In the video in the blog post about
iconic Coronation Street characters, most of the responses name female characters. Only when prompted did Jennie McAlpine mention William Roache as Ken Barlow, who *is* Coronation Street according to her. Yet that wasn't the first name that came to her mind.
So if Ken Barlow IS Coronation Street, that makes him quite a strong icon, don't you think? Yet it's the women that get all the first mentions with most people...Elsie Tanner, Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden and Vera Duckworth. I'm surprised and pleased that Raquel Wolstenhulme Watts got several mentions in the video and I fully agree with her being one of the icons, from a more modern era, and I would include Gail Platt, Sally Webster and Fiz Brown Stape as an iconic woman in the making.
But who would the male icons be aside from Ken Barlow? Do we pick feckless fellas? Because if we do, there's a lot of them to pick from. Stan Ogden and Jack Duckworth certainly top that list. Curmudgeons bring to mind Albert Tatlock and Percy Sugden.
I think, for me, the iconic male characters that would top my list include the aforementioned Ken Barlow and Jack Duckworth. In addition, most definitely Mike Baldwin, Fred Elliott, Curly Watts, Kevin Webster and Steve McDonald. Steve might be a surprising entry but the character began as a rowdy 15 year old and has grown and progressed through a lot of ups and downs to a local business owner, including owning the Rovers Return. He's been part of a core family that have survived and returned to the screen several times since their introduction and Steve has been a constant presence. David Platt is probably going to be an iconic male character if he stays with the show.
I didn't include Stan Ogden or Eddie Yeats in that group. Eddie was a good character but mostly a secondary one. Stan always felt, to me, like he was part of an iconic couple. You may think of Hilda Ogden as iconic but when you think of Stan, you think of Hilda. "StanandHilda"...one name. Other standout iconic couples in my book are Jack and Annie Walker, Jack and Vera Duckworth, Mavis and Derek Wilton, and Roy and Hayley Cropper. If they stay around long enough, I do think Eddie and Anna Windass have iconic potential.
What are your iconic male characters? Couples? There's plenty to choose from and everyone has their own personal icons that stand out from the crowd. Leave a comment and tell us yours!
