While I will likely still do that, I'm here now because an enthusiastic post on X about positive changes I'd noticed, and how much I've been enjoying the programme over the the past fortnight, garnered such an interesting response that I wanted to write about it.
Viewers were anywhere on a spectrum from agreeing wholeheartedly with me, to feeling quite the opposite, with many somewhere in between. For my part, here are the reasons why I feel cautiously optimistic, and what I think isn't quite working just yet, and I'd love to hear your own views in the comments.
First up, I was admittedly not looking forward to the knife crime storyline. Fatigued by the show's seeming obsession with violence, criminals and all things Weatherfield Police, beginning January with more of the same did have me steeling myself.
What I was presented with on the 6th of January, however, was a fantastic episode which I watched twice, and which lingered with me long afterwards. An episode which, despite having violence at its core, felt reassuringly like Corrie.
First up, I was admittedly not looking forward to the knife crime storyline. Fatigued by the show's seeming obsession with violence, criminals and all things Weatherfield Police, beginning January with more of the same did have me steeling myself.
What I was presented with on the 6th of January, however, was a fantastic episode which I watched twice, and which lingered with me long afterwards. An episode which, despite having violence at its core, felt reassuringly like Corrie.
Even the experimental storytelling worked, on this occasion, and I'm always the first to admit that I don't like its use in the show. It had me thinking, perhaps there is a way to keep things fresh and interesting while ensuring it feels like the programme we love. While it's very early days, and will take more than one storyline to see how this will play out in the long term, this was a promising start.
I recalled Kate's words from our interview about how much she loved non-linear, bold storytelling, and planned to deliver gritty, issue-led plots, but how "ultimately, it's about packaging them in the right way... without losing the DNA of Corrie." This left me and other viewers, I know, confused and intrigued as to how this seemingly contradictory vision could even be possible. However, the knife crime storyline gave me a sense of how this might just look and feel, and I liked it.
Ever since that day, the Street has felt more like a community to me. There are inconsequential conversations and extras; we have humour woven into the dialogue which is true to the personalities of the characters speaking, and not forced. There is hustle bustle, and it feels more homely and domestic and, quite frankly, more like the Corrie I've been missing for so long.
Ever since that day, the Street has felt more like a community to me. There are inconsequential conversations and extras; we have humour woven into the dialogue which is true to the personalities of the characters speaking, and not forced. There is hustle bustle, and it feels more homely and domestic and, quite frankly, more like the Corrie I've been missing for so long.
Now, I'm under no illusion that this is just the beginning, and two weeks isn't remotely long enough to judge. And in this fortnight, I've seen things which I'd definitely rather not.
Carla's illness, having been presented as serious, became less so for plot purposes, such as when she left hospital to visit brother Rob in prison and returned again, unnoticed and without any consequences for her ailing health. If Corrie wishes to faithfully represent the seriousness of real-life conditions such as sepsis, and her kidney issues, with truth and authenticity, as they have done in other cases, then they need to portray it accurately at all stages.
Having Carla in contradicting states of wellness and free to roam undermines the gravity of her illness, the care she's been receiving, viewers' intelligence and lived experience, and the storyline itself.
Having Carla in contradicting states of wellness and free to roam undermines the gravity of her illness, the care she's been receiving, viewers' intelligence and lived experience, and the storyline itself.
Speaking of Shona, her gossipy, flippant and insensitive reading out of the latest from Lauren's trial on her phone in Friday's episode was quite bizarre. Especially given the impact it has had on Max, David and the family, not to mention the pain and trauma that Roy, who was standing right beside her, went through. A more thoughtful response from her would have added more realism to the situation, but instead, we were pulled out right out of it.
And before we move away from Wethie prison, it felt the hostage scene was permitted to go on just long enough for the plot to unfold, and conclude on its own terms, when in reality, it would never have been allowed to continue for that duration without intervention.
And before we move away from Wethie prison, it felt the hostage scene was permitted to go on just long enough for the plot to unfold, and conclude on its own terms, when in reality, it would never have been allowed to continue for that duration without intervention.
I still don't welcome special effects on Corrie, and don't feel they suit the show. But, there was one that I felt worked over the past two weeks and that was where Sean and Dylan were seen going about their day from behind the grille where the knife was stored via a time-lapse. This was part of a special episode, however, and very much the exception. Ending every normal episode since with one, in my view, hasn't worked, and has made it become predictable. I'd still really rather such things didn't appear at all. But, if they must, using them very sparingly would ensure more impact.
I do feel that all of these issues would be very easily rectified, and I hope they are, as everything else feels like it's going in the right direction.
I was delighted that the knife crime story was given the space to be a standalone episode, and that it's getting the main focus in the aftermath. This is essential if issue-led stories are to resonate fully and it made this one inifinitely more impactful.
I've always felt comedy should be at the heart of the programme via authentic light stories and organic threads of good humour. Amen, but this has been one of the best features of the past couple of weeks. Some remarks have been genuinely funny, and it felt like natural humour was making a comeback. Long may this last, as it has been seriously absent from the show.
As above, humdrum inconsequential scenes have started appearing, and stories feel more personal and human.
Extras are also starting to help make it feel less like it's all set up to show us a cast of main characters and more like they're people who live their lives there alongside those we don't know.
I stressed that we need to feel we are sitting in the corner as first-hand witnesses to it all rather than it being put on for us, and I've certainly experienced that over the past two weeks.
Extras are also starting to help make it feel less like it's all set up to show us a cast of main characters and more like they're people who live their lives there alongside those we don't know.
I stressed that we need to feel we are sitting in the corner as first-hand witnesses to it all rather than it being put on for us, and I've certainly experienced that over the past two weeks.
While, as I say, it is very early days, starting to see things that saddened and frustrated me being addressed gives me hope, and I can feel a genuine difference when I tune in to the show. I'm also interested to see how Kate's embedding of Corrie DNA in her stories will continue to manifest. I truly hope my experience of the past fortnight continues, and that I can keep looking forward to watching Corrie again.
What do you think?
