Did the tram crash change Corrie forever?

(This post was originally posted by Clinkers (David) on the Coronation Street Blog in November 2011.)

It was one of the doom-laden phrases being flung around this time last year. After the tram crash had brought carnage to the cobbles, life would never be the same again. With this is mind, we all sat glued to the trauma of Tram Week and the aftermath. What has been the lasting impact though, if any?

Almost twelve months on and the most palpable sign that all is not right comes in the form of the simmering tension between Kevin and Tyrone. The latter has passed through a range of emotions in the past year - shock, hurt, anger and maybe even a little guilt. What we have been left with though is, arguably, a much improved Tyrone. He's free of a mundane marriage and a feckless wife. There's an element of fun in his life thanks to a sassy new girlfriend and the inanity of housemate Tommy Duckworth.

Sally Webster gained some sympathy in the immediate aftershock of last December's revelations. As usual though, she lumbers from one disaster to another whether it be hooking up with a boyfriend who looks like a Punch & Judy puppet or deciding that working with a rapist is a positive career move. Thankfully though, the storyliners seem to have resisted the obvious path of teaming her up with dreary old Kev again.

Personally, I don't think the characters who left are particularly missed. Charlotte Hoyle was only ever a demented pantomime character and so, no love lost there. Poor old Molly's character had been ripped apart by less than believable (or sympathetic) storylines so her story was over anyway. This is probably true of Ashley Peacock but more so of the dreadful Claire, another who suffered at the hands of bizarre plot twists. Even her exit was based on some ridiculous criminal act. Off to France she went, a fugitive, yet still managed to sell her house to Lloyd. Someone should tell Interpol.

We were promised new characters and in fine soap style, some have worked (Brian Packham, Kirsty Policewoman), some are so-so (Stella Cindy from EastEnders, Tommy Duckworth) and some who really don't seem to have gelled at all (the robotic doctor, anyone with the surname Gray).

Is Weatherfield a much-changed place since this time in 2010?

Coronation Street post-tramcrash - better, or worse?

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

I've not been blogging here much lately due to total apathy regarding the state of the street. Up until the tram crash I'd watch avidly, but it's much easier for me now to walk away and put the kettle on than ever it's been in the past.

I think the scripts have picked up a bit recently, with a bit more humour, but I think the actual storylines are woeful with far too many in your face issue-driven plots. Homelessness. Transvestism. Sexuality. Schoolgirl mums. Broken families. Marc/Marcia must be a nadir. They've "done" cross-dressing before (Ida Fagg anyone? Duggie Ferguson even! Different world wasn't it?)

I find some of the new characters unappealing - Roy's mum, Ken's grandson. So far, I've no desire to get to know them any better. The two that keep me going at the moment are Kevin Webster (just does angry so well) and believe it or not, Owen Armstrong! He's getting some good lines and I like his gruff delivery.

As far as the Stape blockbuster goes, I will watch it with interest next week out of respect to Graeme Hawley, who has been terrific throughout. But overall, I'd far rather have seen him get back into therapy and settle down nicely with Fiz and the baby than run amok on a rooftop.

I remember people commenting a month or three ago that Coronation Street was just hitting a post-tram crash/post 50th slump, and that it would pick up again. Personally, I think that it has picked up but only very minimally. Anyone else got any thoughts?