PETER BARLOW (205 VOTES)
Duration: 1965-1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1986, 2000-2003, 2007-2014, 2015
Played by: John Heannau, Christopher Dormer, Mark Duncan, Linus Roache, Joseph McKenna, David Lonsdale, Chris Gascoyne
2012 character poll position (men): 7
One of the twins born to Ken and Valerie Barlow fifty years ago. After appearing sporadically over 21 years, he was re-introduced in 2000 and it is this Peter that has won fans’ hearts.
After Val’s death in 1971, Peter and his sister Susan were packed up to Scotland to be raised by their maternal grandparents. Peter later joined the navy and married Jessica Midgeley in 1990.
Newly divorced Peter returned to the street in 2000. He wooed both Shelley Unwin and Lucy Richards and married them bigamously. He was never punished by the law, only by a punch from Shelley. Lucy gave birth to Simon in 2003 although she refused access to Peter. Peter then left.
He returned in 2007 with Simon, who Peter had to take on after Lucy’s death and bought the local bookies. Struggling with fatherhood and women, Peter became fond of the drink and ultimately became an alcoholic. With the support of his family and girlfriend Leanne Battersby he sobered up. But when Leanne briefly left the street, he nearly killed himself and Simon when he drunkenly left a cigarette to burn in his flat.
Peter also escaped death when a tram crashed into the street. Afraid that he was going to die, he married Leanne. Unknown to Peter, Leanne had been having an affair with her ex Nick Tilsley. When Peter found out he confronted her at their marriage blessing. The marriage survived but Peter then had an affair with Carla Connor.
Peter and Leanne divorced and Peter got engaged to Carla. But then the Barlow gene hit again as he embarked on a fling with Tina McIntyre. Peter and Carla did marry but the marriage ended when the affair was exposed.
When Rob Donovan pushed Tina off the balcony of the builder’s yard, he framed Peter who spent months in prison. It was Rob’s confession that led to Peter being released.
Peter left the street once more in 2014 only to return briefly when Deirdre died in 2015.
A fan of Peter? Should he return once more?
Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.
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Linus Roache played Peter too? Didn't he play another of his sons...in the storyline where they brought in a grandson also?
ReplyDeleteYes in the 1970s. There's a photo of them both somewhere.
DeleteLinus did play Ken's long lost son Lawrence in 2010 and Bill Roache's other son played his grandson.
Chris Gascoyne's version made Peter a complex and interesting character. However, Peter wasn't the most honourable of men which is probably why he didn't make the top three. Personally, I'm disappointed. He would have been my number one.
ReplyDeleteDid Peter actually accept the job in Antigua which he mentioned when he last appeared in July? It was supposed to last for six months but he was still living in Portsmouth when Simon was sent to stay with him for several weeks in September. By then he apparently had a girlfriend named Sharon which Simon mentioned when he returned. I assume that Peter either decided not to accept the job in Antigua or returned after a couple of months.
ReplyDeleteOr possibly the scriptwriters had just forgotten that he had been offered the Antugua job in the first place! This would not surprise me.
ReplyDeletePeter apparently went to Antigua and back long before the 6 months was up. Continuity, people.
ReplyDeleteYesss I am a Peter fan
ReplyDeleteI thought Peter bought the bookies with the money that he inherited from his ex-wife in order to take care of Simon? It was long after 2000. I too was surprised that he was back in Portsmouth after working on a cruise ship sailing from Antigua. Which is understandable, but I couldn't understand why he was working in Portsmouth when Simon went to stay with him and his new girlfriend Sharon. Again with the continuity, or should I say lack of.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies. It was when he returned in 2008. I'll edit it tomorrow. Thanks for pointing it out! :)
DeleteI remember that Peter only bought the bookies later when he returned with Simon because there were some hilarious scenes with the father (wife/Liz) & son (Leanne) who owned the bookies before Peter. They were much more entertaining that Peter.
ReplyDelete