Coronation Street Blog: Five things we've learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

I was overjoyed when the announcement came that ITV3 would start re-running classic episodes of Coronation Street. To begin with, I was disappointed the network wasn't going to show episodes from earlier on - I believe the mid 1970s to early 80s to be the golden age for the show - however I can now see the benefits in starting in 1986. The episodes broadcast this week are modern enough to feature a vast number of characters viewers today will still be aware of, either because they are still regularly on our screens or because their time has only recently been and gone.

Coronation Street in 1986 featured regular characters who stlll appear today - Ken, Rita, Jenny, Audrey, Gail, Sally and Kevin. The likes of Deirdre, Emily, Jack and Vera, Betty and Hilda are still very much in our consciousness too. Early '86 also began some long running stories, introducing Sally Seddon to enliven Kevin's life for many years to come and most of all, the start of the three year Alan Bradley saga.

I have been tasked with cobbling together a blog on five things we've learned from this week in the life of Classic Coronation Street on ITV3. This week in 1986 saw most of the cast showing off their finest polyester summer fashions and even a few of them boasting modest tans. Obviously a hole in the ozone layer up the Red Rec. The new Rovers was revealed, with the bar propping up the same old faces while the vast majority of the storylines still managed a lightness and a deftness of touch the Coronation Street of 2017 can only dream of...

Hilda Ogden, Local Celeb

Miss Weatherfield re-opens The Rovers

The brewery wanted Bet to recruit a local celebrity to declare the renovated Rovers officially open. They sent some tiresome young irk with bad hair to lend Miss Lynch a hand but it was instantly clear she could easily have demolished him before her morning fag. While Curly and Kev girded their collective loins at the prospect of Miss Weatherfield flashing her ankle at the Rovers Bar, in a touching little scene, Bet asked long serving pub char Hilda to do the honours. There was so much warmth and genuine feeling in this little scene that it could be a lesson to all the actors of today.

Despite Bet's brash exterior, she really cared about those around her and Hilda's reaction was priceless. Getting dolled up in her best outfit (seen at Mike Baldwin's wedding and dusted off again for Kevin and Sally's later in the year) our Hilda gave a lovely little speech, despite rude and common interruption from Vera, and declared the Rovers Return officially open. Lovely stuff.

Brian Tilsley: Inside the Actors Studio

Je m'appelle Brian. Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir...

Much of this week's drama was provided by the breakdown of the Tilsley's marriage following Gail owning up to sleeping with Neighbours reject Ian Latimer. The unborn child's unknown parentage was too much for Brian and he legged it back to Ivy's with his tail between his legs. I could easily do without Gail sniveling and blinking away as she tries to remember her next line and I could easily do without Brian being front and centre but one thing this plot did provide were some excellent, strong scenes for the two flame thrower matriarchs of the piece, Ivy and Audrey. I loved it when the two mothers would go to battle, defending their erring offspring to the hilt. There were several super moments when Audrey put battle-weary Ivy firmly in her place and it was raw and affecting to see. These were real Corrie women, protecting the ones they loved despite of their very obvious failings. I think it's about time the Powers That Be of today realised just what powerful performances Sue Nicholls is capable of and gave her something meaty to get her choppers into. I wonder if they have these ITV3 repeats set to record?

Anyway, despite these terrific scenes, this story did expose the obvious. Brian was a dreadful character and almost as wooden as Susan Baldwin. I thought he might pep up a bit when he got to be all angry at the garage, go mad with a monkey wrench or set upon little Kevin. No, nothing like that at all. He just did lots of wooden shouting and staring into the middle distance against a backdrop of a maroon Morris Marina. When Ken Barlow joined the party I thought he might give Bri some practical lessons on how to emote but alas, it was another phoned in performance. Still, only two and a half years until Brian storms off on that fateful night...

The Retiring Mrs Turpin

The Hot Pot Queen is not for turning...

Of course all the goings on at the Rovers gave the writers the chance to give Betty Driver a bit of a storyline. Betty T was never really front and centre when it came to dramatic plots and that's probably why she lasted so long and equally why we loved her so much. Her character's presence was so constant and reassuring, the mother hen of the Street. Much to Bet's shock and horror, Betty decided that the changes at the Rovers meant it was time for her to retire and see more of her Gordon. I should imagine her Gordon was probably quite busy at Everton football club and coining it in on the back of tired old regional tours of A Taste of Honey with Irene Handl to spend time in his Wimbledon conservatory with his Mam.

Anyway, Betty was less than pleased when Bet started interviewing new strumpet barmaids in her front parlour. Tutting and folding her arm under her bosom at a young piece who'd dressed to resemble a liquorice allsort, Betty was sure she'd made the right decision. However, like a hot pot seeking missile, our Mrs Turpin couldn't stay away from the Rovers for long. Despite catty asides that Bet had become a nasty, sharp tongued article (had Betty developed amnesia for the previous seventeen years of her employment?) she imagined Bet would give her her job back when Bertie Bassett sloped off for a job slopping out oxtail soup for Alec Gilroy at the Graffiti Club. Sadly not, as Bet had invited Jackie Corkhill back instead.

The Kabin stars a new line in Wet Lettuce

Rita the reluctant Cilla

Derek Wilton made another one of his customary 1980s guest returns this week with hot news for Mavis. Mavis, all of a twitter (when wasn't she?) struggled to remain composed against a backdrop of Chewing Nuts and Fisherman's Friends. Derek took Mave out to a posh restaurant to drop the bombshell that he'd married Angela Hawthorne. Not surprisingly, our Mavis barely touched her melon boat. I must admit I found Derek's pathetic, weak-kneed frustration rather unpalatable as he stuffed toasted soldiers loaded with pate a la maison into his quivering gob.

Rita, lightly bronzed from her week in Jersey with Alan and Jenny (a missed opportunity for location filming if ever there was one), was less than pleased to see Derek back on the scene. Within seconds of offering him a packet of chewing gum in the Kabin she'd threatened to lock him in the cellar until he developed Stockholm Syndrome. Ooops, got my plot wires crossed again. I loved the scenes of Mavis and Derek wittering on like a pair of wet nellies while worldly Reet watches on, judging the scene with a cruel and weathered eye. Bring on the gnomes!

Phyllis Pearce, Sage of the Street

Phyllis Pearce: Sage. And she knows her onions

Jill Summers was the perfect person to drop in to your average humdrum scene in the Corner Shop or the Kabin and sprinkle a little blue-rinsed fairy dust on proceedings. She did that many times this past week as the gloriously earthy pan scourer, Phyllis Pearce. In one beautiful scene in the Rovers, she chewed the cud with Gloria and Vera, remarking wisely that the youth of the day were so desperate to get the next big thing, to amass all the latest possessions and foreign holidays, that they didn't take the time to appreciate what they did have. Wise words from Mrs Pearce and if it were true in the summer of '86, it's absolutely bang on 31 years later. Characters like Phyllis provided some superb moments of wisdom and a very natural grounding which was so refreshing against a backdrop of Vera caterwauling and Gail skriking over her ructions with Brian. There's nobody quite like that in the show now and that makes me sad.

And I leave you with the wholesome sight of Granny Audrey shoving vin rouge down her pregnant daughter's gob. It explains oh so much...

Gerrit down you, luvey...hmmm

Until next week!

Classic Coronation Street is broadcast on ITV3 every week day at 14.40 and 15.15, repeated from 6am the next day.

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82