Chris Fewtrell (left) and Simon Crowther (right) are two names with which Coronation Street fans will no doubt be well familiar, both having written for the soap for fourteen and twelve years respectively. In that time, they have brought a myriad of storylines to life through their carefully crafted scripts.
In looking back at episodes they've written which have resonated with me, some in particular stand out. With Simon, I count the one in which Jack Duckworth passed away as one of the best I've seen in my time watching the show. In it, we were witnessing the death of a legendary Corrie character in more ways than one, as we saw a man experiencing an encroaching distance between himself and the world around him before he became reunited with wife Vera in death, and it was intensely moving. He also wrote a key episode as part of the 'Who Killed Tina?' storyline, where Rob Donovan pushed her from the builders yard balcony.
When it comes to Chris, regular readers of the blog will be accustomed to me writing about his work over the years. We recently asked viewers to choose their single favourite episode of Corrie. A tall order! But, mine was one by Chris which directly followed Deirdre’s funeral in 2015. Slow paced, dialogue-heavy and covering just two locations, as friends reminisced in the Rovers, and the Barlows thrashed it out next door, it was sublime. Other key episodes for me which were written by him include the deaths of Michael Rodwell and Kylie Platt, and a beautiful episode from December 2013 in which terminally ill Hayley’s Christmas wish is simply to see the daffodils in spring.
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| The Hackett family (Little Neil (HARVEY CHAISTY), Neil (JOHNNY VEGAS), Fiona (NIKY WARDLEY), Garth (OSCAR KENNEDY)(Image Credit: BBC/James Stack) |
Reining in Neil’s enthusiasm for a flawless adventure for his clan mightn’t be such a challenge were he not neighboured by the infuriatingly accomplished Robert, played to perfection by Adam James. On encountering this perceived challenge to his manhood, Neil's resolve becomes less about making decisions that please himself and the family than being better than Robert, often at the impossible. Buoyed by the enthusiasm of youngest son Little Neil (Harvey Chaisty), his resolve persists despite doubtful, yet benevolent, looks from wife Fiona (Niky Wardley) who is reluctantly supportive of his efforts, and the pained stoicism of older son Garth (Oscar Kennedy) who is every bit the awkward, yet endearing teenager.
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| The Dillons (Robert (ADAM JAMES), Penny (EMILIA FOX)(Image credit: BBC/James Stack) |
Robert’s wife Penny (Emilia Fox) is also a disdainful joy to behold, whether smoking on a climb or musing loftily over how she thought her life would end, and their adopted daughter Petra (Olive Gray) is an intelligent, good humoured teenager who reacts with respect and kindness, not cruelty, when Garth’s crush is exposed by his little brother. Indeed, Harvey Chaisty's authentic performance in the role of Little Neil is a consistent source of humour.
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Mercy (ELAINE PAIGE)(Image Credit: BBC)
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The programme is a lovely watch which aptly captures the joys and fond frustrations of the family holiday. The comedy is as airy and warm as the beautiful Lake District cutaways that have me vowing to visit for the umpteenth time, but there is also enough spice in there to ensure it’s in no way saccharine.
From a writing perspective, you can hear both their voices in the script, which is interesting to observe if you’re a fan of seeing how collaborations are borne out. Aside from the show being a very enjoyable watch, knowing the work of both Chris and Simon on Corrie, it’s intriguing from the point of view of seeing how writers we know well in one arena bring their ideas and work together to create something new in another. If this does interest you, I’d recommend taking a look at their brilliant interview for BBC Writers Room in which they talk about their paths to writing for Corrie, how they approached writing this programme, and who inspires them.
Home from Home airs Fridays on BBC One at 9.30pm, and I highly recommend tuning in. If you’ve missed the first two episodes, you can watch them on the BBC iPlayer. This week's third episode, with added Susan Calman in the role of Lorraine Sykes, sees Neil throw a party in an attempt to rectify his lack of popularity, but we're told his plan backfires when Robert proves to be the life and soul of the party.
From a writing perspective, you can hear both their voices in the script, which is interesting to observe if you’re a fan of seeing how collaborations are borne out. Aside from the show being a very enjoyable watch, knowing the work of both Chris and Simon on Corrie, it’s intriguing from the point of view of seeing how writers we know well in one arena bring their ideas and work together to create something new in another. If this does interest you, I’d recommend taking a look at their brilliant interview for BBC Writers Room in which they talk about their paths to writing for Corrie, how they approached writing this programme, and who inspires them.
Home from Home airs Fridays on BBC One at 9.30pm, and I highly recommend tuning in. If you’ve missed the first two episodes, you can watch them on the BBC iPlayer. This week's third episode, with added Susan Calman in the role of Lorraine Sykes, sees Neil throw a party in an attempt to rectify his lack of popularity, but we're told his plan backfires when Robert proves to be the life and soul of the party.
I'm looking forward to it already!
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