Cast your mind back a whole six years (or, on Classic Corrie timeframe, to August 2018), to when the McDonald family first moved into Coronation Street. Jim's old Army mate Johnny visited and we discovered that Liz had once had an affair with him. It's taken until 1996 for them to pay off that seed, a brilliant piece of playing the long game. Liz and Jim went to an Army reunion and he overheard Johnny flirting with her. In the car back, a drunken Jim picked at her until she finally pulled over and confessed to their dalliance. Enraged, he dragged her out and hit her (though ITV3 cut the actual beating because it was pretty nasty and unsuitable for daytime viewing), then left her by the side of the road. The Ghost of Ivy Tilsley continued to haunt
TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 1st and 4th March 1996
Liz McDonald's Long Dark Night continued. Jim returned to the house, interrupting Andy and Anne's romantic night, and continued to lay into the whisky. Worried about his mum's non-appearance Andy went looking for her, calling in Steve for help, but all he found was her handbag. Liz had gone to Crimea Street to get help from Deirdre (in a lovely moment, Roy let her in and paid the taxi, even though he wasn't entirely sure who she was, and when she thanked him the next day, he refused to take a tip). Next morning Liz painted the bruise to make it look worse and made sure Bill saw it. Steve and Andy were ashamed of their dad and helped her get her stuff from the house. She then went to work at the Rovers and let everyone know what Jim had done. The men of the Street did not cover themselves in glory, by the way; Bill basically said that she'd brought it on herself, and when Vera suggested barring Jim, Jack said he was too good a customer and she was putting the customers off with her bruise. Classy. Jim finally apologised to Liz though. Elsewhere, Fiona decided to move into the salon flat, leaving Maxine on her own, and Mike Baldwin looked at factory premises for his new sportswear company.
WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 6th and 8th March 1996
Roy brought Liz a bunch of flowers to cheer her up and urged her to report Jim to the police. She spoke to a domestic violence officer, but didn't actually report him, instead deciding to divorce him. For some reason, the McDonald twins seemed to be sad about this, and Vicky urged Liz not to throw her marriage away. So much for the sisterhood eh Vick? Liz turned up for work while Jim was there and he laid into her. Jack fired Liz for causing trouble, because men are awful. Vera gave Joyce an old radio and Jack accused her of stealing it. In the confrontation, Judy joined in to defend her, and so it came out that she was her mother. Vera was unamused. Mike couldn't quite get the cash together for a factory unit so he decided to remortgage the flat - much to Alma's horror. Raquel was being secretive, and her cooing over Daniel in the Street convinced Curly that she was going to have a baby. He was let down when she revealed that she was actually starting an aromatherapy course.
THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 11th and 13th March 1996
Emily was feeling a little unwanted. She offered to babysit for Ken so he could go out on the town, but he turned her down - only to ask Deirdre to look after Daniel instead. Emily then offered her services to Mike at his new factory and he turned her down because she was too old. Mike, meanwhile, cancelled a stationery deal with Derek after Norris argued with him. Norris managed to win him back over but at a lower price with no commission for Derek. Fiona moved into her flat but her plans to have her first night on her own were soon cancelled when she felt lonely. She ran into Liz and they had a bottle of wine at number 11 (Jim had gone to Belfast and she'd moved back in). Liz confessed that she liked Fiona a lot more than Vicky, and the audience all agreed. Fiona also handed out invites to her opening do, and Steve came round to try and cadge one off her. He was flustered and embarrassed and suddenly there was a glimpse of the Steve we know and love today, rather than the annoying little scrote he usually is in these repeats. Sean heard that Liz was now single and smarmed around her, offering her a job at a different branch. She turned him down and told Des about it. Andy accused her of chasing after Des and she slapped him in a rage. Serves him right.
FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 15th and 18th March 1996
Fiona launched her salon, Hair by Fiona Middleton, with a fancy party soundtracked by Blur classic Girls and Boys. Her mum arrived in the form of former Liver Bird and T-Bag, Elizabeth Estensen, and she was surprised to hear that Fiona's brother Lee had loaned her the money for the salon. Lee was the centre of attention all round, with Maxine flirting at him, and his dad losing his temper because he'd asked his son for a loan and been turned down. Liz changed the locks at number 11 while Jim was away, infuriating him on his return. He screamed and shouted and hammered on the door, raising the attention of the Street. Curly and Kevin tried to drag him away but he waved a spade at them then smashed the back window. A terrified Liz called the police and he was taken away in handcuffs. Mike suggested Deirdre should go for the job of office manager at his new factory, but when Josie applied, he realised she was far more experienced and gave her the job. Deirdre felt let down, while Don was angry that Josie was now working for his nemesis.
If you've been affected by the issues raised in this week's Classic Corrie, tough luck, because the ITV Action Line didn't exist in the nineties. Send me a message on Twitter instead @merseytart.
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1 comment:
There's a category in Corrie of characters who were nice to begin with (and were better that way) but were turned into psychos. John Stape was one and Anne Malone was definitely another.
Jim on the other hand was a psychopath from the start and had very few redeeming features.
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