Let's look at the evidence. Lloyd has already departed on the wings of love with gurning Andrea. We will miss him and to a lesser extent, her. We also know that Les Dennis is taking a break from Corrie for a few weeks so there will no Michael available for that all important airport run. Add to that the recent announcement that Simon Gregson will also be on extended leave stretching into 2016. By my reckoning that leaves Streetcars with no drivers and the office manned by My Lady of the Perpetual Joys, Eileen, and a half empty biscuit barrel. This does not make for a successful business.
Realistically, there is no reason why the disappearance of every staff member should be an issue at all. Streetcars could quite easily be written out of the Weatherfield narrative until Les Dennis returns. Much will depend on whether Steve McDonald is actually being written out or if the powers-that-be do an 'Ena Sharples' and simply imply that he is around but never seen (remember those wonderful mid-70s scenes where Ena would be represented by a twitching net curtain or a door closing followed by someone bellowing 'Thanks Mrs Sharples'?)
Maybe Michelle could step into her husband's shoes but how she would be able to drive a car with her arms folded is anyone's guess. Ken used to be a cab driver so how about he dusts off that licence and takes to the road again? I'm sure there would be no issues in having a 76 year old hurtling down Deansgate at 12 mph. Cathy's at a loose end but you know that in charge of a car, she would be reversing into pensioners on every other corner.
We are used to characters being hurled into the Corrie Cupboard for weeks or months at a time. Now we may possibly get the chance to see an entire business jammed in there. Let's hope there's room for that biscuit barrel.
Or if all else fails, they could resurrect Alma . . .
By David Bridgman, on twitter @bridglondon
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8 comments:
Fat Brenda could be given more scenes.
Does Tony still own half the pub? Steve may not fancy being in partnership with anyone other than Lloyd so they might both sell up. Steve could pay Tony off to get the Rovers back or Tony might fancy owning Streetcars himself and buy both Steve and Lloyd's shares. He'd make a good owner but is Terence Maynard leaving Corrie to do panto? Any word on that? If not Tony, how about the new Mr Connor, snr? Streetcars could be sold in half a second over a pint in the Rovers.
Some good ideas Humpty! Tony would be a natural fit at Streetcars.
There's not a lot of point featuring Streetcars if most of the staff are gone. They can comfortably make reference to Eileen going to work and she can still be involved in her children's stories.
I really like the idea of Steve being around but never seen. It would kinda crack me up if Michelle makes one passing comment about Steve changing the barrels - and he ends up doing just that for three months! It's quite easy to write him out for a bit in my opinion though - say his depression is getting him down (no one's ever completely over depression sadly) and he decides to do some travelling to take his mind off things. Make reference to him visiting Lloyd/Andrea, Andy etc. And if Kim Marsh/Whatever wants a few weeks off, they can say she's joined him on one of his travels!
Also when Steve returns, they'll need to fid him a good mate. I remember Lloyd was in a way a replacement for Vikram. Who will Steve pal around with now? Dev? Tony? Aidan?
Trading Tony Streetcars for his half interest in the Rovers seems like a natural progression. However, it may also be interesting to see one of the new Connors buy it and transform it into a modern business (they could do the same with Underworld). Eileen could use someone who doesn't put up with her BS and giant gob.
There are two ways of looking at this really interesting question: 1) If all of the characters who work for Streecars go away, there is no Streetcars. Or 2) What role does a cab agency play in the street? Is it really necessary at this point? Without Streetcars, the residents who rely on cab service would have to use a different vendour. Maybe it's time to recognise Uber as a fact of the future. (Roy could enroll as a driver:) ) Many commenters have complained that Underworld is an unrealistic throwback, a local knicker factory in the age of outsourcing, as if. Corrie began as a study of working class life, and its class consciousness set it apart. I wish that could still be the case.
-ELK
LIKE!! LOL!!
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