Well, now it's my turn. Before you start hurling leftover mince pies and relatives at the screen, fear not. I'm not about to arduously offer a week-by-week reportage of all things cobble-based. It's simply a reflection of how I feel at the end of the year. Feel free to disagree. Seriously - let me know what you think! The great thing about this blog is hearing the opinions of other viewers because quite often, there are views about the show that I've never considered.
Admittedly, I am enjoying Corrie at the moment. Whereas it seemed a little leaden last winter, the storylines now seem to bounce along. Yes, they may be dashing past our eyes a little too quickly. The tale of 'Mary and Son' seems to have been introduced and completed within a matter of hours:
Mary: I've got a son that I've never mentioned before. I wonder where he is? Here he is! I'm off to South Africa now to live with him forvever so goodbye.
Or something like that. Likewise there have been a few continuity errors such as Liz spending Christmas in Spain but being back behind the bar a few hours later. Or Andy suddenly becoming Mr Malevolence overnight. All a bit jarring.
I never thought I'd hear myself saying that the Platts were probably one of the biggest joys of 2016 but ... err, the Platts were one of the biggest joys of 2016. There has been a wealth of fine acting from Tina O'Brien, Jack P. Shepherd and Lucy Fallon. Let's not forget Paula Lane and that achingly sad death scene. Nick seems to have taken the bus to Idiot Street. When he's not squinting and whining, he's doddering along, getting it wrong. Gail, thankfully, seems to have shrugged off her own personal cloak of idiocy and we can only hope for normal (well, as normal as it gets for Gail) service to be resumed as soon as possible.
At the other end of the scale we have the very unlovely Eileen. This one-woman joy-sapping machine is a megaphone of misery and bile. Okay, she was never exactly the laughing fairy of Weatherfield but she's festered into something quite unpleasant. Oh and stupid. I found myself willing Pat 'soft lad' Phelan to bleed her dry but then realised that we would be left with some bellowing, hollowed out husk, bemoaning her lot for eternity. She needs to lighten up or jog on.
Rita's been great this year. I've enjoyed her and that hasn't always been the case. I'm one of the small number who has never warmed to her sanctimoniousness and feared the worst when poor old Gemma appeared on the Rita Radar. Would the cheque book and 'now listen here lady' homilies be finding a new home? Not at all. Rita's been warm and supportive to a girl who is trying her hardest to shrug off her unsavoury past. The mistakes she made with Tina don't appear to be on the cards again so thank you Corrie storyliners.
The other nays for me included the Kirk/Beth bigamy shenanigans. Although well-acted, it was another of those 'grafted on' stories that felt uncomfortable. Cathy didn't really work too well either as she's portrayed as being both brittle and needy. Hooking her up with Roy felt wrong but we can now all rest assured that the relationship is over. Can't we?The potential Audrey & Ken hook-up was a bit of a mess too but thankfully Dame Kate of Oates seems to have tossed that story into the Corrie Cupboard.
Big hurrahs then for the seamless dispatching of Sharif Nazir, another character who suffered from an overnight personality change. Hopefully this has freed up Yasmeen for greater things. She deserves it. Let's hear it too for Erica, a character that has had to take on both Dev and his sly children. In an ideal world, she would buy the Corner Shop and run it on her own. Erica doesn't need the encumbrance of the Alahans. The fresh lease of life for the Barlows has also been, to date, a joy. Adam and Daniel seem to be positive additions to the clan and Peter's always good fun.
Thumbs up for Leanne, if not for her bizarre pregnancy waddle. Presumably the M & S mac is acting as a restraint. Let's hear it for Gemma, Eva, the underused and soon to depart Steph, wily Jenny and the superb Tim 'n' Sal. Bouquets for one and all.
What are you wishing for 2017 then? For me, a phasing out or revamp of Maria would be welcome, a new direction for Chesney and Sinead (or a Weatherfield Wayfarer out of the Street altogether), the option not to take the obvious route re David and Shona (how old is she anyway?), Eileen to be buried in a landfill site somewhere on the outskirts of Rhyl, Gail to get married before Easter, at least one scene to show that Nozzer is sharing a house with the Odd Couple, Kevin to marry Anna if only so that we can chortle at Sally's outrage . . . the list goes on. And on.
I'll leave it with you then. What was hot and not in your Corrie world in 2016 and what is on your wish list for 2017? Play nicely!
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Indeed, it's been a funny old year and still it goes on. Add the relationship of Peter and Toyah to the mix and Corrieworld's gone crazy. Don't you just love it when you read interviews with actors in a bizarre storyline: 'And the producer explained it to me' or 'I trust the writers' which means it makes as much sense to them as it does to us. I hope Kevin and Anna marry and their new bone of contention is Rosie living with them. Faye now has two older sisters to either guide her or get her into trouble. Are we really rid of Cathy or is she still hanging round the Street? I hope she leaves and takes Alex with her; an experiment that didn't work. Peter needs to accept the mantle of senior Barlow while Ken fades into the background. I don't want him and Audrey to get together. Freddie's not right for her either and perhaps her new beau is yet to appear. Billy's getting boring, let him leave or give him something realistic to do. Phelan is not a good villain, especially since he's been given magical powers that rob the likes of Andy saying: 'Don't know what you're talking about. I'll fetch the doctors.' Eileen is deeply unpleasant and it's unsettling because she's not meant to be that way. We were meant to feel some sympathy for her being duped by Phelan but instead most people are joyfully waiting for her to be devastated by the truth. It's either the writing or the acting, but she could trot off with Phelan and nobody would care much.
ReplyDeleteI'd like Maria to spend some time in prison and to change from airhead to manipulator. Samia has already said that Maria won't come out the same person. There's a lot of mileage in her becoming more like Jenny or Tracy. Her rationale would be that people have messed her around for too long and now she has to put her son's well-being first. So whatever it takes, she'll do it. Kirk and Audrey will be horrified and there could be some huge rows.
Finally, great blog but how do we address you? David or Clinkers?
Maria definitely needs a change to shake up the character. She needs to stop being so stupid about men to start with.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say David (Clinkers) - brilliant. Most entertaining. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHumpty - it's definitely David! Not sure my family would ever address me as Clinkers . . . although there's a first time for everything.
ReplyDeleteAbercrombie - many thanks for the kind words!
I'll say a bit more now that I've read Humpty Dumpty's contribution. I've enjoyed the Platts - more realistic content. Billy is truly getting on my nerves 'oh, let's go and get plastered' - 'oh, let's go back to the church' what sort of vicar/non vicar is he? Needs a bit of therapy if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteLove Yasmeen, Roy with his male friends, easier for him, he struggles with close relationships with women.Except Hayley who understood him. Love the return of Brian and Peter. Adam is a fool and is definitely overshadowed by Daniel who is a breath of normalcy.Those scenes over Christmas with Phelan in a hospital bed, one minute head bandaged up, the next free of bandage, scar, blood were too ridiculous. Anna was back on her feet more swiftly than this pantomime character. Do this Andy, do that Andy. So irritating and uncomfortable to watch because it was way too far fetched. And Eileen who judges everyone on a sixpence. though that's pretty normal for everyone. FGS, most of the characters would eat their own grandmother on scant evidence of her being edible. That feels better. Happy New Year everyone :)
Humpty Dumpty and Abercrombie love your comments - I may not agree with them completely, but I still love reading them.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to our bloggers and the viewers who write comments, we may not always see eye to eye, but it's fun and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Jeanine in Atl (sorry I don't have much imagination when it comes to screen names which is why I always post under anon.)
Happy New Year!!!
ReplyDeleteAnything with Billy is always silly (nyah nyah made a rhyme). Seriously, I can't stand Billy and wish he would make up his mind and decide to live in, say London.
ReplyDelete