The return of Corrie cad Lewis Archer - Yay or Nay?

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


Nigel Havers, who played Coronation Street cad Lewis Archer was interviewed on Loose Women yesterday. And in the interview he said that he'd love to return to the show as Lewis.

"I'd love to go back," he said. "Never say never. I do feel responsible for £40,000, so I feel like I should give it back one way or another. They're so clever in Corrie, they'll come up with a plot and it'll be brilliant.

 I'd been a fan of Corrie since it started, so I was delighted."

Lewis left Weatherfield in 2013 after stealing cash from Gail Platt and fleeing to Belize. His original stint on the show after joining in 2009 saw him cheat on Audrey Roberts and scam Peter Barlow. He also snogged Deirdre Barlow in the bookies and the kiss was exposed when it was caught on CCTV.

But would you want Lewis to return - Yay or Nay?

I say Yay! But would Audrey and Gail ever forgive him for what he did to them both? I say NAY! Well, Gail probably would. She's daft enough!

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Lewis Archer: Corrie's best baddie?

(This post was originally posted by Clinkers (David) on the Coronation Street Blog in February 2013.)

Last night saw a farewell to Lewis Archer and with him, Nigel Havers. There were one or two raised eyebrows when it was first announced that Havers was joining the programme. For many in the UK, his name was synonymous with the 1980s hit BBC comedy 'Don't Wait Up' in which he played an NHS doctor whose father had a practise in Harley Street. Havers was also a big hit as Ralph Gorse in ITV's 'The Charmer'. Maybe it was the latter which had more of an influence on the enigmatic Lewis.

The man who caused havoc for Gail and family was certainly a bad boy but he was never going to be another Charlie Stubbs or a Richard Hillman. Lewis was all about persuasion and seduction and as a baddie, he was more 'swirling cape and twirling moustache' than pure evil.

Some wonderful writing took us all from distrusting Lewis, to having a grudging respect and then all the way back to distrust again. His middle phase, living with Audrey and providing sage advice to Nick at the Bistro was a joy. Lewis was all a bit of a chancer but there seemed to be a realisation that he was getting no younger and perhaps had lost his zest for criminal life. Audrey provided him with the stability and companionship that he needed. Gail and Gloria robbed him of that happiness.

However, despite fleecing Gail of £40K and blackmailing the horrified Kylie, Lewis' love for Audrey never dissipated and although he's gone forever, there was reassurance for heartbroken Mrs Roberts that she was the true love of his life.

Will Lewis ever set foot on the cobbles again? Should he? Is Lewis Archer the ideal Corrie baddie?

Arriverderci!


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Gail gets Nailed

(This post was originally posted by Clinkers (David) on the Coronation Street Blog February 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

It was a sight that should have had us weeping into our Friday night fish and chips (mushy peas too if that's to your fancy . . .) Poor old deluded Gail Pot-Til-Til-Pla-Hil-Mac, face of a thousand miseries, realising that she's been well and truly shafted. Although not in the way she had anticipated. People of Britain, weep openly for this most wronged of women. Shed sympathetic tears.

Having said that, I treated myself to a jolly good laugh as Gail in her tabard reaped what she had so richly sown. Slumped on the sofa, I suddenly realised that I've never really liked Gail. As a child, I always loathed that hideous sheepskin coat that she shuffled around in. There was a brief ray of sunshine during her Elsie years but even then, I always favoured slutty Suzie Birchall. The came Our Brian with his Farrah Fawcett hairdo and dodgy accent which is when things really started to go down hill.

For over thirty years it has felt like an endless tale of Gail versus the world. Horrible Ivy (and her disgusting clunky brown tea service), philandering Martin Platt, a wealth of disappointing children (frail, elderly Nick, unappetising Sarah and Weasel David), the micro-bijou house, the council house, Ivy's spare room, murderous Hillman, tedious Joe, prison, cackling Eileen . . . on it goes.

There were good times I suppose. Gail's years in the café with Alma and Phyllis were fun and  . . . err, no that's it to be honest. Her best friend, indeed only friend, seems to be Sally whose moral pontificating is enough to have you jumping from the faktry roof. In fact that only person Gail even seems to have any social contact with is the doleful Eileen, rumbling across t'cobbles like a Primark tractor, barbed comment at the ready.

Where to next for the former Miss Potter? Well, the only was is up. No doubt she will repair to a corner, don one of those grim polo-necked creations and begin building bridges. Literally. Owen should employ her as a hod carrier.

Audrey will eventually come around, Nick will be supportive and David will sneer a few one-liners in her sorry direction. For Gail though, it could be the chance to start over. New home, new job and a fresh outlook on life. I'm kidding of course! We want to see her wallow in an olive jar of misery and strike up a relationship with someone totally unsuitable. Rob quite likes a challenge . . .



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What I loved about Last Night's Corrie

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

I hadn't watched Coronation Street for over a week, but I decided to tune in again last night as I knew Audrey was going to catch Gail and Lewis and I couldn't miss that! I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by both episodes last night.

I found the Gail and Lewis developments in equal parts hilarious and disgusting. I don't often find myself in agreement with David Platt! Both David and Kylie's reactions to this latest development were hysterical and Sue Nicholls yet again played a blinder as Audrey. I'm biased because the woman can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. We all know this will end badly for Gail and I can't help but think she deserves it. 

I also loved the brief exchanges between Gail and Eileen. The On the Buses gag in the Cafe was good fun but I particularly enjoyed their old fishwives routine in the Street. Both gave as good as they got, although Gail was particularly cruel I thought. I would love a proper return to the Gail/Eileen feud of old. Their famous cat fight on the cobbles will always be a Corrie highlight for me and it's clear both actors relish these encounters.

The surprising thing for me was how much I got involved in the Jenna and Sophie storyline which was the other big feature in the episodes. I love Craig Charles as Lloyd and his touching support for his daughter through her work and personal issues was terrific to watch. The writing was great and although Mandy's true feelings were difficult to watch, the performance was spot on and very believable. More of this please!

Other minor developments also entertained me. I enjoyed the scene with Ken and Steve conducting their conversation around the irrational, delusional Tracy. Deirdre's offer of making Steve a sandwich was hilarious (well, I thought so!) I also found myself getting very incensed about Julie and Norris ganging up on Tyrone in their exchange with Fiz and Tina. I can understand Norris having a go as he's widely known to be 9 parts nasty and 1 part unpleasant but Julie really should know better. I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out.

I hope this positive trend continues! What did you think??


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In Gail we trust

As Gail Potter-Tilsley-Tilsley-Platt-Hillman-MacIntyre begins her 39th year on t'cobbles, it would appear to be 'business as usual' for the hapless floor scrubber. In the past few years, we have seem Gail metamorphose from cheerless harridan to loopy lav cleaner. Hurrah for that. The old Gail was a bit of a drain on sympathy and at one point, it was commonplace for this blogger to bellow "Oh just hurry up and die" every time she appeared on screen.

Die though, Gail did not. Instead, the rubbish receptionist has re-invented herself as caring gran, concerned mother and would-be bar hostess. However, our Gail has always enjoyed a bit of male company in the same way that a scorpion enjoys a bit of a sting. Therein lies the problem for poor old Lewis Archer. For all his moustache-twirling, cape-swirling outdated evil posturing, he does not seem to have weighed up the challenge that is Gail Mac. Over the years she has disposed of a bore, a wimp, a serial killer and a loon. Her other men-friends are few and far between but we can only applaud 1980s dullard 'Jeff' and ridiculously tall Phil Nail for having escaped, although the idea of Gail Nail was almost too good to resist.

Lewis does not seem to realise what a force of destruction Gail can be. All he can hear is the gigglesome voice and see her batting her eyelashes like a Hanoverian trollop. Deep down though, does Gail have something else in mind? Surely she realises what a liaison with Lewis would do to poor old Aud and therefore should not even entertain the idea. Or is Gail silently planning her own revenge on the philandering wine waiter? Will Mrs Mac be serving up a deadly cocktail at the Bistro? Will this temptress in a tabard surprise us all with her terrifying quest for justice? Probably not.

Gail Potter-Tilsley-Til . .. etc, a nation waits! While we wait though, could you give those urinals a quick once-over?


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Prediction: Lewis' Revenge

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

Lloyd made a remark this week about Lewis and Gail looking quite cozy. They do, don't they? We all know Lewis is up to something to exact his revenge on Gail for splitting up he and Audrey. I think I know what it is.

I think he's going to work on her emotions and make sure she falls for him. He may also try to scam some money off her financially just to feather his own next. He's going to lure her, seduce her and then dump her cruelly so she knows how it feels.

That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.


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Will Lewis get revenge on Gail?

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

The official Coronation Street website at ITV.com has a good interview with Helen Worth about Gail's latest scheme to put a con on the Lewis the con man. Gail decided to partner with Gloria to set up Lewis. Gloria tried to lure Lewis into agreeing to flee to Spain with her but he declined and then found out that Gail was behind the plot and Audrey knew!

Gail saw it as a win-win situation. If Lewis had agreed to run off with Gloria then they knew he was a rotter and they were well rid. If he didn't, it proved he had indeed reformed. Gail "sees it as giving him a taste of his own medicine".

In a nutshell, it blew up, Lewis left Audrey though vowing to pay her back before leaving town, and Gail thought "good riddance" at first. She did feel badly that Audrey has been hurt and did try to apologize but Lewis won't have it. Lewis  pawned a valuable heirloom watch to pay Audrey back and Gail felt so bad she bought it back for him. When Helen was asked if there could be revenge on Lewis' part towards Gail she replies "Gail thinks that this gesture as well her apology should even the stakes between the pair but has she grossly underestimated Lewis?"

Nigel Havers is taking some time off to do Christmas Panto and is probably going to return. It could very well be that Lewis is plotting revenge on Gail. It's a tough one to call. Do you think Lewis had this coming? Given his past and how much he's hurt Audrey before, was Gail justified in trying to expose him? You can see where she was coming from, after all even if she took the wrong route to do it. Do you think Lewis will get his own back on Gail? How do you think he would do it?

You know what I enjoy? When Lewis has been dropped in it, there is often a camera angle in Audrey's house that shows our lovely Alf looking over cad Lewis' shoulder, most definitely throwing up a comparison to the steady, honest and reliable Alf Roberts. Lewis represents the excitement Audrey always wanted but at what cost? She grew to love Alf dearly but his stodginess often exasperated her. Audrey may just have learned a valuable lesson...

Be careful what you wish for.



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Has Lewis the Leopard Changed His Spots?

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


This latest turn up with Lewis is interesting. He goes missing and then a woman turns up claiming he's scammed her in the past. When he finally shows his face, he admitted it to Audrey, apparently not knowing that Penny had filled her in. Right about then, I started to wonder if the pair of them were in on it together even before Gail mentioned it at the end of the second episode.

Lewis urged Audrey to run away with him. He wouldn't stick around because he reckoned Penny would sic the police on him, I guess. It seemed just like the old days when he was trying to con her into a hotel in Greece and very nearly did it. He claimed he couldn't go through with it then because he realized he loved her. Did he? Or is he playing a long game?

It was a nice move, Audrey pulling Penny in to face Lewis/Hugh. I've always loved how they use a particular camera angle in Audrey's house with her beloved, honest and upstanding Alf looking over Lewis' shoulder into the camera when Lewis is on a particularly hot seat. The comparisons are obvious.

Should Audrey be paying off Penny? Is Penny right? Is Lewis going to take her for her cash? Is he working with Penny?  He's so smooth that you just never know. Or is it a case of the boy crying wolf? Maybe he has changed. Or maybe pigs fly.


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Lewis Redux

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

While reading this article on The Sun’s website about Nigel Havers signing up to appear in panto this year, it got me thinking about his character Lewis. The article mentions that his romance with Audrey has been a hit with viewers, yet I haven’t really seen that much of a reaction either way to them as a couple. 

Do we like them together? Do we believe that Lewis has changed? I personally am not keen on their relationship. I love Audrey on her own and I think the men they set her up with lately do nothing for her. Furthermore, I don’t like how Lewis has been playing the innocent when it comes to the salon. Keeping score and winding David up is hardly going to make things easier for Audrey is it? 

If their relationship is doomed (for lack of a better word) then I hope that another return for Lewis is not on the cards because even if he has changed (which I don’t really think he has) I think that Audrey needs a bit of time on her own again. After the whole ordeal with Marc/Marcia I’m surprised she even wanted another relationship so soon! 

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Coronation Street charmer calms nervous air passengers

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

The voice of Nigel Havers, who returns to Coronation Street soon as conman charmer Lewis, bas been voted the most reassuring to nervous air passengers.

In a poll this week about pilots' voices, a clipped Home Counties accent was voted the best of all in the survey of 1,000 regular travellers. There were also a preference for certain regional accents, with the Scottish lilt taking scond place and the Republic of Ireland taking third.

The celebrity voice passengers found most reassuring was that of upper class actor Nigel Havers, followed by Sean Connery.  Stephen Fry, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Grant and Ewan McGregor all made the top ten.


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Why did Corrie's Lewis change his plans?

This past week on Canadian Corrie screens, we saw the cad Lewis leave Audrey in the lurch, broken hearted, making off with only £4000 (minus the cost of a string of pearls) of Peter Barlow's money. We know that he'd persuaded Audrey to get a loan against her house to buy a little hotel in Greece and we're all pretty sure that he had no intentions of actually going through with that. We all hollered "Don't do it, Audrey" when she organized the bank loan, knowing by then that he was a con man.

As an aside, Lewis took full advantage of Deirdre's crush to rip off the bookies, even going so far as to kiss her in front of the CCTV to distract her from the fact that he was behind the counter where he had no business being. I'm fairly sure Lewis must have known about the CCTV, but probably didn't care, knowing he'd be gone within the hour.

I don't think he'd have been cruel enough to leave with Audrey and her money and then leave her high and dry in Greece, stranded. It's a pretty safe bet that he always planned on not going to Greece with her at all, taking her money and running. So why didn't he take the money?

I think her admitting she loved him must have got to him somehow. When she told him, and when she told him about her Alfeh, I think that seemed to touch a nerve. Perhaps he did have some semblence of guilt, maybe a kind feeling towards her as well (certainly not love, like she had for him) and he decided to cut his losses, leaving her without taking her money. The betting shop money was really only enough to get out of the country, it wouldn't have taken him far. He'll just start up another scam somewhere else.

It was a good storyline though, i do love it when the older actors are featured. You don't remember how good they really are until they get the light shone on them.The scenes with Audrey and Rita back when Audrey discovered Rita hired Lewis were amazing. Even then, you could see Audrey had already fallen for his flattery and was jealous of anyone else that Lewis dated.

Bringing a heretofore unheard of "old friend" Claudia added to the mix. I usually hate these sudden appearances of old friends when we've never heard of them before, but the glamourous Rula Lenska was superb and was a great foil for Audrey. It's a bit of a spoiler, but she *will* be back in the future to reprise her role as Claudia. Yay!

Here's to Sue Nichols and Nigel Havers, who made this storyline work so well and so believably!

Is Corrie's Lewis the caddiest cad ever?

(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog in August, 2010, reposted with permission.)

Is louche Lewis Archer the caddiest cad we've ever seen on Coronation Street? He's certainly the least observant, not having clocked the CCTV camera in the bookies prior to setting up his dodgy accumulator.

But that's a plot hole - and who knows - it might be resolved. Overall, I think Nigel Havers has done a wonderful turn as "Lewie". When you see him in the Rover's, leaning on the bar in his suave way, or sleazing it up with Deirdre, he fits right in. He's a fabulous cad, and I'll be very sorry to see the back of him. I'd like to see him get his just desserts before he finally heads off into the sunset though. And I'm not talking about a slice of baklava and some Ouzo. Peter's going to go bonkers when he finds out about the four grand. I wouldn't put it past him to follow Lewie to Alonissos and punch his flaming lights out. And not to condone violence or anything, but who could blame him? I'd also like to see Audrey and Deirdre come out of this with more than a little self respect.

Corrie's Lewis gets undies in the mail!

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

In an interview with the Mirror, actor Nigel Havers who plays Coronation Street's Lewis the escort, says that he gets pants sent to him in the post.

"I have been getting sackfuls of fan mail - and some of it is very bizarre," reveals Nigel. "I've had lots of women saying they want me to take them out for dinner and then do, well, I don't know what! I've had lots of racy underwear sent to me, which I've had to hide from my missus, and I've received some explicit drawings."

Crikey, I'd best have a word with me mother.

He also revealed that his wife "doesn't like me doing the kissing scenes in Corrie." And he says that he was a Corrie fan back when it began half a century ago. He remembers: "I was at prep school back in 1960 when it started and the headmaster was such a fan that we were allowed to watch it. I can't believe that I'm now in the show - it's only taken me 50 years to get here!"

Corrie: Deirdre snogs Lewis!

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

It's almost too horrible to blog but I just had to. It's like a car crash, you can't bear to look but somehow, you can't avert your gaze. And this is what we saw on Coronation Street when Lewis put his betting slip into Deirdre's till. Mind you, it's still not as bad as this Deirdre picture:

Is Corrie's Lewis after Audrey's love - or loot?

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

I'm loving Nigel Havers on Coronation Street as the charming and suave Lewis, are you?

But he's too charming, by half, I'm starting to feel, and I'm wondering if he'll start falling for Audrey but not in a way that she'd like him to do. I mean, I wonder if he's setting her up for freebie nights out, not charging her for his time, so that she thinks he really loves her when he's just after her cash? I may be wrong, of course but it's something that's already been hinted at a while back. What do you think's really going on with the fragrant Mrs. Roberts?

Should Lewis stay or should he go?

(This post was originally posted by me on the Coronation Street Blog in April, 2010, reposted with permission.) Contains minor speculative spoiler.

Nigel Havers is playing the suave Lewis with aplomb and having a great time doing it. As with many actors, being on Coronation Street has been a dream come true and he'd love to have his contract extended! His contract currently goes until July (2010, about May 2011 in our timeline) so there's quite a bit of plot yet which means lots more story with Audrey and Rita so that's good. It's so nice to see them get their own story instead of being hangers on to someone else's storyline. With a rivalry between the two old friends brewing and the possibility that Lewis is just a con man out to fleece one or both of them, the next few months will be very enjoyable. What do you think? Could there be a way to keep Lewis on the screen longer?

Corrie's magazine advert for Lewis the escort

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

The Lady magazine is not a magazine we take here at Blog Towers. You know, it's rather posh. Well, posh it may be but it's heartening to hear it's got a sense of humour. The magazine features in this Thursday's episode of Corrie (tonight in Canada), says Digital Spy, when Rita spots an advert for Lewis the escort.

And real-life readers of The Lady can see Lewis's advert for themselves in this week's edition of the publication. The notice promotes a "discreet male escort" with "years of experience" and features a picture of Lewis alongside two fictional phone numbers.

A Coronation Street spokesperson said: "The Lady heard the magazine was going to feature in an episode, and they approached us with the idea of using the advert in the actual magazine."

Eagle-eyed Corrie fans will have spotted that the latest edition of The Lady pictured above has another Corrie connection. Joanna Lumley's the cover girl and of course, she played Ken Barlow's girlfriend Elaine Perkins in Corrie back in 1973.