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Thursday 2 July 2015

Who owns the Rovers Return?

Last night on Coronation Street when Steve McDonald return from Spain, he railed at the thought of Tony owning half of the Rovers.  As well he might.

What he didn't rail against, and what no-one seemed to mention, is that Carla owns the other half.  I put this thought out on twitter last night and one of our other bloggers replied to say that he thought Carla hadn't bought it.  In our house, we were convinced that she did.

I then posed the question to the twittersphere - did Carla buy into the Rovers? And I received a mixed reply. Some fans thought she had and others thought she hadn't.

I do remember most definitely Carla and Michelle turning up at the last minute to stop Travis Ltd (Tony) from buying the remaining 50% of the pub, as in the picture above. And Carla offered to buy the 50% to keep Liz and Michelle in a job.  That's why, when Tracy found out that Carla had bought into the Rovers she was so incensed she broke into Carla's flat with Michelle's keys intent on killing Carla for knocking her and Tony's plan on the head to buy the Rovers outright.

So does anyone have proof of what actually happened? Did Travis Ltd (Tony) buy 50% and did Carla buy the other 50%? If so, this leaves Steve and Liz not owning the pub at all, just running it. Someone needs to tell Steve!

Can anyone clarify for sure with episode details? It looks like it was Friday May 22 and Monday May 25.  On the clip at the Radio Times website here - it shows Carla stepping with her offer to buy half of the pub. But did she make good on her offer?

If you view the clip below from 1.35 onwards, Steve clearly tells Tracy "Carla's bought into the pub."  But was all of this before Liz found out about Tony and then it wasn't necessary for Carla to buy into the pub after all?



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27 comments:

Jo said...

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-05-16/coronation-street-carla-buys-into-the-rovers---and-leaves-tony-stunned-watch-the-full-scene.
Hopefully this may help 😁

Glenda Young said...

Thanks for the link which I've added to the blog post. It shows Carla offering to buy into the pub, but do we have proof that she actually did? Does anyone know?

njblas said...

Now, there's a question:)

Dolly Tubb said...

I was thinking the same as you, Flaming Nora. I was left believing that the Rovers was owned 50% by Travis Thingy, and 50% by Carla, who bought into the Rovers to enable Michelle and Steve to stay on to manage the pub. If Carla didn't actually buy the 50% then why not, because Steve and Liz were desperate for cash, and someone had to buy it. And it clearly wasn't Tony. Hence Tracy's bitterness towards Tony and Carla.
Mind, we all know that secretly Betty Turpin still owns the Rovers.

Jo said...

Wikki says.(Terence Maynard and Alison King)

In 2015, Tony Stewart (Terence Maynard) grows tired of his girlfriend, current Rovers landlady Liz, and plots with secret lover, Tracy, to take the pub from the McDonalds. Tony falsely tells Liz's son, Steve, that he needs the money back that he lent him, forcing Steve to sell his half of the Rovers. Steve gets an offer from a pub chain, called "Travis Limited", and accepts it, not knowing that Tony is the real buyer. After being successful in purchasing Steve's share of the pub, Tony sets in motion his mission to con Liz in to selling her half to "Travis Limited" as well, persuading her that they should start afresh, a little further away from Weatherfield. When she refuses, he arranges for two of his criminal friends to attack her in the bar. Tony manages to persuade Liz to sell up, promising a new life in Spain with her. Tony and Liz go to the solicitor's and just as Liz is about to sign her half of the Rovers over to "Travis Limited", Michelle's best friend, Carla Connor (Alison King), offers to buy Liz out of the pub. A furious Tony tries to persuade Liz to honour her deal with "Travis Limited", but Liz decides to sell her half of the Rovers to Carla, after she promises to keep Steve and Michelle on, as pub licensees. For revenge on Carla, for buying the Rovers, Tracy set the Victoria Court flats on fire with Carla and her own daughter, Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney), trapped inside. Both Carla and Amy survived the blaze, however, Kal Nazir (Jimi Mistry) and Maddie Heath (Amy James-Kelly), are both perished in an explosion, during the fire.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rovers_Return_Inn#Tony_Stewart_and_Carla_Connor_.282015.29

This reckons both Tony and Carla own the pub. Any use? 😀

Jo said...

https://youtu.be/o2yMpzMHSPU

If you go to 04.37 on this link Steve clearly tells Tracy that Carla's bought into the pub. I think k its safe to assume that it actually happened unless the writers developed amnesia and think up something else. Have a lovely day

Barrie.T said...

On 8th June Liz tells Sean she has seen a solicitor & is drawing up a contract to ensure Tony stays as a silent partner. I presumed Liz owns the other half as why else would she be trying to protect her assets? I suppose she could be trying to protect Carla but why wouldnt her solicitor advise her that its up to Carla?

Scott Willison said...

That Wikipedia article also says that Gloria is coming back in December to be the new landlady, so a pinch of salt is required :)

I was the one who originally suggested that Carla never got round to buying the pub. My understanding is Carla offered to buy the pub to give Michelle job security when Liz went off to Spain. They turned up at the solicitors to stop Liz from selling it to Travis Ltd and then they all went home to celebrate. The sale to Travis/Tony was therefore blocked, but Liz hadn't actually flogged her half: it was just an understanding that come Monday she would sign the papers and hand her half over to Carla before jetting off to Spain (I seem to remember them making a fuss of how late in the day it was to get to the solicitors too, so nothing could be done then). It meant Tracy's plan was thwarted - Tony was not going to get the other half of the pub - but Carla didn't actually have the deeds.

With her plan ruined Tracy told Liz about her affair with Tony and, of course, at that point the sale became moot because Liz wasn't going to jet off to Spain to retire with him. The fire then came along and distracted everyone.

In fact, thinking about it further, if Carla *had* signed the papers, wouldn't it be conceivable that she'd simply sign her half back to Liz now that Ms McDonald no longer needed the money? Carla didn't actually want the pub, she just wanted to keep a roof over Michelle's head, so if Liz no longer wanted to sell then Carla would no longer want to buy.

It's all so vague!

Tee, Canada said...

I think we are/were left to assume that Carla either 1) signed the pub back off to Liz (after she finds out the truth about Tony), or 2) the money never exchanged hands between Carla and Liz therefore, contract of purchase was rendered nil and void.
* we are left to make a lot of our own assumptions as to what occurs off-screen, in order to continue on with the 'belief' of story-lines

Alison said...

There wasn't a large space of time between Carla offering to buy into the pub and the wedding when the truth came out so I assumed that the official sale to Carla with paper signing and money changing hands never got round to taking place (Liz and Tony wanted the money to move to Spain/Tony wanted full ownerhip so that he could move Tracy in, but that all fell through therefore Liz was staying in the pub so would have no reason to sell)

Anonymous said...

The ghost of Ivy Tilsley appeared to her one night and told her not to proceed. Or did I dream that episode?

Llifon said...

From what I recall Tony bought Steve's share and before he could buy Liz' share, Carla was about to buy it. But the wedding halted proceedings and of course Liz found out about Tony's affair and so she owns the pub with Tony.

She told Sean (I think) that she can't wait to force Tony to sign the pub back to Steve.

C in Canada said...

I'm thinking that Carla's offer never actually got completed, as there was a wedding in the way, and the revelations about Tony/Tracey changed the dynamics of the situation to the point where Liz's sale was unnecessary.
I'm convinced that Carla never actually bought Liz's half. There would have been mention of Carla owning half, either by Carla, or by someone else, by now.

Anonymous said...

Let's hope Carla didn't actually sign the papers, and doesn't own half the pub, since she's about to develop a gambling addiction and risk losing the factory. No doubt Tony knows a card shark and could still end up owning the whole pub, although not for Tracy, since that ship has sailed.

Anonymous said...

If Carla didn't buy the pub, then why were Liz, Carla and Michelle toasting Carla's purchase of the pub with Champaign? Carla was saying how every drink she took at the Rover's from then on would only be money in her pocket and she told Michelle to take a bottle of Champaign for her and Steve, "on the house." See the episode from May 22nd at around 21:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxqdq4pEQSI

Anonymous said...

Tony owns Steve's 50% and I don't know if Carla ever signed because Liz found out about Tony quite soon after Carla stopped Liz's half being bought by Tony.

Anonymous said...

Here's something nobody has mentioned yet. We DO know that Carla made an OFFER to buy the pub, and that the offer was accepted. However, in Canada at least, a real estate deal is not completed until final contracts change hands. And lawyers and paperwork require TIME to prepare. It usually takes at least a week. And Carla wouldn't do this without hiring her OWN lawyer or notary - so the thought that this transaction could take effect immediately is just silly!

Emma Hynes said...

Anon @ 16.51, business deals are notoriously done on a hand shake and a scribble over a Chianti and a bowl of olives in Corrie. Tony buying 50% from Liz took up zero air time. I don't mind this all that much, but it can be done with clarity. What puzzles me is that if Travis Ltd don't exist, then any contract drawn up in this name would surely be null and void, wouldn't it?

Anonymous said...

Carla only offered to buy the pub to help Michele, because Liz wanted to sell to go to Spain. Whether they completed the transaction is moot. If she was willing to buy in to help her friend, I would assume she would equally be willing to sell her share back when the truth emerged.

So, no, I don't think that Carla currently owns half of the pub.

modtl said...

Don't believe a word Wikipedia says on their Rovers Return page. Someone keeps writing their own fantasy owner. Recently it's been Nick Tilsley with Sarah as landlady and then Carla kept it and installed David and Kylie as licensees and as landlord/landlady and also they;ve had beer chains buying and it now it says Gloria is coming back.

Load of rubbish. Someone is writing their fantasy storylines. I keep going on and changing it back to what we actually know.

At least my picture of the Rovers is still being used :)

Anonymous said...

Agree with other posters that Carla's ownership never went further than an offer. But the fact that we're even having this discussion is a sign of some pretty shoddy writing. To be honest, I try not to think too hard about this question, especially when it comes to Travis Ltd. The logistics make my brain hurt.

Emma Hynes said...

I'm now taking it that this is the answer.

njblas said...

Another reason to reflect on the low standards of writing and continuity of 2015 Corrie. While most plot developments are over-emphasised and drummed repeatedly into our thick heads, something quite pivotal like this is left as clear as mud. Ironic really...

Barrie.T said...

Sorry but when Steve returned from Spain his first words were "I can't believe Tony owns half the pub"

Barrie.T said...

They were just toasting her offer to buy. That scene was only 5 mins after she made the offer

Anonymous said...

Emma Hynes @21.20 - Travis Ltd. could exist - Tony could have incorporated a company and be the sole director/shareholder

Glenda Young said...

I agree with Emma, we have to assume Carla never bought the pub share and it belongs 50/50 to Liz/Steve and Tony.

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