Carla's exit and Callum's re-entrance, Day 5

While it was Carla Connor's last appearance before retreating to Devon, tail between her legs (and what a sad way for the great Carla Connor to go, isn't it?), most of last night's episode was about the discovery of Callum's body under Gail's annex floor. Poor Tyrone thought he'd run over someone and Eileen was cracking jokes about Gail's dead husbands which did make me laugh but was totally inappropriate! I do think Gail's going to have nightmares about that body under her bed for a long time.

Kylie and Sarah are bricking it and David is scrambling, for once his "cool" cracking a bit while he tries to organize a quick getaway, leaving Sarah to carry the load. Kylie wasn't about to let that happen. Sarah might say she can hold it together now, but it was only a few days ago she was gibbering to Callum's spirit in the annex.

It took nearly half the episode for the body to be discovered even though we, David and Kylie and Sarah knew what was coming. It probably would have been smarter for David to tell straightaway, might have made him look more innocent but it's too late now.

As for Carla leaving, It's sad that she went out defeated. I felt bad for Johnny, the first time she called him Dad was the day she left. And I knew that Roy would get back in time, telling her in so many words that he did love her (even if he was angry and a bit fed up). You can be angry with someone you love when you see them self destructing over and over, often pulling innocent others into the morass with you.

Odd that she's going to Devon. Isn't that kind of like rubbing sea salt in the wound? Anyway, the whole week had me transfixed to the screen. Here's a running commentary with screen captures to end up. 

Tvor - twitter @tvordlj


NEW!
The Little Book of Carla Connor
A Decade in the Life of a Soap Queen
An unofficial Coronation Street companion book

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net

Please read our advice for leaving comments on the Coronation Street Blog

All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Corrie's big week - what do you think so far?

We're two days in to Coronation Street's big fire week - what do you make of it so far?

I'm loving it.

I admit, I was sceptical about the whole thing. Putting our favourite show on every night of the week at a time to suit another programme (Britain's Got Talent) to make the most of ITV's viewing figures, always seems to me to be a cynical ploy to grab viewers. 

And I've never been a fan of big explosions, crashes, fires, deaths and murders on which the world of soap turn. Give me an arched eyebrow and a cutting comment instead and I'm happy.

But despite my scepticism I'm really loving it so far.  And that's not because of the fire, which we'll see tonight, and the who'll live? or who'll die? cliffhangers.  That's not why I love Coronation Street and it's not why I'm loving this week's episodes either.

Why I'm enjoying Corrie so much this week is the real drama of it all. Liz, of course, with her broken heart and broken dreams in the back room of the Rovers.  I do wish she'd slapped Tracy when she had the chance, but she might have been in shock when Tracy broke the news to her that she'd been bonking Liz's bloke in the back room of Barlow's Buys.  Maybe the slap will come later, maybe not.

And the hair.  What's not to love about Liz's beehive? It's been the campest thing this week, so far.

Carla has been wonderful, standing in as Liz's friend in the place where Deirdre would once have been.  Taking Tracy down a peg or two in the ladies loo at the Rovers was a wonderful scene and even little Amy has been on good form.  Mind you, all Amy's talk about hot chocolate and cocoa that grandad Ken makes for her, reminds us that Amy has a dairy allergy which seems to have been forgotten about even though it once had a storyline all its own.

Sally and Tim have been ace, as usual. Being late for the wedding reception in the Rovers after a spot of how's-your-father. Wonderful stuff.

And of course Steve and Michelle's wedding went off without a hitch. I'm glad Liz has packed them both off on honeymoon earlier than planned so they'll not be involved in the fire. I doubt Steve would have been able to cope, in his still fragile state of mind.  It's good that they've gone off on holiday, hopefully to return when all is calm on the cobbles once more.

But until then, there's a fire coming tonight...

Read our exclusive behind the scenes interview with the man who set Victoria Court on fire.

Read tonight's Coronation Street fire preview

Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook



All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License

Are Corrie's 'big weeks' hurting the show?

So this week was Corrie's fourth big week since they started back in 2010, each of the weeks have had the conclusion of a big storyline, but does this harm the show?

For siege week back in 2010, it was the payoff to quite a long running storyline that had began back in 2008, so this was the only week that actually felt as if it suited a big week.

In the end the week ended up being derailed by the Cumbria shootings, which ended up making the finale feel a bit empty. The next time such a week was attempted was last year, the conclusion to John Stape's storyline.

While this big week was good, it didn't pack the same punch, by the time we got around to the next one, the format started to feel very tired, the big storyline we were treated to was a drunken Carla crashing into the Bookies, while this would have worked well in the usual schedule, it was hardly worth the big week.

This weeks episodes don't even feel as if the writers tried to make it special, for this reason I am actually happy, Corrie shouldn't have to put on a big show when ITV comes calling about the Britain's Got Talent finale, especially these days when Britain's Got Talent is no longer a ratings powerhouse.

I hope this means Corrie will finally stop being moved to make way for a Simon Cowell show, Corrie is one of ITV's most important shows, and it shouldn't be thrown around the schedule for a 1 minute wonder like Red & Black or Britain's Got Talent.
Follow the Coronation Street Blog on Twitter and Facebook

Corrie's "Big Week" - what do you think so far?

I hate it when Coronation Street's shifted around the schedules to make way for an ITV money-spinner. And that's what's happened this week as Corrie's been on every night at 9pm to make way for Britain's Got the X-Factor Idol or whatever it's called.  In order for us fans to get behind the change to our Cornation Street viewing schedule ITV have given it a name, "Big Week".   Big Disappointment, more like.

It reminds me too much and too painfully or that awful dip in Corrie quality last summer when ITV showed Corrie every night as the John Stape storyline played out to its end. I turned Corrie off twice during that week, and that's not something I've ever done to my favourite soap before in over 30 years of watching. And I'm in danger of not giving a toss about it this week, either.

At the end of every episode so far this week, we've had trailers and previews of more "exciting" times to come the next night. But the trailer and preview turns out to BE the excitement. The rest of each episode feels like filler, every episode feels diluted. There's precious little in the way of quality dialogue, humour or action. It's moving too slowly, with the same scenes between Tina and Tommy for instance, played over again, the same words spoken in a different way. 

So Tina's been left for dead in a pile of blood on the floor of a lapdancing club.  On paper, I bet that sounded like a great idea. Exciting, even. But we know Tina will recover, we know Terry will leave, we know Lesley will die. We know all this because ITV have told us.  There's no drama, there's no suspense, there's no... hang on, I'm losing the will to tune in tonight. The only thing worth watching is Nigel Pivaro as he stumbles around the set as Terry Duckworth, he's so bad he's brilliant.

Or am I being a miserable old grump?  What do you think of Corrie's "Big Week" so far?

Follow the Coronation Street Blog on Twitter and Facebook

Watch all the 'Big Week' trailers on itv.com

Corrie has opened a special page on the official website, it contains all the trailers that air at the end of each episode. Each one unlocks as it airs.

At the moment only the trailer that aired tonight is available. You can find the special page here.

Follow the Coronation Street Blog on Twitter and Facebook