Digital Spy confirm in an interview with Corrie producer Phil Collinson that the "Four Funerals" tagline was a red herring in a bid to increase the speculation and secrecy surrounding the high-profile week of episodes. The mystery fourth death was the taxi driver and father-of-three mentioned by firefighters in Thursday night's live episode. He had been close to The Joinery when the bar exploded.
Corrie producer Phil Collinson said: "It was vital that we created as much anticipation and intrigue as possible for anniversary week. The 'Four Funerals' tag was too good to resist and encouraged the speculation about who would and who would not survive this terrible week in Weatherfield. In this case, speculation became a big part of the viewers' identification with the drama and therefore enhanced their enjoyment of it."
So I guess that means both Sunita and Peter scrape through and live now that Molly, Ashley and Charlotte are confirmed dead.
Actually, I think Diggory might pass away before the funeral
ReplyDeleteLast week's episodes were fantastic, but I'm not impressed with this. Technically there were 4 deaths, but there won't be four funerals. I personally think there should have been a 4th shock death. Molly and Ashley's departures were confirmed earlier this year, and Charlotte's death wasn't really a surprise. The 'four funerals' tagline wasn't necessary since the trailer that went with it was gripping alone.
ReplyDeleteI can see the reasoning behind it though, if they didn't say there'd be a forth, then I'd have known Peter survives, which would have taken away the effect
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought, Chewy, especially after Pam's comment tonight. If he doesn't I'd predict he'll certainly be too ill to attend!
ReplyDeleteMust say I don't have a problem with PC's little deception as I've really enjoyed NOT knowing exactly what was going to happen. I correctly predicted the deathbed wedding last week (simply on the logical supposition that how else could you have a wedding take place at night amid the carnage) and so really believed Peter was doomed. I'm absolutely delighted he's pulling through and one of the most likeable family units on the Street is still in tact. Ditto with Natasha's surviving the suicide. Long may Phil continue to judiciously leak false trails!
I can't help feeling a little cheated, to be honest!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anon. I didn't like this particular red herring. It cheats the viewers. There was no big shock death. All the deaths were expected really as we had all been told before hand that all three characters would be leaving the show. Hmm, not good. Naughty Phil!
ReplyDeleteI hear he and Russell T. Davies used to use tricks like this at Dr. Who, so that viewers were always wondering what happens next
ReplyDeleteI also feel cheated, and disappointed that PC felt he had to bait the faithful. I think it would have been just as fine without a slick ruse.
ReplyDeleteChewy, I hope he doesn't get into that with Corro. I'm not into Dr. Who, and tho I know lots who are, I, for one, don't want to see Corro become sci-fi. It's success has been that it's based in reality -- not to say sometimes they get a bit loose with reality.
He wont make it sci-fi just because he produced Dr. Who lol, he just might pull the wool over our eyes regarding spoilers - Which IMO is a good thing
ReplyDeleteI can understand why he did it but in the end, it meant that there were no surprises other than how they died (Ashley - hero, Molly - reveal to Sally, Charlotte - hammered and that was already leaked) so i'm with Flaming Nora and others, it was cheating a bit but it certainly did keep us guessing and that was the point. I read a cheeky review in one of the tabloids that suggested that Peter, Sunita and Rita all got a last minute reprieve. I wonder if one of these characters was going to go and then they changed their minds or if it played out exactly as it was always planned.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that no other characters I know and love or love to hate will die. This week we hard on me. I feel so silly because I didn't think I was so emotionally wrought up about a show and fictional characters. Poor unnamed taxi driver and family man. But better him than another resident of my beloved street! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's lame I hate this, if no one big dies it takes away all the drama. Ashley is big but we knew he was leaving anyway so who cares.
ReplyDeleteSo all Phil's prancing around being interviewed and basking in his own importance came to nothing much. We have known for ages that Molly and Ashley were going to be leaving so no big surprises. I also would have liked a "shock" death. Even old Rita is well enough to go straight from hospital to the pub. Charlotte was only a side character that had been in it for a short time. BAH HUMBUG.
ReplyDelete"So all Phil's prancing around being interviewed and basking in his own importance came to nothing much"
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? We've just had what is universally acknowledged as the most spectacular, emotional heart-breaking, edge-of-your-seat run of episodes in the entire history of the show.
Give the guy some credit, for God's sake.
I don't feel cheated - I've been gossipping and speculating like mad on facebook etc and loved every minute - genius idea to put out false stories so that we wouldn't know everything in advance for once - I agree that these episodes were amazing (my nerves were gone all week haha). If I had known in advance that Peter survived then I probably wouldn't have had as much 'internal bleeding around the heart'
ReplyDeleteOh. So that means baby Hope survives then. I thought she would be the fourth one.
ReplyDeleteDilly Daydream I was assuming that baby Hope was going to be the fourth as well. Obviously not then. I quite enjoy them going to the bother of doing fake spoilers, but at the same time, I also feel slightly cheated after all the build up. Don't really mind that much though to be honest. Cracking week.
ReplyDeleteI only feel a little cheated but it really was a fantastic week and kudos to the producers that managed to keep us guessing for awhile at least. The production of the crash and the aftermath, the acting and writing was superb!
ReplyDeleteI think it was a brillian ruse, and that's all it was. It made the cliffhanger of the Live episode a jaw dropper.
ReplyDeleteWhat Collinson promised us he delivered - a week of gripping TV like nothing before.
What amuses me most is that when people thought that Rita or Peter would die they objected and now people object when they don't.
Killing off characters for shock effect is a disaster (as Corrie found out with Martha Longhurst and Fred Elliot). It gives a moment of high drama and then a gap in the show.
What would another major death have achieved? Instead of Claire and Tyrone in mourning, we'd have Leanne or Norris and then a Street without them. NO thanks.
Anyone who feels in any way shortchanged just doesn't get it... I cannot understand how anyone would want leading characters to be killed off!
This gave an ideal opportunity to get rid of the dead wood but it hasnt been taken. In three months time it will be as it never happened, just like the factory seige, another for nothing hype.
ReplyDeleteGood point Looney Baloon. Far too many bad actors and characters with no role in the Street.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who will stop watching because can't stand acting from Tracey?
ReplyDelete