Why must the powers that be at Coronation Street make the same mistakes over and over again? I'm afraid the recent news that the Price family are set to take centre stage in a whole host of new plots has sent me scurrying for the remote control. Yes, I'm looming over the off button.Before I go any further, I'm not going to use this blog to moan on about Stella and her family. I've said plenty on that subject before and sadly my views have not changed. Regardless of the character(s) involved I just cannot abide overexposure on Coronation Street!
All we have to do is look back to see that moving forward with the same characters dominating screen time can only lead to disaster. Recent history has given us various flavours of the month, whether it be Becky, Tina, Michelle, Sean or Tracy. Each of these characters, whether you love them or loathe them, has been force fed to us time and time again until both the character and most probably the actor too has suffered from burn out.
The whole point of Corrie is that it's one big repertory company. Variety is the spice of life. We like to see a community in action, not just episode upon episode focussing on one particular family. There is no point in having a cast of 65 actors if only a fraction are treated to storylines. Corrie is also about longevity. We care more about characters that stick around. That's why we love Roy and Hayley, Ken and Deirdre, Audrey, Rita and the rest. We feel like we've known them for years so we continue to tune in to the ups and downs of their lives. When characters dominate over a short space of time, they burn out or leave. Where else is there to take a character when they've faced a fire, a siege, a kidnap and a cancer scare in six months? Ok, that's an exaggeration but really the Corrie of 2013 is stretching believability at the best of times as it is.
So whatever we think of Stella, Gloria and Eva, it looks like they are staying put. My plea to the powers that be is this: Stop forcing them down our throats please! Rest the characters for a while - we don't need to see them at the centre of the drama all the time. Give someone else a shot. Give these actors a holiday, I'm sure they need it. Watching Corrie at the moment, I know I do!You can follow us on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog and Facebook: CoronationStreetBlog
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17 comments:
Great post yet again Graeme! I totally agree with you. I enjoyed Becky, Tina and Sean in the beginning but then you grow tired of them. I didn't/don't dislike them, it's just you get enough of seeing them. With Stella and Gloria, I don't particularly like them. I've tried, but failed.
When the likes of Rita, Emily, Audrey, Sally or the Barlows or even Kirk pop up, they cheer me up and it's a change to see a different face for a change. And these days when you've got five eps a week it's pretty boring seeing in the synopsises that it's the same characters over and over who star.
I always compare Corrie with Neighbours. In Neighbours, you get five eps a week. But every day you get different characters starring so you don't get tired of them. And the stories don't last as long.
When Corrie was only twice a week, you had about 5 days of a gap before you could see the likes of Elsie, Bet and Len again. Thank goodness that it was only twice a week they were shown or maybe we'd even get tired of those three legends!
But yes, put the Price family in the Corrie cupboard. Maybe let Eva out for some airing but otherwise I'd throw the cupboard in the skip! With Stella and Gloria inside! :)
It's crazy...the majority of the cast are little more than well-paid extras a good deal of the time. A lot of the previously over-exposed characters (Becky, Tina, Sean and Michelle - NOT Tracy though) started off as appealing and popular characters before they were flogged to the point where viewers ran from their screens screaming. The Beige Bore, however, has NEVER been popular and NEVER will be - that should be obvious by now to TPTB. They thrust her pointlessly into every storyline under the sun, in the vain hope that the more we see of her, the more we will like her. Guess what guys - it isn't working!! Admit defeat and throw the viewers a lifeline by sending her packing - please!!
The worst thing about the Price disaster is that viewers are helpless. It isn't a case of 'switch off and show them' because the viewing figures are based on BARB statistics, where a cross-section of viewers press a button, and these figures are multiplied to give a national total. It takes no account of fast-forwarding or going out of the room to make a cup of tea. If you switched on ITV before 7.30 and forget to switch off, Corrie figures will be high. So, really, it doesn't matter whether we watch or not. The answer is to find these people on the viewing panels and give them a good shake.
I cannot believe that producers whether new or old do not have a PR team that takes on board what is said on webboards to glean who is popular and who isnt. I have yet to see any positive comments on any site about personal friend to Phil Collinson St Ella of the Botoxed face and her scraggy pig ignorant mother Gloria Boria. So WHY when Stuart B took over the helm is he continuing in exactly the same vein. We hear Paul has been axed but now kept on and the only one going is Brian who has a bit of mileage yet left in him. Shakes head in disbelief.
PS: I've started watching Emmerdale as of last night. It's on You Tube, and I watched 2 February episodes. Of course I'm not nearly up to speed yet, but it does look promising. And I haven't spotted a boring beige blonde yet. :)
I also forgot to say that the posters on this other blog also had many more hisses and boos than yeas at the announcement about the dreaded Prices.
I pushed the Off button over a year ago and won't be pushing the On until the unwatchables, Stella and Tracy, are gone, gone, gone. I keep up to date through the blogs so I don't know Gloria, but you have always been right on the money regarding the state of the street. Thanks for another well written update.
Thanks Llifon, I'm glad we agree! And Njblas- you are right about them being treated as extras. It's becoming farcical and very frustrating!
ITV don't use online comments to gauge fan reaction to characters or storylines apart from those on the official site - and that isn't possible any longer as all comments now are via their facebook or twitter.
ITV have a panel of viewers they take opinion from. How you get on that panel of viewers is a mystery to me, but that's how it works, not jsut for Corrie but for most long term drama series. If anyone knows how to get on that panel, please post details.
Chatty Kathy - can you email me the link to the blog piece you mentioned please before you post it as a comment?
This spoof thread on Digital Spy is fantastic, for those who are not Stella fans...
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1670072&page=39
Great spoof - but who or what is Maurel?
Bev (Canada)
Do people just tune in because it's a force of habit? I think so..on goes Corrie and I go do laundry, or dishes or just leave the room and don't even watch it anymore. I really is dismal and now that the Price family is going to be the major storylines I'm not bothering at all.
I hope Lifton's cuoboard has a good lock on the door. Any room for Tracy and Ryan in there?
I just read the Digital Spy spoof and I haven't laughed so hard since Fat Brenda's last blog.
That's a good point Anonymous - I wonder how many people watch Corrie through habit! I know I'm guilty of that!
I began watching Corrie because I love all things Brit. However, due to the current story lines; Stella and Karl, Anna and the insufferable child of Satan, I cannot go on.
Unfortunately, it has become a waste of time. If I wanted to deal with evil (Gloria, Eva) all I have to do is walk into the local grocery.
How about some more fun times (the elders and the hazy cakes)?
Corrie! I hardly knew ye! Bye bye!
Bev, Maurel confused me too :) As far as I can tell, it refers to Laurel + Marlon, Marlon being the fella for whom Laurel left her husband Ashley on Emmerdale. Fans of Emmerdale? Can you enlighten us further?
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