Just a few weeks ago, Coronation Street producer Kate Oates said in a statement that she fully intended to see our her tenure at the soap until 2019. You can read that here.
Today it's been announced that's she quit.
Kate confirmed to The Sun that she had resigned after two years at the show’s helm.
Emmerdale producer Iain MacLeod will take on the role at the helm of our favourite soap.
Interesting times ahead.
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24 comments:
Woo hoo!
A terrible shame that so many don't realise just how brilliant she's been and I think it'll become very apparent once she's gone. I cannot fathom the negativity targeted at her, she's properly smart and enthusiastic, and I think she massively turned the show around from the Collinson/Blackburn years. I'll personally miss her work.
Sorry James, I'm with M in Toronto! Woo hoo! Will be glad to see the back of her. Absolutely no knowledge of Corrie history at all.
Well, well. I think she's been a disaster for the show and didn't handle the PR well. Let's hope the new chap can balance things a bit. First job - a major cull of dead wood characters, characters who are no longer believable and characters who have now had two many marriages and murders around them. Please.
This thread may be the longest in Corrieblog history! Unremitted relief and haррiness that she resigned before the show got cancelled! We have been so close to the end, I'm just numb with Corrie right now - but oрtimistic with the thought that after her dark and God-awful storylines have рlayed out in about 6 months time, then haррy days can be back again :)
Does anyone know anything about the new guy? How has Emmerdale been these last 2 years?
I hope she does get a crack at Eastenders or something of her own where she would be appreciated for her talents by the fans.
I’m of the opinion she could be a fantastic post-watershed drama producer. She just needs to do it with her own characters and not force a tone shift in an already long-existing show.
Worst Corrie producer ever. So many longterm viewers have given up watching because of her. I just hope some of the damage she's done can be reversed...
She was a very good producer. For the first year of her tenure she was positively adored round here after the miseries of Stuart Blackburn. Her worst storyline - Billy's drug addiction - was a panic decision foisted on the show because Todd's departure derailed their planning; they had to do something with the actor. There have been missteps but bringing back Peter, Adam and Toyah, introducing Daniel, those were her ideas. It should also be remembered that while she is, as producer, ultimately responsible for the show, there are also a lot of writers and storyliners who come up with concepts and dialogue but don't attract anywhere near the hatred.
No Scott, she wasn't a very good producer.
I'm afraid I don't agree either Scott, I don't think she was good at all.
I have quite enjoyed her time on Corrie, minus a few storylines here and there. I think she was a FAR better producer than Blackburn and Collinson. It’s a shame that she didn’t get to finish what she started and ride out her contract. I don’t remember a time when the majority on this blog were happy with the producer and I have been reading this blog for many, many years. Nevertheless, good luck to the new producer and looking forward to good storylines ahead!
No producer is ever going to please all of the people, all of the time when Corrie is watched by such a broad spectrum of people.
Whilst not everything has worked or been executed as well as it could have been, on the whole Kate has done a great job.
Like it or not, society has moved on from the cosy nostalgia of yore, and Corrie is now much more modern, whilst still referencing its past. There's been a resurgence of energy under Kate that was sorely lacking before, and a layering, crossover & complexity of stories which has made for great viewing.
With every producer in recent times, there's been vocal critism 'thanks' to the social media world we now live in. But as soon as they are gone, it seems people look back with rose tinted glasses! Give me Corrie anyday with Kate at the helm, than Stuart Blackburn & towards the end, Phil Collinson.
For me, the fact that she has resigned says it all.
With such a gesture she is finally admitting that her new broom swept way too clean and most importantly way too dark. Talented for sure, but she was just was the wrong person for the job.
She probably got tired of all the negativity she was getting.
I have enjoyed some of her ideas, bringing back old characters, and I've seen camera angles that were never used before, which is all refreshing. She just strayed too far into the 'dark side' for me, but it was never quite enough to make me stop watching! Good luck to her.
The idea to me that she was excessively dark is almost too comical for words. I mean, yeah it got dark at times, but you'd think you lot were watching The Wire! I remember people complaining she had made the show too dark during a week where Noris dressed as batman and got up on a roof. People have got this imaginary evergreen version of the show in their heads that never existed. I also feel it's ridiculous because her darker storylines were mostly so good! I get that it isn't for everyone but Pat Phelan is an iconic modern Corrie villain and that's so hard to pull that off in this day and age... Tony Gordon was a good villain, but iconic? Phelan undeniably is. I think the Bethany grooming storyline & David's rape storyline are thus far the only times Corrie has properly tackled these subjects without turning it into an insensitive/sensationalist storyline, Toyah's rape was a tasteless whodunnit and Carla's started strongly but was set-up for a murder whodunnit.
She also brought back Gina and revamped Gemma. More pluses.
It isn’t that any of the stories were so awful, it’s just that it’s misery upon misery covered in misery sauce. There have been light moments but the comedy generally misses the mark and seems crammed in as an afterthought or, as someone else pointed out, required costumes. And the drama of daily life is virtually absent. I don’t watch Emmerdale but they do win a lot of awards. Fingers crossed.
Happy dance.
Though Kate Oates is obviously skilled in some creative areas, many of us just hated seeing so many sharp departures from Corrie's historic ambience, as we know it, implemented so quickly. And with such public arrogance every time she was called out on it.
To be honest, I don't think society has entirely moved on from "the cosy nostalgia of yore". People of all ages still crave supportive family and peers, and the security of home, job and sustenance. I suppose many of us could write a long thesis on the meaning of this soap and its many iterations.
I've strongly disliked some, not all, of the very visible changes of late. The big move to the new set added a lot of energy and work for all involved. But then I felt like a very young viewing crowd has glommed onto the more sensationalised aspects of Oates' changes, without much understanding of what was carved away and discarded. I'm not some old crone who hates all change. I'm very socially progressive and actively welcome shining a light on society's hidden suffering. I also like fast-moving, fun drama.
It wasn't just the tangled issue storylines, the suffering in the damp, dark basement, and the guns and explosions. It was how it was done. It felt pushed on us, thrown at us. Throwing over the past is fine if it's done with intelligence and humanity combined. Separately they always fail.
Maybe trying to combine all that with the Villain storyline tradition was asking too much at once. Inexperience and youth can really not be an excuse. Practising on an old institution like Corrie has take its toll. We hardly ever see Ken or Rita. Emma and Norris are virtually gone from The Street. I have to wonder why. As an older person myself, I think there's a lesson here about age inclusiveness. We are creative too, and not the old fuddy-duddy's many think we are. We've learned from a life of mistakes that don't need to be made again.
She's just the latest self-serving greasy pole climber (going back to the days of Brian Park) who flew in and gleefully vandalised the show for short term gain. Her successor will continue her work.
Yes, Virginia - there is a Santa Claus.
I'm not trying to suggest that all Corrie producers don't receive negative attention, but the vitriol aimed at her feels excessive, and I'm suuure it has absolutely nothing to do with her being the first female producer the show has had in the social media age...*cough*
I think she is great. Remember that the older actors might be exhausted and asked for a reduced appearances - it was the same for Betty, Blanche, etc.
I am sad that she is leaving, I was looking forward to more of her stories!
HURRAH !! This 30 plus year 'former' Corrie viewer just 'might' be able to get back together with her old friend again....Coronation Street. Hopefully the new Producer will not have the intense desire to tackle all of today's social issues and slap them onto our screens... Get back to your roots...let's have the beloved comedy and strong storylines that drew many of us in, so many years ago....'here's hoping'....
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