Wednesday, 6 March 2013

The faces of 2000s Corrie

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

Inspired by Daran Little's 40 years of Coronation Street and having done some research on Corriepedia, I have come up with the top 12 faces of Coronation Street in every decade.

In the last of five posts, I look at the top 12 faces of Corrie in the 2000s. These are the faces who appeared the most during the decade.

Who will be the faces of 2010s Corrie I wonder?
 

  1. Steve McDonald (1287 episodes, 2000-2009)
  2. Gail Platt/Hillman/Platt (1269 episodes, 2000-2009)
  3. Fiz Brown/Stape (1101 episodes, 2001-2009)
  4. Janice Battersby (1098 episodes, 2000-2009)
  5. Sally Webster (1037 episodes, 2000-2009)
  6. Audrey Roberts (1020 episodes, 2000-2009)
  7. Eileen Grimshaw (1006 episodes, 2000-2009)
  8. Sarah Platt/Grimshaw (995 episodes, 2000-2007)
  9. Deirdre Rachid/Barlow (986 episodes, 2000-2009)
  10. Kevin Webster (957 episodes, 2000-2009)
  11. Ken Barlow (943 episodes, 2000-2009)
  12. David Platt (929 episodes, 2000-2009)
     


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Could Eric Babbage be Roy Cropper's dad?

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

 
 
I've noticed tonight that Gloria's new boyfriend Eric Babbage has an uncanny resemblance to Roy Cropper! Do you agree?
 
Could they be related? Could he be Roy's dad? He did have a scene with Sylvia on Wednesday so who knows?
 
It's a shame that it's a short term role because it would've been a great twist to the storyline if he was Roy's dad. Roy's dad left him when he was nine years old so it could've worked. I don't think he died did he? Maybe someone can enlighten me?



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Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Coronation Street: Up the workers!

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

From what a lot of regular commentators on this fine blog say the cast of Coronation Street is currently bulging at the seams with unnecessary and often unloved characters. Oh yes, I mean the dead wood of Weatherfield.

From what I've seen the same names appear on this roll call of shame. Tracy Barlow. Rob Donovan. Ryan Connor. St Ella of The Back Room. Eileen's Fireman, who increasingly I believe I would appreciate more if he'd actually left La Grimshaw's head stuck in those railings. No matter who we would cull if we had the power, I think we can all agree that Corrie currently has far too big a cast. 

My mother, after watching the Street religiously (not in an Ivy Tilsley way) for most of her adult life, gave up tuning in for around six months. I recently encouraged her to join me for an episode and I spent much of that time explaining who everybody was and how they could possibly all fit in those tiny little houses. Enough is enough! I think it is time for a wee experiment.

Most Corrie fans are aware of the actors' Equity Strike that caused havoc for Granada back in the early 1960s. For several months only the core cast of the Street was allowed to feature. This meant Corrie relied on the talents of just fourteen regular characters to keep viewers entertained. As these characters included Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker and Ena Sharples, it was probably still a heavenly experience. However, imagine if that situation happened in 2013!

What a test that would be for today's cast! So here's my question for you. If a strike was announced today, and only fourteen characters could continue to appear, which would you choose? 

I have given this a bit of thought and here is my selection:

Gail, David, Kylie, Nick, Leanne, Audrey, Rita, Dennis, Sylvia, Roy, Steve, Sally, Lloyd, Marcus. 

So have a go yourself. Share your choices with me and then sit back, relax, and imagine a world without Tracy, Rob and Ryan. 




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Sue Johnston reveals what it's like being Corrie's Gloria Price

Gloria Price is proving to be a bit of a Marmite character on Coronation Street. I love her, but from some of the comments left here on the Coronation Street Blog whenever we blog about her, it's clear not everyone feels the same way and her character really splits fan opinion.

Well, love her or hate her, Gloria returnedto the Street this week and this time, as we know, and she brought her fella Eric, played by veteran actor Timothy West.

There's an excellent interview in the Mirror with Sue Johnston, who plays Gloria Price.  Sue says she gets more attention from the public as Gloria than she ever did as the wonderful Sheila Grant from Brookside.

She says: “It is a high-profile soap but I have been quite shocked really by the reaction. Even when I was in Brookside and The Royle Family I didn’t really get recognised. But the other day I was in Manchester and, even without Gloria’s wig on, I only had to speak and someone said, ‘Oh, it’s Gloria!’ The Street is far bigger than anything I have ever experienced. When I go to Liverpool to watch the football I have always been Sheila Grant but now it’s Gloria! I also have people saying to me, ‘I’m seriously going off you now. You are a nasty piece of work’. It’s very funny.”

Sue says she wouldn't like to see Gloria settle down. “She has got to be a wild card, really, to keep everyone guessing – that’s what makes her more interesting. But he obviously has got a past and that is all rather exciting. Gloria is very straight-talking. She is the sort of woman that I wish I had the courage to be sometimes. She really doesn’t care what people think. Sometimes I think that is rude. I don’t think I could be as insensitive as her but it’s great to play someone like that because they get the best lines.”

So, who's glad to see the return of the Golden Glo?


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Fat Brenda's Cream Horn

(This post was originally posted by Fat Brenda on the Coronation Street Blog in February 2013, reposted with permission.)

Hetty flamin’ Wainthrop! Columbo! That fella in 'Lewis' who was in 'Morse' as his sidekick Lewis – I can’t remember what his name is in 'Lewis'… I think it might be Lewis. Anyhow, where was I? Oh aye. Telly detectives. The point I was gonna make before I confused meself by trying to remember what that fella from 'Lewis' was called in 'Lewis' who played Lewis in 'Morse' was that Gail is like one of them telly detectives. Except she in’t really like one of them telly detectives so that was why it would’ve been funny – cos you’d have gone, “Oooh Brenda, she’s nowt like them telly detectives is Gail! She’s just someone who compared handwriting in a bistro bookings diary and put two and two together and realised that Kylie gave Lewis (not Lewis the telly detective from the telly show 'Lewis') her into-net banking details.
What's it called now..?
Well that was a bad start wan’t it?
I’ll have another go.
Hello loveys!
Hands up who like Stella’s mam!
Anyone?
Anyone?
You there, at the back, have you got yer hand up?
No, he didn't, he was just picking a bit of pasty out of his hair.
Well loveys, opinion's divided on’t cobbles about her. If you ask Rita, she’ll tell you that Gloria is a right witch. If you ask Audrey, she’ll tell you that Gloria is horrible. If you ask Ken, he’ll tell you that Gloria is unable to analyse how others perceive her and lacks self-awareness. Indeed - he’d continue – the closest thing someone like Gloria comes to owt even remotely resembling an existential crisis is not being first in’t queue at a Selfridge’s sale. But then that’s Ken in’t it loveys, why use two words when you can regurgitate a dictionary?
Since Weatherfield’s Blockbusters shop has shut I’ve been making a small fortune renting out the DVD of Lewis admitting that he din’t actually love Gail! Eileen’s rented it out over thirty times and I’ve even done a director’s cut called 'Lewis’s Confession Re-flamin’-dux!' Its belting loveys – three hours long it is! It goes into the back-story of Lewis and what motivates him. The bonus features include interviews with cast and crew (Lewis, Kylie, Nick and Audrey) and there’s also a documentary about Gail’s love-life called 'Flamin’ Disaster!'


Here’s a poem what I tweetered on Valiumtine’s Day:


Roses are red,
Violent is Kirsty.
Carla’s no alcy,
She’s just flamin’ thirsty!


Talking of Valentine’s Day, Fiz got Tyrone the gift that keeps on giving: imprisonment! Oh Fiz, you should’ve got him a pair of socks or summat!
“He hates me, Brenda” she keeps saying.
I responded in the only way I know how – with respect and tact,
“I’m not flamin’ surprised he hates you! If you’d have just let him go it alone he’d have probably made it! He could’ve got straight off; boarded the ferry before anyone knew he’d gone! Instead what did he do? He faffed about for ages waiting for you to trilly ‘round packing up yer Bic Ladyshave and underwear! And now, he’s lost his daughter LOST HER!”
For some reason I din’t make her feel any better! I’ll not bother next time!
Anyhow, I’m off to meet Chesney, he dun’t half bore the TENA off me but he’s got a load of bargain meat that he assures me IS NOT horse! I don’t care anyway, it’s all dead in’t it loveys? A bit like Chesney’s relationship I suppose! I’m not being tight or owt but HOW BORING IS HE?
“Whine whine Fiz you don’t tell me owt it’s just Stape all over again! Oooh Katy is NOT having yer baby, Izzy, it’s just Stape all over again! Schmeichel has died an’ that, it’s just Stape all over again! Me girlfriend’s bezzie mates think I’m really dull, it’s just Stape all over again!”
Give it a flamin’ rest! Enjoy yer youth! Get out more! Grow yer hair a bit so you look a bit like that Mick Hucknall or maybe that ginger fella off 'Mask' starring Cher! Not that he looks like the fella off 'Mask' starring Cher! I’m not saying that - before the ginger brigade start bombarding me with hate mail like they did when I said Weatherfield was becoming a ginger ghetto! No loveys, I mean the actor what plays him in 'Mask' starring Cher! Eric Stoltz I think it is. He’s in that 'Puppy Fiction' starring Danny Zuko from 'Saturday Night Staying Alive Who’s Talking Too' with Kirsty Alley, Roseanne Barr - that's her from that sitcom. I can’t remember what it's called, 'Lewis' I think – and Bruce Willis as the voice of the baby. You know the one, it had him in it, the fella from 'Snakes on’t Plane'…

Oh I don’t flamin’ know!
He could look like him - THE ACTOR!

NOT HIM!
Tweeter yer complaints here! ME TWEETER ADDRESS!!!

Honestly, you lot, you'd have me talking on here all flamin' day!


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Monday, 4 March 2013

Charlie Condou, aka Marcus Dent, is coming to Ontario this weekend

Here's one for the Canadian fans!


Charlie Condou is making an appearance this weekend at the annual British Isles Show in Mississauga, Ontario in Canada.

The British Isles Show is an annual exhibition for all things British and always features a Coronation Street actor. The actor makes several appearances each day, and you can line up to get a photo and an autograph. Here's the schedule according to the website:

 Friday March 8th at 1pm and 4pm
Saturday March 9th at 11:30am and 3pm
Sunday March 10th at 11:30am and 2:30pm

You'd be well advised to get there early to get in line as they do limit how many people will get through for each appearance.

 This year, the show is at a new location at the International Centre, Hall 6, Mississauga ON and it's next to Pearson International Airport. Detailed directions and a map are here. There's also a bus stop right at the door and that web site tells you which busses you can take.

Tickets to get you into the show are $15.00 per adult and you can get them online at the British Isles site or at the door. Once inside, you can see all the exhibits, and see the other entertainment they put on as well as meet Charlie Condou. Your entrance ticket covers the events.


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Coronation Street and sudden exits in soapland

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

Whatever the outcome of the Michael Le Vell case, there is no doubt that, in the short term, there will be one or two headaches for the powers that be at ITV.  Sudden exists in the world of continuing drama are, thankfully, quite rare and even more so in Coronation Street. As a few people have quite rightly commented, other than being involved with the Tyrone storyline, the character of Kevin Webster is not a big on screen presence currently. His disappearance from the cobbles will probably be easily explained or depending on the outcome of the court proceedings against the actor, never mentioned at all.

The example most of us know and remember is that of Len Fairclough. Following his final on screen appearance in May 1983, Len was kept alive with a few casual mentions up to the time the character was written out for good some seven months later.

Graham Haberfield's unexpected death in 1975 resulted in his character, Jerry Booth, also dying a month later. Sometimes though, it's not the death of an actor that can precede an exit. Back in 1969, Granada blithely went ahead with planning an on screen wedding for Gordon Clegg and Lucille Hewitt. What they had failed to realise was that actor Bill Kenwright would soon be out of contract and that he had no intention of renewing it. The scriptwriters hastily had Gordon jilt Lucille and disappear to London.

There was a similar issue in 1975 when Ken Farrington suddenly decided to quit his role as Billy Walker. With a wedding to old sexy specs Deirdre Hunt already planned, scriptwriters simply replaced Billy with Ray Langton, a character Deirdre did not particularly like, and suddenly a new wedding was on the cards.

The latter may not sound particularly subtle but compared to Australian soaps, it was positively Shakespearean. In 1995, actress Caroline Gillmer was forced to quit Neighbours due to illness. As her character, Cheryl Stark, was involved in a big storyline, the producers immediately cast Colette Mann in the role. Cheryl literally swapped heads overnight.

Possibly the most outrageous method in dealing with a sudden exit though goes to the producers of legendary Aussie soap, Prisoner Cell Block H. During the programme's final year, 1986, Nicki Paull had to quit her role as prisoner Lisa Mullins. Again, the character was central to ongoing plots so in the next episode she was seen emerging from a sink, having supposedly dyed her hair! No one mentioned that she had also morphed into actress Terrie Waddell.

We can rest assured that ITV will not put viewers through that sort of farce and hopefully, the disappearance of a Street regular, whether it be temporarily or not, will be handled well.




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Fab Photo - Sir Ian McKellen

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

It's Friday again so it's time for this week's fab Coronation Street photo. Do you remember when a knight walked the cobbles? Here's Sir Ian McKellen as 'author' Mel Hutchwright in 2005.



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Sunday, 3 March 2013

Coronation Street's Free Tyrone campaign gets its own song

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

The Free Tyrone campaign now comes with its very own song.  The song is called Set Tyrone Dobbs Free and has been written and performed by Irish Band, The Corrigan Brothers.

The Corrigan Brothers have amassed over ten million youtube hits as well as charting all over the world with their huge international hit “There’s no one as Irish as Barack Obama” and just last week appeared on coast to coast TV in the USA on the msnbc programme “Hardball”.

They have now turned their attention to Corrie's Tyrone Dobbs and have recorded a song to set Tyrone Free which will be released on February 26th.

Lead singer Ger Corrigan explained the reason that the brothers decided to write the song, “Tyrone wouldn’t hurt a fly and he is not built to be inside, Kirsty must be stopped, set Tyrone Dobbs Free”

Check out their website here and read the lyrics of the song below.

Set Tyrone Dobbs Free - Corrigan Brothers 2013

OMG! it’s time to panic
They’ve locked up our nice mechanic
Tyrone Dobbs in custody
WE MUST set our Tyrone Free

On the cobbles Kirsty’s evil
She has fooled some of the people
Don’t worry Ty your friends believe yah
Fiz and Tommy and good old Tina

Chorus

So come on people
It must be
We must set
Tyrone Dobbs Free

Deirdre, Tracy and good old Gail
Have all spent some time in Jail
But Tyrone will not survive
He’s not made to be inside

He’s so soft and warm and gentle
If he does porridge he’ll go mental
It’s time to make the whole world see
Tyrone is innocent set him free

Chorus

Kirsty has sinned against the nation
Destroying Tyrone’s reputation
Turned his friends against the one
Who Jack and Vera called their son

So get behind Tyrone, our man
Let’s foil Kirsty’s evil plan
So let the truth at last be known
Let’s get justice for Tyrone

Chorus



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Sunday Comments, March 3


Chesney defies Katy and goes to help Fiz anyway but has decided to talk some sense into her.  Tyrone seems to be singing Oasis songs to the kiddies but it's not making them very sleepy from the looks of things. I guess Chesney still uses Gary's van. Kirsty doesn't think the public appeal will work but Eileen says it will help them get spotted. Kirsty is genuinely worried but it's not because she thinks Tyrone will hurt Ruby, it's more to do with not wanting Fiz to have anything to do with her. Chesney is really making Fiz work for the money, trying to make her see what kind of life she'd have on the run and drawing parallels from Tyrone to John Stape. He's right there, in some respects. He hands over the money anyway, though he's not at all happy about it. Seems like he's given her something to think about though.

She can see Tyrone has a naive idea of what life will be like when they're settled. They probably never would be, would they? Fiz wasn't surprised to hear the police at the door. Why? Because she called them. Chesney got through to her after all. She's just broken Tyrone's heart. Well, he's banged up again and Ruby's home with Kirsty. Fiz seemed surprised that they arrested him. I don't know why.

Tyrone is in the nick now and he's up the creek for assault, not kidnapping! He's also trying to keep Fiz out of it. Must have worked, Fiz was released. Well it wasn't her idea that's for sure, but she did go along with him. Everyone is hovering over Kirsty and it makes me ill. Even if it isn't admissable, I think Tyrone's solicitor needs to insist on a lie detector test.  If i was Tyrone's solicitor, I'd also ask why Kirsty had no problem going back to work and letting Tyrone mind the baby seeing as she's going on about being afraid what he'd do to Ruby. At least Peter seems to believe Tyrone's innocent so Carla stood up for Fiz, too.

Fiz is again trying to call the police and still doesn't understand that she's not family and they aren't going to tell her anything. Tyrone has decided he needs to see Tina.

What's Kirsty playing at? Using Ruby's belongings to hurl insults at Fiz. Kirsty does know one thing, Fiz isn't afraid of her. Meanwhile, Tyrone doesn't blame Fiz and is taking it all on himself. She's better off without him. Martyr much? Kirsty's done her job well. He's got absolutely no self esteem left. There's a lot of plot holes and unanswered questions. I guess we just have to wait and see if any of them are patched up.


David and Kylie are bereft without their telly. I absolutely loved Gail telling them all about bees, having learned about them on the documentary and pointedly drawing similarities between the queen bee and herself, keeping the hive alive. Back to Platt Towers, Gail has at least cooked for Max. But only for her and a small bowl of stew for Max. She's even writing her name on the eggs and confiscated the telly since she paid for it. David and Kylie are flummoxed. It's quite funny! Brilliant stuff!

I'm really loving Gail's attitude to David and Kylie and the house. It's not as easy as they thought. Now, technically, David and Kylie have not signed any papers yet, have they? Technically Gail still owns that house so is responsible for the boiler and any other issues. David and Kylie didn't have the right to move her into the box room so i suppose that's why she's taking her

Gail seems to think she can get off scot free. Does she have an official rent book? We also find out that Lewis has escaped to central America, Belize. David is away for a few days and when the cat's away, the mouse gets busted. Gail finds out that Lewis left a bunch of things in his flat and rather than Beth profit from selling it off, she reckons she should get the cash so Beth and Kirk bring over the last of it. At least she lets Kirk keep the nice overcoat! I wonder if that's going to become his signature piece of clothing like Jack Duckworth's camel hair coat that he inherited from his brother? Anyway. She finds an envelope in a pocket that has her bank details on it. She also finds a photo of Lewis and Audrey and the handwriting is not the same. Hmmmm.... A little detective work with the reservations book at the Bistro and Kylie's busted big time!

Roy is really worried about his mother and drags her destination out of Lloyd. Sylvia's secret? She's been visiting casinos! Busted! She did lie that she'd never been in a casino before. Beginner's luck that she'd won just as Roy showed up but Roy knows darn well she's been into it deeper than she's admitting. But she's not admitting. She's very defensive. Roy thinks Milton is to blame for Sylvia's gambling. I don't. She went to America and the casinos were there. If she already enjoyed a bet, it must have been easy to slip into the habit. Turns out it was a clash between Sylvia and Milton's daughter. She gambled to pay him back for money spent on her hip, lost and now she's intent on getting the money back.

Sudoku leads to gambling. Oh Roy! And all he has to do is count cards in his head and calculate the odds which he could do in his sleep! Roy thinks the casino should give Sylvia her money back and has a hand written spreadsheet to prove it! Wonderful! The casino doesn't see it that way. What's their solution? Let Roy gamble, too! Doh. They may regret that. Roy's got his dander up and he's roped Ken and Dennis in for practice. Dennis was tickled and Ken, ever the voice of caution, forecast the portent of doom.

Dennis is excited for Roy to fleece the casino. Ken of course is not. Sylvia just loves the excitement full stop. Why is counting cards wrong? If you can figure out the odds, why shouldn't you? Roy knows all the rules and he won't be back even if Sylvia is hoping he'll continue. Loved that Roy brought up Alec Gilroy and i had forgotten that Alec tried to get Roy to do a memory act.

Ah well at least Tim is sensitive to Anna, by dragging Faye back home when Anna called him. He seemed properly angry with Faye for it, too. He seems to be on the up and up and wants to know his daughter but not behind Anna's back and not take her away from him. Anna's worried Faye will get confused. I can't blame Anna for being wary about Tim.

Owen has absolutely nothing to do with Faye, legally. He's not even married to Anna let alone Faye's adoptive father. When it comes down to it, Anna has the last say. She saw Tim as a threat and he could be. Someone talked to the social services and it was Tim, voicing concerns about Owen. I think if i was Tim, I'd be concerned too. He *is* volatile and he is a bully. Faye does have a right to see her father, even if it's under supervision at first so Anna is making the effort and Owen isn't happy. So much for supporting her.

But as much as Faye could get confused, her rebellious attitude towards Anna and Owen is going to turn the tables. Possibly it's the best thing to let father and daughter get to know each other. Supervised visits. You gotta start somewhere and it might be better to have them under your eye until you're more sure of the man. Owen really does get too heavy handed and his temper gets away with him too easily.

Owen just proceeded to prove exactly how volatile he can be. Just because he wasn't expecting Tim under his roof doesn't mean he's allowed to lose his temper and holler threats. Owen says Tim wound him up. He didn't do much of anything. Owen doesn't need any instigation to be wound up and Tim sees him as out of control. I see Tim hasn't heard that Owen already has slapped Faye. If he had, he'd have Faye out of there lickety split and his assessment of Owen was spot on. Owen isn't willing to hear reason from Izzy and Gary easily.

Finally, Anna has ground rules, supervision and contact through her. Owen did apologize but didn't like Anna's decision. Anna's feeling threatened herself, scared she will lose Faye and knows Owen is a threat to that. Faye has overheard so you know darn well she's going to use it and start stirring up trouble, hoping Owen will lose his rag again. Anna and Owen finally make up after that last row but Faye isn't best pleased that Owen gets to mind her for part of the day. Now how can we get into more trouble? Turns out Tim has lost his job and will probably have to move away. That will never do. She overhears Jason putting a card in the window at the Kabin to get a new builder. Can you see where this is going?

Mandy really has a knot in her face over Sophie. I can't blame her really, she sees Jenna's career in the toilet and blames Sophie. Jenna is at loose ends, no job, and the finances are getting tight. I thought she owned her house not rented? That seems to be changed so that she can easily move out and in with Lloyd and Mandy. Jenna has moved in and Mandy digs out a dirty old box that appears to have a tortoise named Flash in it. You'd think she'd put it in a nicer box. Apparently they hibernate in winter. But here's the thing...Lloyd remembers it and Mandy says he's nearly 15. Yet, Lloyd hadn't seen Mandy in 28 or 29 years, since before Jenna was born, how could he possibly remember she had it?! maybe i misheard and she said 50? Well, that rubbish looking box fools Steve and Steve gathers it up to chuck in the skip because Lloyd is clearing out some extra stuff to make room for Jenna's things and the rest of Mandy's from Jenna's house.

Gloria's back with an aging fiance in tow. He's minted, too and it looks like Gloria's basking in the glow of that rock on her finger. Meanwhile Eva's feeling low. Crap job, no man, no money. What's a girl to do? Stella's not best pleased to see Golden Glo back, though, not after that last visit. Gloria's not worried, she knows she can get round Stella.

Katy finally has friends and is hanging out with them. They all drool over Ryan but Katy is all.."What? him???" Now, of course, that she knows he's crush=worthy, what do you think is going to happen? Three guesses and the first two don't count. Speaking of Ryan, he's going to start doing DJ gigs with a stipend from his mother to get some gear. The actress that plays Tina really needs to lay off the sun tanning. She's unrealistically orange these days. The actress that plays Faye is growing up leaps and bounds and it's getting hard to accept the character is only 10 when the actress is clearly a couple of years older!

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Saturday, 2 March 2013

Woman, Stanley, Woman!

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

It being Valentine's Day in Weatherfield recently got me thinking about romantic, fluffy stuff in Weatherfield and then I quickly realised there wasn't much to speak of. Even though I know it's all fictitious, i think it's a shame they can't portray more happiness in Coronation Street.


Most couples in Corrie are separated into two different categories. There are those who lurch  from one outrageous disaster to the next (Nick and Leanne; David and Kylie; Peter and Carla; Steve and whoever). 

And there are those who just seem to exist together because it's comfortable and despite faults on both sides, they're well and truly stuck with each other. Yes, that's you Ken and Deirdre Barlow! Normally when couples get together in Coronation Street and enjoy happy times or good fortune you know something disastrous is just around the corner. 

Yes, I hear you cry! A consistently happy couple in Weatherfield would be tedious, dull and boring. I guess that is true, but I would love a bit of long lasting happiness for some of our Corrie couples for a change. Or at least a few more couples managing to fight through their troubles and stick together regardless. Too many break ups and musical beds, oh powers that be!

So who have been the happiest couples in Weatherfield in the past? Looking back, one couple stand out above all others. Stan and Hilda Ogden. Together on screen for twenty years, they never had much of anything and Stan was forever driving poor Hilda up the wall. However there was a strong bond between them that was only broken by Stan's death. There were never any huge romantic gestures between the two of them, but there were often touching moments and you knew they would never be apart. Similarly Jack and Vera Duckworth, very much the Ogdens' successors, shared an often unspoken love for each other which could be both touching and heartbreaking.
Are there any couples to rival the Ogdens or the Duckworths today? Probably the closest thing to enduring happiness on the cobbles today is the relationship between Roy and Hayley Cropper, however this image has now been tarnished as we know the partnership is to come to an end. I had hoped Audrey and Lewis would settle down long term, but sadly both the writers and Nigel Havers' pantomime commitments got in the way. No, for me there is one clear stand out happy couple in Weatherfield today - Rita and Dennis Tanner. 

I loved the touching story of Rita and Dennis finding each other after so many years. Although we don't see as much of them together as I would like, I think both characters have gelled and I love the idea of Rita being a Tanner after all her history with Elsie. I hope Rita and Dennis have a good few years together. So please writers, don't follow the pattern of Rita's previous partners. That means no motorway crashes on the way back from visiting a mistress. No Blackpool trams. No brain tumours. And finally, please don't turn Dennis into Alec Gilroy!

So do you think there should be more happiness on the cobbles? Who do you think are the happiest couples in Weatherfield? 

I'm off to watch Stan and Hilda on their second honeymoon back in 1977. What could be better - a bottle of champagne, chocolate mouse and a borrow of Rita Fairclough's best nightie...

"What's that lipstick taste of?" All together now...


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Would you shop in Weatherfield?

(This post was originally posted by Clinkers (David) on the Coronation Street Blog November 2012, reposted to this blog with permission.)

On the now fabled Coronation Street Blog Towers day trip to the land of the cobbles a few weeks ago, I pondered in front of the vacant shop that was once Elliot's butcher's emporium. Notice the word vacant. Aside from Kirk-eh and his turk-eh, the premises have remained unused and unloved since Ashley departed. Presumably, master criminal Clare is still the legal, in an illegal way, owner. Maybe that's why the shop has never re-opened.

It got me thinking though, as the snow swirled around. Here in the UK there has been a big push to rejuvenate the nation's high streets and get small shops back up and running again. It seems unlikely that Mary Portas is going to lend a hand, so I had a wander around my locality and offer the following ideas to Weatherfield Council.

Shoe repairs - horribly old-fashioned but important in cash-strapped Britain. Maybe Jason could retrain as a cobbler.

Chinese herbalist - this would probably mean bringing Graham Proctor's wife back. Yes, I've forgotten her name too . . . Or Becky. She was good with 'herbs'.

A computer software shop - OK, I don't predict many show-stopping storylines here. "There's worry for Audrey this week when her ink cartridge runs out".

Stationery printing - now this could be good! Nice, cottage-industry stuff, employing a few locals - maybe Gail as a manager, Chesney operating the equipment, Mary on sales . . . It might work.

An opticians - limited storylines again unless everyone suddenly developed serious eye strain on a weekly basis. Front of house would, of course, be Deirdre modelling the latest style every day.

A funeral director - well, Archie might be a bit old for this game now but maybe Tommy Duckworth could be trained up. He usually looks glum anyway and would be a dab hand fixing a dodgy hearse. Dealing with the business end of things, Tracy of course. She's good with flowers and knows a thing or two about death.

Maybe a 'no' though to charity shops - remember Emily ran one years ago with a frightening old biddy called Ruby? Hardware stockists are probably a bad idea too. Sally Webster, three watering cans and a wheelbarrow does not a business make.

What should occupy the Elliot shop then? Is there a glaring omission in Corrie's mercantile world? What shopping experience do the good folk of Weatherfield need?



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Friday, 1 March 2013

Conversation Street podcast episode 29

Gemma and Michael's podcast for the episodes in Canada that aired up to last night can be heard here. Don't worry, they don't do spoilers so you won't hear anything you don't want to!

This week Michael and Gemma talk about Tyrone and Fiz, Faye, Owen and Anna and Sylvia's gambling problems. Their classic character profile this week, in celebration of Valentine's Day, is Stan and Hilda Ogden.


You can also subscribe to them on iTunes, Like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter (@conversationstr).

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Corrie Canada sneak previews March 4 - 8

Without further ado, here's a brief run down of next week's Coronation Street on Canadian Screens:


Gail's got Kylie right where she wants her. Kylie falls apart and the falls down. Gail later finds out the whole truth. Will she tell David? Gloria's fiance Eric becomes quickly disillusioned and has a proprosition for Eva. Will she take him up on it? 

Flash the tortoise meets an unfortunate fate and Lloyd tries to cover. Will Mandy find out her beloved pet was binned? Faye is happy that Tim is in her life but Owen and Anna aren't and the tension is mounting. Katy hangs out with friends who all drool over Ryan. Katy says "Ryan who?" but will her interest be piqued?


For more detail and photos, see the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net



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Alec Gilroy and Roy Cropper's card counting skills

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

This week in Coronation Street, there was a blast to the past mentioned when Roy told his mum Sylvia he wasn't going to cash in at the casino for her again, after winning back her money using his card counting skills.

"You're worse than Alec Gilroy," he told her.

For those who would like an explanation, here we go. For those who can remember, cast your mind back to December 1996.  Alec Gilroy, always on the look-out for money making 'turns' he could put on the stage to make money from, thought he'd spotted in Roy Cropper the chance to make a bit of dosh by acting as Roy's agent and signing him up as a novely act after Roy displayed some unusual skills in the Rovers Return.

With help from corrie.net, we know that Alec was interested in Roy's "miracle memory" when he  memorised the classified ads of the local paper and with that talent had found Gary Mallett a specific bike advert. However, Roy wasn't interested in what Alec had to say, but this didn't stop Alec from pressing Roy to display his memory talents to all and sundry in the cafe.

Roy was not prepared to play to an audience and displayed no interest in any of Alec's offers.  But Alec would not be put off and badgered poor Roy because Alec knew that will Roy's unusual memory ability, he would be able to put him on in the clubs and make some dosh from his skills.  

Mild-mannered Roy was faced with something of a dilemma as Alec didn't take no for an answer when it came to a business proposition. Roy asked Deirdre for advice about what Alec was like as a person and whether or not dealing with him would be wise. Roy revealed he didn't want the fame and fortune Alec offered as his memory skills were something of a tainted gift. He revealed he had been the member of a quiz team once and as a result he had become disliked and distrusted because he always got the questions correct.

And so as Alec chased Roy in his quest to turn him into Weatherfield's latest star, Roy decided to get his own back on Alec for giving him such a hard time. Roy invited Alec back to his flat to speak about his business proposition, the flat was very dark and eerie and soon Alec began to look a tad unnerved. Roy played in Alec's fear and pretended to seek the advice from his dead aunt in choosing whether or not he should seek fame and fortune with Alec. The practical joke worked like a charm and Alec fled from Roy's flat suitably perturbed.

And speaking of Alec Gilroy's novelty acts, anyone remember Shadow and Son?



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