Here we are then, only a day away from yet another Corrie 'bombshell', another 'explosive' week for the residents blah blah blah. Realistically though, it feels as though there is little drama to be wrenched out of this whole affair. Rovers burns? We know. Sunita meets her maker? Yes we know that too. Hastily written-in character perishes? Yes, we'll tick that particular box as well. Everything we need to know about the entire saga has already been laid bare which brings about the question - does secrecy have more value?
Nowadays it's the norm for all TV dramas to unveil plotlines weeks before they air. Ok, they sometimes roll out that tedious 'we've filmed two endings' nonsense which fools no one, especially as most media outlets will have named the departing actor anyway. It's not often that soap producers can keep a secret. In terms of Corrie, possibly the last one of any note was Raquel's surprise visit to Curly back in 2000. ITV took this very seriously, even going as far as taking the actors to an off-location set so that their colleagues did not get wind of the plot. Away from Corrie, the producers of BBC Radio 4's
The Archers managed to keep quiet about the killing-off of a major character on the programme's sixtieth anniversary programme.
In the media savvy twenty first century it would be a difficult job but it would be rather special if Corrie could offer up a story with a twist which has not been signposted for weeks on end. It could be anything - a death, an unknown character trait, a confession - that part isn't particularly important. The dramatic potential of a quick, shocking moment could pay dividends. Just for once, play a trick on us all. Leave us gasping in surprise or recoiling in shock as something totally unexpected happens. Come on Team Corrie - accept the
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11 comments:
I was just reading online that Stella and Karl are set to get married. The article did that pointless questioning: Will the wedding go off? Will Karl's part in the fire be revealed to Stella? The producers have to signpost a plot to make it credible. But after fifty years we know the Corrie formula all too well. No wedding ever goes smoothly. No secret is ever kept. The last they did a twist which was not signposted, Annie Walker leaving the Rovers to Betty, it felt contrived. "Who shot JR" belonged to a more innocent age gone forever.
I agree there's no suspense anymore except during the occasional live episodes. However, make the revelation too unexpected and viewers will complain: 'Where did that come from?' It needs to be hinted at without giving a huge amount away. On this blog, we all like teasing out possible motivations and endings otherwise we might feel cheated. Here are some ideas: Faye is the only surviving sibling from her birth family, all others perishing through neglect or Gail is found obsessively cleaning the Bistro in the early hours of the morning.
I no longer watch Coronation Street but I am thinking of watching tomorrow to see how the Rovers burns. That is why TV companies do it. A proportion of those who tune in to watch dramatic events will stay with the programme to replace those like me who are fed up with watching how Gail discovers Kylie's secret etc. These days watching Corrie is like reading the last page of a novel first.
If they had been snart they would have held off on renewing Michele Collins contract until after the airing. Maybe even plant some tabloid stories about her being difficult or the new head not likeing her. It would have added so much tension to the upcoming storyline and wouldn't have cost them anything. They just could have renewed it after she escaped the fire.
I think I am missing something (v.possible), but Corrie does keep me guessing sometimes, recent examples being 'will tyrone and kirsty get married' or the Christmas day episodes (comments on the quality of the writing and plotting aside) I had a few guesses but didn't know what was going to happen.
Imagine if Paul was to be killed off in the fire, they could probably get away with sneaking him into the studio as if he's working normally, set up a few fake off set shoots.
It'd be such a fantastic surprise, but I don't think they'll ever do something like that due to costs.
Curly was returning...big blog write-up..then..no he really isn't after all..napkin please for egg on face.
Spoilers or not..the viewers will tune in.
No need to watch the show anymore, just read the blogs and tabloids.
Actually there have been two endings filmed for this evening's nail-biting, roller coaster, blockbusting episode of Stellanation Street. The alternative ending is that St. Ella hears the fire alarm and dressed only in a pink floral shower cap and bri-nylon housecoat abseils out of the bathroom window on a rope of knotted bath towels. She bravely battles her way through the flames to rescue Sunita and ANOther who she drags out into the street, both in a critical condition with third degree burns and chronic lung damage from smoke inhalation. After a quick check up in Wethy General A&E they are both released after a 5 minute lie down and a couple of aspirin. Meanwhile, St. Ella, our feisty heroine, has returned to the flames despite the crowds of onlookers begging her to think of her own safety, where she manages to douse the inferno with a soda syphon, protecting herself only with a Newton and Ridley bar towel over her face. When the last of the flames are finally doused it seems the only damage is to a couple of kegs of bitter in the cellar and some singeing to the lino in the bar through t' back, which was pretty threadbare anyway.
Lol Dolly Tubb, I can't wait. Sounds far more credible than half the nonsense we've been watching recently :D
Last big surprise I remember was the survival of Peter Barlow in Tram Crash week, which, thanks to a little naughty misdirection (dead taxi driver) on the part of the Powers that Be, really seemed to have died immediately after his marriage to Leanne. Before that, I remember being astonished that the nice guy from church who couldn;t do enough for Emily Bishop was in fact the guy who had shot Ernest. The CAN do it when they feel like it. I think the reason they don;t is that big twists are meant to be compulsive viewing, but what's the point if non-regular views missed it because it hasn't been telegraphed. It's a shame that loyal viewers don't get to enjoy the impact of a well-kept secret for the sake of dragging in a few extra viewers.
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