Coronation Street Blog: The Week In Classic Corrie

MONDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 6th and 8th December 1989

These two episodes end with one of the greatest scenes in Corrie's history, but there's an hour of build up first. Alf and Audrey moved out of the Street, heading for their new semi, only to have the previous owners tell them they've changed their mind. Since they'd already sold their house to the McDonalds, the Roberts were left homeless; they spent a night in a hotel, then were forced to slum it in the shop flat. Speaking of the McDonalds, we got our first glimpse of Steve and Andy, both rake thin with enormous quantities of gel spiking their hair, while Liz was dressed in a most unfamiliar way: she's wearing a jumper. But the real action was happening in Blackpool. Rita had convinced herself it was the good old days, and Bet and Alec couldn't persuade her otherwise. Alec returned to Weatherfield and went round Alan Bradley's to apologise for calling him a murderer - in the course of which, he revealed she was in the Strand Hotel. Bet, meanwhile, had tried to persuade Rita to go to hospital, but she'd vanished. Alan arrived in Blackpool, confronted Bet, then ran into Rita outside the hotel. He tried to drag her into his car, furious that she'd ruined his life, but she gave him the slip and ran across the road. Rita (or rather, a stuntman wearing her coat and wig), made it safely to the other side. Alan Bradley, however, did not, taking a tram to the body and sending him straight to hell.

TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 11th and 13th December 1989

The Street reacted to Alan's death far too sympathetically for my liking. People stood around looking sad and shocked rather than, as I would've done, breaking out the champers. Bet even offered to pay for his funeral, though Jenny rejected it. She was understandably upset, and spent most of her time blaming Alan's death on everyone else in the Street, but especially Rita. The only person she trusted was Martin, which got Gail all huffy and jealous. Audrey was depressed at having to live in the flat above the shop, and locked herself in the bathroom with some booze. Typical Aud, turning to the bottle. Her situation wasn't helped by Jim McDonald constantly mithering Alf to get rid of the rubbish in his back yard, starting thirty years of being a stroppy git in style. Curly wrote the Bettabuys staff assessments and, at Reg Holdsworth's encouragement, went in hard. Too hard, it turned out, as Vera was sacked for being a general waste of space. Most important of all, halfway through the first episode, Jack's glasses acquired a big lump of plaster on the frame to hold them together. They didn't explain why, but it was good to see an icon appear.

WEDNESDAY - Episodes broadcast 15th and 18th December 1989

It was Alan's funeral, attended by Jenny, Martin, Sally and Kevin. At the rather pathetic funeral tea (a few pints in a working men's club while The Only Way Is Up played in the background) she railed against the world for not caring about her abusive, rapey father. She then begged Martin to stay the night. He did so, in a purely chaste fashion, but Gail wasn't impressed. Curly caught Reg in flagrante with the store detective, so to keep his silence, Reg gave Vera her job back. The news was badly received at number 9 as Vera had discovered the report that got her fired in the first place. They told Curly he'd have to find somewhere else to live. Gail and Alma had a Christmas do at a nightclub, only for a hammered Mike Baldwin to turn up. Alma took his car keys off him and put him in a cab. Back at the house, Martin got a call from Jenny and went to her despite Gail's protests. But the most shocking moment was Jim McDonald confessing he quite fancied Deirdre Barlow. Now THERE'S a coupling to dwell on.

THURSDAY - Episodes broadcast 20th and 22nd December 1989

Tracy Barlow was hanging round Andy McDonald, trying to get him to pay her some attention. "In a couple of years he'll be chasing her," Alma predicted. Right idea - wrong twin. Mike was sniffing his way round Alma again now Dawn's run off; she took his flowers and his gin and tonic and told him where to go. Derek got hammered at his Christmas party with a pre-Tricia Armstrong Tracy Brabin MP; he ended up catatonic and was locked in the warehouse, forcing him to climb out via the roof while dressed as Santa. Gail was still in a strop with Martin, and told him to pack his stuff and leave. They finally made it up, and agreed to stop pretending to Nicky and Sarah-Lou that he was the lodger. Vera and Jack were also in a conciliatory mood, and told Curly he could stay. Ken went round to Wendy Crozier's and complimented her on her trimmings; for once he was talking about her Christmas decorations. He spent Christmas Eve cozying up to the trollop, and got home late to number 1. "I want to know where you've been, and who with," said Deirdre icily, and he finally confessed to his filthy shenanigans. Then he cried, because Ken Barlow is a self-centred pig.

FRIDAY - Episodes broadcast 25th and 27th December 1989

It's funny; Deirdre probably thought being held hostage in a tower block was the worst Christmas could get, only for Ken to destroy the 1989 festive season with his wayward willy. Ken complained that Deirdre hadn't been paying enough attention to him, because he is an appalling humanoid. The Barlows maintained an icy relationship, leaving Tracy sulking and alone and listening to Bros on her new personal stereo. And thus a sociopath was born. Deirdre accused him of having an affair to get back at her for her shenanigans with Baldwin. Ken said he didn't want to leave her or Wendy, and Deirdre said she wasn't particularly bothered about having him back. You go girl! At Gail's house, Ivy was spoiling her Christmas dinner by sucking a lemon throughout, furious that Martin was acting like he was part of the family. Fortunately Alf, Audrey and Don seemed to like him (although it's odd that Ivy was the only person who remembered Brian even existed at the first Christmas since he was murdered). Derek's was fired - again - and slipped into self-pity - again. On Boxing Day, Mike entertained Alma - her hard to get act having lasted two episodes - and confessed that following the dodgy Spanish deal, he was broke. Out in the Street, Alf caught Steve kicking a ball right into the window of the Mini-mart. So that's the Roberts and the McDonalds not making up any time soon...

Try as he might, @merseytart still can't stop thinking about the gruesome twosome of Deirdre and Jim.