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!
12 comments:
Len Fairclough - the original template for all the rough'n'ready types that followed.
I'd say Stan IS iconic - that vest deserves a mention as having spawned the minging abomination that is Eddie Windass's dressing gown *swoon* ;). Albert Tatlock was another of my favourites, as is Jack Duckworth. Definitely Ken Barlow. Further down the list Mike Baldwin & Fred Elliott. I agree about Steve Macdonald as well.
Forgot about Roy Cropper. He's been there a while & is reliably excellent. re. Fred Elliott - he was brilliant in Corrie - but was he really in it for long enough to be an icon? I'm not sure...
Albert Tatlock was sheer magic. Mean and moany, but he was also kind and sensitive (remember his distress over Ken and Deirdre's marriage problems?) and his moaning hid a big heart.
The other old soldier, Percy Sugden, was bossy and insensitive - and such a show-off. But what a character!
Loved Stan Ogden - happiness for Stan was a plentiful supply of fags, booze and betting money! The simple pleasures! He was adorable.
Len Fairclough was brilliant - a complex character, brash and bruising, yet warm and supportive.
And dear Jack Walker, kind and sensitive, he wanted the peaceful life - which wasn't easy with the glorious Annie at his side!
I'd say Len Fairclough as well. I think it was on 'Back on the Street' I read that he was equal to classic women of the day like Elsie, Ena, Hilda and Annie. Alf Roberts was another iconic man - the corner shop is lost without him. As was Mike Baldwin. Iconic women for me are Rita, Annie, Hilda, Ivy, Elsie and Ena and the couples are the Duckworths, the Ogdens, the Barlows and the Roberts
Mike Baldwin, I think, for me.
Definitely agree about Alf Roberts. When Renee died in 1980, and he took on Deirdre to help him, I think the Corner Shop entered a golden era, lasting through Alf's hitching up with Audrey in 1985 and taking on Sally as his assistant later in the decade, right up until until he retired. Alf was a lovely stable character.
Curly Watts was great, too - I remember how he started out as the geeky binman and lodged at "Mrs Bishop's", and his romance with Shirley. I was very fond of Curly.
It might be just me but...wasn't Steve a hottie back in the day!!
Maybe not as iconic as most mentioned on here, but I think Leonard Swindley, Harry Hewitt and Frank Barlow should be mentioned they were all quite strong stable characters along with Jack Walker, who I would say was a male Corrie icon.
Dennis Tanner was the precursor of comic characters like Steve and deserves to be included in a list of male icons.
Male icon? Gotta be Harold Cropper.
What about Ernest Bishop, he deserves to be mentioned!!
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