If you've not yet seen this week's Radio Times cover, then you really should go out and buy it. Not only are the Coronation Street women splashed on the cover this week - see it here - and details revealed inside of one of our favourite women returning - see it here - but there's a great interview with Corrie producer Kate Oates.
It's been a year since Kate Oates took control of our favourite soap and Radio Times writer David Brown asked her about the job so far.
Interestingly, Kate Oates said that her first job when she came out of University was working for feminist writer and academic Germaine Greer. "I was her researcher and editorial assistant and I lived with her for almost a year after I graduated."
Speaking about the upcoming sixth episode, Kate Oates says: "You'll see it from early spring. What we'll get are a couple of new businesses and there'll also be a little park where we'll have a special bench dedicated to Martyn Hett and all of the other people who lost their lives in May (in the Manchester bombing)."
One area that Kate Oates says the show needs to improve is in its portrayal of diversity, especially black and Asian characters. "Yes, we absolutely need to do more of it," she said. "And we need more black and Asian writers to bring out the truth of those voices."
And finally, at the end of the Radio Times interview, Kate Oates said that there's a storyline coming up in 2018 that "scares her"... but she doesn't give much else away, so we'll just have to wait and see. Her full comment is this: "There are still stories I'm passionate about telling. We're doing one next year that scares me a bit, but if it's taken in the way we intend, it could do a lot of good."
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Hmm, Oates worked & lived with Germaine Greer for almost a year. Interesting. I like the idea for the little park coming on the new set, with a bench dedicated to those killed in the Manchester attack. Glad she mentioned not only the need for a more diverse cast / characters, but also more black & Asian writers.
ReplyDeleteDespite too many unplanned pregnancies, some overly loud music, some boring characters and storylines, not enough independent & interesting older women, and the gotta-have-a-man syndrome, I'm willing to give Kate more time to hone her skills.
Enjoying the Radio Times Corrie special.
I hope the new park (a) is better than the one on EastEnders, which is a corner of the set and looks like it, and (b) doesn't mean the end of the Red Rec!
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