Ever since his very first line, I have been enamoured of
Craig Tinker. His first line was in fact, ‘Tracy had a go at me because I ate all the
cereal.’
Beth and her son were staying with Tracy in a house owned by
Steve Macdonald. Living there, in fact, until Steve evicted them all.
‘Love me love my rat Darryl,’ would be Craig’s mantra. Of
course, we have had the ‘Rat runs riot in The Rovers’ which is mildly amusing, but Craig didn’t really come into his own as a character until the fire at The Rovers for
which Craig believed he was guilty, and thus also guilty for the deaths of Toni
Griffiths and Sunita Alahan.
Colson Smith pulled off several brilliantly successful
performances. At his young age, he managed to convey guilt, fear and horror.
He left his mum, Beth, and her then boyfriend Kirk, a note to say that he would
like them to apologise to Dev on his behalf, because he had killed his wife. The
psychology and behaviour of a teenager suffering an all-consuming guilt, was so
convincingly portrayed by Colson, and so far, I do not believe I have seen a child act so
well.
At one point, I was in need of being convinced that Beth and
Craig ‘worked’ as mother and son. Craig seemed to have a refinement that his
mum lacked. Now, however I think the pairing of the two was an excellent idea.
Children do not necessarily reflect their parents.
There is something about Craig’s appearance, his bulk, for
want of a better way of expressing it, which draws the viewer to him. His
rounded face and his red hair also evoke a warmth in the viewer towards him
created by the boy’s vulnerability, perhaps due to the boy’s less than perfect
physique. You do not need me to remind you of the intense pressures on young
people today concerning their appearance. For girls, they must be skinny,
before anything else and for boys, the six pack is what they are all supposed
to covet. Craig is not there yet.
All that said, about the superficial, the appearance, the
right clothes and of course, trainers, Craig Tinker/ Sutherland (?) has a charm
which cannot be bought in Top Man nor can it be achieved by the use of rowing
machines, a treadmill or the lifting of weights.
Craig’s likeability stems from his innate charm and
kindness, along with his gentle, mellifluous voice. His friendship with Faye,
his ability to talk to almost anyone and his quiet confidence also serve to
endear us to him. His delight at being able to help Tim produced his beautiful
smile.
Beth Sunderland, you are a lucky woman. No wonder you wear a
C on your necklace.
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15 comments:
When first Craig appeared, he was silent and gazing. I feared when they brought he and Beth back and I didn't think he'd be much of an asset if they gave him any dialogue. But boy was I wrong! He's a wonderful character and yes, a fantastic actor. Craig, like Chesney and Tyrone before him, are direct opposites of their mothers. I too love that Craig can talk to anyone. His scenes in the library and in the Kabin with Norris were just as great as his scenes with Faye and Tim!
Absolutely Tvor. Really looking forward to Craig being granted more screen time and to seeing how his character develops.
Beth is essentially a good person. So, in her defense, I'd like to say Craig isn't totally the opposite.
He is so gentle and Ruth his voice is very mellifluous. Good word.
Love this guy, keep him and keep him good COrrie peeps.
Craig is great! Not too many people on the street get along with Norris! I hope he's around for a long time. It would be great if he went on to become the doctor at the clinic in the future -- don't stick him in the factory!
Couldn't agree more with this post, Ruth, and all the comments too. It's so refreshing to have a young man on the Street that isn't a stereotypical teen tear away, just cannon fodder for easy 'sensational' storylines. It would be just wonderful if Craig was allowed to go down this sensitive, well rounded and well balanced path to adulthood. And Rebecca, just love the idea of Craig becoming the local GP, after all Manchester University, one of the finest medical teaching universities, is just a couple of stops away on the Weathy Wayfarer!
Couldn't agree more, Ruth, Craig Tinker is a wonder.
Fantastic everyone. We're all feeling the love for Craig Tinker! I hope he knows - and feels it too.
Oh yes, Rebecca. Dr Tinker - what a great doctor he would be. Calm, sensitive and an excellent listener.
Imagine him and the Matron!
Craig is brilliant, and his protection of Faye is much to his credit. He has real staying power (I hope)!
C in Canada
I agree that Craig is a wonderful character, and atypical of the teenagers we see in soaps. I cannot understand why he doesn't get more airtime, when we have seen other teens and children on the show get pushed forward all the time, like Katy and Simon. I'd take scenes with Craig over any with Simon any day! Especially, as commented on this blog, he interacts wonderfully with the other street residents of all ages, in a very natural way.
Anonymous,At the risk of sounding cynical,I think the reason we see more of Simon and for that matter is because they are Barlows and Katy is fluffy'eye candy'.Unfortunately when Sarah and Bethany arrive,Bethany will probably be featured more often than Craig too because she's Platt and it seems only a chosen few teenagers are favored.Since he is friends with Faye,I am hoping that we'll see more of Craig as her chanmpion when her pregnancy storyline begins as he is a wonderful underused character.
I love our Craig.
- Fig & Dew
Craig is a wonderful a c t o r but I hope he is taking care of his education .
Loved him from the start and wish we could see him more often. Good connection with Tim and Faye, Beth and Kirk. He's a brilliant little actor.
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