Cosy crimes and gritty sagas by Corrie Blog editor Glenda, published by Headline. Click pic below!

Sunday 10 July 2011

Corrie Producer demands Coronation Street shake-up

Corrie Producer Phil Collinson is reported in The Sunday People today as having called an emergency script team meeting and ordered writers to "pull their fingers out or risk losing millions of viewers".

The paper says that in a table-thumping session he demanded fresh storylines for the characters he considers to be ­“urgently in need of attention”. Viewing figures have sunk to 7.7 million – down from the 11.5 million in January, ­shortly after the ­dramatic tram crash. And the paper reveals that Stella Price, husband Karl and their ­daughter Eva are on his list of those already in ­danger of losing their appeal.

Chesney and Katy Armstrong were also ­highlighted as desperately in need of vibrant new storylines. Scriptwriters were asked to come up with new plans for Gail and Nick . Sean Tully and Marcus Dent will see their relationship under threat in the coming months. Collinson wants to sort out how the relationship will go. The fraught meeting at the ITV1 studios also saw Collinson demand “fresh” storylines for Norris Cole, Mary Taylor, and Roy and Hayley Cropper. The producer also suggested a change in direction for former soldier Gary Windass and girlfriend Izzy Armstrong.

You can read the full story here.

53 comments:

anna said...

Go Phil!!!! He's definitely doing the right thing!!! :)

Anonymous said...

Hold on. Collinson was the one who brought in -disastrously - Michelle Collins's Stella and her dodgy accent and family. He should be haranguing himself! Show appears to be turning into a shouty and camp mixture of EastEnders and Hollyoaks at the moment.No wonder it's losing viewers.

Frosty the Snowman said...

Exactly, this has all happened under Phil's watch. Every Corrie webboard has been complaining about the writing for months! I think that there are far too many characters now and the emphasis is on a handful while others get sidelined - we get another story with the dreadful shouty Sophie next week when Amber returns and yet Dennis Tanner is ignored. Someone should be sacked for that crime alone! Stella should have been established on her own, instead of bringing the dire Eva as well. Karl is OK but is just a spare part. Now yet another character is coming in as Tyrone's girlfriend - the axe needs to fall - Maria, Kirk, Gail (sorry there is nowhere else for her to go), Becky, Pointless Mark, Katie need to go.

Anonymous said...

I agree I love Corrie but this year has been a disaster. I rarely watch it. What happened to the bit of humour. Did the John character and get Fiz out of prison (what are you doing?). Stop the shouting and fighting. People want to relax at night if they want mindless shouting they can watch eastenders and if the want murder there is CSI.

Tvor said...

Here it is in a nutshell:
Bad: Graeme and Xin dragged things down for months. Tracy Barlow - send her away. Tommy Duckworth - pointless. Stella et all: ok but over hyped so it's a let down. Dennis Tanner - use him or lose him!

good: I've enjoyed David and Kylie and winding up Gail. I enjoyed the Stape saga.

Anonymous said...

sorry it should have been ditch John snape! I agree - Tracy and Tommy too - pointless. And random mothers coming out of the woodwork what is that about. deary me...

Blackie Bird said...

I agree that some characters are way over used to past saturation point - Becky for example, when they found she was a popular character we got her non-stop until most of us cannot wait for her to leave, same with Fiz, every episode she is whining away and again we are sick of her. Also why keep allowing people to return - Kym Marsh for example - Michelle has no place in the Street any longer. Interesting to see if it picks up in the future.

Beth said...

Yes, Frosty, couldn't agree more. Can I add Cheryl, her son and Maria's boyfriend Chris to the list?

It made me laugh in fact. Mr Collinson has been so very smug in all his interviews championing his stories and saying how terrific it's all going and the viewers are all in for a treat blah blah blah.... Well the viewing figures have shown that the programme is in mega decline. The figures in fact were up after the crash, so he should hang his head some more! Yes, he did celebrate the 50th in style in fairness, but if he doesn't pull it together does he want it on his head that he ruined the longest and best running soap during his reign too... Best get a wiggle on Phil!
(BTW, he should have come to these blogs a long time back, it's what we've been saying all this time, we'd have saved him a lot of agro :))

Millie Vanilly said...

I think the decline started when the dreadful Tracy Barlow came back after the ludicrous quashing of her murder conviction. She was never a popular character or a good actress yet Phil Collinson extended her contract. Too much nastiness with no real goodness or likeability in any of the characters apart from perhaps Emily, Rita, Ken and Dierdre - the older ones. Where is the humour that Corrie was famous for with the juxtaposing of drama and comedy? Its just one sensationalist story after another, each one less credible than the last. Why also do we have to know what happens weeks in advance? I know I read the spoilers but there could have been a build up to Stella being Leanne's real mum but there is no suspense or surprise, now Ken's grandson is to beat him up and try and steal his house. Newsflash THIS IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT. Corrie has really gone down the pan, everyone is saying it, the critics, the webboards, change the writers and the producer as well.

Dilly Daydream said...

They just need a new producer - Phil Collinson has been the problem, IMO. The rise or fall of the show lays firmly at his feet.

Humpty Dumpty said...

They were only going to take notice when the viewing figures went down. It was always the received wisdom that 'you might hate the character, but you keep watching' meant the show was doing something right. In the end, fans got so hacked off, they stopped hating and started yawning. If Phil Collinson has such a problem getting good stories, I propose we have a Corrie Convention, write our own stories and send them to Phil in a trunk. It's got to be an improvement on what he's got at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Sick of seeing Becky McDonald and she has always spoilt Corrie for me. She was okay at first, but then her character line has gone from good to bad. Sick of seeing her smoking too, which should NOT be showen on TV soaps. Maybe the government should be involved with smoking banned on our soaps?

Anonymous said...

Mysterious stranger turns up with an "I'm yer Mother" storyline. How often has THAT been done in soaps. Done to death more like. And therein lies the problem. Where is the innovation? The strong comedy NORTHERN characters that were Corrie's backbone? You need to care about the characters. To identify with them. To laugh at and with them. To be honest, when it's not being nasty or totally unrealistic, Corrie is just plain boring with odd flashes of humour and funny interplay now and then - mainly between the older character actors.
Northern humour is droll, dry and pointed. I am afraid much of my beloved Coronation Street now is by turns hackneyed and sensationalist. New ideas and fresh blood is urgently needed. It's no use thumping the table Mr. C. The buck must stop at the top. Bring back the characters - and the Northern comedy. (I wonder what Tony Warren makes of it all?)

Anonymous said...

Nothing personal against Katherine Kelly, but I do not like to watch Coronation Street when she appears as Becky McDonald, and I always put the remote on 'mute' and turn away (normally I only always do this with adverts), but out of many years of watching Coronation Street, that is the first time the mute button has been used with that soap as normaslly, I have NEVER wanted to miss a single word from any cast during each half hour. The way she acts especially in the bar, the way she calls people like Aimes (Amy) or Hayles (Hayley) etc, just grinds on me. Every episode shows her smoking, and this is like advertising to the tobacco companies and also to both youngsters, or any age, or even for those people who are either trying or have given up smoking to actually smoke and copy her. The quicker she goes the better, but I must admit, I am not very impressed with the way Coronation Street has removing some of their main cast. I do not think that Ashley or Claire should have left, as well as others similar. Since this new producer, Coronation Street is just going from bad to worse well, maybe I really should say from 'GOOD' to worse, and no wonder the viewing figures are going down. Maybe I would enjoy it more if the writers stopped using cigarettes during each episode, and if the camera operator stopped following people around and used more than one camera.

Anonymous said...

The axe should fall on the following:-
Marc - (Audrey's friend)
Nick Tilsley
Gail- (like someone else said- no where else for her to go)
Tracy and Amy Barlow
Lloyd
Cheryl, Chris & Russ
Maria
Becky McDonald
Sean Tully
Stella, Karl and Eva

and give fresh and exciting stories
to The Alahan's, The Cropper's
Sylvia Goodwin, Dennis Tanner, Emily Bishop , Mary Taylor and Anna Windass to name a few.
also develop the character of Brian Packham, maybe pairing him with Julie Carp, that would be a classic corrie couple!! I know she has been unwell recently and is getting on abit! but give Betty a light enjoyable story, instead of it just being revolving around hotpots!, love to see her sister Maggie or Gordon come back for a storyline with her.

Anonymous said...

I did not know that there was somewhere to write about Corrie like this page, until I came across it today (Sunday, 10th July) while viewing something about News of the World. However, please bring back Kym Marsh as she was exceptional and better than watching those in the bar now (apart from Steve and Betty). Mind you I must say, that I am not as 'glued' to steve McDonald for watching as I used to before he met Becky. If anyone is to leave, please get rid of the amatuer camera team is I am fed up of trying to watch Corrie, and the camera team moving the camera around them several times, or going from one person to another. If they used a tripod stand, it would improve the photography. This is like someone who is practising with their first camcorder. Please KEEP THE CAMERA STILL while filming shots.

Defrost Indoors said...

Ugh, Nick bedding Becky?!

Anonymous said...

Ugh more storylines for Mary? How about one where somebody kills her so we never see her again on the street. That sounds good to me :)

Mike

Anonymous said...

Well Phil smugly put his now famous phrase "THE BOY DONE GOOD" on his web page after the success of the tram crash. BOY DONE BAD now he has to take the flack for the appalling viewing figures. The buck stops with him as the man at the top - end of. He should get six months to improve the figures or he should be sacked.

Anonymous said...

Annoying camera shots these days, and it was NEVER like that when I have viewed some of the older Corrie episodes. These photographers need to Keep still, and stop pretending they are at a park on a roundabout. When I watch Corrie with the 'Text' used on the remote, I have to look for my headache tablets everytime as soon as the episode is over. Bad Photography.

Matt said...

I think when Phil joined as producer his main focus was the 50th anniversary. And, fair play, he did a great job with the tram crash.

But we were promised that the storylines started by the tram crash would continue to have repercussions for a number of characters. I don't think that has happened. Maybe Kevin and Sally, but even that storyline was spoilt with Kevin's outlandish lottery win and incessant bickering with Tyrone.

This year a number of characters have left and, as such, we've had hastily written exit storylines. Beverly Callard deserved better and us loyal fans deserved better than Xian and Graeme! These storylines were ill thought out and rushed. They've impacted badly on Corrie as a whole and resulted in side-lining some great characters.

Hopefully, we're into a period of settling down where script writers can focus on decent scripts. A year ago Corrie was on top form. I really believe Phil Collinson will bring the magic back. I just hope it's sooner rather than later!

Anonymous said...

At first, Becky McDonald was interesting to watch, but she has now done her time. I just cannot wait for the day that she completely leaves as the character she plays spoils my viewing enjoyment. Infact, everytime she appears, I put my remote on Mute until the next character comes along. I have never repeat NEVER missed an episode for many years, and she has just spoiled it for me. I just do not like the way she acts, and it seems that she has to be the highlight of every episode. Several weeks ago, she was NOT on the screen, and I really enjoyed watching my favourite soap once again. The only person apart from Becky who is most annoying, is the cameraman. I was fed up last monday when the camera was going this way, going that way, following people around, zooming etc.Why, just why can these camera operators stop thinking that they are using a camcorder, because that is the way they are filming you know, just like an amateur. The BBC does exactly the same with their news stories, and I am sure I can rake the money up if I raid my piggy bank, to buy these camera men a TRIPOD unless, they don't know what one is by the way they film. Actually, looking back at Corrie let's say perhaps five years ago (maybe less), when you had two people or more on the screen maybe talking or arguing at the same time, you saw TWO seperate type of shots. One on let's say Rita, the other let's say Ken, so in other words, the camera would go from one person to another like using different cameras at the same time (although this would be edited). Today, the cameraman (only one by the look of it and how annoying) 'SWINGS' like a pendulam from one person to another which is extremely poor photography work to me.Then he might go around like been on a park roundabout which destroys the atmosphere of the cast. I must go now by just asking the crew of Corrie to . . . PLEASE contol your cameraman (for each episode) as he is keep going wild, and stop him from using this annoying 'moving about' action work. Put some super -glue on a seat, plonk him on it and make him film from that ONE ONLY position. Thank you for reading this, and I hope the crew will do something drastic about the annoying cameraman (although different camera men on each episode, but they all are alike).

Naitch said...

Judging from prior comments, am I alone in enjoying Tracy Barlow's part on the show? I know it's easy to hate the character, but I find her gleeful mischief to be quite entertaining.

Unlike much of the show at the minute, that is. I think they have really forgotten about the ratio between comedy and tragedy, and we could really do with more light relief. It's disappointing to see them relying on sensationalist and hackneyed tropes - innocents getting sent to prison, marriages of convenience, runaway mothers. It's all rather grim and clichéd.

There are some stuff that they're doing well - Norris is as funny as always, interaction between Roy, Hayley, Sylvia and the punters is always a highlight, and I have a soft spot for Ken and Deirdre's parts. But it is true that that's getting drowned out by some bad decisions.

Paul said...

I agree with all that has been said esp Naitch. It appears corrie is suffering from post tram crash fatigue and seems to be trying plot led storylines, rather than character led. I mentioned a few days ago about the same old storylines; innocent characters going to prison, long lost relatives. I accept many life events can be repetitive but make them believable and characters we actually care about. There has been a comedy void for a while now and the balance is just not there. They wasted the character of Graeme pairing him with misery Tina and then that awful Xin storyline. No wonder he left. He has even stated that they are wasting people like Mary.
I remember John Savident (Fred Elliott) saying it had become like a sausage factory which is why he left and his point is valid. The actors who played Alec Gilroy, Mike Baldwin, Liz McDonald all state that there is no time to rehearse and there are too many episodes. I acknowledge pay and conditions match this, but the quality for the viewer suffers. It is akin to producing a film each week. The boldest step it could take is to scrap the extra episodes on Mon & Fri and go back to 3 eps a week. I feel the quality would improve immensely in conjunction with proper actors. This merry go round from soap to soap is lazy casting in my opinion. Ken, Deirdre, Emily, Rita and Betty are not getting any younger, leaving the spine of the show under severe pressure.
I could go on, but i dnt want to bore people. I reccommend people watch the late 70's & early 80's to listen and watch the beatiful dialogue between Hilda, Stan and Eddie Yeates, funny, warm and believable.

For whats it worth

Ditch; Maria (awful, miserable character)
Steve (controversial but I cant see anything for him after Becky leaves as he has no immediate family left either)
Cheryl, Chris,Tommy, Tina (awful miserable character, i dnt understand the hype round her) Mark (pointless), Tracy, James, Sian.

And why they got rid of Eddie Windass I'l never work out
What about a return for Cilla Battersby and Danny Baldwin?

Anonymous said...

Get rid of Becky, and stop taking the rest of the old actors away that IS coronation street, as without them, it wouldn't be the same. Rather than getting rid of these actors who have been with us for six months or so, they should keep them, and stop bringing new one's in all of the time. Eventually, we won't have the same actors, and we won't have the corrie like it is now.

Dolly Tubb said...

Phil Collinson nailed his colours to the mast when he cast Michelle Collins and just assumed she would be able to 'do' a Salford accent. And if she couldn't, then it wouldn't really matter. Implausibility and lack of credibility are Corrie's major characteristics these days. IMHO it just shows a complete lack of understanding of what made (past tense intentional) the greatest soap.

And when it's all gone a bit pear-shaped he gives the writing team a rollicking.

It's time for PC to go, and for the production team to think about what the Corrie ethos really is, and get writers in who really understand what made it successful for 50 years.

I read somewhere that PC never reads message boards and blogs, but perhaps he has started to now!

Tommy said...

I think Michelle Collins is getting a really raw deal here. The critics were already bad mouthing her before she had even filmed her first scene. In real life, she is a very talented actress with vast experience and I think that she can handle the challenge. We all just need to give her a chance. The quality of acting between Michelle and Jane Danson is something that I cant wait for. Two very talented people. Should be good. I agree that there are too many actors at the moment and recognise that the writer are having a hard time trying to keep everyone involved but that doesn't keep them off of twitter and other social networking sites on the hunt for a bit of recognition and gratification no doubt. Their time would be better spent planning their work.
And I know i've said this before but do any of the production team or the writers actually watch the show? It is not difficulat to see who the dead weight is. The bad acting screams at you from a mile off. Anthony Cotton, the guy who plays Dev and Stellas daughter just have to go. How any of them ever got through an audition baffles me. Maybe the casting team should consider what kind of person might actually live in Coronation Street. Don't go for looks all the time people. We need a bit of rough to make it realistic. The men are mostly pig ugly and the women are stunning. Move in some Hilda Ogdens and Betty Turpins. We need more real women. Just would advise that you pay anthing you need to keep Jane Danson, Claire King and Sally Dynevor.
And, come on writers, what are you doing with Tracy, another wasted characted. Give the girl a storyline. She used to give Janine Butcher a run for her money but not anymore. Poor Show.

Anonymous said...

Eddie Windass (I enjoyed him at times, they should have kept him on), Norris ( you must admit... Norr - Is funny ! ), Ken, Deirdre and family (sick of her moaning, but that's woman!), Rita, Where's Emily lately I'm missing her? Betty, Steve (only has a good storyline when Becky, who I cannot watch, is not around), Maria, Carla, the factory girls (including shaun who IS gay in real life), sian and the websters, gail and her family, and well . . . I would love something again like the way Tony Gordon acted (really enjoyed that) although they have used John stape in this way, but maybe something more gripping and scarier to watch next time? oh . . . I could go on, but these are who I like watching. Mind you, has the camera man got worms as he is always moving about while filming? It's just that this takes the enjoyment away and kills the atmosphere, and, you just start getting into something exciting, when the camera suddenly takes off like a rocket, and starts moving about all over the place . . . It's as bad as some fast American films (sometimes worse)!

Dolly Tubb said...

I think Michelle Collins is a great actress too; it's just the 'whole package' isn't working for me. I've said on this blog before the poor woman has been given a build-up it will be really hard to live up to.

Several of the Corrie actors are clearly out of their depth with the stories they are given; Gail in jail (oh God, that dreadful whispering), and Fiz isn't that good either at the moment. But both actresses can be great - Helen Worth can be really funny and has great comedic timing, and Fiz has morphed from a fun-loving girl into a distance-staring zombie.

It perhaps suggests the writing team really don't know or understand the limitations and best abilities of their actors. Jane Danson can perform superbly with any material she is goven; other Corrie actors aren't so gifted. It's up to the production team to provide stories the actors can believably deliver, and not milk it all ad nauseum until everyone is sick to death of the actors and it really isn't their fault

scifiaddict86 said...

In defense of Tracy I think if the writers really committed to her redeeming herself that could be an interesting story. I also think that within the Barlow family there is a lot of room for story there particularly with Peter since they have an interesting relationship(plus it would be nice to watch Peter do something other than drink or suffer for a change). Tracy may not be a nice character but shes and entertaining one with a lot of story potential and I think the show would lose something if she left.
Now Gale on the other hand has been run into the ground. I think the time has come for her to run of to Spain with an honest to God good man. She should take Nick with her the current version is slimy, ugly and a terrible actor(I think it says a lot when Adam Rekitt is a major improvement)
As harsh as it sounds Audrey might need to go to she slightly more useful and funny but I'm not sure what else she brings to the table
David(Jack Shepard is one of the best actors on the show) can stay he and Kylie are one of the best things on the show right now.

I wish there was some way we could send Anthony Cotton to drama school for a few months and have him come back toned down a few notches. He's had enough good moments that make me suspect he got a fair bit of talent underneath all that camp I just wish he'd stop being such a stereotype.

Maria should move to Ireland or at least start feuding with Leanne again its was the only time she was entertaining.

Anonymous said...

Why does corrie not ask the public for some storyline ideas (like some on this page), rather than keep using their own thoughts that nearly always seems to be similar to Emmerdale or Eastenders, or something else people have already watched? I did try writing stories many many years ago, and everytime I remembered a dream, I would quickly write my thoughts down, then shove it into my stories later on. These were my own original thoughts and NOT copied from other storylines from anywhere. Those days have gone, but I am sure that the public could provide some great ideas, if you asked for them, and maybe chose the best fifty for Corrie writers to base their ideas on for a change. (There's some strange 'Word Verifications' to copy everytime you send something in...who thought of these, the writers?

Anonymous said...

I guess this is the 2nd half of his evil master plan..the first half of the year AFTER the tram crash would see extreme behavioural changes by the characters taking them into dark territory and evil plots...bhwaahaahaah.
Now it's July and we'll see their old personalities surface again.
Fiz needs to grow a pair!!!!

Anonymous said...

If Michelle Danielle Collins had not been well - known from Eastenders, and she had just been brought into corrie for the first time either a first time acting or from some other film, documentary etc, people would NOT be judging her the way they are. In real life, she seems completely a nice different person to that on Eastenders, and corrie viewers have to remember that she IS only acting, and she is completely a different character on Corrie, to the way peoople have been watching her on Eastenders. The day before she first came onto Corrie, I was talking to someone and they said 'Oh no, why did they pick her she's a nasty so and so'. That was the day BEFORE Michelle Collins wa seen on Corrie, so people have wanted her out BEFORE judging her new character. I think with a little more Corrie acting, she'll change from the person we have known her on Eastenders only, if people give her a chance. Mind you, they have lost Craig Gazey, who plays Graeme Proctor, they have lost Ashley and his family, they have let quite a number of good characters go from our screen, and I just hope they don't do this with Norris, Rita, Emily, Harold (sorry, Hayley) and Roy, Ken, and other's that we are glued to watching. It actually knocks you off wanting to watch Corrie when they remove well – loved cast, mind you, the quicker Becky goes the better as her time has well and truly gone, and the writers are spoiling their scripts by keep making her the 'highlight' of the cast nearly every episode. Me mother used to say, you should ALWAYS make people alike. These writers seem to revolve Becky Mcdonald, and it's not fair at all to the rest of the cast. In other words, this is extremely bad writing by the Corrie writers, and they should be told to concentrate writing more on other characters. I don't want to see Becky Mc smoking all of the time as it really annoys me to think what influence she will be causing to young people, and I wouldn't be surprised if youngsters have tried copying her.

Anonymous said...

WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE MICHELLE COLLINS ALONE SHE HAS JUST MOVED TO A NEW SOAP SO GIVE HER MORE TIME TO SETTLE IT IS MARY AND SALLY YOU NEED TO MOAN ABOUT THEY ARE SO BORING

Chewy said...

Wait, wait, wait...Declining figures? They're exactly what they were last year - Ya remember? That was when Kim Crowther was public enemy number 1?

I don't think the show is anywhere near as bad as some people are making out, sure there's problems, but soaps always have bad patches, usually after big events like tram crashes, house collapses or pub fires

Nemo said...

Some characters are missing from Phil's "fresh" list.

Where's Emily?
Where's Dennis?
Where's Sylvia?
Where's Julie?
Where's Marcus without Sean propping him up?

Must these greats play second-fiddle to the likes of Fiz, Becky and Sean? Three of the worst characters to grace the cobbles. And my TV set.

Is Dennis really just getting this Grimshaw-Tanner stuff and the love triangle with Rita and Sylvia and then leaving? IS THAT IT? What a waste of a great actor.

And why has Emily disappeared? She's getting on a bit, but she's had literally nothing to do for months.

You know what Corrie needs? Less focus on my age range (18-30) and more on middle-aged and older characters, so the balance is even.

We've got a "new Ena" with Sylvia.
We've got a "new Elsie" with Carla.
We've got a "new Ivy" with Gail.
Now all we need is...
...a new Hilda!
...a new Rita! (Barbara isn't getting any younger!)
...a new Annie!
...a new Stan!

Anonymous said...

Michelle Collins is being used as a scapegoat when the real problem is the lack of comedy. The street in the 70s, 80;s and 90,s was a superiour show due to proper comedy. I dont mean one liners from Norris but proper dialogue between characters. There have been some great scenes in recent weks but then they go anmd shove a silly Becky & Steve scene in. People are always shouting now. Nobody libes their lives constantly on the edge of such drama. I suggest the writers watch some of the classic episodes to remind themselves what made the street great.- Micky

Anonymous said...

As a matter of fact the fall in ratings is nothing new. Summer shows always get less than the rest of the year.

Anonymous said...

I got my hands on a copy of "The Road to Coronation Street", which as some may know is a dramatisation of the making of Corrie. It confirmed for me that the producers have completely lost the plot; this show has always supposed to have been about real people on a real street living real lives in northern England. The style of the show is meant to be similar to Dickens, in exploring the complex humanity of average people of all levels of society. The purpose of the show was to provide something innovative to television that appeals to regular folks and constrasts all of the other, over the top dramas cloging the airwaves. Did you catch that, Phil? Back to basics, please.

Anonymous said...

Anthony Cotton is capable of being a good actor. I've seen so with my own eyes when he was on Queer As Folk. (Sure, the character was camp but it fit the character and also had depth, see the scene of him bumping into his parents who've disowned him for being gay).

It's the writing (and the directing) that's the problem with Corrie. Lazy writing is a killer.

The actors can only work with what's given to them, I know so as I am a director. You need to play to the strengths of the actors/actresses. Otherwise, you end up with the dull scenes and story lines we now see (and tbh, this has been building up for years).

I lament watching clips from old episodes...seeing how strong the writing and directing choices were.

Hopefully, they can make changes to improve the show but I'm losing interest in watching it (also, in my mind, "cheap" storylines like Jim's bank robbery didn't happen and never existed..)

Anonymous said...

After all the struggle the cast puts into learning their lines, we have some potentially good story lines that are completely ruined by poor direction and extremely poor camera work. Does anyone agree?

Anonymous said...

The stories are poor at present and do not seem to have depth, the comedy factor they have lost. Certain characters are used constantly and other characters you do not see from month to another. They are loosing alot of popular characters and when they bring in new characters they are not giving them time to establish themselves before giving them a major story line...

Anonymous said...

The camera work is very poor and shaky! It goes ThIs WaY aNd ThAT wAy AnD Is ExcEptioNaLiY AnNoYiNG! And, it spoils the viewing of watching my favourite soap!

Anonymous said...

Loved reading all the interesting comments above. Get Eileen out of that damn factory where she is wasted, and back into Streetcars with Lloyd and Steve, those three are a hoot together. Have Dev bump his nead and forget all about Steve and Becky's transgressions and bring Steve and him back together - good comedy duo. Give Kirk more time on screen, he was hilarious with Audrey after he had a couple of drinks in the Rovers. Norris and Mary are hilarous together but more exploration of her mysterious background needs to be explored. Get rid of Marc and Nick.....perhaps Nick can develop a taste for women's clothing and drive off into the sunset with Marc. Marcus is great but Sean is more annoying than an ant at a picnic...maybe he can move to London with Dylan and live with Violet. BRING BACK.....Cilla, Eddie, Gail's father, Danny Baldwin, Martin (Kevin needs a friend) AND SHOVE TRACY UNDER A BUS!

Anonymous said...

I am pleased to hear that Corrie boss Phil Collinson will be axed next year, as he has 'completely' ruined a good soap with much-loved characters like the Peacocks taken away, and stupid people brought in to replace them (a bit daft really!). Since he took over, the camera – man has just gone 'bananas' (crazy) while filming like Dr Who is filmed. We never had moving camera - work a few years ago like it is now and shots were carefully filmed in a great and exciting way, but these days, the camera keeps moving around with the cast and it is so annoying.

Anonymous said...

Whose fimed Corrie because it's pathetic? He's moving all over the place! -------------------------
I think the camera man needs to watch ' Dwight howard at turkey lake park on memorial day ' (shown on YouTube) to remind himself that he is recording the Corrie cast exactlyin the same way, and ruining a good soap. (Exceptionally poor)!

Defrost Indoors said...

It feels like 20% of the characters are getting 80% of the screen time. I'm sick to the back teeth of Becky and her bra straps. We need smaller, more homely storylines like, I dunno, Mary teaching Amber to drive or something. Tracy needs to be less of a cartoon; she's only missing the Snidely Whiplash mustache. I don't understand Eddie Windass leaving; he and Anna had the makings of a classic Street couple and could have run for years. They were much more interesting than the Connors, that's for damn sure (though I did love Paul -- too bad he was killed relatively early on).

Anonymous said...

I wish something would seriously be done to stop the annoying camera moving about on the cast. Tonight (11 July 2011) showed the camera going non – stop from one person to another while the camera was going up and down, and this way and well every way you can think of apart from keeping steady. I have been taking notice just who is filming each episode lately, and I find it is quite often different people however, the other week was really bad filmed by Tim Finn, and tonights was almost just as bad by Mark Hornby. The only person I have found who is still bad, but a little better than the two plus others I have mentioned, is Bob Moss whoever he is. Instead of these camera men holding the camera on their shoulders, can they not use a tripod stand with steadier shots used in place? It is worse when I use the Text to follow the words as sometimes I need to do this due to having gangs of youngsters hanging around near my outside window, and I don't want them to hear the TV been too loud. I often find the cast are in one place without moving, and so is my text writing, but the annoying camera is either shaking or moving all over the place and sometimes in annoying angles. I have just took notice of Columbo that was on ITV recently, and the camera work, is much better indeed. Its a pity the Americans like that can't give some training to these Corrie Camera Operator guys. It just totally knocks the feeling of Corries storyline out of the window when the camera is wobbling or moving about like this. Keep the cast and get rid of these camera -men . . . I am sure some amatuer who has been practising on his or her camcorder can do a job better.

Anonymous said...

Re: camera work, YES IT IS BLOODY ANNOYING and DISTRACTING FROM THE ACTION not making it more real - stop it NOW !!!!!

Anonymous said...

There was nothing else on TV tonight to watch, so I have Just been TRYING to watch Cops with Cameras ITV1 12th July, and the camera work is absolutely terribe. I watched Frost last week (from my DVD that was shown on ITV about three weeks ago), and I also watched Taggert just recently on ITV. What is up with ALL of ITV's photographers, as they are moving all over the place? (We also have terrible shots by the BBC too), but we never had bad photography years ago. People used something what is known as a TRIPOD STAND, which photographers from all of these programmes mentioned above, and NOT FORGETTING Coronation Street, as there filming is also disgraceful. I would love ITV to allow youngsters to experimeny with camcorders, and film corrie, then let us see the difference with these youngsters verses the professional photographers (well that's what they think they are called). Does anyone else agree with me?

Anonymous said...

The buck stops here, Phil

Anonymous said...

The fact Phil Collinson was making a dire PR attempt at currying favour via BBC breakfast, ITV's this morning and Granda reports in the last two days reflects this programme is in trouble under his leadership and he's clearly been directed to respond. Even Keiran Roberts was on radio five live defending the programme, now if your exec producer feels the need or has to defend the programme in that manner then someone somewhere is getting it wrong! If I was John Whiston or Keiran Roberts i'd be concerned, looking at his performance on the said programmes it's surely a case of when not if! He did nothing to engratiate himself to the viewer was totally defensive and at times made it about him, he expects the viewer to accept difference yet he shows no acceptance of opinions other than his own, he should have ate humble and show understanding of the other point and get the viewer back on side,in fact on Granada reports in my opinion he looked clearly manic totally unmoving and away with the fairies! which is coincidentally where he's took the programme.

Phil Collinson in my view is trying hard to do the right things instead of getting it right! Tick tock tick tock .........

Anonymous said...

It is some time since i have watched the show but i caught a glimpse the other day it seems that since Mr Collinson took charge the programme has morphed into a combination of Queer as folk and Dr Who lots of gay charechters and different actors playing already established charachters without the explanation of regeneration as in Dr Who.It might be a good idea if Mr Collinson was shaken up and despatched other than that you could always bring back the funniest family at war the Good old Duckworths!....What did I say the wrong thing? .... Whats up?

GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!

You might also like...

Coronation Street Books for Fans

GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!