Should the Rovers Return?

The announcement that Sunita will once again be departing Weatherfield has been met with a huge sigh of relief all round. Watching the complete transformation of this character from sympathetic friend to all to good time had by all was both unbelievable and practically unwatchable. So while I am pleased she is leaving, it has led me to ponder how successful returning characters ever are in Coronation Street.

Characters like Hilda Ogden and Mavis Wilton have never returned despite frequent requests. The actors behind these classic characters have always stated too much has changed since their last appearances for a return in any form to work. Are they right? In true "Through the Keyhole" style, let's look at the evidence.

Angie Freeman: Angie was always one of my favourite female characters. She was feisty, intelligent and knew her own mind. Her relationship with Curly was also both very real and incredibly touching at times. Angie was brought back three years after her original stint although it soon appeared the writers did not know what to do with her. She left less than two years later. A wasted opportunity in my opinion as the character still had plenty of mileage.

Bill Webster: This character has been in and out of the street so often I have lost count. His original stint in the mid-80s didn't last long, however Bill was to return both in 1995 (only to be axed two years later) and then again in 2006. Since his most recent return Bill has been most noticeable for his extended absences. Attempts to provide storylines included relationships with both Audrey Roberts and Molly's Aunty Pam, although neither worked in my opinion. Bill now appears to have vanished again - locked in the Corrie Cupboard perhaps?

Liz McDonald: A controversial one this! I loved Liz in the early days, battling with Jim and two unruly teenage boys. However following several departures and returns I grew to dislike her character. It felt to me that the writers were attempting to transform Liz into a next generation Bet Lynch, which was never going to work. 

Bet Lynch: Of course I must mention Bet. Her much heralded return in 2002 was embarrassingly short-lived for reasons much publicised.

I watched the episode that marked her comeback not long ago and despite there being plenty of familiar characters for Bet to interact with, it all just fell rather flat. It proved to me that the programme really had moved on since she was "Queen of the Rovers". 

 

Of course there are some notable exceptions. Dare we forget that some of Coronation Street's most iconic and best loved characters only came into their own after embarking on a return stint?

Barbara Knox, now a Street legend if ever there was one, only made her mark as flame-haired dolly mixture dealer Rita eight years after an initial brief cameo in 1964.

Amanda Barrie returned in 1989 as Alma Sedgewick following two short, unremarkable stints in the early 1980s.

And I must mention the much-missed Maggie Jones. Blanche Hunt only really became one of our all-time favourites in the late 1990s after her original debut in 1974. 

So the jury is out as far as this fan is concerned. Do you think bringing back familiar faces is a good idea? Who would you bring back if you had the power? And who do you wish had stayed in that Corrie Cupboard?

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