Coronation Street - Review of the Year 2017

I recently put a call out for young  bloggers to write for us about they things they feel passionate about in Coronation Street.  First up to the challenge is Hannah Jordan who has kindly written not one, but two, blog posts for us. Her first blog post was published yesterday all about Carla Connor. And now, it's over to Hannah once more...

2017 has been a dramatic year on the cobbles. With mass murders, shock twists, and cat fights in the fountain. It’s safe to say that the writers haven’t failed to entertain the viewers yet again.

We kicked off the year with two major storylines. The first of which involved Bethany Platt being groomed by evil Nathan Curtis. Lucy Fallon, who plays the character of Bethany, has won awards for her portrayal of the sixteen-year-old, who was dragged into the dark plot after being won over and manipulated by the owner of a tanning salon. The storyline followed her into the depths of teenage grooming, until Bethany was eventually primed as Nathan’s secret weapon and sold for sex. After being arrested and released on bail, viewers were left gripping the edges of their seats, as Nathan tried to escort Bethany out of the country and were relieved when she came to her senses. Having finally reached out for help, the storyline concluded with the men involved to be sentenced to imprisonment.

The other of the two huge storylines which aired earlier this year, involved characters Michelle Connor and Steve McDonald, who sadly lost their baby Ruari who was stillborn in January. Actors Kym Marsh and Simon Gregson, found this storyline particularly moving, due to suffering their own loses and it’s safe to say there weren’t many viewers without a tear in their eye when the scenes aired. There was soon to be a twist, however, when Steve McDonald revealed he was also fathering Leanne Battersby’s child; Oliver, which lead to the separation of the much loved couple. Additionally, Marsh has also won awards for her performances in the show this year, including a British Soap Award for best female dramatic performance and their agreement in tackling the storyline has been credited on multiple occasions.

On a different note, another long standing storyline this year has involved characters Eva Price, Aidan Connor and Maria Connor, after Eva found out about Aidan and Maria’s affair. Instead of revealing the truth, Eva decided to fleece Aidan, as well as fake a pregnancy in order to get her revenge. However the plot backfired on her, when she realised on the day of their wedding that she did want to marry Aidan, but leaving it too late. The episode was gripping, as the audience were left on a cliffhanger after Maria exposed Eva’s lies, leading to a phenomenal fight in the fountain outside the venue, which left the audience crying with laughter (let’s hope that was the intention)!

A darker, more intense storyline which has come to light later in 2017, was the huge twist where viewers discovered Andy Carver was still alive, after being held hostage by serial killer Pat Phelan. Having been presumed dead, it was immediately a huge question on everybody’s minds, as to why Phelan had been keeping the character and what his intentions were towards him. The storyline was strung out over the course of two months, which some viewers found a little prolonged, but resulted in Andy and Phelan’s old accomplice; Vinny, being shot and thrown into the canal. Connor McIntyre’s performance of Phelan has been credited on multiple social media platforms, and has been labelled ‘best villain’ to date in the soap, as well as being nominated for multiple awards.

The comedy aspect of Coronation Street is something which viewers are intent on bringing back, following the more serious and dramatic storylines that have been portrayed. But thanks to characters such as Norris Cole, Sally Webster, Tracy Barlow and Gemma Winter, watchers of the show have not been deprived of laughs along the way. We have seen some more lighthearted storylines, involving Mary’s wedding to Norris, for the sake of a Mr and Mrs competition, as well as a mayoral debate between Sally Webster and Kirk Sutherland, and a rather pantomimic relationship that blossomed with newcomers Moira and Colin.

Now reaching the end of the year, it has been revealed that the drama is not over yet. With Carla Connor returning to the street at Christmas, fans of the character are excited to see her back home, and speculations of her returning storyline is something on everybody’s minds. We are also involved in the depths of Robert Preston’s testicular cancer storyline, which has taken a turn with certain financial struggles. Not forgetting the already widely supported couple ‘Kana’, which consists of characters Kate Connor and Rana Nazir, which is following Rana’s struggles to come to terms with her sexuality in her culture.

There are a few ideas on what next year on the cobbles may bring, but whatever happens, producer Kate Oates is sure to bring even more laughter, tears and excitement to the show and we cannot wait to see what comes next.

By Guest Blogger Hannah Jordan

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