Guest blog post from Sharon Boothroyd
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Here's my list of Corrie characters I'd like to see leave the show.
Seb
He was initially brought in as a struggling teen, doing his best to care for his neglected twin siblings and druggie mum. He seemed like a gentle soul and he really plucked at my heart strings. Yet over time, he's somehow morphed into a bitter, angry young man. He sulks around the cafe, gets under Eileen's feet, moans about being broke and continually picks fights with Gary. (And anyone else who gets in his way). He's a right misery guts. Even long- term girlfriend Fay has had enough of the chip on his shoulder. So have I. Find a building job abroad and sling your hook, lad!
Bethany
This is a character that the Corrie team don't know what to do with, after her long, heavy storyline with Nathan and co. I can't remember where she works. It used to be Audrey's, but I think she now works at The Bistro. If so, we hardly see her there. It seems to be run by Michelle's two sons instead. And where does Bethany live? A while ago, she casually announced that she was moving in with Rana, Kate and Craig. (Er – how many bedrooms does the flat have?) Yet we didn't see her hauling her stuff in, and we've never seen a flat sharer's scene between these characters either. I don't know how she manages to pay her rent and bills with so few shifts. So maybe she's sleeping on a lilo at Gail's with Gary and mum Sarah? Sweet as she is, Bethany gets on my nerves quite a bit, so I'd like to see her return to Milan.
Rita
Rita Littlewood/ Fairclough/Bradley/ Sullivan / Tanner (apologies if I've missed any!) is rather like her shop – way past a sell by date. She's supposed to be 'a heart of the community' character, with folk popping into the Kabin to pass on gossip when they buy The Gazette. There's nowt wrong with that of course, but being stuck in that kind of support role means you don't tend to be awarded any lead storylines. The last plot she got caught up in was a slight spat about Brian and Cathy secretly buying the shop. To me, her angry over reaction was silly, immature and childish. Rita's in her eighties and I'm sure (in reality, at least) she'd embrace the chance to step back and fully enjoy her retirement. I'd love to see her find romance with a kind, solvent gent -they could meet on a cruise - marry happily and go live somewhere right posh!
Maria
I'm at a loss to understand why Maria has lasted so long on the cobbles. Her short- lived marriage and son to Liam links her to The Connors, but this only gives her an excuse to call herself 'family', pal up with Michelle when the mood suits her, and poke her nose into their business. Yet strangely, we haven't seen her console Kate in any way, have we? Maria gives the impression of being ambitious, but after Claudia's big plans for her in a high- end, showy salon, she decided to throw them away, cling to her comfort blanket and instead, go partner halves with Audrey. She's not had a love interest in a while. That needs rectifying, so why not give her another secret affair with Nick, Steve or Gary? She could get to know Nick when helping out at Trim up North. They get chatting and one thing leads to another... And when that love triangle finally (and messily) unravels, to escape the blame and shame, she could pack up her curling tongs, sell up and make a fresh start elsewhere.
Who would you like to see leave the street?
Guest blog post from Sharon Boothroyd
Sharon's website is at: www.ryecorn.orgfree.comAll proceeds from sales of Sharon's book are donated to the RSPCA
Fancy writing a guest blog post for us? All details here!
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
Pay attention Sharon! Bethany said she was moving in with Maria and Emma.🙂
ReplyDeleteI would not miss the following characters if they left:
ReplyDeleteSeb, Kate, Robert, Beth, Gemma, Chesney, Gary and Izzy.
Seb
ReplyDeleteGary
Michelle
Leanne
Carla
Gina
Kate
Beth
Kirk
Chesney
Billy
Sean
Steve
Maria
Nick
Carla, Kate, Chesney, Roy, Gemma, Paul, Sean,Billy, Yasmeen, Alya, Geoff, Gina, Claudia, Audrey,Craig, Mary, Cathy, Brian.
ReplyDeleteI am quite happy that Michelle is leaving. I hope her idiot 'sons' go too, oh and Robert can follow them please. Everyone else I quite like, or enjoy disliking.
ReplyDeleteMaria, Sean, Brian, Cathy, Sophie, Kate, Claudia, Geoff, Gina, Kevin, Craig, Gemma, Billy, Chesney, Kirk, Bethany, Robert, Michelle and Sally.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't miss anyone. I might briefly regret Tim and Sally leaving but I'd get over it. It's to do with having such a large cast and my short attention span. I can't keep up with the plot holes, eg: in Sally's wrongful conviction (and does she still owe legal fees?) so I don't care very much about any character. Candidates for top of the list to leave would include: Michelle, Robert, Carla, Toyah, Maria, all the factory staff, Yasmeen ... So that's everyone except Roy.
ReplyDeleteI'd have a big clear-out. For me the problem is that so many characters are now related to each other, have slept with each other etc - and so many have had murderous partners or been in fires etc. We need a load of new characters for all these dreadful things to happen to. First ones to go for me: Sally and Tim, Sophie, Kate, Kirk, Chesney, Eileen, Gail, Kevin, Michelle (and her two sons), Robert, Toyah and Leanne, Peter,. Carla, Ken, Claudia, Yasmeen and Geoff, David, Nick …
ReplyDeleteCan't believe no-one has said Ken! I would love for him to be pensioned off. You can't keep people on just because they've always been there. That goes for Rita too.
ReplyDeleteYou can count on the fingers of one hand the characters I actually like so the majority of the cast could go as far as I'm concerned. In particular though, Gemma, Gina, Carla, Peter, Geoff, Imran, Kate, Craig, Billy, Paul...oh I would be here all day! Just thin the cast out, please!
Can't believe how harsh some people are! Most of the characters do the best with what they are given.
ReplyDeleteVery ageist that characters like Ken and Rita are mentioned just because they have been there a long time.
Just a few for me the awful screechy GEMMA, and Gary.
Definitely definitely NOT Roy, he is one of the best actors on television.
Bonnie in Canada:
ReplyDeleteBeth, Gemma, Paul, Seb, Gail, Shona, David, Nick, Cathy, Tracy, Amy, Simon, Abi, Robert, Michelle, Ryan, Moira, Fiz, Kate, Johnny, Alya, Claudia, Chesney, Maria, Faye and I could go on. I don't even need them to have exit stories. If they just simply disappeared without comment I'd be happy.
Fiz, Chesney, Gemma, Paul, Sinead, Beth, Maria, Maureen, I'm torn on Dev, his hamminess can be amusing. Toyah, Leanne, Imran, Johnny, Kate, Shona, Gary, Izzy, Simon, Robert, MICHELLE, Summer, Amy, Ryan, Geoff....maybe it would be easier to say who I like. Roy, Audrey....Roy.
ReplyDeleteMaria did have a romance with Nick - it was back when he had a different head though.
ReplyDeleteMICHELLE and her sons, Gary, Brian and Cathy, Toyah, Robert, Simon and Kate. I don't mind most of the background characters like Dev and his children or Maria who just appear for occasional stories.
ReplyDeleteI love them all! You might as well get rid of Corrie the way you all are talking. If you got rid of all these characters, there would be no one on the street left to watch! Misery guts the lot of you!
ReplyDelete- Pod
This! Exactly!
DeleteEasier question..."who would you keep on the soap?"
ReplyDeleteWow. Reading these comments I don’t know why many who constantly comment here are still watching the show.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t get rid of anyone. Even the most annoying characters to me (Fiz, Gemma, Seb etc) are part and parcel of why I watch this soap: whether for humour, drama, or just nostalgia, they each help the soap move forward.
As realistic as this soap is compared to American soap operas, it still has to have an element of fiction: sometimes ridiculous to frustrating. However, I watch this soap to have a suspension from reality. If I want real life drama, I’ll watch the news.
For me, the problem is that are too many episodes, and too many characters. Several that we don't see for weeks on end. Therefore a major lack of continuity.
ReplyDeleteAgree Robin. But some of the acting is shocking these days (no doubt due to the lack of rehearsals, number of episodes etc). I'd say goodbye to Ken, Rita, (not because of ageism - I'd replace them with older characters but because they've played every story possible at least twice), Claudia, Kate, Sophie, Craig, Bethany, Gail, Toyah, Gemma, Leanne, Kevin, Eileen, Steve and Brian.
ReplyDeleteGemma, Paul, Kate and Gary. I don't necessarily think the characters need to go but they need to be recast with talented actors. That lot have had their chance.
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with those like Maria and Rita and the rest of the older cast they can act well when given good scripts so their characters shortcomings are exclusively on the writers.
Some of these lists of characters that people would like to see go, are so long I get the impression there'd be hardly anyone left.
ReplyDeleteApologies everyone re: Bethany's flatmates. We haven't seen a flat sharing scene with Maria, Bethany and Emma though, have we?
ReplyDeleteI would give you Maria and Bethany. But Rita is an institution! As for Seb. I think he has been through a lot, and he is a nice young fella. I think that Eileen is good with him as she is used to mothering her two boys. I think he should be rebooted with a good storyline. Poor guy, let something good happen to him and for him for a change.
ReplyDeleteI could also bear to see Michelle...tired of her hypocricy and arm folding.
I would also not mind seeing the back of Izzy, as she is not in any storylines and does not seem to be connected with anyone, Gary does not count as he is all over the place.
I have had my fill of Gemma! I cannot see why Ches threw over lovely Emma for Gemma, big mistake there for sure.
Kate and Michelle, possibly the most self-centred characters in the show's history. I'd also get rid of Yasmeen, Faye, Moira, Gary, and Sarah. At this particular point in time I wouldn't mind seeing the back of Maria, Kevin and, dare I say, Peter (once my favourite character).
ReplyDeleteSeb needs a revamp. He was introduced as a diamond in the rough but now he's all rough and no diamond! Ryan worked well with Bethany, I think they should be paired up together again. Robert is okay but needs a decent storyline and the writers need to decide if he's a good guy or a bad guy. He works better as the voice of reason than as the villain, so I hope they keep him nice.
Seb, Paul, Summer, Abi, Izzy, Chesney, Gemma, that harridan mother of Tyler's, Michelle and Ryan, Kate, Alya.
ReplyDeleteI blame the writers and TPTB. The storylines are repetitive and some are just plain silly. Put new heads on those responsible for this and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteWhat has happened to Liz? Where is she?
ReplyDeleteWell thankfully Michelle is leaving, but I wish, how I wish she would take Sean with her. And could we please stretch Fiz's maternity leave a lot longer...maybe permanent?
ReplyDeleteSadly ITV will not have a mass cull because there are too many episodes now. Certain actors have become even more powerful than the producers. A lot of characters like Michelle, Sean and Fiz are well past their sell by date and should be shown the door. It's sad that none of them would ever be killed off. Kym Marsh already plotting her return, that's why I have so much respect for the likes of Surrane, Amelia and Sarah, who have moved on and grafted to be where they are today. I'm sure Bhavna will follow in their footsteps.
ReplyDeleteStrange that a post about culling characters raises more comments than any other has done, maybe ever!
ReplyDeleteTo OP Sharon, about Maria, don't forget she is also Kirk's sister and therefore related by marriage to Beth. (Poor soul).
ReplyDeleteI only agree with Maria, because she doesn't have much going on.
ReplyDeleteI will add Gary.
And Michelle - but she is already going. And Ryan. Ali has potential.
I'm a bit tired of Billy and Summer, too.
Bethany just had a few eps where she was going to quit Audrey's to work for her uncles. But she stayed at Audrey's and I think the Bistro. And she is Emma's roommate. She just hasn't had much storyline in a while.
I still like Seb. I like that he is struggling and I want to see his relationship with him mother Abby work out. He's been through a lot - he has a right to have a chip on his shoulder.