Ian Wylie has a piece in today's MEN about next week's Coronation Street seige at Underworld and from what he's seen, it looks like it's going to be spectacular! I know the media always say that but he's seen the episodes at a media preview and honestly thinks it's the best thing Corrie's done for years. It's certainly some of the most expensive scenes ITV has ever filmed and it took them four weeks to film just six episodes with a special, fireproof replica of the factory.
Also at the preview were actors Alison King, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Samia Smith and James Fleet, all of whom are involved in the storyline that sees Tony taking his revenge for being banged up in jail. There will be deaths but we don't know who yet. An educated guess might bring a few speculations but we'll leave that to you, dear readers.
Ian has a few quotes from Alison and Julie both in the main article and also on his blog where he has a bit more to the story. All the actors had challenges in filming the scenes and it sounds as if they've succeeded themselves. Outgoing producer Kim Crowther says “We’re very proud of this week of episodes,” and I for one, can hardly wait to see it all!
Check over on Corrie.net for the week's spoilers and a few more pictures from both the seige and Gail's trial, which also airs next week. (but it won't give away the twists!).
17 comments:
I really don't understand why viewers get so excited over stuff like this. What dull little lives we must have - and how sick we are!
@Anonymous...true, real lives toiling at the office or factory or farm or even hospital/police station...what have you -- day in day out under a boss you despise, co-workers who are out to stab you in the back - day in day out-- can be dull and sickening. Sean Tully in the most recent episode refers to his work as a machinest as "mind numbing, soul-destroying work".
But aren't you just a little curious who the writers have decided will "die"? I'm guessing Tony Gordon is one and I'm hoping Maria is the other (but probably not)Opera goers know the storyline, but they go to feel something or enjoy a "performance" ... I'd say in some ways Corrie is opera for the masses.
To counter-act the despair that comes from life... we have to laugh and have some fun, don't we? Even if it's ultimately ourselves whom we are laughing at. I know of no other soul-restoring formula than laughter.
I can't enjoy the sensationalised pap, gore and misery of the soaps. I'm thinking of giving up on them entirely. I don't see why having a miserable life at work should equal wanting to watch intense misery on the TV screen when we get home at night.
I think I understand. Sometimes I, too feel I have to get away from either reading the newspapers, internet, etc. and take a break. And soaps -- well, there's a lot of misery in the soaps -- no one ultimately lives happily ever after - or few do... but the difference with the soaps is that it's ultimately not real but has some exaggerated qualities of the human condition. Not all of Corrie is miserable -- in fact, I think the major storylines are usually quite weak. What's better are the characters and some of the minor/subplots and some of the funny bits: Kirk who manages to find himself a place to live yet again, Hayley taking a suitcase to of all places to the Windasses. To tell the truth -- most of these characters, I would NOT like to know in real life - but sometimes when they do come through for each other -- I think it's worth watching.
Whether we wind up liking a character or finding a character worthy enough to hold our interest-- that's a personal preference. So is our "emotional" investment in the "misery" portrayed on TV soaps. For me, I can't stand the American soaps -- no one is ever happy at any time or pleaseant (always scheming) and the plot just drags way too long -- plus the dialogue is terrible... it's all just too much. So everyone has got a different scale. I think there are probably other shows out there that might be more to your tastes then or perhaps there are other pursuits that you'll find more satisfying. As the French say, "Chacun son gout" - excuse any spelling mistakes and the missing accent/circonflex -- Each to his own taste...
Having been a soap fan for many years, yes, I think the time has come for me to make an exit. I began to realise this the other day, whilst in conversation with a neighbour of mine, who was discussing the forthcoming "factory explosion" Corrie storyline and working herself up into a state of great excitment - practically baying for blood, it seemed.
The graphic "Richard hits Emily with a crowbar, show close up of wound" nature of modern soaps has been leading me in this direction for some years.
I think I've just been tuning in to the soaps out of deeply engrained habit for a long time.
But I do find a lot of the content disturbing these days, and the "COR! GIVE ME MORE!!" attitude of the audience impossible to comprehend.
Lovely talking to you.
What do you expect soaps to be? They are dramas, they have death and nasty things happening, but at the end of the day, its a TV show, if you dont like violence or any kind of misery, I suggest selling your TV.
I personally am looking forward to this storyline, looking forward to some great acting and dramatic storylines :)
@Anonymous
Lovely talking to you as well. There are many creative people producing works of arts and entertainment without the "sensationalism". Or there are existing older works. I'm sure you'll find plenty that will suit your current tastes and needs.
All the best.
I, too, am looking forward to the seige. I realize it's only a tv show and if this were real, it would be horrifying, a hostage situation and fiery explosion. On telly dramas, it's not real. Some shows do it well and some do not. Corrie usually does it well and i expect this will be most definitely worth watching for me!
Exactly, Corrie doesnt focus on the gore, and violence, it focuses on character interaction, and if this was a real event then it would be horrible, but it isnt.
I'm so excited. Bringing the whole storyline to a close nicely. I loved the character of Tony and his descend into insanity. I'm just sad Maria's back. Boooo to her and her whiney voice.
Maria always got far more breaks than she deserved, IMHO.
I'm a little curious about people who think this is Going Too Far. It's entertainment, and yes, it's miles and miles better than American soaps, which drag on too long and where most of the program seems to consist of vacuous people in overdecorated rooms having endless conversations (trust me, I'm Canadian ;). Conflict is the heart of drama, of story itself. Corrie seldom does the big splashy storylines; there's probably one or two a year at most, which isn't much. If you don't like conflict, then watch a webcam or something. I don't think something like this is sounding the death knell of the show at all.
Another story with a massive build up and people getting excited which will end up as a damp squib with a bloke who we havent even met yet getting killed. None of the cast is going to get killed off, it will high drama for nothing with an excuse for over acting that will be forgotton in a matter of weeks, mark my words.
Yes, David C - I totally agree - I remember thinking there would be fireworks when ITV advertised the return of Carla and a showdown at the cemetary between her and Tony... it was so, so anti-climatic and ultimately -yes as you call it-- damp squib. I've gotten used to all this marketing hype by ITV -- the highest cost, the smoke, the danger, etc. -- US Hollywood movies do a better job with stuff like this. Corrie was always a "kitchen" sink drama. I'm a new viewer but after watching a fair number of the older clips, I realize that the charm of Corrie lay in its characters -- working class, flawed and quite ordinary trying to do the best they can -- getting into mishaps, trying to set things right, gossiping ,etc. -- the drama in everyday living that good, talented writing and sparkling dialogue brings out. The current Corrie main plotlines seem to rely on instead unlikely hookups, a revolving door of insignificant, pointless characters, and sensational but ultimately disappointing storylines such as the revenge of Tony Gordon. Besides, I thought Tony Gorodon turned himself in and was contrite. I would expect that an exit for his character would be a suicdie attempt.
I did read somewhere that a long time actress who played a prominent character -- was it Hilda Ogden? Her and her curlers and her "geese"... she gave an interview which stated that she did not want to come back to Corrie because it had changed and lost its original core and relied too much on the stuff that was screaming in the newspaper headlines...
I have to agree. I watch now really only for the funny, minor comedy bits. It's characters like Graham, Natasha -- funny moments between Eileen and Lloyd in the taxi office or the Windasses that keep me watching -- not the hi jinks -- and even this Gail in jail plotline has left me weary and almost not caring anymore...
These later pointless episodes such as Molvin and even the unlikely Tony/Maria pair-up I would say are attempts to disguise and pass off uninspired writing as interesting "drama".
I do hope that they get rid of the Maria character who's never really been well developed.
I'd have to disagree to an extent with Anonymous, i thought the Carla's return week was excellent. Of course we all love Corrie for it's humour but it does drama just as well in my book. Each to their own.
Maria should go though, i agree with you on that one!
I agree with Anonymous, carlas return was absolute rubbing so im not getting my hopes up for this seige stuff but i am looking forward to tonys return and especially marias - would love to see her take over the salon from audrey.
I love crazy out-there storylines on Corrie! That's why tv soaps are fun because it's all make-believe. No one gets hurt!
I think the crazy out-there storylines are OK if they're more minor than the major storyline. Last time I checked Corrie was a TV soap opera not "Lost" or X-files. Again, I know it's a personal thing and I respect everyone's different scales/standards of believability vs. incredibility vs. fun index when watching something. But to tell the truth, I really, really found myself skipping and fast forwarding through a lot of last years major storylines re: Joe's supposedly insoluable financial woes, Maria-Tony, and most of all esp. MOLVIN (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhkkkkkk!!!). I didn't mind Fiz's wedding to John Stape -- I can accept that prison romances have a charm all their own (there are instances of it in real life and I did find it very charming that Fiz didn't go through with the wedding unless her brother Chesney gave his blessing which he did)... OK, OK, we'll all see if this factory seige/fire lives up to its billing. And perhaps we'll have another round of this sparkling discussion... I'm still hoping this is Maria's exit (but I'm betting this is too good o be true). Perhaps this fire will release some insurance money that will help out Underworld's finances and also cover up the pilferage of the 2K pounds by NuNick to pay off the first half of Anka the Polish cleaning woman's bribe...
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