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Wednesday 16 January 2013

New Corrie producer, new crop of cast cull tall tales

Every time a new Coronation Street producer takes up the helm at our favourite soap there's a clutch of stories in the tabloids announcing they're going to get rid of loads of members of the Corrie cast.  It happened when Phil Collinson took over and now it's happening, not for the first time, as Stuart Blackburn has taken up his new role as Corrie producer.

Mind you, after Corrie producer Brian "the axeman" Park famously slaughtered some of the cast after he took up the reins, maybe the tabloids have a point, in er, pointing out and pondering on who might be first on any new producer's chopping board?

So today the Mirror reports that Stuart "looks cuddly enough to me" Blackburn has asked to see Corrie cast members face to face to discuss their futures.  The Mirror have dubbed him "the grim reaper" and say he already plans to bring back Tina O'Brien as Sarah Grimshaw - a story that has been denied to us here at the Coronation Street Blog.

Mr Curry Sauce tells the Mirror:  “There are a few people full of jitters in here. They don’t know whether their faces will fit or not. And with mortgages and commitments to think of it’s a panicky time for a few people. Even if they don’t get the bullet they can be kind of sidelined, which means their pay packet will take a battering until it is decided to bring them back in to the fold.

Anyway, this is the science bit from the story - a Corrie spokeswoman insisted that the new boss’s plans to see the cast individually were not “sinister”. She added: “He has a very open door policy. Literally, his door is always open. He is very approachable and very friendly. He has said, ‘Come and see me, I’m really happy to see you’.”

Just hope he's not twirling his moustache and fondling a sharp knife when you do...

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15 comments:

njblas said...

Pure press speculation...usually they pull a few names out of a hat as being under threat - but they haven't done that this time. Mind you, I can think of at least ten characters I'd be glad to see leave Weatherfield in the Taxi of Doom:)

Anonymous said...

In my taxi of doom would be Karl. St Ella ( Phil Cullinsons bezzie) Mandy , Mary & Michelle . I think they r only licensed to carry five ? And I'd definitely give Tina less screen time as its felt like the Tina show for a while . Bring Eddie back to see his grandchild and to split up Anna & Owen. We've all seen how violent and threatening Owen used to be and I don't buy the nice guy family man crap. Eddies character can have improved due to his experiences abroad . They could smarten him up and bring him back as a business tycoon with enough money and power to buy Owen out. I'm sorry to see Sunita go but Phil c is responsible for a character change that it's impossible to revert from. And PLEASE DONT pair up Mary and Roy !just because Julie H wants to leave. !!!

Anonymous said...

The Mirror keeps printing ridiculous lies about Corrie and made up storylines.

I would be very shocked to read an article about Corrie in there that is actually the truth.

njblas said...

It was a huge mistake axing Eddie, and I'd love to know the reason behind it...was it to pair Anna with Owen? If so, they are dull as dishwater together. We can only hope the new producer might bring Eddie back - at least for a visit.

Chewy said...

Typical tabloids, he asks to see the cast because he wants to talk about the new directions for the characters, not because he wants people to beg for their characters to stay.

Anonymous said...

I think Stella has settled in really well now and is one of the best Rovers landladies for some time, probably since Bet. Karl just needs a life away from Sunita because he's a good actor and Corrie needs some proper blokes as most of the men on the Street are quite wet.

The only one I'd be in a hurry to axe is Mary because she operates on a different level of reality to the rest of the characters and is too caricatured. Or if they don't get rid of her perhaps they could explain why she is how she is and do a mental illness story. In the real world she would have been sectioned by now.

If they have no plans for Katy maybe she should go too as is she is a spare part at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Isn't there room in that taxi for Tracy?

Danny-K said...

Anyone who has ever worked in senior management (of any discipline) will tell of the same thing.

There's a phrase they use.
After the appointment/promotion, the new incumbent is expected to "stamp their authority" on their new responsibilities. The powers that be like to see 'results'.

Seeing the entire cast on a one to one basis in private, is a good start to that process. No ulterior motive, just that; stamping his authority on proceedings.

You best see this when there's been a change of government and a brand new prime minister installed. Ask yourself this: Do you expect the new prime minister to keep everything hunky dory, and exactly the same as it was before - or make changes?

Quite simply, if viewing figures increase or bounce around accepted parameters, an established
"winning team" will be allowed to run and run.

But a downturn in viewing figures means the new producer might be facing up to the reality of a short tenancy themselves.

Facing this, any new incumbent will make changes alright, under the guise of:
It's now a lean and tighter run ship concentrating on core values blah, blah, blah (you know the spiel) to stave off execution of their own career.

So, if a nervous cast keep a close eye on viewing figures to read the runes of their own security it's more important than ever to do so after a new producer has been sworn in.

Janice said...

In any other job when a new takes over the cull is last in first out. Ryan and Rob have proved they do not have the basic requirements for an acting gig--knowing how to act. No one cares about them, will not be missed. There is also a surplus of villains at the moments, Kirsty is probably on her way out but Eva and Tracy seem to inhabit the same role. Jason is perhaps getting old for the decoration role and after ten years has not learned to act.

Anonymous said...

I think Jasons great! He just needs the opportunity to grow up and this relationship with Stells, although I was a bit wary at first, could bring out the best in both characters.

He needs to make the street dirtier and more like a back street in the salford area. It like the ideal homes exhibition whenever any character does their house up! In reality there would be litter on the streets, grafitti on the walls and far less glitz in the interiors!

As for characters, please don't bring Eddie back. There must be some backstage reason why the actors contract was not renewed but anyway he made me feel sick watching him on screen. I am all for bringing Sarah-Lou back if only to mop up after Gail has once again been pulled through the mill.

Stella is becoming baearable but has a characterless bar staff at the moment. This needs looking at as in real life I would no longer want to drink in the rovers- they all look so miserable serving!

Number 5 needs looking at as these characters seem to have run their course. Deidre needs to be back in the shop, or perhaps Anna?

Eileen is back working at the cab office but is never seen there nowadays which is a wasted opportunity IMO.

Tracy (luv) needs to go and quickly, as does Sean, Mandy, Jenna, Paul, and Brian.

I want less crime driven stories and could not care less who has a bit on the side with whoever else. I do however want more character driven storylines, character driven humour and real life drama.

I want to see less big haired orange twenty somethings waltzing around the rovers with handbags on their elbows and more women with next to no make up scratching around the fringes of working class and doing all they can to make ends meet.

I also want the old theme tune back which had a bit of welly rather than the casio keyboard version weve had the last couple of years!

There, work done!- Micky

Humpty Dumpty said...

Agree with you, Micky! I'm surprised that Stella and Jason are OK, totally unlike Tracy and Ryan. Jason's sound, keep him. Couldn't agree more about the young people (and inevitable off-spring). Is it supposed to attract a younger audience? Well, it's failed; they're all watching Hollyoaks, Skins, and American sitcoms. I'd like to see some reality which means - characters facing no jobs and no money etc but being upbeat about it. We don't need big crime-based storylines but weave into the dialogue casual references to break-ins, empty shops etc. No, it won't be bleak because if it's written well it will show that you can rise above all the grim stuff.

Anonymous said...

I hope he is talking to the cast about new directions and there are a good few that need to be axed. The programme needs to start doing things small, not ruining even good stories by sensationalising them.

vicky said...

I don't think they necessarily need to axe anyone. There are characters I like and don't like but I don't think there's anyone who outright can't act. Characters going in the wrong direction can be turned around, it's not like there's no history of people suddenly having personality transplants. When it works out for the best, nobody minds.

But I think this probably is more about somebody stamping their authority onto the show more than anything else. No doubt some people will leave, but whether it'll be down to "the axe" or just the number of people who would have left anyway, we won't know.

Anonymous said...

Dev, Tracy, Sean and Rob spring to mind immediately as characters who are not well acted. There are many more who seem to have no purpose or any direction - Paul the fireman for a start.

First priority for Stuart Blackburn is to improve the writing/storylining. Second is to bring in some interesting characters and axe a lot of dead wood.

Anonymous said...

Sewffie Webster has to go! Either that or send her to a Speech Therapist. And acting lessons won't go amiss.
And as a matter of interest has Sinita had something pumped into the area above her top lip? She looks like a duck.

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