Cosy crimes and gritty sagas by Corrie Blog editor Glenda, published by Headline. Click pic below!

Tuesday 28 March 2017

The trouble with Toyah

Are you, like me, old enough to remember Toyah Battersby the first time around when she was on Coronation Street?  If you'd like a recap on Toyah's major storylines, they're all here.

Yes, I'm old enough to remember Toyah from the good old days. I remember her fondly, as I suspect, many of us do. She had a spark about her. Battersby by name, of course, but not a real Battersby by nature. She was Janice's daughter, less noisy than Leanne, daughter of Les.

I liked Toyah a lot. And when it was announced that she was returning, with the same actress too, I couldn't have been more pleased. Yes! Let's see that sparky young woman again, the Toyah who slept out under the stars with Spider. Let's see the Toyah who wanted to be a journalism student. Let's see the Toyah who went off to live in that London with Spider.  Let's see the Toyah who went on protests to save the red rec, the Norweigan prawns at Frescho, the hairy (whorey) ground wort, the planet.   Yes! That's the Toyah I was looking forward to having back.

So who have they sent us, instead?

Since Toyah returned to Coronation Street she's been defined by her failure to have children and by the IVF treatment needed to become a mother. 

She's been back and forward between Toby and Peter, with no mention of Spider. There's also been little, if any, interaction between Toyah and those who knew her first time around, apart form a spat with Maria in Roy's Rolls.  There are still plenty on the cobbles who knew Toyah from first time around - she and Roy went on protests together, yet I don't know if they've said a nice word to each other since she returned?

Come on, Corrie, let's have a bit of the old Toyah back. The emotional pain of wanting to become a mother and going through IVF has undoubtedly taken its toll, but there has to be more to a character than that.

And there certainly has to be more to Toyah.




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10 comments:

Humpty Dumpty said...

If ever there was an argument for not bringing back much-loved characters, it's Toyah's return. Producers, please don't even think about doing likewise with Spider, Janice, etc, unless they have a really intelligent storyline. Toyah and Peter's romance is daft and there's zero chemistry. If they're determined to keep Toyah, fix her up with someone else.

Newfy Pearl said...

What I noticed last night was a little shocking to me. Her ex made mention of his children missing her. Children????
Imagine if Leanne had been so unfeeling toward her step son - how would poor Simon have turned out?
Over the years Toyah was painted as the good girl to Leanne's bad girl....but you know what....Leanne has more love in her heart.
She has taken Simon into hers just as Janet did with her. What happened to Toyah??????
She obviously did not value the feelings that her step children obviously had toward her...that she could walk away even though the ex said they would be over the moon to see her, they miss her, and they need her.
Turned my stomach to be honest.

popcorn said...

Toyah's return just isn't working for me. I too remember the old Toyah. Where has she gone? And who is this imposter?

Lee said...

I've been waiting (and waiting) for her to grow on me. It's not happening. Peter is not her soul mate. She is drab and boring.

Maricha said...

I don't like Toyah. She's boring with Peter and her presence prevented the great scenes we would otherwise have had between Leanne and Eva. She says she desperately wants kids but is oblivious to all those around her. If you don't like kids in general you might want to rethink the decision to spend a king's ransom to have one.

Maybe pairing her with someone else would salvage the character but she hasn't had a spark with anyone currently on the street so it might mean the return of Spider.

SkyJ said...

Yep, I agree. I liked the old Toyah and to be honest, give me her over her annoying sister any day of the week BUT they brought her back as a woman cheating on her husband with Peter Barlow, and I think sticking her with him is part of the problem. It's been all about 'how will Leanne feel?'. Yawn

The very idea of Peter and Toyah conveniently bumping into each other in a bar somewhere, and being unable to resist each other, is actually hilarious. Maybe if we'd been given the chance to see it, it would be easier to believe?

Newfy Pearl said...

That is a good point SkyJ. We saw how Toyah did not forget the hurt that Maria caused her all those years ago. When Leanne came back to town years ago she was miserable to Maria for the same reason. The Battersby girls were raised to stick together and I am sure that Toyah would have known the hurt that Peter had caused her sister over the years.
Unbelievable and I agree completely with all the posts that say 'no chemistry'.
And to see Toyah as landlady of the Rovers...no way...like I said before...no sparkle.

Derelict Cucumberpatch said...

I was really looking forward to Toyah's return, I always liked her before and preferred her to Leanne back in the day.

But it was a huge mistake putting her with Peter Barlow. He's way too old for her, they have absolutely no chemistry and he is making her a misery. I can't for the life of me think what she sees in him. So to me, her return has been a massive disappointment.

Louby said...

I agree with you all! I wonder if Georgia Taylor is disappointed with the way her character is now?

It's already been said about how ridiculous it is that she would pack in her job to work nearby and then do part time hours in the Rovers. I find it unbelievable that she would think she could sort Peter out. I really hope the script writers get her to see the light,and write her into a decent career, and rediscover her personality!

Laura said...

Wow - I'm in Canada so I haven't seen scenes yet with Toby referring to stepchildren. If that's so, it's really unflattering to her character that not only is she a cheater, which runs counter to everything we knew about her character's personality, but she is also able to disregard her stepchildren, while at the same time being so adamant about having her own biological child that it must be a constant message and reminder to them that they're not enough. Ouch.

Also agree that it doesn't make sense that an experienced counselor would think she can "save" someone, or that it would be a good idea to run a bar with an alcoholic. And I'm with everyone else who says they just don't have chemistry together. End it soon please!!!!

Who thought up this arc for her? It's awful! It's dragging down Peter's character too.

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