According to the Mirror, written by journalist and ex-Corrie actor Nigel Pivaro, it will be in conjunction with a big storyline for him and Rita - but he won't be killed off.
That ubiquitous "Soap Insider" tells the Mirror: "He thinks the writers didn’t think his character was viable any more".
That makes some sense since the character is hardly used and it seems like they couldn't figure out what to do with him once they married him to Rita. I will miss him a lot as Philip Lowrie just shines off the screen whenever he's in a scene, small or large. I hope they have a chance to change their minds.
It's such a shame to have one of the original cast members gone, especially if they don't wait to see if William Roache will be back or not. There would then be nobody left from the original cast. Eileen Derbyshire is the next longest serving actor. She has been playing her character, Emily Nugent since episode 11 in early 1961.
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Really though. What was he doing - just a vehicle for B Knox so she could have some air time. Too bad but he really wasn't doing much anyway. As far as the storyline goes, I guess the old battle-axe Rita will give him grief one last time and he'll just up and walk out the door. Or, maybe he's the one that kills Michelle after she rebukes his advances..the old dog.
ReplyDeleteI get the impression that bringing him back was one person's idea, and everyone else in the writing team couldn't give a toss.
ReplyDeleteReally though, Dennis was a great character back in the day and his return had oddles of potential. Shame on the writers for wasting him and Philip Lowrie's talents.
I guess his final months on the cobbles will be the very last chance for us to see Linda Cheveski again. Please make it happen, writers.
This news doesn't come as a surprise to me.
ReplyDeleteFor most of his time on the street, people have wondered why Dennis was brought back at all ( and I too feel Philip Lowrie's talents have been very wasted) and now Rita's nasty and uncharacteristic mistreatment of her husband seems to have paved the way for Dennis Tanner's leaving.
This is terrible news...it reflects badly on the production/writing team that they couldn't find much for this significant character (and fine actor)to do...why marry him off to Rita and then basically not explore their relationship?...such a waste, and a slap in the face to all fans who value the show's history.
ReplyDeleteOkay bye! He can take William Roache with him on the way out. This must explain why Rita has turned Dennis into her verbal punching bag over the last while.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bloody waste of talent! Yup, let's keep the dreadful Tracy but get rid of Dennis. Hopefully his leaving story will be conking the old red bitch over the head with her endless bags of money. God, I am SO mad at SB for letting him go!
ReplyDeleteTo bad this is going to happen. I enjoyed what little screen time he had.
ReplyDeleteAre both Tins and Michelle getting killed off? I only heard that Tina was.
Ah! So THAT explains the sudden and rather nasty turn to Rita's attitude over the last couple of weeks. I'd be leaving too, if I was Dennis.
ReplyDeleteShame on you Corrie powers that be. What a complete waste of talent.
ReplyDeleteCan't we start a Save Dennis campaign?
You start it, I'll sign it!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree, total waste of talent. And such a smack in the face to Philip Lowrie!
What a shame. True he has been criminally underused, but surely writers could come up with a few plots for him. Here's a few obvious ones for free, thought up in all of 10 seconds:
ReplyDelete1) Dennis leaves Rita when her constant abuse becomes too much, and once he's gone Rita realizes what she has lost, changes her attitude towards him and tries to woo him back.
2) Dennis works part time in the café after Hayley's demise. Dennis and Roy would work well together.
3) Dennis gets into an argument at the Corner Shop, and strangles Dev with his new skipping rope. The nation rejoices.
Bring on the 'save Dennis ' campaign. What are they thinking of? Dennis had so much more potential. Yes we all wondered what Rita was up to, such a waste of a good character. I wonder if he'll leave with Gloria. I'm really disappointed with this news.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of characters who are bereft of storylines who I would get rid of before Dennis - Rob, Sinead, Chesney, Katie, Gary, Izzy, Sophie but first and foremost I'd dump Tina the Oompa Loompa and then the hideous Michelle, who seems to exist solely to be the Street's resident wet blanket, ready to moan about anything anyone's doing ever.
ReplyDeleteContraversial for some but perhaps its time to write Rita out as well. She has had her day and just clunks about with that cement hair moaning and all the time and having a go at Norris. enough!
ReplyDeleteDo the present set of storyliners and writers have any talents at all? There must be some 20 of them and none of them can think up any storylines?
ReplyDeleteIt seemed like they were planning Dennis's exit when they turned Rita into the obnoxious woman she is now. Dennis could have made a wonderful rogue in the Jack Duckworth mould and led Rita a dance with his Del boy like plans. And why has Rita become so posh over the last few years, talking in very precise tones. She had a gob on her years ago and feisty with it. She hasn't mellowed, she's turned sour. Ironically, Dennis's exit story will be the best he's had, and we'll all be clamouring for his return. Writers, think again before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteRosie said...
ReplyDeleteBring on the 'save Dennis ' campaign.
Can we also have one to get rid of SB he seems determined to kill off the Street.
Went over to the Mirror to read the article and noticed the by line:
ReplyDeleteBy Nigel Pivaro
This news is demonstrative of the lack of ability of the current writers and storyliners. They don't compare to the giants of the past. Jack Rosenthal confessed that he cried with relief when Philip Lowrie returned to the show in 1963 as he welcomed the more lighthearted stories that he brought to the show. Can't the present writers see the potential in the character?
ReplyDeleteSorry Mary 06:01..Tina's the character played by Michelle K.
ReplyDeleteI would certainly support a Save Dennis campaign. There is so much the writers could have done with him. John E, I really like your second suggestion, pairing him up with Roy in the cafe. The two are such opposites that it could be very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteOh YES! Save Dennis and put him in the cafe.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! Dennis is a great character waiting to happen. Roy will need some help if he's to carry on without Hayley, pairing him up with Dennis is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI presume that SB is doing his very best to turn Corrie into East Enders - nothing, but doom & gloom - that's it for me - I'm done. No more.
ReplyDeleteYou would have thought they would have used Dennnis to fill the role of patriarch left by Bill Roache.
ReplyDeleteHe is so charming and funny he should be treated better than the way Rita is treating him.
I am so disappointed with Corrie these days.....maybe it is time to say Farewell!
Don't know why they bothered bringing him back as the writers showed little interest in the character. Also,seemed to be a mistake to marry him off to Rita as I feel it limited his potential as a character. Even their wedding played second fiddle to a Tina-Tommy story. The writers of the past would have had a field day with characters like Dennis and Brian. But not the present day regime,sadly.
ReplyDeleteFeeling really sad for Philip Lowrie. Talk about wasting an actor. They brought him back and gave him nowt to do. There is still so much potential for Dennis but they bloody well chickened out.
ReplyDeleteWriters - seriously bad move. Cannot understand this decision at all. :(
The troubles is EastEnders convinced TV land that the public don't like pensioners having sex. So Dennis or Rita can't have an affair and that's as imaginative as it gets on Coronation Street.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, a story about Dennis needing to get Viagra and being embarrassed about it and Rita marching him to the surgery and some underlying disease being found actually would be original.
They are dropping like flies...
ReplyDeleteI am so disappointed in this too, and can't understand it. First Brian, now Dennis ! The Corrie writes need to give the good actors good storylines. Instead we are left with the dregs for storylines and acting. I am so upset about this, that's the last straw for me. I'm done watching. I've stayed with it even through these really questionable last couple of years, what I thought was the worst, thinking it would turn around, just trying to wait it out until orange and overbearing MK leaves, Now I realize it won't get better, but continue the long slow path of deterioration.
ReplyDeleteThe statement that the writers feel his character is no longer viable is just not true.
ReplyDeleteIt is the writers who are not viable. I have said it before, the current staff do not know this show, its characters or its history. They simply do NOT understand the characters and they underestimate the viewers.
It's funny to me how they push through these over done cheating plot lines, the undereducated people and have Underworld still churning out knickers. They do not want to keep the authenticity of the characters and reduce them too the oh so common soap cheaters and harridans. Yet they hold onto the old knicker shop. The characters do not match the setting anymore.
Get rid of Underworld, put in a super market (lots of realistic employment), open up the butcher shop again for God's sake (more realistic employment), a pet store could open up all kinds of story lines etc...
I say instead of axing character after character, how about axing some of the crappy writers who can't come up with VIABLE storylines.