Charles Lawson explains why Hannah storyline was rushed

Charles Lawson, the actor who plays Jim McDonald in Coronation Street, was on BBC Breakfast this morning. Charles recently suffered a mini-stroke, live on stage while playing Ian Rankin's Rebus, and although he is well now, he wanted to speak out about the incident to help raise awareness of these attacks.  As someone who has gone through a mini-stroke (or TIA) and had to spend time in hospital, I know how scary these things are.

Anyway, as he was being interviewed, Charles also explained a little behind-the-scenes news on the Liz, Jim and Hannah storyline.  Personally, I think it is one of the worst storylines Coronation Street has done in many years.  What Charles said about the storyline goes a little way to explaining why the storyline didn't sit well on the screen - and with fans.

He said: "For those of you who thought it was completely nonsense and what have you, they asked me to come back for a year and I couldn't because I had committed to do Rebus. If they'd asked me earlier, when they'd got the storyline together, it might have been a different story. So a storyline that was that (he indicates 'big' with his hands) went to that (he indicates 'small') and consequently it annoyed some people."

You can say that again.

You can watch the interview here on the BBC iPlayer.

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Jim McDonald returns on Friday night

Charles Lawson, who is returning to Coronation Street this week as Jim McDonald, was interviewed on ITV's This Morning this week. 

He says that Jim returns with "a wee girl" with him. The wee girl is Katie, the daughter that he and Liz thought had died at just a day old, but there's been a mix-up at the hospital.

You can find out more about that storyline here.

Jim will be back on screen this coming Friday night.  Just what will Elizabeth say?

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Jim McDonald for hire, so he is

Coronation Street is missing a character like Big Jim McDonald at the minute. But if you want to see Jim you can hire the actor who plays him. Oh yes you can.

Actor Charles Lawson is available for hire, as you can see below.

So there you go.  Experience Epic's website also states that they can source other stars from Coronation Street for your private event too.

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Where are they now? Corrie Icons of the 90s - Charles Lawson

Charles Lawson joined Coronation Street as the head of the McDonald clan with wife Liz and twin sons Steve and Andy.

Charles left Coronation Street after playing Jim for eleven years. However he continued to make irregular appearances in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 to 2008, 2009, 2010 to 2011 and 2014.

Jim was involved in a storyline in 2011 tied to Liz's exit where he was sent to prison for the second time. He reprised the role again three-years later in 2014, as part of a storyline involving Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) wrongfully being imprisoned for murder.

Since leaving Coronation Street, Charlie has gone on to play Bill McQueen in Doctors and has also appeared in Bread, Boon, The Bill, Crown Court, Dalziel and Pascoe, Wilt, In Deep, Casualty, Holby City, and Rosemary & Thyme.  .

He now runs a farm shop.

Visit Charlie Lawson's website here.

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Charlie Lawson teases Big Jim return to Coronation Street

In today's Sun, they quote actor Charlie Lawson teasing a possible return to Coronation Street as Jim McDonald.

Charles spoke to The Sun Online and said that Jim might be returning to the show.  He said: “I speak to Simon [Gregson] every fortnight, or every week in fact, and he always lets me know what’s going on and I believe there’s the possibility of something happening sort of over the winter time.”

He continued:  “.... there are rumours around that there might be something to do with something I can’t really discuss. Watch this space.”

See who else is returning, leaving or taking a break from Coronation Street - our list is here!

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Top 25 Favourite Corrie Males - No. 10

JIM MCDONALD (143 VOTES)

Duration: 1989-2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
Played by: Charles Lawson
2012 character poll position (men): 13

A former Irish soldier who was introduced as the head of the McDonald family who bought No11 from Alf and Audrey Roberts. 

Married to Liz for 28 years (on and off) and father to Steve and Andy and the late Katie. His marriage to Liz ended in 1996 when his temper got the better of him and he beat Liz up for having an affair with an army mate. They re-married in 2000 but Jim spent the marriage in prison and Liz called for a divorce in 2005. They attempted at a reconciliation in 2011 but to no avail. Many wish for them to reunite and run the Rovers together.

By trade, Jim had a number of jobs: builder, mechanic, barman and bar manager. He was in a building partnership with Bill Webster before Bill left for Germany in 1997.

Apart from Liz, Jim’s conquests included Fiona Middleton and Gwen Davies.

In 1998, Jim was confined to a wheelchair after falling in a brawl with Steve on scaffolding. He wrongly thought that he and Liz were to reunite when she cared for him, but in reality she was having an affair with his therapist Michael Wall.

In 2000, Jim sought revenge on Jez Quigley for nearly beating Steve to death. He beat Jez up and he died of his injuries. Jim was then jailed for manslaughter. 

Over the next 14 years or so, Jim would re-appear on the show, either trying to escape prison, having been released from prison or back in prison again.

Jim was a stereotypical Irishman – liked his drink and also used many Irish sayings like ‘so it is’, ‘what about you?’ and calling characters with their full name – Elizabeth (Liz), Steven (Steve), Andrew (Andy), William (Bill), Michael (Mike) but called Alec Gilroy ‘Sandy’. His Irish dialect and his alpha male role has made him popular amongst fans. 

Would you like Jim to make a permanent comeback?

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

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What makes a man?

Coronation Street’s PR team have been making a big deal of Corrie’s men in recent weeks, particularly some of the new arrivals. You may have seen this Rat Pack style photo shoot which helped viewers get to know some of the easier-on-the-eye male cast members a little better. 

It reminded me of a tweet posted by Charlie Lawson not long ago about filming his final scenes as Jim McDonald (again) with Chris Gascoyne who plays troubled Peter Barlow. Here’s the tweet:

On reading the tweet you might think some of Charlie’s Corrie colleagues would take offence to this slightly bitchy remark. But he does have a point. It’s certainly not a bad thing to see young, hot, virile hunks wandering across the cobbles, but in a place like Coronation Street you’d expect there to be a few more rough and ready blokes than there currently are.

Peter Barlow certainly fits the bill. As does Liz’s new squeeze and Eileen's ex Tony, who you wouldn’t want to meet down a dark alley. Or perhaps you would. And then there are a plethora of baby faces making up the rest of the male cast – Todd, Luke, Tyrone, Jason and David etc, not forgetting others like Norris and Ken, who can hardly be described as ‘blokes’. Corrie is famous for its strong, dominant women, and back in the day despite being severely henpecked there would be strong, troubled husbands and boyfriends opposite them; Alan Bradley, Des Barnes, Kevin Webster, good old Mike Baldwin and Jack Duckworth, more recently Charlie Stubbs and of course violent ex-soldier Jim. The Corrie ‘bloke’ existed in its best form before the days of the metrosexual.

In any case the men in Coronation Street will always play second fiddle to its women, that’s the way it has always been and that is what Corrie is all about. However don’t Corrie’s women prove what stuff they are made of when tested by the opposite sex? Rather than the clean shaven, preened hunks we see so many of today, perhaps they’d be better served by manning up a bit and forgetting the idea of style over substance…

In terms of Charlie’s tweet, love him as we do, get over yourself mate. You play Jim McDonald not James Bond.

Twitter: @steviedawson 

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Should this rover return for good?

I don't know about you but I'm really enjoying seeing Charles Lawson back on screen as Jim McDonald. I've always loved Jim and his relationships with Liz and Steve. Charlie Lawson always steps up to the mark.

Jim is a proper bloke in the style of Len Fairclough, flawed and less than perfect but very watchable. He also has a great screen presence and wonderful chemistry with both Beverley Callard and Simon Gregson. We know that Jim's return is only temporary but he will thankfully share scenes with Liz and Steve before his latest stint ends.

As far as I am concerned there is never going to be any other man for Liz. Despite all they've done to one another over the years, the bond is still there. So the question I'm asking is, would you like to see Jim McDonald return to Corrie on a more permanent basis? 

I'd love to see him get out of jail (it was easy for Tracy, so why not for Jim?) and turf Tony out of Liz's back parlour. Jim is a Corrie legend, going back to one of the programme's real golden eras.


So what do you think? Will Liz and Tony go the distance or would you love to see Jim back for good? Catch yourself on Elizabeth! 


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Charles Lawson returns to soap

Charles Lawson, who played Big Jim McDonald in Coronation Street (so he did) is making a return to soap. Sadly, he's not returning to Corrie but he is going to appear in an episode of Doctors.

Digital Spy revealed that Charlie has already filmed his guest appearances on the BBC One daytime drama. He plays the part of Gary, a warehouse worker who is unable to deal with his recent diagnosis of petit mal epilepsy and attempts to hide his condition from his employer.

Doctors broadcasts the episode on Friday, November 30 at 1.45pm on BBC One.

Jim McDonald was last seen on Corrie in April last year when he was sent to the Big House after trying to rob a building society to win the heart of his Elizabeth, so it was, so he did, Belfast fry, etc.

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Ex-Corrie actors spill Street secrets

WIN TICKETS TO THIS SHOW - CLICK HERE!

Coronation Street’s Charlie Lawson (Jim McDonald) and Nick Cochrane (Andy McDonald) will be appearing at a special theatre event called Soap Star Secrets.

The ex-Corrie actors will talk candidly about their lives on and off the small screen. Packed with true life stories and behind the scenes anecdotes, question & answer section, guaranteed laughs and unexpected shocks, this one off evening will leave no soap stone un-turned.

The revelations will start in the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage at 7.45pm on Saturday November 5.

Book your tickets and find out more here.

And if you go along, and you would like to do a review of the show afterwards, please do let us know.

Charles Lawson is happy to shovel ... er... muck

In an entertaining Sun article today, Charles Lawson has been quoted as saying acting is not as much fun as it used to be. He reckons the "bosses" treat actors like kids and this seems to refer to soap bosses but that could very well be taken out of context.

The interview is quite good, with Charlie's view on his years on Coronation Street, mostly being great. He says that Simon Gregson puts in a gruelling schedule and he thinks everyone does a bang up job on Corrie but reckons acting as a business is getting a bit too serious for him. He spends a lot of his time with his wife on their farm in Cheshire where he describes life as having a lot less bull**** (I guess he doesn't raise cattle, then!)

He is amused at the Facebook campaign to free Jim McDonald but doesn't think the producers really take that sort of thing seriously.

Will he return as Big Jim someday? Well he quips "Let's not forget we are in Never Never Land and Tracy Barlow suddenly appeared after being found guilty of murder. Bobby Ewing could leap out of that shower, you never know." Will Liz return? He and I have the same opinion on that, I wish Beverley very well. But she's a bit of a homing pigeon so I wouldn't write her off.

Farewell Jim

It's funny that Jim's exit would turn out to be bigger than Liz's, with him only being around a few weeks. I have to say, it was so good seeing him and Liz rule over the Rovers, one last time, even if it was brief.

The whole robbery turned out better than I imagined, sure it was a little silly, but surely, that part of it's charm. This wasn't some dark soap storyline, it was a story about a love that could have been. Perhaps one day in the future, Jim and Liz will be reunited.

We'll miss you Jim, so we will.

Big Jim McDonald, in the Bank, with a gun...yawn....

It's been made very clear that he doesn't have the funds to buy the Rover's, and surprise surprise I read in this week's soaps preview that Big Jim McDonald, in his desperation, is set to rob a bank, so he is.

I'm not much of a Big Jim fan to be honest, so I won't mind too much if he's sent to the "Big Hoose" for a long stretch (again). However, I was under the impression that Jim and 'Lizbeth' were supposed to be heading off into the sunset together, as part of Beverley Callard's grand finale, but if he gets done for armed robbery, how will that work out? I must say I'm not looking forward to this at all. Bank robberies. Kidnappings. Mass murder. The buying of children. Fake weddings. Tram crashes. The list of eye-popping sensationalist storylines goes on - and on - and on - and I have very little interest in any of them. I'm very much with those of you who want more kitchen sink drama from Coronation Street. I don't mind the odd murder or robbery now and again - you expect that from a soap - but at the moment the show seems to be lurching from one highly unlikely scenario to the next and it's far too much. I wish the writers would think carefully about what a particular character would do in a given situation - and not about what they, the writers, can MAKE them do.

I've got to find something positive to say here. On the plus side - I might be clutching at straws but I'm liking Kevin Webster at the moment!

Jim McDonald returns to Coronation Street - in Bolton

Coronation Street is filming in Bolton this week for Jim McDonald's return storyline to the soap.

The Bolton News reports that shoppers in Bolton were left bemused when a Newton and Ridley brewery lorry pulled up outside the former Barclay’s Bank behind Victoria Square yesterday. 

Although ITV bosses are remaining tight-lipped about the details of the scenes being filmed in the town, The Bolton News understands it will see the return of bad tempered Jim McDonald to the long-running ITV1 soap.  A film crew is expected to be working in Bolton throughout the week, along with actor Charles Lawson, pictured, who plays Jim, and the rest of the McDonald clan.  Most of the filming is due to take place inside the old bank building, The Wellsprings, with some scenes being shot outside.

Jim is rumoured to be returning on March 24, when the scenes filmed in Bolton are due to be screened.

Looking forward to their return to the Cobbles

I'm chuffed to little mint balls now that Big Jim is returning, so he is. The spoiler in today's Sun says he's going to (maybe) buy the Rovers from Steve to help him out of the financial hole he's in. He's hoping that will help him woo back Liz, who's also returning to our screens.

Now, given that Bev Callard is only returning to facilitate her character's departure for good (at least for now), I'm guessing that the deal won't go through (where would Jim get that kind of money anyway?) but that he and Liz will swan off into the sunset together which pleases me to no end. I know they've had a very rocky and dysfunctional relationship but for me, and I think for them, there's never been anyone else for each of them when it comes down to it.

Bruno Langley is bringing Todd Grimshaw back to Weatherfield and there's an interview with him in the Manchester Evening News today. He doesn't know yet what his storyline will be but a good guess might have something to do with his mother's financial problems and dealings with nasty Owen. Don't think he's going to let sleeping dogs lie with her blackmailing him into letting her off that theft of his money (that she returned) from a few weeks ago.

In the meantime, Bruno is starring in Calendar Girls which is playing in Manchester this month (Feb. 21 to 26) at the Palace Theatre.