What would you ask the Coronation Street producer?

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

Coronation Street producer Stuart Blackburn is giving an interview to Digital Spy soaps later this month.

And you can send in your question for Stuart, which may get asked when they do the interview.

In past interviews, Mr. B. has said this about his vision for the future of our favourite show:

"My vision of Corrie is really simple. The first episode wasn’t whimsical, it wasn’t a comedy, it wasn’t a nostalgic love-fest. It was gripping urban drama done on popular television for the very first time. It was kind of revolutionary – the lives, loves and aspirations of the working classes. What I want Corrie to do is retain that wit, the warmth and optimism."

Submit your question here.  I've submitted mine already!

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Does Corrie feel more like Corrie again?

(This post was originally posted by Graeme N (edited to remove a spoiler) on the Coronation Street Blog in June 2013.)

Have you ever wondered what might happen on your average Sunday afternoon in Weatherfield? I can only speculate of course, however I see it all unfolding something like this...

Norris Cole nervously eyes up poor old Emily as she struggles through another portion of Mary's roly poly pudding. Norris, suddenly aware that our Emily has appeared in Coronation Street since January 1961, realises she may not be around forever and frets about his own future in the show. Emily's demise threatens the return of  Geoffrey "Spider" Nugent - calm down Flaming Nora! Even more of a worry, it dawns on Norris that he may have to explore the vulnerability that lies behind the malicious frontage we've come to know and loathe.

Over at the cafe, Royston has spent another night hiding on the floor behind his pinny trying to catch out nasty Beth. Poor Roy stands no chance against this alarming CIlla/Janice concoction. If Les Battersby was still around, he'd think all his Christmases had come at once. Roy must also battle through this slightly bizarre yet wonderful storyline, giving the magnificent Croppers some much needed airtime.

Back on the Street, the unpleasant mob that is the Windass/Armstrong clan queue up to take turns at smacking selfish Tina Mac in the face. It might not get them their money back, but by gum it is satisfying, both for them and for us. Tommeh D watches from Rita's chintzy living room of mismatched soft furnishings, panicking that he may have to utter the words "breast feeding" during Monday night's double bill.

Of course young Katy Armstrong is not present in the long line of Windass/Armstrong slappers as she has her own boring storyline to concentrate on. Ah yes, how to fit Steve, Michelle, Ryan, herself and that baby into the smelly kebab shop flat and conjure up interesting stories. The writing was on the wall for Katy that fateful morning when she woke up bright orange. Weatherfield history shows this to be downward spiral of unbelievable stories and unwatchable melodrama.

In all seriousness, I've really started to enjoy Corrie of late. I think there has been a marked improvement in a lot of what has played out on screen. Deirdre has become watchable again. The Croppers have come back to the fore, with Sylvia proving an integral part of this. I love all the stuff with the Platts, even if David's reaction to Nick and Kylie's deception is a bit like Groundhog Day. I even loved Emily's modest return to our screens after too long an absence. And I hope Sinead Tinker is here to stay.

Yes, there are still things I don't like - Eileen's recent storyline has been hard to watch and I can't wait for the surrogacy nonsense to come to an end. However, I don't know if it's just me, but Corrie just feels more like Corrie again.

Do you agree?

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Corrie's best dad

(This post was originally posted by Stevie Dawson on the Coronation Street Blog in June 2013.)

Last month, we thanked our Dads, Stepdads, Dad-in-laws and Granddads for all they do for us, and in many cases we spare a moment for those no longer with us. On Coronation Street there are a great number of children, all who have very different relationships with their fathers, but which of these do you think could be described as ‘Corrie’s Best Dad?’ Let's have a look at the contenders.

Steve McDonald – Steve has many faults but being a father is probably not one of them. Amy has been subject to much to-ing and fro-ing between Steve and Tracy, and as a result can be a little madam at times, but on the whole Steve puts Amy first and is a good dad.

Dev Alahan – It has been a difficult time for Dev as a parent following Sunita’s death and we’ve seen a lot more of Asha and Aadi since the Rovers fire. Dev has been tormented by wanting to protect them from the truth of the fire, but also preserving their mother’s memory. He’s had a few crazy moments in recent weeks but the kids know they are loved and apart from a few playground scrapes, they seem to be well behaved and haven't been too scarred by recent events. Leaving the children with Mad Mary didn’t seem to be the best idea at first but she seems to be providing much-needed support to a family in mourning.

Owen Armstrong – Pushy Owen lives for his girls and you know he will always be there for them when it matters. He does however have a tendency to let his temper get the better of him and this can create friction between him and his two grown-up daughters. But s a single Dad it must have been difficult bringing up two girls. He has also been heavily involved in the bringing up of Anna’s adopted daughter Faye, and you can tell he cares, but has he let his emotions get the better of him with her too?

Peter Barlow – One would instinctively look back to the fire which almost killed Peter and Simon and immediately conclude that Peter couldn’t possibly be the best dad on The Street. Peter has struggled with alcohol addiction and as such he reluctantly gave Leanne custody of this son not too long ago, so it is clear Peter has tried to put his young son’s wellbeing first.

Other dads on Coronation Street include Sean, whose baby son lives in London, Ken, who has a turbulent relationship with Tracy, and of course Kevin, who we haven’t seen for some time and who is father to Rosie and Sophie.  Each has a very different style of parenting and it seems those who have girls seem to struggle at times understanding the needs of their daughters as they grow up. New dad Tyrone has gone through the trauma of finding out his first child wasn’t his, and now dotes on the child he has with Kirsty, and he appears to have made a good start at parenting now he has the child he always wanted.

It’s difficult to decide who Corrie’s best dad is, they all have their strong points and substantial weaknesses - who would you vote for?
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Conversation Street Podcast 47

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 discuss David finding out about Nick and Kylie's secret and there's more chat about the surrogacy and Roy's cafe ghost. The character profile is about a classic character, Martha Longhurst which spurs a further discussion on the other world.


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




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Sneak Preview for Canadian Corrie, July 8 - 12

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

Tina makes a surprising decision. David's campaign to get revenge on Nick is underway. Roy goes for a midnight stroll. The cafe "ghost" is discovered. Faye's home alone. Nurse Norris mithers Emily.
For more detail and photos, see the Moosejaw Mercury at Corrie.net




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When Corrie characters just don't work

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

Now then, Gloria turned out to be not so glorious after all.

For many Corrie fans the writing was on the wall from day one. Who was this spiteful interloper, this bo-ho battle-axe? There was never a chance to warm to Gloria simply because there was nothing for us to cheer for.

A mean-mouthed mother of a character no one really liked. None of this is the fault of the superb Sue Johnston. She simply worked with what she was given. For UK viewers, familiar with Sue's sterling work in Channel 4 soap Brookside, and long-running BBC comedy The Royle Family, it was a real disappointment.

Of course, it isn't the first time that a cobbles character has failed to gel. Between us we could probably name enough to stretch from the Red Rec to the Weathy Arms but here's a few of my own top flops:

Amy Burton

Played by Fanny Carby, Amy was ushered in as Vera's mother towards the end of 1987. Generally loud, uncouth and a poor replacement for Hilda Ogden, Amy was eventually uncovered as a petty thief and booted out of the Street forever. We didn't miss her.

The Clayton Family

If ever a bunch of characters made you want to scream out "wrong!" then these were the bunch to do it. Tedious trumpet playing milkman, gruff unsympathetic wife, dull-as-ditch water daughter who had an improbable liaison with Terry Duckworth. Oh and there was another daughter but who cared? Not the viewers. After some old nonsense about a frock and the bay-beh storyline, it was goodbye.

Debs Brownlow

Natalie Barnes' hair-dressing sister bored us rigid with her unconvincing 'eeh-bah-gum' accent. Memorable for 'nowt', she was cut and blown from Weatherfield with Natalie's Geordie barman.

Lauren Wilson

She lasted barely six months and that was possibly five months too many. Nothing about this grim barmaid worked and it was with no regret whatsoever that we waved her off on holiday to Spain where Sean Tully left her.

Ravi Desai

The long-forgotten former Corner Shop owner who was forever referring to Rita as 'dear lady' and generally being creepy. He disappeared overnight and returned to India . . . and was immediately replaced by the unique Dev Alahan.

Just a handful of those who maybe did not shine as brightly as anticipated. Which other characters brightened up Weatherfield by simply packing their bags and leaving?



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Corrie cast glam up 50s style for Simon Gregson charity night

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

Simon Gregson, who plays Steve McDonald in Coronation Street, hosted a 1950s themed charity event for the charities Proud and Loud Arts and Scotty's Little Solders, of which Simon is patron.

The charity event was themed ‘Gregson’s Diner’ and held at the Palace Hotel in Manchester.

Leading the way was Simon and wife Emma as Grease’s famous couple Danny and Sandy.  The Manchester Evening News has a picture gallery of some of the Corrie cast turning up for the charity night, well worth a look.

The event helped to raise thousands of pounds for two charities close to Simon and Emma’s hearts, Proud and Loud Arts and Scotty’s Little Soldiers.



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Corrie A-Z: F is for Families

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


While most soap operas put much emphasis on families, Corrie is a soap that has always been known for its individual characters. Characters like Elsie, Ena, Rita and Bet became popular despite not having any close family ties. Truth be told, it is only in recent times that a family unit has become used on the cobbles.

 

While Corrie hasn’t been big on families, the Barlow family has been a constant presence throughout the years from the original Barlow setup of Frank, Ida, Ken and David to the present scenario of Ken, Deirdre, Peter, Carla, Simon, Tracy and Amy. Past family members include Valerie, Susan, Uncle Albert, Irma, Janet and Blanche.

 

Another long-standing family unit is the Tilsley/Platt saga. Formed upon Brian marrying Gail in 1979, the family has seen members come and go. The present Tilsley/Platt family include Gail, Nick, David, Kylie, Max and Audrey. Past members include Brian, Ivy, Bert, Alf, Sarah Lou, Don, Martin, Bethany, Richard, Todd, Jason, Joe and Tina. In recent years, the Platt and Barlow families have often been seen clashing.

 

The Webster family are also a long-time fixture on the cobbles, having originated back in 1986 when Kevin married Sally. Rosie was born in 1990 and Sophie four years later. Both Kevin and Sally have strayed and have twice divorced but always end up together somehow. Kevin’s dad Bill and his fiancée Pam Hobsworth are also recurring members of the Webster family unit.

 

Other families over the years include the Baldwins, the Duckworths, the Walkers, the Alahans, the Ogdens, the McDonalds, the Windasses-Armstongs-Browns and the Peacocks.

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Behind the scenes at Corrie cliff-top cliff-hanger

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

This week in Coronation Street, David learned the truth about Kylie's baby. He plans on suicide but settles on revenge.  Anyway, while he's contemplating ending his life, on Wednesday 19 June, the scenes we'll see of David on a cliff-top were filmed at Tegg's Nose.

Cheshire Today reports that Corrie filmed at Tegg’s Nose Country Park, near Macclesfield.

The hill at Tegg’s Nose proved to be the ideal spot for the film crew, who spent the day with Cheshire East Council’s ranger service to ensure filming went smoothly.



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Tina's surrogate baby – legal and ethical considerations

A guest post by Coronation Street Blog reader Hannah Warder (@HannahWarder)

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

The baby Jake (or should we say “Joe”) storyline on Coronation Street is currently in full flow, and it is getting more dramatic with each episode. It’s hardly surprising when the topic is so sensitive; parents everywhere are able to relate to the heartache that everyone involved would be experiencing if it was a real life event. As a viewer, it is possible to see many sides of the story and argument. Here is what we can gather from each character by what has been shown so far.

Tina: As the surrogate for the baby, Tina spent a number of months experiencing all of the highs and lows of pregnancy, something that clearly affected her emotionally. When the baby was actually born, she soon realised how much she wanted to be his mother. She is so wrapped up in her love for the baby that she cannot part with it, despite knowing that it isn’t genetically hers.

Gary: As the biologically father to the baby boy, Gary wants to have him signed over to him and Izzy as soon as possible. When Tina said she was going to keep the baby, Gary was angry and upset. He believes that Tina isn’t thinking straight and is being purposely vindictive; she won’t let them see the baby, she has renamed the baby, and she plans on raising it (with the help of Tommy).

Izzy: Poor old Izzy felt left out during the pregnancy as she wasn’t able to contribute fully during the antenatal classes due to her disability. She felt as though Gary was enjoying the experience more than she was (and perhaps she was right as Gary did indeed try it on with Tina during a moment of madness) so she was very happy when the baby was born, even though he was premature. It was already emotional for Izzy, and that was before Tina decided that she was going to keep the baby.

What is the ethical resolution?

The story is a complicated one, but most people would agree that the baby belongs to Gary and Izzy. People may say that the situation was flawed in the first place due to paying Tina to be the surrogate, but once a life had been created with the genes of both Gary and Izzy, the baby is biologically theirs.

Tina was due to sign off parental responsibility to the couple in the hospital, but since refusing to do this, she has been quite public with her decision. People now know she has changed the baby’s name from “Jake” to “Joe”, and has banned Gary and Izzy from visiting the baby in the hospital. The situation could get even more complicated if Tina ends up bringing the baby home to the street where his biological mum and dad could see him each and every day, but not get the chance to engage and interact with him.

I think that the best resolution from an ethical point of view would be for people to speak to Tina about the situation, whilst taking into account the emotional attachment she must feel. It may be difficult for her to let Jake go, but she would be able to access healthcare services for therapy or counselling.

What is the legal resolution?

I’ve been reading about family law on some other blogs and websites too. The section about family law on Ramsdens’ website (1) shows that there are many types of issues that can arise when the custody of children is in question, and it seems that specialist solicitors are important for getting a resolution. Tina knows that her legal battle could be expensive, which is why she is keeping the money that Owen (Izzy’s dad) gave to her for being the surrogate. Although it has just come to light that Rita would like to pay the legal fees instead so we’ll have to see what comes of this.

Another blogger (2) has said: “There is supposed to be a court hearing now. Whether we’ll get that far is another question. Will Tina give in? Will the judge say, “Sorry, the law is clear. She can keep the baby’.” This remains to be seen, but it would be interesting to see how true to life the story would be if this did happen. However, I think most parties would prefer a resolution out of court.

Coronation Street returns on Friday when Tina wonders if she's made the right decision in keeping baby Joe as she struggles to breastfeed him (3)... tune in to see what happens! What do you think the best resolution would be?

Resources:

Thank you to the following websites who made this blog post possible.
1)    Family Mediation solicitors on Ramsdens.co.uk
2)    The Moral Choice blog post
3)    Coronation Street Episode Guide on TVguide.co.uk.



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Pics: Corrie cast glam up for Brooke Vincent's 21st party

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

Brooke Vincent, who plays Coronation Street's Sophie Webster, turned 21 this week.

 And last night there was a birthday bash to which a lot of the Corrie cast turned up.

Michael Le Vell, who plays Brooke's on-screen dad Kevin Webster, was there too. 

And our blogger Sunny Jim says: "I see that Sue Devaney was there. Does this herald a return for Sophie's Auntie Debbie? Probably just wishful thinking."

Have a look at all the pictures, all the frocks and fashion faux-pas at the Mail Online.



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When the Weatherfield Gazette gets it wrong

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

Anyone else notice the prop error on Coronation Street last night? When Tracy and Beth were taking the mick out of Roy in the Rovers on Monday 17th June, in the second episode, there was a copy of the Weatherfield Gazette in the pub with a headline that was ever so wrong.

"Locals tough on on rubbish" the front page headlines scream

Has Fred Elliott become the new Weatherfield Gazette editor? I say has he?



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Happy Canada Day/Bonne Fête du Canada!

Hope everyone has a great day! Celebrate our fabulous country. It's one of the top countries to live in!


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Corrie Canada Weekly Awards for June 24 - 28

Obsession award: Dev is following the right track but it's taking over his life, too.

Pants on Fire award: Paul pretended he wasn't at the fire but the child he saved came to thank him.

Gene pool award: Tina reckons just because the baby shares a few genes with his parents doesn't make him theirs. Yes. it does. There's no Tina genes in Jake at all.

Lullaby award: Maybe Eileen should try counting sheep?

Taking the PI$$ award:  (see what I did there? ;) Oh, the toilet jokes at Tracy's expense!

Modern Art award: Anna is the Jackson Pollock of the griddle.

Science vs Philosophy: Roy was brilliant, explaining the components of the Earth vs. the imaginary Heaven!

Big Mistake award: Dev noticed Karl's gloves. Karl said he had exema. That's lame and very easy to prove wrong.

Throwback to the 80s: Gloria imagines Deirdre with a perm. We were hoping to forget that look! An Image I'd rather forget: Sylvia singing Bony M's Rivers of Babylon in the bath.

Cooking lesson award: Soup boils...soup spoils. Is that true?

Deer caught in the headlights award: Ryan is getting backed into a corner very fast. I have no sympathy.

Lines of the week:
Izzy "This can't be happening"
Audrey again, to Maria "You're like a hamster running around a wheel driving us all mad with the same squeak, squeak, squeak" Maria "Is that the hamster or the wheel?" (Maria. Clues. None.)
Peter "I guess they didn't want to spend a penny" Deirdre "Are you all right Tracy? You look a bit flushed"
Marcus "I would no sooner look at another bloke than you would"
David "What's this? Musical statues?"
Sylvia "Who was it then? the Ketchup fairy?"
Stella "I want dull... predictable..." (look in the mirror, love)
Gail "It was just 20 things to do with olives!" (Ha! Olives rearing their heads again!)
Roy "Nobody has died here and I find this app business ludicrous"
Gary "You've changed our baby's name?" Deirdre "Named after her bonkers father, from the sounds of it"
Sylvia "Mind games they call it. It's not his cafe they've broken into, it's his head"


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New tribute to Corrie opens in Manchester garden centre

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

The Daisy Nook garden centre in Failsworth, Manchester is a garden centre with a difference. Not only does it have an enviable reputation for friendly staff and knowledgeable advice, they offer everything from plants and pots to water features and fish, from gifts and furniture to chimeneas and sheds.

And now they offer something very special for Coronation Street fans.

For some time Daisy Nook has run tours from the garden centre visiting filming locations used by Coronation Street and shoppers may have bumped into some of the cast there as they’re suppliers to many of them. 

Now, Daisy Nook have added a range of official Coronation Street merchandise including bags, mugs and coasters – and they’ve put together an exhibition of Corrie memorabilia including costumes worn on the show, props, mementoes and much more!  It’s open every day and is free!

The unofficial exhibition of Corrie items was opened this week by two Corrie favourites, and the picture above shows owner Mark Llewllin with Jennie McAlpine and Graeme Hawley (Fiz and John Stape) at the event.

So if you're in Failsworth, why not pop in to the Daisy Nook garden centre?

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