he didn’t even realise when she was throwing these tins at him. It took seven fake marriages and seven explosions before Dev thought it might be a bad idea to leave Sunita home alone. He ignored this however and she was taken hostage anyway. And Chesney Brown was regularly warning Fiz Stape against her hapless husband John. Not even Rosie, who had been held hostage by the former teacher, could persuade Fiz that there was something not right about her serial killer hubby.

Corrie Psycho Rule Number Five: Take a close look at Kirsty’s eye next time she’s on screen. Awfully close to Tony Gordon’s wouldn’t you say?

If Kirsty is not the latest in a long line of psychopaths to walk the cobbles, then I‘ll eat my fruitcake.

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