“There’s a ton of really high-octane action stuff. But when
we set about designing this episode we were conscious that there’s a certain
expectation from a Corrie Christmas that it’s going to have a certain feel, and
warmth and a humour to it”.
“I’ve watched the Christmas episode and it’s so
edge-of-your-seat intense."
MacLeod confirmed that Christmas would see the climax of
several long-running stories involving Michelle and Robert, Gary Windass, Derek and
others.
We also learned a little more about the storyline involving
Rita, which was teased on the Blog recently.
“It’s quite small, and domestic but really heartbreaking and
showcases Barbara Knox’s undoubted talents”.
He also teased more for the Baileys adding that we would "fall in love with them even more" over their festive family storylines in the big Christmas build-up.
Focusing more on Gary Windass, Iain explained how they’d developed
the character over the past year and compared the current Windass to the young man who arrived on the cobbles 11 years ago. He discussed how we'd already seen two people die at Gary’s
hands – what is he really capable of?
“Probably not much worse than that. Back when he arrived he
was a right little ne’er-do-well and I think we gentrified him over the years.
We are now rediscovering a little bit of what Gary Windass was when he first
came into the show.”
“But one thing he’s never been in my mind is an out-and-out
murderer.”
Does that suggest more people might “accidentally” end up in
harm’s way? Time will tell but there was a suggestion that someone on the cobbles might not make it though Christmas in one piece.
What we know about Christmas so far is that a Winter Wonderland comes to town but the fun turns to horror in some kind of armed siege. Gary and Derek will be central to this but the whole community get embroiled in the drama.
We'll also see Michelle Connor's final scenes, and we'll have more about that in the Blog's chat with Kym Marsh which we'll post soon.
And as for the bullet seen in the brand new Corrie Christmas promo, Iain MacLeod explained:
“I’m aware that the presence of firearms on Coronation
Street is very controversial, so it wasn’t a decision we took lightly, but it
just felt there was an interesting side-avenue to what Gary was doing that hadn’t
been explored yet. It felt like a realistic payoff.”
Back when Kate Oates was in charge, fans and viewers were concerned at the dark and violent direction the show had taken, but it sounds
like this has all been considered in whatever they have in store for the owner
and the recipient of the mysterious bullet.
In explaining the build-up to the big Christmas climax,
MacLeod touches on mental health, social pressures and particularly poverty.
This is something I’ll touch on here o the Blog in the coming weeks.
Check out spoilers and highlights plus cast interviews over the coming days!
Don't forget to check out the Coronation Street Christmas schedule here.
I'm on Twitter: @StevieDawson
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
3 comments:
Can it get any darker than Pat Phelan making Andy kill someone then killing Andy? That Pat storyline ran Corrie into the gutter. It can not sink any lower...and if it does, it serves the viewers right. Obviously it is acceptable if people continue to tune in.
I wonder if they're going to have Mavis die. Or maybe Emily. Both would be upsetting for Rita.
I have been a Corrie fan for years but for quite a while now there are just too many dark story lines. Please, writers, couldn't we just have a few happy moments? I appreciate you deal with today's problems, i.e. drug abuse, sexual abuse, teen pregnancies, miscarriages, etc. etc. etc. but there must be something happy on "The Street" now & then surely!
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