Well, the Blog has discussed and, seemingly, come to the conclusion that the sooner the Gray family depart Weatherfield, the better. Viewers now have to stagger through the final scenes of these dreariest of characters in the same way that you would peer at the death throws of a particularly unloved pet. Indeed, the direction for poor old Will Thorpe (Chris Gray) on Friday almost seemed to be a weary "oh for God's sake just take your shirt off".
Is it a case of poor characterisation or bad characterisation though? True, viewers have not warmed to the Grays in any way whatsoever. Their time on the cobbles will be forgotten. Rooting around the Corrie history books, we see many others of the same ilk - characters who are not fondly remembered basically because we cannot remember them.
Take for example Sam Kingston. Who? Well, he was the stripper-cum-mechanic who blandly went about his business for a couple of years before disappearing to Ibiza. How about Debs Brownlow? Having survived her bizarre "eeh-bah-gum" accent, viewers were left with some dull-as-ditchwater hairdresser who moped around in number 6 prior to being dispatched to glamorous Southampton. Take if you will (and please do) the non-entity that was Danny Hargreaves. He ran the hardware shop with Sally. Go on - you remember him! Blonde? Lacking in any personality? Oh I give up!
Let's celebrate the likes of Molly Hardcastle, Tony Horrocks and Bev Unwin. Three cheers for Connie Clayton, Joanne Jackson and Harry Flagg! Drink a toast to Joyce Smedley, Adam Barlow and Nathan Harding. They represent a flowering dullness, a boredom in rowdy bloom.
Do the Grays deserve to join them?
