Situation Vacant

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


Many characters in Coronation Street are instantly recognisable because of the jobs they do. Rita for instance is and forever will be linked to that Kabin counter and the endless proffering of aniseed balls and pineapple cubes to the toothless residents of Weatherfield. Audrey has, since the days she gave Hilda Ogden a dodgy rinse in Alf's front parlour, been synonymous with standing behind various be-wigged characters, somehow miraculously cutting their barnets with scissors about a mile away from their heads. And Roy's Rolls wouldn't be Roy's Rolls without...Roy! 

The issue of employment pops up frequently in Corrie. Not in the same major plot device way it was used back in the 1970s. In those days an entire week of episodes could be given over to Betty walking out of the Rovers after Annie Walker accused her of nicking Newton and Ridley pint pots (Oh no, hang on, that was only in the imagination of Phil Collinson). Recently, we've seen several characters have their jobs thrust into storylines, with varying degrees of success. First up is the super new Special, Craig Tinker. Craig is shaping up to be the best thing to happen to TV police dramas since Cagney found Lacey. I have loved his involvement in the Bethany story and it has been great to see one of the Street's youth forge ahead with bettering themselves with a noticeable effect.

Craig Tinker they are not!

Less positive is Brian Packham (or BPack as he is apparently known to raven-haired kebab scraper Cathy "Catherine Wheel" Matthews). Personally I preferred "Cathy Come Home" although maybe "Cathy Go Home" would be even better. Brian is very much the 21st Century attempt at a Derek Wilton and while he's not as weak and feeble as Gail's most recent husband (Gail got over that bereavement pretty swiftly), Brian is a bit wet to say the least. I nearly went for mo*st but that takes the blog in a whole different direction. 

BPack's over-bearing, interfering, pedantic council work is supposed to be light relief in amongst the more serious fare Corrie have been feeding us of late. I'm all for a bit of light and shade but I draw the line at BPack brandishing his little litter pincher across Roy's counter display of cream horns and fancies. Hygiene completely out the window and running down the road faster than Phelan's new daughter.

Catherine Wheel

Liz has also had a change of job recently, being dragged out from behind the Rovers bar by her jaggedy necklace. I can't quite come to terms with the idea of no more Landlady Liz. Liz McDonald was a natural fit for the Rovers, standing proudly behind her gleaming pumps...Anyway Elizabeth is now standing slightly less proudly behind the reception of the rarely seen Rosamund Street Medical Centre. She has a rather officious and spiky new boss in Moira (where has she been hiding?). Moira has already had to kick Liz into touch for breaching patient confidentiality for referring to 85 year old Rita's feet giving her bother. I think Moira needs to get a grip, or maybe she hasn't heard of Gail McIntyre who during her time in that role witnessed her deranged husband break in with a sledgehammer to steal drugs before Gail herself was sacked for revealing private medical details of a patient to her son. After all that lot, Rita's corns are a drop in the Zambezi (Club, not River).

It strikes me that there are certain rules that always seem to apply to Coronation Street characters where the world of work is concerned. And here they are:

1. Everyone must work within at least spitting distance of their own front door. Nobody waits on at Delphine's or The Clock anymore. Jobs only ever materialise at the Bistro. Nobody ever ventures to the Trafford Centre for a job, they just add themselves to the payroll in the Underworld Packing Department. 

Liz hopes Moira will like her new look

2. Characters without a fixed role in life never seem to last long in Weatherfield. Everybody needs a purpose and a place to be and be seen. Without that you're pretty much toast. That's probably why Sean Tully has wangled himself seventy-two jobs and yet still no major storylines to speak of. So be careful out there Yasmeen Nazir and your random Community Centre leaflet brandisher/ Roy's Rolls filler in whenever David Neilson has a day off! Seriously though, Yasmeen is an intelligent, thoughtful, eloquent lady - give her something interesting to do which exploits those attributes. And that's not tonging eclairs into a box for Fiz and the faktry girls.

3. Characters move between jobs and take on new jobs with alarming speed. Last Wednesday Liz was all moist-eyed in the back room, bemoaning the end of her days in the hot pot kingdom and then with the briefest flourish of a pair of specs she was off to the Medical Centre to grapple with the appointments system. Gina Seddon got a job in packing with Kirk while the ink was still drying on the script which saw Sally find that heart in a box. And Queen of the Job Swaps is Michelle, although to be fair, she did sleep her way to the top of Victoria Court first. 

Michelle settles in behind the Bistro bar

4. People will strangely come into large sums of previously unheard of cash just as an exciting new business opportunity to invest in the Rovers/Bistro/Faktry/Cab Office comes along. Someone we've never seen before will drop dead and leave a major character a pile of notes. Either that or a timely divorce settlement will come through or if you are of the Barlow persuasion, you'll blackmail or wheedle it out of some poor, unsuspecting simpleton.

5. Characters will always make bizarre, not even in the world of soap is this acceptable, career choices. Look at Toyah Battersby, the beiged-down version. I get that she loves Peter Barlow, well I don't get it but I can see she's smitten. Despite this, she had a successful career as a therapist in Liverpool although once making the move back to Weatherfield, does she pick this up again, no she settles for the odd shift slopping out half pints to Norris in the Rovers. Back to Michelle again. Why does she persist in taking on customer-facing roles when she has the people skills of Rosa Klebb (she of the knife/shoe combo in James Bond) and the temperament of Mrs Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie. And as for Dev, would you ever set foot in that Corner Shop knowing he'd be lurking behind the product placement cash machine and before you can reach for the gin? Maggie Clegg he is not! 

 

Dev's Service at its finest

Weatherfield is obviously in its own little micro-economy. Kevin Webster's garage is about to go under one minute and after a bit of a cash injection from David/Anna, all is forgotten. He must make a mint from that poor sucker whose Fiat Punto has been up on the ramp since Mike Baldwin owned the joint. 

I will finish with some of the Corrie employment pairings which have really made my heart sing. I still pine for the days when Gail and Alma worked together behind the counter of the dirty old caff. I still long for the delicious foursome of Annie, Fred, Bet and Betty at the Rovers, with Hilda popping up in her tabard when you least expected it. Mike Baldwin will always be King of the Faktry, Alf Roberts' spirit is always in that grocer's white coat at the Corner Shop and Rita and Mavis were the Kabin Queens. I still take pleasure in seeing Norris mither away over his liquorice torpedoes; from seeing Gemma in her Eurovision-esque Kebab shop outfit and of course from seeing Roy dither gently in his cardigan as he feeds the faces of folk.

No caption required...

By Graeme Naylor

Follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 if you fancy or maybe even Instagram if that's your bag

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Brian Packham - Comedy Hero or Buffoon?

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


In next week's Coronation Street, Brian's going to get a bee in his bonnet over the litter left in Weatherfield. And he takes on Pat Phelan, berating the builder with a megaphone. You can read more on that here.

Now then, I like Brian Packham. I like him a lot and I always have done. He fits in well in the tradition of the comedy male that there's always been the likes of in Coronation Street. But I know not everyone agrees with me and judging by the comments left from fans here on the Blog, I might even be in a minority in my appreciation of Brian.

So what do you reckon to Brian Packham? Is he, as I think, a comedy hero? Or do you reckon he's more of a boring buffoon?

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Roy's Role

(This post was originally posted by Ruth Owen on the Coronation Street Blog in April 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)


Admittedly, when Hayley died, I feared that Roy would have no real role other than Roy's Rolls café owner and general provider of the goods for cake run, the full English and the sausage sandwich. But I don't think I should have worried. Roy has a definite role and the cobbles is all the better for his presence. (I hope by now you been able to stop laughing at this brilliant play on words or maybe...)

Roy acts as the cobbles' yardstick. Those who accept him and like him are the good people. The ones who criticise him, who are rude and offensive to him, are the morally flawed. Who can forget Tracy's insults to both Hayley and Roy and her shocking attempt to sell them her own baby, claiming that she and Roy had slept together and that, as a result, Tracy had  become pregnant.

Roy first appeared in 1995 as a resident at one of Mike Baldwin's flats  He was initially quite taken with Deirdre and became rather overprotective towards her. Over time, that initial aspect of his character was phased out and marriage with Hayley, who was once  Harold, was the making of Royston Cropper.

It is fair to say that Roy's friendships are quite diverse. One friendship that did develop was the one between him and Carla. That was a masterstroke by the writers. It was Hayley's illness that brought them together, but even after her death they remained firm friends. The fact that they were so different in every conceivable way, worked to make their friendship all the more convincing. Maybe, one reason why an understanding grew between Carla and Roy was because of their unhappy childhoods.

Despite his unhappy childhood, Roy and Hayley became foster parents. Their aim was to offer troubled children a home where they felt valued. And good work they did too, especially when they protected Wayne Hayes from his violent stepfather.

Currently, Roy is being an excellent friend to Ken. He offered Ken a refuge, a sanctuary when he needed it most. Ken is afraid of his family and feels too vulnerable to return home. No questions asked, Roy takes Ken in. Roy's lodger, Brian, is less than keen to have Ken share his space. 'How long before you're ready to  move out?' asks Brian. Roy shuts him down. 'Ken came here for respite and all you can think of is saving your own back.' Roy reiterates to Ken, 'You can stay here as long as you like.' However, Brian cannot resist and adds. 'But there's nothing like your own bed.' In contrast to Roy's offer of an indefinite stay, Brian comes across as thoughtless and selfish.

Brian also lied to Roy when he went to a concert with Cathy. Cathy and Roy? Cathy and Brian? Surely Cathy must realise the superiority of Roy over Brian.

Roy's interests, his ways, his profound love for Hayley and his genuine kindness, all serve to make Roy Cropper one of the Street's greats.

Ruth Owen, twitter: @Ruth1722

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Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Cathy and Brian - the new couple on the cobbles?

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

Well, there's been some hint at this romance already in Coronation Street, and this week we saw the two of them flirting in The Kabin. 

It starts when Cathy helps Brian to understand Roy a little better and gives him some tips on how to win his flatmate Roy over. It's then left to Yasmeen to point out the obvious to Cathy, that she's falling for Brian.  Brian is also feeling the same and invites Cathy for coffee and then a drink in the Rovers.

But what will Roy say when he finds out?




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Cathy and Brian - Yay or Nay?

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

Last night on Coronation Street there was a moment, just a flicker of a moment between Cathy and Brian. Or am I imaginging things?

After Roy had taken down the For Sale board from Roy's Rolls and Brian caught Cathy on the street, that's when it happened.

"You must care about him very much," Brian said to Cathy and she agreed that she did.

While Roy and Cathy will probably remain friends, I can't see a way back for them romantically. But could there be something between Cathy and Brian, I wonder, in the future?

What would you say to Brian and Cathy getting together - Yay or Nay? I say Yay.




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Are Julie and Brian the new Mavis and Derek?

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

More and more lately, whenever I see Julie and Brian on screen, I feel like I'm watching the embodiment of the spirits of Mavis and Derek Wilton, a classic Corrie couple in the 80s and 90s.

It's not so much that they're exactly like them, but their antics and attitudes put me in mind. I think Brian is closer to Derek than Julie is to Mavis but together, there's a lot to warrant it. Read more about that over here.

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Julie and Brian, are they the new Mavis and Derek?

The best storyline this week, bar none, was the coming together of Julie and Brian and it was every bit as fun as I anticipated.

She calls him her Destiny. He's got his head in the clouds around her. Her heart is beating like a trance club and he's beating the pavements trying to keep in shape. For her? Maybe. I don't get the feeling running and Fell climbing were normal passtimes for him.

When they met, they crooned Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond. They gazed into each other's eyes, very clearly struck by Cupid's arrow. When Julie ran into him again at the school, Dylan in tow,

Her personal fashion statements hit the overdrive in that hot red and black dress and she looked amazing but her confidence was not up in the stratosphere. She drank too much Dutch courage and was all over the place. The best line of the week, though, "Single is the cruelest word on the planet. That, and 'banana'", when questioned, she pulled back another shot, declined to answer and muttered "Still too painful" BWAHAHA!

Then, drunk over dinner, she reckoned Eva was after her man and then even more drunk, trying to accost him in the bar. In the end, she caused quite a scene and it didn't end well.

If Brian manages not to be scared away, it'll be a miracle. Or Karma, as Julie would see it. And maybe that's just what it is, karma. They do seem to be the perfect couple and they have the potential to be a classic double act in the same vein as Mavis and Derek!

If the spoilers are true, they're going to be on our screens for the foreseeable and I for one, can't be happier.

Corrie comedy gold!

Why I'm glad Brian Packham is back

(This post was originally posted by Rachel on the Coronation Street Blog in May, 2011.)

Corrie has been lacking in comedy lately, and even though I have enjoyed the slightly darker storylines, such as Becky's rampage and John Stape's downfall, my favourite part of Coronation Street has always been the comedy. That's why I was thrilled to see Brian Packham back on the cobbles this week.

His interactions with Julie have been really amusing, and I think he has the makings of another classic comedy character, just as Mary Taylor and Graeme Proctor have become.

On a personal note, my dad actually met Peter Gunn, who plays Brian Packham on a train last month, and he said he was just as lovely in real life.

What does everyone else think of Brian's return?