Coronation Street this week has come in for a lot of criticism in the tabloid press, who have been running front page stories (The Star) saying that Corrie is in crisis and will be cancelled.
Where have these stories come from? They've been cobbled together by scraping Twitter feeds from people complaining about the show. Strange how they never put a story together from those tweets from people saying how much they enjoy it, isn't it? It's all clickbait and I hate it as much as the next sane person.
But in true clickbait style, the stories have been picked up and run by other tabloids, crappy news sites and just about everywhere else online. We didn't run any of these daft stories, because, well, Corrie? Cancelled? I don't think so.
But after the reports this week, and a story in The Sun today saying Kate Oates is 'fighting for her job' ITV Studios creative director John Whiston has come out and made a statement to Digital Spy which reads:
"In the last two years Kate Oates has transformed Coronation Street in the same way as she transformed Emmerdale when she was there.
"The show is now chock full of gripping, talked-about storylines, is tackling ground-breaking social issues and, most importantly for a commercial channel such as ITV is delivering strong ratings,
"Coronation Street's audience share is up year on year, an impressive feat for a 57-year-old soap on our screens six times a week."
So there you have it.
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18 comments:
Issues. That’s the trouble. We want escapism, not issues.
Gripping, talked-about storylines? That's as maybe, but she is letting these storylines run for far too long!
I want entertaining. I'm not being.
She certainly has 'transformed' it - into something viewers don't want or enjoy, or even recognise as Corrie. Great job, Ms Oates - NOT!
She certainly has transformed it and it's a matter of opinion whether it's good or bad. The shocking, powerful storylines appeal to the 'OMG' generation who tweet immediately something shocks or amuses them. My view is that you can have powerful and disturbing without pushing it as far as some of the recent Corrie storylines. Soaps aren't only competing with each other these days but with the gritty dramas which, ironically, often star former Corrie actors.
In the last two years Corrie has been harder to watch for this old viewer. I have had to fast forward through the Phelan bits. Kate Oates has ruined Corrie. Get rid of her before it is destroyed completely. I for one am sick of all the 'so called' gripping storylines. Bring back some of the daily life that we all enjoyed for over 50 years!
And six days a week is one too many days a week to watch. Just my opinion.
I shouldn't think she's fighting for her job or Coronation Street is in danger of being cancelled. I imagine she's ticking all the right boxes for the powers that be but I don't like the direction the show has been heading and I haven't watched it since the double murder episode in October.
I'm not sure of the ratings that ITV uses, but I have noticed that the comments on this blog page have dwindled to almost nothing. We used to have some great back & forth comments on this blog page because we were invested in the characters & the storylines, now all we get is misery so why even bother? Graeme N, you have been missed and a lot of other commentators that always had such insightfulness. Well, there isn't much we can do about it. Obviously Corrie isn't doing well - does anyone even remember when they were voted best soap in any awards?
"The show is now chock full of gripping, talked-about storylines, "
What are these "gripping, talked about storylines"? All I can recall is the tedious, boring never-ending Phelan storyline and that has put me off the program completely
Transformed??? Running it into the ditch is more like it with all of these ridiculous stories and continuous plot holes. I don't mind a few changes, but it's been way too extreme.
@Anon As I recall most of those comments were about everyone complaining about how terrible the show was, the truth is Oates will stick around for another couple of years ago and then go, then another producer will take over and everyone will complain about how their running the show down, there's no humour it's not as good as it used to be.
You are right it's a good example of why journalism has gone down the toilet, trawl the internet and find five or six comments supporting your article and you've got on article.
Give our Graeme N the job! :)
I want entertainment not this publuc service storyline garbage Cory has been showing lately. If I want reality gripping stories, I'll watch the news.
Gosh....I am VERY disappointed with Ms Oakes...never thought I would ask for Stuart Blackburn back.....but.....!!!!
Mr john whiston you and Ms Oates are so out of touch with public opinion that you are ruining Coronation Street. We are not enjoying your gripping, long drawn out storylines. Bring back anyone who has No interest in changing Coronation Street. It was very good before...not so much now.
The man is right, Oates is indeed doing the same thing to Corrie that she's done before. Not sure why he thinks that's a good thing though. Wouldn't they have given her anything she asked for to keep her if they felt she was working wonders?
Public have had enough of Kate Oates storylines in Coronation Street Too many in your face issues before watershed for children to watch and get ideas from Issues which are constantly in the newspapers and media Emmerdale and Coronation Street seem to constantly want to use in your face shock tatics in the hope we will be entertained and continue viewing
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