The Week In Classic Corrie

MONDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 2nd and 4th April 1990

Tracy Barlow began her long career as a Black Widow by inviting the twins round to her house then setting it on fire.  She didn't mean to - she was listening to Big Fun with Steve and Andy on the stairs when the chip pan went up - but then again she never meant to set fire to Kal and Maddie either, and look what happened.  Ken welcomed Deirdre back from her council meeting with a nasty tirade about making Tracy into a latchkey kid and putting her public duties before her family - "you're trying to kill her like you killed our marriage!" he bellowed, unforgivably.  On the plus side, she met builder Dave Barton, who not only put in a bid to refurbish number 1, but also managed to marry Deirdre in real life.  After rejecting a pet cemetary as unsuitable, Mavis buried Harriet the budgie in her back garden, sticking a rose bush on top to mark the spot.  I wonder if it's still there?  Future owner of number 4 Sally got her revenge on Steph by telling her Des had tried it on.  The Barneses immediately exploded, because yelling at each other is their default mode, and Des found himself locked out of the house.

TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 6th and 9th April 1990

Rita felt like a stranger in her own home, as Flick and Jenny bounced around acting like crazy student gals.  She decided to move to the flat over the road sooner rather than later. It meant we got our first glimpse of the new Coronation Street Kabin interior in the process.  Remember last year when Vera robbed the time clock from the factory before it was demolished?  She discovered that Jack had robbed it off her, swapping it for an old rustbucket of a motorbike in an attempt to rediscover his lost youth.  There were cracks in the Crozier-Barlow relationship as Wendy forced Ken to bin off a day at Alton Towers with his daughter so he could meet her stepmother Sylvia.  He was furious to find Dave having his tea with Deirdre, and even more annoyed when Tracy didn't seem especially bothered by a day without him.  His anger only increased as Wendy asked him to put the potatoes on to boil while she picked up Sylvia from the station - honestly, the NERVE.  Didn't she realise that Ken was the centre of the universe?  He sulked throughout the visit and Wendy accused him of trying to destroy their relationship like he destroyed his marriage.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but Wendy Crozier is too good for him.

WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 11th and 13th April 1990

Oh, the unbearable torment of being Ken Barlow!  He's lost his job, and both his wife and his girlfriend have much better lives than him.  He stormed out of an employment agency when they told him he'd make a good teacher, and didn't make Wendy's tea because he was too busy knocking back Scotch and sulking.  Bits of Jack's motorcycle were turning up all over the Duckworth house, driving Vera mad as he tried sanding down a rusty wheel in her front parlour and filled her bath with muck.  He tried to get her interested by reminding her of romantic memories on his motorbike but accidentally reminisced about a time with a girl who wasn't Vera.  He tried tempting her with his new leathers, only for Curly to innocently enquire: "Is it bondage gear?"  And there was a momentous day in the Corrie's history as Rita closed up the Rosamund Street Kabin for the last time.  She blew it a kiss and that was the end of a set that had been in the show since 1973.  (Also Alf's freezer is on the blink.  I don't know if that's going to be important later but they mentioned it in both episodes so I'm mentioning it here).

THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 16th and 18th April 1990

Mechanical problems were causing trouble all round in these episodes.  Vera refused to have Jack's bike dirtying up her house any more, so he smuggled it into the cellar of the Rovers.  When Alec found out, he hit the roof, and the bike was homeless again.  Finally he flogged it to Jim McDonald  - though he studiously avoided telling Vera there was cash involved.  Ken's obnoxiously middle class picnic with Wendy - baguette, white wine, continental sausage - was ruined when his car broke down.  Kevin came out on a Bank Holiday to fix it, but told Ken it would be £250, a figure he couldn't pay now he was unemployed.  He shouted at Wendy that Deirdre had taken his house and she'd taken his job, then flogged the car to Curly without mentioning it was on its last legs, because he is really, really, horrible.  Kevin went home to Sally, apologetic, and tried to make it up to her with a Portuguese holiday.  Unfortunately she told him they probably couldn't afford it... because she was pregnant.

FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 20th and 23rd April 1990

Ken's spent months being vile to his wife and children.  He's now decided to expand this policy to everyone else he knows.  Curly discovered he'd bought a lemon and went to Ken for compensation, only to be told to get stuffed in a patronising, sarcastic way.  He even shouted that he would "play the white man!" because it turns out he's kind of racist as well.  Someone push him down a well.  Percy's been fired as a crossing guard, because he lied about his age and the Council has discovered he's 68, but his protests outside the Town Hall and to Councillor Deirdre fell on deaf ears.  She was far too busy flirting with Dave the builder.  Sally and Kevin were chuffed about the pregnancy, not knowing it would result in Rosie Webster, but their efforts to keep it under their hats collapsed the minute they told Audrey.  Soon the whole street was gossiping about it, which lead to Gail confessing to Sally she was pregnant too.  Understandably she wasn't quite so overjoyed, probably because that was David in there: she was going full-on Rosemary's Baby.  Eating all that raw meat and feeling his Satanic claws scratching at your womb must be exhausting.

If you can think of a reason why they kept Ken in the show for another thirty years even though he's utterly repulsive, please let the author know on Twitter @merseytart. 

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