Sunday Canadian Corrie Comments, August 7

John's immediate past is back to haunt him and didn't John flow the lies well about his "mother"? Kink in the plan, though, Owen came in blasting John about Chesney and couldn't use his name any more often. JohnJohnJohnJohnJohn... who talks like that? and he's supposed to have witnessed a murder??? "Mr. Big"? *snork* Well that does have a grain of truth, sort of. He witnessed a death for sure. that Brian is a hoot though, a real classic Corrie character and he and Julie are just gold together! By God/dess John could lie for England.

And Brian and Julie have made contact. Laughed at them singing Neil Diamond duets in the pub. And John is practically twisting in the wind! He's turning himself inside out to keep Julie and Brian apart but what worked? Brian's wife, aided by John, naturally. John thinks all that stress can't be good for the baby. Then don't cause it, you idiot! Now he's got Brian on his hands. It's hysterical! But Fiz and John can't allow them to be together, too many secrets could get out! Even Fiz is lying for John now! Maybe Brian believes Fiz's lies about Julie being a "bunny boiler" and maybe he doesn't but he's gone back to the wife now. Pity.

Jack is determined to do his "bucket list" and dragging Tyrone along with him... to a lapdancing club! Does Cheryl still work at one? That could be embarassing. Someone asked if they'd really dress up in jackets and ties, they might if it was a private club of sorts. Now Molly knows. This is going to be a difficult few weeks. I loved how he was saying goodbye to people without them really knowing, like Betty and her hotpots.

Oh dear. Graeme knows what David did to Tina. And yeah, thumping David doesn't help matters but you can understand it. Made worse by the fact that it's or was his best mate. He simmered and simmered and then blew up anyway. And I still say it's all a gross over reaction to what actually happened anyway. Ok, David scared Tina for a minute but he backed right off and apologized and really did mean it. Real world situations aside, dont want to get into that here, but for a soap in this context, Tina has overreacted and her over reaction has stirred Graeme up more than it would otherwise and look where it ended up, with Graeme broken on the ground and David behind the wheel of the car.

Did he do it on purpose? Oh and how does Claire have the authority to threaten to fire Graeme? Anyway, David wasn't driving really fast so it's odd that he'd be passed out behind the wheel after hitting Graeme, isn't it? He says he doesn't remember what happened. Is that because he was out cold or is there another reason? I think this time, it's too obvious. David was ticked off but Graeme had more reason to run down David than the other way around.

Gail has turned into the nosy neighbour peeking through the blinds at Deirdre and other neighbours. And i wonder if she would qualify for benefits if she was sacked. Maybe not. She needs to get a job. And David is probably sorry he learned about head massage. Audrey says he read it at college. When on earth is he at college? He's in the salon every day.

Mary's still competing, and trying to find ways to bring Norris closer. I guess he's forgiven her for keeping him captive in the cottage. I don't know why Sally's worried about leaving Sophie and Sian on their own. IT's not as if either one can get pregnant if they decide to get physical. Instead, it was Rosie that caused all the trouble by causing a fire in the kitchen. I"m very surprised Rita didn't hear the scream since she couldn't have been more than 5 feet from the door. Rosie's "Hangers on" aren't as reliable as she thinks. That was a real hoot. I much prefer Rosie as a ditz than a smart alec. Now they have a burned up kitchen to contend with and Sally and Kevin were only going for a "mini break".

Owen's getting to be quite the bully isn't he? Even with his daughters. Katy might be a handful but she's not that bad and not deserving of him being so rough with her. It sounds though, like he's had a hard time bringing up daughters alone, where one had health problems and probably takes his stress and his anger at their mother out on them too. Chesney and Katy are all loved up like it was the best 5 minutes of their lives. (well they are only 16 after all!)

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1970

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

Day 10 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

Christmas 1970 saw the conclusion of a story that had started some 2 years earlier. When Steve Tanner had been found dead at the bottom of a flight of stairs in September 1968 there had been no evidence to condemn anybody of foul play. In November Joe Donnelli, a friend of Steve Tanner’s from the American base at Burtonwood turned up on Coronation Street and lodged with Minnie Caldwell. A dangerous and violent man who enjoyed going to war, he locked Irma Barlow in the flat above the shop and confessed to how he had murdered Steve over a gambling debt. Threatening her with a pair of scissors he told her he would not let her share her secret with anyone.

For over two weeks he kept her in a constant state of fear as his prisoner in the shop. Knowing something was amiss, some of the residents lured them both to the Rovers, having called the Military Police. Joe escaped and went to no. 5 where he held a terrified Minnie at gunpoint. Unaware of the gun, Stan Ogden crashed into the house to deal with the ‘damn Yank’ who had threatened his daughter, Irma. Joe let Minnie go but held turned his gun on Stan. As the end credits rolled on Christmas Eve, a single shot rang out and viewers had to wait until after the festivities to find out that Joe had shot himself and for once in his life, Stan was the hero.
In June 1970, the 1000th episode was transmitted. John Braine, author of Room at the Top wrote in a TV Times supplement: ‘The most important character in the Street is the Street itself. No matter who comes and goes, the Street remains.’ Words that still hold true as we head towards the 50th anniversary.

By 1970, the programme had been broadcast in ten other countries including Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Holland, Greece and Sierra Leone, where it was voted the most watched television series, although there were only 3000 TV sets in the country.

Also in 1970: David Barlow & son Darren die in Australia; Elsie Tanner and Alan Howard marry; Dave Smith arrives; Bet starts work at the Rovers; Stan Ogden sells some of Ena Sharples’ songs to club singer Mickey Malone; Handel Gartside romances Minnie Caldwell.

Downton Abbey's Corrie connections

Many of you enjoyed the ITV drama, Downton Abbey which aired this past winter on PBS stations in the US.

Apart from the obvious and very lovely Rob James-Collier who was Liam Connor in Coronation Street and is now in Downton Abbey as Thomas the footman, there's a couple of other Corrie connections we've spotted.

Joanne Froggatt, who played Zoe Tattersall in Corrie, is playing head housemaid Anna in Downton Abbey. She's on the picture below, on the left hand side.

Siobhan Finneran, who starred in the Corrie spin-off DVD Romanian Holiday (and this fan would love to see on Corrie full-time) appears as Sarah O'Brien, the Lady's Maid. She's on the picture below, on the right hand side.

And writer Julian Fellowes is also a huge Coronation Street fan. I know we won't have spotted them all, so did you seen any more Downton Abbey / Corrie connections?

And in other news, there's going to be another series of Downtown Abbey and the actor that recently played Lewis Archer, Nigel Havers, is going to be in it!

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1969

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

Day 9 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

In 1969, Coronation Street transmitted its first episode in colour. To mark the event a special episode was scripted by H. V. Kershaw which took the cast on an outing to the Lake District to show off its incredible beauty in full colour for those people fortunate enough to have a colour TV.

Things didn’t go to plan however as nobody had ordered any colour film for the cameras and so colour filming didn’t take place until the following episode which covered the aftermath of the trip which had ended up with the coach crashing. As a result, instead of the first colour shots being of Elsie Tanner walking in the glorious Lake District landscape, it was of a bloodied Hilda Ogden wandering round hospital corridors searching for Stan. To make things worse, some of the shots from the location shoot were to be used in the following episode which resulted in a mishmash of scenes cutting from colour to black and white and back again.

This year saw the first appearance of Manchester’s oldest barmaid, Betty Williams nee Turpin. Betty and her policeman husband first came to Coronation Street to help out her sister Maggie Clegg in the corner shop but she so took over the place and tried to organise Maggie’s personal life that Maggie sold Jack Walker the idea of her working in the Rovers when Annie went away on holiday. On her return Annie tried to get rid of her as she feared Jack would find Betty attractive. Although it feels like she’s been there ever since, Betty has been sacked, reinstated, stormed out in a huff and been begged to return more times than it would be seemly to remember.

Whilst she is usually a warm and comforting mother figure, she started out as rather loud, brash and vicious-tongued gossip. She still doesn’t suffer fools gladly and can be very disapproving of younger generations, handing out withering put downs with a pursing of her lips and adjustment of her ample, matronly bosom. But at heart she is a kindly soul who is happy to share the wisdom of her years with younger women facing a crisis.

She was widowed in 1974, when Cyril had a heart attack and she had a breakdown. She was so ill that the funeral was arranged without her and it was only at the last minute that Maggie decided she was well enough to attend. She always maintained that Cyril would be the only man in her life but she found love again in 1995 and married Billy Williams. Her secret to a happy marriage is to always fill the kettle before you go to bed in case the water isn’t on in the morning.

Also in 1969: Alan Howard arrives; Albert gets engaged to Alice Pickens (played by Doris Hare); Minnie Caldwell runs away because of gambling debt; Annie wins perfect landlady competition by installing a phone and serving hot pot; Gordon Clegg jilts Lucille Hewitt and goes to London; Emily Nugent meets Ernest Bishop.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1968

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

Day 8 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

There had been many changes to Salford since the area had been scoured by Tony Warren and set designer Denis Parkin looking for streets on which to base the Coronation Street set. Many of the old back to back terraces had been demolished and the local council had plans to demolish them all by 1971. In 1968 Richard Everitt accepted the job of producer with the proviso that he could change the physical environment as he felt that the indoor set was ridiculous and it was time to bring the whole thing up to date.

His plan was to demolish the half of the Street that made up the raincoat factory and the mission hall and replace them with flats. This would bring the area more up to date and also allow the producers to bring in more characters. ‘Dramatically, it is a device to bring the old into conflict with the new, to change the street, but at the same time to retain some of its time-worn flavour’ is what he wrote to the Granada executives. The plans were agreed and an old railway yard near the studios was acquired.

Denis Parkin was asked back to oversee the construction. At first the sets were simply transferred from the studio, with a brick frontage added and a half roof built on. It was 18 months before more money was found so that the backs of the houses could be built. Seven maisonettes were built to complete the set but in spite of the original intentions, only three were occupied and only one of those by a new character.

In 1968, the corner shop changed hands again. A local couple, Les and Maggie Clegg bought it and moved in with their 17-year-old son Gordon. Up to that point there’d not really been any youngsters in the cast to appeal girls and young women. While filming at Granada, 23-year-old Bill Kenwright was invited to lunch with the producer and offered the role without even an audition. Having a desire to play Shakespeare and not wanting to be typecast at so young an age he initially turned the part down. Not long afterwards his mother asked him if he had any jobs coming up and he told her about the offer. She nearly dropped the washing up. She dragged him to the telephone and rang his aunties, uncles and grandma and said: ‘Just tell him. Tell him what it would mean to us to have my son in Coronation Street.’ The next morning he went back to Granada and said yes.

Also in 1968: Steve Tanner is murdered; Dennis Tanner marries Jenny Sutton; Dickie Flemming marries Audrey Bright; No. 11 becomes a hippy commune; Emily falls for Miklos Zadie; David and Irma Barlow move to Australia; the handpumps are removed from the Rovers; Annie is kidnapped by students for rag week and has to pay the ransom herself; Stan buys a window round.

Sneak Preview of next week's Canadian Corrie, August 8 - 12

Here's a sneak preview of what's happening on Coronation Street in Canada next week.

Graeme fights for his life. Claire's mum has a proposition. Rosie calls on Jason for help. The police call on David. David appears in court and there's a surprising twist. Carla gets a new PA. Maria goes on a date. Becky excuses Kylie's behaviour but Steve is not so tolerant.

For more details and photos, check out the Moosejaw Mercury on Corrie.net.

Dev Alahan, Wherefore Art Thou? (with spoiler near the end)

Merseytart

What's happening to Dev?

I admit, he's always been a bit... well, hard to take.  Jimmi Harkishin's always made, let's say, interesting acting choices.  Dev is a riot of harumphs, eye rolling, and squeals, meaning you're never quite sure how he's going to react in any given situation.  He could explode with rage or do a whinnying horse impression; we just don't know.  Dev's provided some great comedy over the years, with his combative relationship with Steve, his womanising (this is the man who bedded both Dierdre and Tracy, never forget!) and, of course, a certain thirty foot high nude photo.

Some people hate him.  I've always found him strangely hilarious, perched on his stool in the corner shop, giggling at the people who come in.  He's also a genuine Alpha male, one of the few left on the Street after the death of Mike Baldwin and the Connor brothers.  Since Sunita's return, however, the character's lost a lot of his appeal.  He's ceased to be who he once was.

Part of this is down to the loss of Amber, who was always willing to prick his pomposity and superiority complex with her razor sharp tongue.  His exasperation as she casually ran rings around him was always a joy, and she's seriously missed on the Street.

We've also been asked to accept too many unlikely circumstances in too short a time.  Firstly, Dev's new found paternal instincts toward the twins, who haven't even been seen or even mentioned over the past five years.  Then he and Sunita reconciled, with her swiftly dumping a fiance and apparently choosing to ignore his many other unmentioned children, even though this was what drove them apart in the first place.  Finally, the two of them move out of Sunita's massive home in the suburbs to the tiny two-up, two-down that is number seven.

All of this was hard to swallow, and clearly there just to enable the return of Shobna Gulati.  I like Sunita, but I think these developments have damaged Dev, possibly beyond repair.  He's been weakened by being dragged into these plots, and he's lost a lot of his appeal along the way.  Dev no longer rules the roost: Sunita controls him completely, and it's strange to watch.  The women in Corrie have always been the dominant force, but some men need to retain their hairy chest and double whiskey attitudes: would Mike Baldwin have given up his penthouse flat in Weatherfield Quays as quickly as Dev sacrificed Victoria Court?

(SPOILER AHEAD)

The situation's compounded with the Aadi storyline, which again has nothing to do with the Alahans, and everything to do with writing out the Peacocks. (END SPOILER)

It's required Dev to be brutal and unpleasant to people he's lived alongside and trusted for years, and it's not working.  He's lost most of his humour.  Dev needs to be back to his strange, unusual, unique self before he's damaged goods.


What do you think?  Do you think Dev can be redeemed, or should he be under a tram come December?

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1967

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

Day 7 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

Tragedy hit the Street in 1967 when a goods train plunged off the viaduct. At this time, the programme was still filming exterior scenes in the studio so it was quite some feat to set this up. A huge mass of bricks with iron girders sticking out was constructed and five goods wagons wrecked on top of the pile. Underneath was placed a squashed Mini from which PC Conway was dragged out alive. Nearby a corridor of timber and bricks was constructed in which Violet Carson, as Ena, had to lie completely still.

Ena, Jack, Elsie and Lucille were all missing, though only Ena had been caught up in the crash and as the programme went on each of the missing residents turned up. During the second episode of the disaster, David Barlow crawled out of the rubble to report that he had found Ena alive. The only death was of Sonia Peters, the girlfriend of PC Conway who had been in the crushed Mini. The disaster scenes were directed by Michael Apted who went on to be a renowned film director.

There were happier scenes when Elsie Tanner married her wartime sweetheart Steve Tanner. As soon as the wedding date was announced on screen, action off screen began to hot up. Viewers wrote in asking for the date to be changed as they would be away on holiday, the TV Times produced a 32 page souvenir that sold over 1 million copies and over 500 wedding presents were received by people unable to distinguish drama from reality.

The viewers weren’t the only ones to be confused. Pat Phoenix insisted on choosing her own wedding dress, she arranged for jewellers H. Samuel to visit producer Jack Rosenthal with a selection of rings and when it came for her to appear on set, she refused to leave her dressing room. She only came out when Jack Rosenthal had visited her and reassured her as he might have done with a daughter with pre-wedding nerves.

Also in 1967:  Ken Barlow goes to prison; Harry Hewitt dies; Irma Barlow miscarries; Emily Nugent joins a marriage bureau; Hilda Ogden has a breakdown; Jack Walker leaves Annie and Annie Walker is arrested for throwing a football rattle through a shop window.

Phil Collinson: What do you think about Corrie's producter so far?

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

When Kim Crowther took over as Coronation Street producer in 2008 we had a dicussion on the blog as to how we felt she was doing. And now with Phil Collinson at the helm, the question raises its head again.

For what it's worth, here's what I think and I'd be delighted to hear what other Corrie fans think too. Please leave comments in the box below.

I reckon Phil's onto a winner as he's upped the pace over the last couple of weeks. The drama's moving along nicely and we're onto a belter with Peter thumping Nick, that was always going to be a ratings hit from our sofa. I'd like to punch Nick myself. The comedy quota's been updated - Deirdre getting a Manchester tart in the face - was priceless and a joy. There's been some nice words between Audrey and Rita and I just think it's moving along at a nice pace with some really good stuff and loads more to come.

In recent weeks we've had Ken's long lost son turning up, Natasha leaving, Sophie and Sian getting serious, and by far the best thing for this fan - and about bloody time too - Roy and Hayley getting married. Legally, properly, Corriely. I know Corriely's not a word, but Roy and Hayley are ace. How do you think Phil Collinson is doing?

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1966

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

Day 6 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

By 1966, Coronation Street wasn’t just being shown in the UK. Australia had been showing the programme since 1963 and by 1966 it was more popular there than back home. Channel 9 sent an invitation for a party from Coronation Street to visit fans in Australia. Granada accepted the invitation and a group was put together consisting of Doris Speed (Annie Walker), Arthur Leslie (Jack Walker) and Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) from the cast along with producer/writer H.V. Kershaw and Norman Frisby from the press office.

The group visited Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide and they were mobbed everywhere they went. They visited several local Coronation Streets, presented awards, appeared on numerous chat shows and even performed a sketch specially written by Kershaw. Driving back to the airport in Adelaide, Doris and Pat wept as 50,000 people turned out to wave them farewell.

For a while Ken Barlow had played the role of devoted husband and father but in 1966 he had his head turned by glamorous reporter Jackie Marsh who he’d met when she interviewed his brother David. He started to meet her behind Valerie’s back but Elsie Tanner saw them kissing and warned him not to throw away his family. He told her to keep her nose out and arranged to go away with Jackie, telling Valerie that he was attending a conference. However, when Valerie packed him a lunch for the journey, he realised he couldn’t betray her and ended the affair.

Ken thought he’d got away with it but two months later Valerie revealed that she’d known all about it and she left him, taking the twins with her to her parents in Scotland. She returned a month later having forgiven him and Ken promised to be more attentive.

Also in 1966: Bet Lynch and Ray Langton join the cast; Sunny Jim returns; Len Fairclough and Annie Walker stand for the council and Len wins on toss of a coin; Ena is fined £2 for shoplifting; Paul Cheveski falls in canal; David and Irma Barlow buy the corner shop.

Fat Brenda's Cream Horn (Aug. 2)

Hiya loves, it's me, Brenda.
Deirdre swears she's under surveillance from Gail after she saw her collecting up ciggie ends from outside the medical centre. She was examining the them for lipstick marks before popping them into her handbag. Deirdre is paranoid to go out for a smoke now, poor love, it'd be a brave woman that would get between me and a Dunhill!

Steve arranged a secret cab for Jack and Tyrone so they could enjoy a chicken in a basket meal at the local lap-dancing bar. I hear it's a pretty rough place, me friend Bernice did a turn there dressed as a dinner lady, she hurled her dumplings into the audience and doused the punters in HP sauce, she was asked to leave though, she didn't actually work there! I don't know what's got into Jack Duckworth going to a club like that at his age but, he doesn't look at all well, bless him.

I'll tell you who's weird, Owen the builder. He came over to the cab office to look for Chesney and he must have said me name about twenty times. He was only here two minutes! 'Have you seen Chesney, Brenda? Will you tell me Brenda, when you see him Brenda? Thanks Brenda, That's great Brenda. See you later Brenda. Bye then Brenda. Take care Brenda.' What the flamin' hell is all that about? I've got a bad feeling about that bloke, he makes Jim McDonald look like a metrosexual! She can pick 'em that Liz.

The other newsworthy taxi pick-up this week was for Ryan, he's gone off to university. I hope he doesn't do an Amber and disappear off the face of the earth. Do they not have summer or christmas holidays at these places? Once people from round here go on to further education they never come back again! They're sinister if you ask me. Maybe I'll get (Gail) McIntyre Investigates to look into it for me after she's finished stalking poor Deirdre.

Right loves, I'm off for a quick trim at Audrey's so I'll say goodbye. If you want to tweeter me then go ahead, I need a distraction at that cab office to save me from Lloyd moaning about Cheryl all night.

Bye loves.

x

Will Eddie Windass quit smoking?

(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog in October, 2010.)

Sorry to go on about the Windasses AGAIN (I will stop now, honest), but it occurred to me that having successfully passed the rigors of the adoption panel, Eddie Windass is still rolling up fags (he had his "baccy tin" out in the most recent episode) and presumably they're for himself.

Becky and Steve struggled to give up smoking, because as prospective adoptive parents they were forced to. Why is Eddie still blasting away willy nilly?

It's not like I blame him, what with the stress of Gary going away and all, but still.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days – 1965

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

Day 5 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

Formerly the barmaid at the Farrier's Arms on Collier Street, Florrie Lindley appeared in the first scene of the first episode of Coronation Street, taking over the corner shop from Elsie Lappin. Though she had an estranged husband who had run away to work as an engineer in India, she let it be known that she was a widow and even set her cap at Harry Hewitt, losing out to Concepta Riley. She found business hard and she had problems paying some of her suppliers, so in an attempt to generate more income, she had two of the upstairs bedrooms converted into bedsits and rented them out. The first lodgers were two young clerks from the Town Hall, who only stayed a month. They were followed by Sheila Birtles and Doreen Lostock who lived there for over a year, despite Florrie's strict rules about gentlemen callers.

After the girls left, Florrie became lonely and spent many evenings playing bingo, once winning £100, only to have her handbag snatched on the way home. In 1964, she had the shop converted, moving the doorway from the windy corner, to the side next to No.13 and adding a sub-post office, complete with telephone kiosk. While Florrie sold stamps and cashed pensions, Irma Ogden ran the grocery shop, eagerly encouraging the pensioners to spend the money that they had just got from Florrie.

Jealous of her youth and popularity with men, Florrie turned on Irma and had a minor breakdown, throwing a tin of meat through the shop window, before collapsing in a sobbing heap on the floor. Despite her doctor's orders she soldiered on with the shop, but in 1965 her past was to catch up with her as her estranged husband Norman returned seeking a divorce. Norman had a brief affair with Elsie Tanner, before he reconciled with his wife and the two of them left to start a new life in Canada where Norman had taken a job.

Following the break-up of his marriage Jerry Booth returned to Coronation Street in 1965 and became a partner in Len Fairclough’s builders’ yard. One of their first jobs together was to demolish no.7 which had collapsed due to a snapped window beam. It left a gap in the terrace which would remain empty, save for a bench, until 1982. The real reason for the demolition was that the casting budget wouldn’t reach to filling it. It had another fortunate consequence in that as it was in the middle of the Street, only half of the set needed to be erected in the studio at a time.

Also in 1965: Susan & Peter Barlow born; Robert Maxwell dies; Violet Carson is awarded the OBE; Irma Ogden marries David Barlow; Leonard Swindley leaves the Street to star in spin-off programme ‘Pardon The Expression’; Ena Sharples becomes Elsie Tanner’s landlady.

50 Years Of Corrie In 50 Days - 1964

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

Day 4 of our 50 day countdown of Coronation Street - written by blogger Sunny Jim.

1964 saw the arrival of a new producer in the shape of 28 year old Tim Aspinall, its fifth since Coronation Street’s inception. As many producers have done over the years he embarked on a cull to shake up the programme and get rid of the dead wood in an attempt to reassert itself at the top of the ratings where it had been replaced by Steptoe and Son.  Frank Barlow, Harry and Concepta Hewitt and Myra and Jerry Booth were all subject to the cull but by far the most shocking victim was the popular character of Martha Longhurst.

Along with Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell, Martha formed the trio of old ladies in the Snug at the Rovers that formed a sort of Greek chorus. There is a suggestion that Tim Aspinall got rid of her for a bet but whether he did or not it was certainly an audacious move. As everyone from the Street gathered in the main bar of the Rovers to say farewell to Frank Barlow, who was moving away after a £5000 premium bond win, Martha slipped quietly into the Snug, removed her spectacles and with her passport for her forthcoming holiday in Spain on the table, she suffered a heart attack.

The rejuvenation of the show also meant the arrival of some new characters. Probably the most significant of these was the Ogden family. They were conceived by Tim Aspinall as ‘real sluts – Dad is a long distance lorry driver and Mum is the kind of woman who spends the kids’ dinner money in the pub’. Irma was the first to arrive followed by her father Stan who had come looking for her. As often happens the character started off very dark, with a history of drink-fuelled violence that had caused some of his children to be taken in to care, before mellowing out to become the hen-pecked, feckless waster we all came to know and love.

Stan bought No. 13 and he moved in with Irma to be joined by Hilda and their 14-year-old son, Trevor. In the original script, when the Ogdens arrived they actually had four children but the episode was never broadcast and when broadcasting resumed, it was explained that the other two children were in care. In later years they were airbrushed out completely and whenever Stan and Hilda were talking about their kids, there were only ever two, not four.

Also in 1964: Emily Nugent proposes to Leonard Swindley but then jilts him at the altar; Harry and Concepta Hewitt move to Ireland; Lucille Hewitt moves into the Rovers as the Walkers’ ward; Florrie Lindley opens a sub post office in the corner shop; Charlie Moffitt and his dog Little Titch lodge with Minnie; Jerry and Myra Booth leave.

Corrie Canada weekly awards: July 25 - 29

White Knight award: Boozy star: Peter can't help rescue a drunken damsel in distress.

Love's Young Dream award: Gold Star: Aww Katy and Chesney are so cute together!

Stupid insensitive Twit award: Gold Star. Eddie Windass.
Silver Star: Nick wanting to call the bar the same as Leanne and Peter were going to.


Who peed in your cornflakes award: Nasty Star: Molly has turned into that grunting snarling troll under the bridge when it comes to Kevin and that baby.

Village Idiot award: Gold star: Kirk and his missing socks. He always makes me smile.

Fashion Don't award what on earth was Ryan wearing? Is he channelling PeeWee Herman???

Lines of the Week:
Sean "Carla can certainly pick'em. From Evil Genius to Village Idiot"
Sally about Doc Matt "He can take my pulse any time!" (pick yer knickers up, Sal!)
Kirk "Is it true you can laugh a woman into bed?" Ty "Depends on if you got your kecks on at the time"
Dev "I take it you're seeking advice on the fairer sex" Kirk "No, i was thinking about women, really" (Doh)
Roy to Chesney "I never had much of a social life when i was your age" (no kidding)