"With the heavily promoted Corrie Big Week fast approaching, it's got me thinking - would Corrie benefit from giving the audience a few more surprises?
It's been no secret that the departing EastEnders producer, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, has breathed a new lease of life into Corrie's southerly sister.
Returning characters and shock storyline twists are in no way new to the world of soap. But what I have been impressed by is the way these are now regularly being handled by our Walford-counterparts.
Crucial information is being left out of episode synopses and publicity, to give the audience the ultimate surprise when the episode is transmitted. I can't but feel a slight pang of jealousy when I eventually see these erupt on my Twitter feed, with the audience agog at the return of Jack Branning or the next victim of little Bobby Beale.
Imagine the surprise the Coronation Street audience would have got seeing Bethany and Sarah Platt rock up unannounced at Number 8 last year. Or the first glimpse of Rob Donovan in prison last December, having had no prior publicity. What if we hadn't been told of Robert and Carla's tryst before it happened, and were left shouting at the TV in shock as they headed for the hotel room.
For me, I think it's an exciting time for the soaps, and I'd personally love to see more of these little surprises creeping into Corrie for the audience. The now annual Big Week will undoubtedly throw a couple of these our way - the deaths of Kal and Maddie last year for example. And I thoroughly enjoy the OMG moment when they do! But wouldn't it be nice to see it happen when you least expect it? A cosy little midweek Wednesday ep of Corrie and - BAM! - Becky McDonald steps out of a taxi. (Hey, a Corrie fan can dream, right?!)
For me this Big Week, I'm personally most intrigued and looking forward to seeing the series of events that leads to the discovery of Callum's body. Corrie bosses are keeping their cards close to their chest with this one, and as a viewer it makes me excited to see what happens without the prior knowledge.
With the arrival of Kate Oates as new Corrie producer, a new chapter of Corrie is beginning, and I'd love to see some of this begin to happen on the Street too. It certainly seems to be proving a hit with the audience of EastEnders, and gives the loyal, regular viewers an unexpected treat every now and then.
Over to you... what are your thoughts on surprise plot twists being kept secret until transmission? I know my opinions aren't always reflected by the Corrie masses (I was a big Stella Price fan, for my sins!), so I'd be interested to hear what you think.
Craig Laurenson. Twitter: @Craig247
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