The tales of Corrie that never were

(This post was originally posted by Clinkers (David) on the Coronation Street Blog in October 2016.)


How are we enjoying our Corrie at the moment? There's a feeling that the new boss has given the cobbles a bit of a 'bottoming' and a much needed kick up the rear portions. Of course not everything has been rosy (as opposed to Rosie - let's not even get started on that!) down Weatherfield way and recently we've seen that real life can impact on our favourite fiction.

Unsavoury off-screen events mean that we will never get to see the full flowering of Sharif's never-mentioned-before affair with Yasmeen's sly best 'friend'. For that we should throw up our arms and rejoice. Viewers have been saved from months of dreary, unbelievable and unpalatable storytelling together with the continuing rubbishing of Alya. Instead, we might be treated to the sudden disappearance of slimy Sharif and a nice little death. Yasmeen will emerge as a brighter and stronger character. We can but hope.

The vagaries of real life have often resulted in the need for a swift piece of re-writing or a sudden explanation. Maybe it seems a bit easier these days yet years ago it could sometimes feel a little clunky. The more vintage viewers amongst us will recall the mid-seventies when ill-health forced Violet Carson out of the programme. For most of 1975 she was referred to as still being a vibrant part of Street life despite never being seen. There were even a few scenes of closing shop doors with people calling out "Bye Mrs Sharples" and that was that. We believed.

The sudden demise of a storyline or character can often lead us down the rocky road to ruin - the pondering over what might have been. Would Martha Lonhgurst still have been cleaning the Rovers during Bet's tenure and if so, would Hilda Ogden never have existed? Could Len Fairclough have coped with Norris Cole? Had she lived, would Valerie Barlow have been Secretary General of the United Nations?

One of the most tantalising non-stories was provided by the sudden exit of Billy Walker in 1975. Reading about this forty years on makes you wonder how something so major as a contract could have been overlooked. The actor Ken Farrington was approaching contract renewal  time and decided to leave the show. Meanwhile the writers and producers had blithely carried on with their preparations for Billy's marriage to Deirdre Hunt. Suddenly came the realisation that this wasn't going to happen. Had it done so, then we would have been looking at a very different future for Deirdre. She would have been the new Mrs Walker, no doubt battling with Annie and trying to keep the peace between the veteran landlady and the very lovely Blanche. With Deirdre Walker in place, there would have been no Ray, no Tracy, no Barlow wedding, no Barlow bust-ups, no Wendy flamin' Crozier. Deirdre probably wouldn't have ended up behind the counter at the Corner Shop, or shared a home with Emily. She might well have been the landlady of the Rovers Return. An odd and frankly scary alternative vision.

At the other end of the scale though is someone having the foresight to ditch a storyline when it isn't going well or simply doesn't feel right. The odd, if not displeasing, coupling of Ken and Audrey looked like it might end up in a lovely, feel-good festive wedding come this Christmas. Yet this doesn't appear to be so. Instead the relationship fizzled out before it had really begun and Audrey's getting her jollies staring through the Round Window with Derek Griffiths from Play School. The prospect of Audrey Barlow was a cosy, pleasing one in some ways. It would have brought her more firmly into the Corrie landscape. Remember, apart from four years at number 11, Aud has spent over a quarter of a century on Grasmere Drive. Having her at number 1 might have been fun but it now looks unlikely.

Therefore the non-story of a potential Audrey Barlow will be flung into the Corrie Cupboard of those other tales that never came to fruition - single mother Emily Nugent, gay Jerry Booth, George Greenwood taking over the Corner Shop, the missing Ogden children,  Ivy Tilsley's non-marriage to George Wardle, the Ken & Deirdre reconciliation of 1993, Irma Barlow's affair with Alan Howard, the kidnapping of Freddie Peacock . . . and there may be more.

Whether or not any of those lost stories would have seriously changed the course of Corrie history is debatable - but that's part of the fun.

David Bridgman, twitter @bridglondon



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Until Plot Do Us Part

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

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a happy couple in possession of a good marriage must be in want of a plot twist. It’s seldom a harmless one either, and generally something devastating for one if not both parties.

Yes, it’s soap, and Corrie has had us enthusiastically sobbing and despairing at countless heartaches and infidelities over the years. In recent weeks and months we’ve seen Billy and Todd, Nick and Leanne, Luke and Maria, Gary and Izzy, and Caz and Kate embroiled in relationship drama, while secrets threaten the happiness of Aidan and Eva and Steve and Michelle.

The course of true love never did run smooth, but the cobbles tend to offer added bumps along the way. However, while we wouldn’t be without this feature of our favourite soap, does every couple have to be rocked by catastrophe from within the relationship itself? Seeing as the thread of normality is one of the most endearing things about Coronation Street, why can’t we have a strong, devoted couple who simply love one another and face life’s obstacles together, as people do in real life?

While not without their troubles, Tyrone and Fiz and Steph and Andy are among those showing stability at the moment. But it’s a fact that, along with Tim and Sally, Beth and Kirk and Sharif and Yasmeen were probably the closest thing to the faithful, enduring couple that we’ve seen in some time. It actually pains me to write that in the past tense, as we have now come to learn that Sharif has been having an affair for the past seven years, and Beth is a bigamist.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the Nazirs from the beginning was the love and respect the couple clearly had for one another. As we got to know them we could see Sharif’s admiration for his clever and passionate wife, and the strength she gained from his support, particularly after the death of Kal. She in turn helped him when he struggled to cope with the news that Alya had slept with Jason, allowing him to see the situation in a new light. This was not the guise of a man engaging in an affair behind his wife’s back, or a husband giving any indication of being remotely interested in anyone other than the woman he clearly adored.

Beth and Kirk’s unlikely pairing has been a triumph, and a ripe source of humour as well as proof that couples can simply be happy with one another, irrespective of what life throws at them. They also show that good marriages are far from boring to watch, a fact which is thankfully supported by Tim and Sally. As with the Nazirs, Beth and Kirk have had their ups and downs, but consistently supported one another and faced the world together. Their 80s wedding was joyous, and at no point did we see a hesitation or glimmer of doubt, concern, or guilt from Beth which might have indicated that she was already married. In fact, she wanted them to have a dream wedding, and so much so that they exhausted themselves working extra shifts to pay for it. Nobody would have suspected that she was entering into a bigamous marriage, and while her behaviour is questionable at times, such is her love for Kirky, it’s hard to believe she would.

In the cases of all the other troubled couples, their woes have arisen organically out of the drama. However, with regard to the Nazirs and Sutherlands, it would certainly seem that their existing backgrounds have been revised, and quite dramatically at that, for the sake of creating new stories in the present. Both revelations have the shock factor, but for me, the believability isn’t there. Why? Because these very particular actions would have needed to be part of their stories in the first place for them to ring true.

This is not to say that hitherto unknown ghosts can’t arrive to haunt people, but if they do, the chosen ghost has to make sense in the context of the existing drama, and who that character is as a person. With regard to Beth and Kirk, I personally think their marriage should be sacred, and bigamy simply isn’t believable to me in this instance. As above, there is nothing wrong with a resurrected skeleton, and they have proven themselves to be great for drama. Indeed, the reappearance of Craig’s Dad already has this potential without the bigamous element.

While my preference for the Nazirs is fidelity, if Sharif absolutely had to play away, why not have him embark on an affair in the present? Considering the strength of the couple, there would have to be a good justification for it, but we could then experience the situation unfold, his potential turmoil and possible guilt-ridden reveal, and feel fully invested in it.

While we can't be sure of how the drama will progress for either of them, and there's no doubting that whatever happens will be performed well, as Beth’s marriage and Sharif’s affair predate their first appearances on the programme, they now alter my perception of their characters and every scene I’ve ever seen them in, and this jars because they simply don’t match. We all know the suspension of disbelief is essential to viewing Corrie, but for us to believe in the drama, realism must be at the core of who the characters are, the actions they take, and how they deal with the situations they find themselves in. Even if the actions or situations are unheard of and surface from the past, fitting both the character and the drama which has gone before is essential if we are to believe in them. These retrospective additions to Beth and Sharif's stories are proof of just how important this is.

By Emma Hynes

Twitter: @ELHynes

Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites

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Is Rana Sharif's secret daughter in Coronation Street? (Speculation)

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

There's a been a lot of speculation on the Coronation Street Blog lately about Rana and Sharif, and I'm liking what I read.

We already know that Sharif has been having a secret affair for the last seven years with a woman called Sonia.

And a few nights ago, we saw Rana become very uncomfortable when her parents were mentioned. 

So, I'm putting 2 and 2 together and possibly getting 32 here but, what if Rana turns out to be Sharif's daughter?  It could get very icky if she is, of course, as this means she'll have been canoodling on the sofa with her relation.

Speculation Street, indeed!



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Five Coronation Street characters I could live without

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

There are certain characters, at certain times in the life of Coronation Street, that I'm more than willing to give  a chance to.  I want to warm to them. I want to like them. I try my hardest, damn it, I really do try.

But there are some characters that despite trying as hard as I can, I have to admit defeat and give up on. Whether you agree or disagree, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Here are my personal top five Corrie characters I could very well do without right now.

Rana.  What's she there for other than to get Zeedan all hot and bothered? 

Sharif. His chickens are more interesting than he is.

Sinead is a ditzy bit of fluff, and as such, a soap staple. Every soap has one and Corrie needs one, but for heavens sake, give her a storyline before I fall asleep. And break up her and Chesney, it's a relationship without chemistry. Dullsville with a capital Zzzz.

Is there anything likable, at all, about Caz? I can't see it if there is. Get rid, please and let Kate Connor breathe.

And I'm sorry to say this as I've watched Sophie grow up on Coronation Street, but her whining and moaning now define her.  I'm hoping that after actress Brooke Vincent takes a break from the show to star in a stage play, she'll be written out with a bombshell and come back with a new dynamic storyline to boot.

There you go.  Ooh, I don't half feel better now that's all off my chest.



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Why the Nazirs are no longer the nadir of Weatherfield

(This post was originally posted by Clinkers (David) on the Coronation Street Blog in November 2015, reposted with permission.)

Is any one character universally loved on t'cobbles? Probably not although Roy Cropper must come perilously close to getting a group hug from the assembled fandom. Something he would hate. There are certainly firm favourites - Liz, Rita and Carla are beloved by many. In the dim and distant past I loved Bet and Minnie. I also took a shine, worryingly, to Renee Bradshaw. Early-version Gail plus her cohorts Tricia and later Suzie could do no wrong in my eyes.

Conversely, I've never cared for Emily all that much. I'm no big fan of Rita, never really 'got' Janice Battersby and loathed Mike 'packet of my cigars' Baldwin for two decades. A year ago, I would have added the Nazirs to the list. Initially they seemed to be yet another 'en masse' family flop and I was expecting them to be jammed into the Corrie cupboard alongside the Claytons, the Mortons and Beth's short-lived relations. Kal was an unrealistic gym instructor. They may as well have stuck Michael in lycra. Yasmeen always seemed to be projecting to the back row of a 2000 seat theatre, Sharif went from business mogul to hen farmer in a matter of weeks and Zeedan was a scowling bag of resentment. Ok, so the latter is a work in progress. Only Alya, bright as a button, seemed likely to be with us for the long haul.

How things have changed. Yasmeen has mellowed and although she hasn't lost her spark, her nurturing and caring side has emerged, particularly since Kal's death. Sharif has settled in nicely, hens conveniently forgotten and Zeedan proved to be a good friend to Leanne when she needed one most. Given upcoming storylines, she may well need that particular shoulder to cry on again before long.

Which leaves us with Alya. Corrie has once again worked its particular kind of 'magic' on a young woman and has drained her of any interest. It's happened before. Maria went from frumpy kennel maid, to vamp, to psycho mummy in the space of a decade. Sophie morphed from 'girl most likely to make something of herself' to mumbling dullard. Becky yo-yo'd between numerous personalities until we were all worn out and didn't care any more. Dear, dead old Tina journeyed from lovable barmaid to young fogey, helped along by dreary Tommy Duckworth and Tyrone's perpetual hangdog face. Now it's poor old Alya's turn. The engagement to Gary Windass was odd and clunky. They never seemed like an actual couple. Alya's one-off descent into drink and a little afternoon delight with Jason were uncomfortable storylines. Her burgeoning career at Underworld has been snuffed out by the many Connors and she now shuffles around the shop floor with a clipboard or hovers in the doorway waiting for the command to make something with 'two sugars love'.

For me then, the Nazirs can stay. I like them. Give Alya the positive lift she needs and you never know, I may even end up loving them.

David Bridgman (twitter @bridglondon)



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Why I like (most of) the Nazir family

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog December 2014, reposted to this blog with permission.)

There have been a lot of blog posts about the Nazir family on Coronation Street and a lot of comments left by fans on each post. It seems as if there's a love/hate thing going on with the Nazir family as a whole, and individual members of the clan have their own strengths and weaknesses too.  I've stayed out of the debate so far but feel it necessary to vent my spleen now.  I've had enough of the Nazir family - but not all of them. In fact, there's one I like a lot.

Yasmeen is the one I like best. She's gobby, forthright, strong - all the qualities of the typical Coronation Street woman. She's not a battle-axe although she does have a sharp tongue, not afraid to say what she thinks. In addition, not only did she endear herself to me with the sit-in at the library with Roy, she's opened Jamila House, the new Community Centre of the Street.  Yasmeen is the best of the lot and the one that should stay, if indeed Corrie were ever thinking of axing any of them, which they're probably not, but I do wish they would.

Sharif is next on my list of those I like most, but only because he acts as a feckless foil to Yasmeen's big plans. He's become a member of the Square Dealers, another nod to Corrie's history, and am  I over-thinking this, or are his chickens a cunning and not very subtle nod to Jack's pigeons?  Or maybe a fox will come and eat them, who knows?  Sharif can stay too, but only so that he extends his reign as the downtrodden husband, a type that we know on the Street only too well.

Alya is one I have mixed feelings about. I think putting her into Underworld with Carla could be a joy to watch in coming weeks. Or it could turn sour, my inner-Corrie jury is still out on this one. I like what I've seen of Alya so far except for the wrongly-matched relationship with Gary Windass, which I haven't enjoyed watching.  As a huge fan of both actor Mikey North and the character of Gary Windass, Alya was never going to be good enough for Gary, in my eyes.  Mind you, I'm not sure who would be.  He needs to get back with Izzy.  The poor lad also needs to get back to counselling for his post traumatic stress disorder too.

And then we come on to the other two Nazirs - Kal and Zeedan.  This is the tricky bit, because I was excited when I read the news that Jimi Mistry was joining Corrie as Kal, and that Chesney from Shameless was joining Corrie as Zeedan. These were two actors I have watched and admired on telly and in film, in other shows, in other dramas and always thought they were great.  But for me, neither of them fit in with Corrie and both should leave soon.
There, I've said it. It's just my tuppence worth.



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The curse of 6 Coronation Street

(This post was originally posted by Graeme N on the Coronation Street Blog in December 2014, reposted with permission.)

So the Nazir family are rather inexplicably moving into number 6 Coronation Street. I still do not understand the reason behind this impulse purchase, other than a crazy notion these days that every character connected with the programme must live on the street itself. Gone are the days of seeing the wider Weatherfield world it seems. 

I'm trying very hard to like the Nazir family. Alya is the brightest hope for a long term character I can take to. I can't even find the words to describe how boring I find Kal, Zeedan and Sharif. I feel sorry for Jane Danson as the trend for her character being placed with unpopular new arrivals continues. Yasmeen has promise but she can sometimes be just too full on for me. Putting her in charge of the new community centre has been a good move but the current Alya/Gary storyline isn't impressing me all that much.

Anyway, they've moved into number 6 which hopefully means that horrid living room wallpaper will soon disappear. Every cloud. 6 Coronation Street is something of a doom-laden property so that doesn't exactly augur well for its latest inhabitants. Shall we take a look at the evidence as we go through the keyhole? Ahem.

For the first eight years of its life, the house was owned by bookmaker Des Barnes. The fondest memory I have of this time is the lovely Phyllis Pearce acting as his cleaner. Sadly all was not well chez Barnes and before too long Steph had run off with someone else. More misery ensued as Des mucked poor Raquel about for years. And of course Des met his maker in the house thanks to a run in with a coffee table and some dodgy drug dealers. 

Ever since then, the house has changed hands on a rather alarming number of occasions. It has become a temporary residence for a constant stream of ill-advised casting decisions. Debs Brownlow and Matt and Charlie Ramsden spring uneasily to mind. 

Then came the Harris family, never a happy, bubbly brood. They ruined the character of Martin Platt, daughter Katy killed her father and then herself and mother Angela went to prison. 

Then came Charlie Stubbs, who also breathed his last under that roof thanks to a combination of Tracy's woeful sexy dance and her nack with heavy, ugly ornaments. After a quick bottoming through, in come 23 members of the Morton family, although the only one I can remember is Sinbad from Brookside. Most recently we've had to witness the extended misery of the extended Armstrong-Windass clan, now forever banished to the gloomy flat above Tracy's emporium of knock off. Not exactly a glittering track record is it? 

So I wonder what lies in store for the Nazirs? Will it be more murder, mayhem and misery or will they lead a more charmed existence, sandwiched between Sally and Gail? I'd say it will be interesting finding out, but I'm yet to be convinced. 


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The Nazirs of Coronation Street

Guest blog post from Corrie fan long-time Coronation Street Blog rader Nathan Richardson, who shares his thoughts on the Nazir family.

(This post was originally posted on the Coronation Street Blog November 2014, reposted to this blog with permission.)


It has been nearly one year now since Kal first appeared in Coronation Street. Introduced as the ex-army pal of Gary Windass, his raison d’être on the street was to be Dev’s personal trainer. The producers certainly thought the character had potential because, twelve months on, he has now opened a gym on the street, become romantically involved with Leanne, and introduced us to four members of his family.

But does anybody actually like him?

Personally, I thought his arrival rather ridiculous: the only friend from the army Gary ever mentioned was Quinny, and he died in battle. Suddenly, the proprietor of the corner shop has a protruding waist, and so Gary stepped in with military quickness, ready to implicate Dev unto a fitness regime courtesy of his old friend Kal? It seemed silly at worst, but, okay, this Coronation Street, it takes great liberties with what might actually happen in life, and we have to accept that.

But then (as always happens) Kal settled into the street, and I still didn’t warm to him. He worked also with Nick, after his accident, and they were occasionally seen out running together, but beside that he seemed to just drift. He drank in the Bistro, in the Rovers, became friendly with the other characters, but he had no real purpose; we knew he had children, that his wife had died, but he lived away from the street, and was something of a lone bird. If you’d have taken him away he’d have been quickly forgotten.

And then, this year, they introduced his family, and then my view began to change. Okay, his father, Sharif, didn’t do much for me. He played the archetypal interfering father, but Coronation Street is brilliant for its female characters, and once we met the female Nazirs (and once I accepted that Kal, judging by appearances, became a father aged ten) I began to love them.

Yasmeen, Kal’s mother, has, since Sylvia’s sad departure, taken on the feisty harridan role, the battle axe. A retired librarian, she is dogmatic and determined. In the past we’re told she has been arrested for protesting, and when the Weatherfield Library was under threat of closure, she quickly intervened, and staged a sit in protest, where, quite brilliantly, she spoke favourably of Elizabeth Smart’s wonderful novel By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. It made brilliant viewing. “The argument of the broken window pane is the most valuable argument in modern politics.” These words were spoken by another empowered Mancunian woman: Emmeline Pankhurst.

Yasmeen was introduced as another forthright, no-nonsense activist for the greater-good in society. Given her history, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her smashing windows, and I hope we see more of this aspect to her character. In short, I love her. Most recently, she has purchased the former butcher’s shop and opened it as a community centre. This gives her solid ground on the street, and hopefully the nucleus of many brilliant story-lines to come.

Alya is Kal’s daughter, and like Yasmeen, I think she is completely heavenly and fabulous. A fashion graduate, she works on the reception desk at the gym. She is friends with Gary Windass, and between the two there is something of a suppressed desire for each other. I think this is rather nice, rather old-fashioned, and it’s a joy to watch. The audience wants them to get together, but Gary is an unskilled labourer, and a father, too – there’s no way her family would welcome him, but we know that true love is blind to these things, and we want them to be together. Though Alya is not exactly an intellectual (to Yasmeen’s horror she confessed to having not read Wuthering Heights) she has more cultured tastes than Gary: at her request and his reluctance they recently went to see a Spanish film at the art-house cinema in Manchester. Soon, I believe she will become the trainee manager at Underworld, which shall also give the character more stability on the street, and it shall be interesting to see how her relationship with Gary develops now that, oh my, they have actually kissed.

And that leaves us with Zeedan, who only appeared back in September. It’s probably too early to cast an opinion on him, but from what I’ve seen of him I like. He has perfected the look of disappointment and is often seen shaking his head despairingly at his father, Kal. He’s currently working at the builder’s site, and I’ve no idea where he’s headed, but I’m keen to learn.

So yes, the Nazirs – I’ve gone from not liking Kal at all to not like him at all but adoring his family. They are a diverse bunch, and they provide great comic relief, but with the absent mother, and the occasionally fragile inter-generational relationships, there’s something very serious about them too.

It’s been a while since the street had a new family, and with three generations to work with, I think the writers are having great fun. I for one am having fun watching them, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Nathan Richardson
Twitter: @unfingermarked
www.nathanrichardson.wordpress.com



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Nazir Towers speculation

Apparently, the Nazir family is set to move into the Street because in the end, nearly everyone does, right? The only question is where because none of the houses are empty and there's only a couple of tiny flats available which, like all the other tiny flats, seem to have room for at least two bedrooms. You can tell from the size of the various buildings they're in that there's no way you can fit a two bedroom flat, with living area and bathroom into the space allocated. Elastic walls again. And some of the buildings, like the Kabin and the Salon/Taxi office have TWO two-bedroom flats! Madness!

But I digress.

Where will the Nazirs go? There's one house that has had a very frequent turnover ever since it was built, mainly it's been a scene of murder and mayhem and we now know the current owners and inhabitants, Anna, Owen, Gary and Faye, will vacate because the bank wants the house back. We haven't heard a lot about Owen's debt lately. He did declare bankruptcy but I don't think that related to the mortgage on the house though the bailiffs did come and remove some items but it was related to his business, I think.

They'll be the ones crammed into Peter's vacated and very tiny flat that are available. Sharif and Yasmeen will unrealistically give up the very nice house they currently own (much like Sunita did to move into Number 7), buy No.6 and move the whole clan in. The only other place that might be likely is a posh flat in Victoria Court seeing as only Nick and now Carla seem to live there.

I think there's meant to be three bedrooms upstairs in Number 6, again, somewhat unrealistically, but that's enough at least for the married couple and each of the two grandchildren. Kal can bunk in with Leanne or with his son and we're sorted. 

(And I still think Mary needs to rent a flat. I'm surprised Dev has never suggested the shop flat for her at a reduced rent considering her being his nanny and all. I believe the flat over the butcher shop (soon to be community centre) is vacant, as well. )



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Kal's family move into Coronation Street - so who moves out?

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog September 2014, reposted to this blog with permission.)

This isn't really a spoiler since most new families end up moving into Coronation Street proper at some point...

In the fab Inside Soap magazine there's a good interview Coronation Street producer Stuart Blackburn. 

He says this about Kal's family, the Nazirs:

"We're taking it very gently with the Nazirs because it takes time for the audience to get to know a new family and trust them.  In the coming months we will get them moved onto the cobbles and right at the heart of things but in order to do that, someone living on the Street currently will have to lose their home."

So, Corrie fans, who do you think will be moving out?



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Welcome to the Corrie family

(This post was originally posted by Graeme N on the Coronation Street Blog in June 2014.)

Are we all ready for the arrival of more Nazirs? In addition to Kal and his dad we will also be meeting Kal's mother and his daughter in the next week or so. I think there is also a son to come as well.

I do like an injection of fresh characters into Corrie but it can be a difficult balancing act. Introduce a massive brood all at once (for example the Mortons, the Claytons or the Hopkins families) and viewers can struggle to take to them or even work out who they all are. Introduce them slowly and gradually and it can feel very drawn out and lacklustre.

The Nazir family have come in slowly with Kal being established as the main link. Putting him with Leanne also grounds them all as she is an established and popular character. However, the main stumbling block for me to overcome is that so far the Nazirs I have met are quite dull.

I like Jimi Mistry as an actor, I just find his character a bit dry with very few distinguishing features. Apparently there is more to him than meets the eye and hopefully the introduction of his children will spice things up a little. Kal's dad has made even less of an impact I'm afraid. I really do hope the introduction of a more satisfying family dynamic will help things along.

I always worry when there is a deluge of new characters. Coronation Street is already bulging at the seams so apart from worrying where the Nazir clan will live, it also makes me wonder which characters will be squeezed out to make way for this new family. We already complain that we don't see enough of the likes of Kirk and Beth, Jason and Eva and the older characters like Audrey and Deirdre.

I also hope the Corrie powers that be consult the history books as they prepare to introduce the latest in a long line of Weatherfield families. New families can have a significant impact on the overall tone of the show. We saw it in the 1970s when the Hopkins family took over the corner shop and left almost before the paint was dry on the signage. A decade later the Claytons left within months of their arrival despite dramatic doings with the popular Duckworths. And even though the Morton family had the lovely Michael Starke at the helm, there were just too many of them to get to grips with. Every time I saw them they seemed to have multiplied yet again.

So are you looking forward to the arrival of Kal's family? What are your views on how the powers that be have decided to introduce this latest Corrie clan?


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