Happiest Couples in Coronation Street?

As it's Valentine's Day, it's time to hark back to a wonderful blog post from Graeme (on Twitter @GraemeN82) who back in 2013 wrote about Coronation Street's happiest couples and what makes them so special.

And so, it's over to Graeme.... 

It being Valentine's Day got me thinking about romantic, fluffy stuff in Weatherfield and then I quickly realised there wasn't much to speak of. Even though I know it's all fictitious, i think it's a shame they can't portray more happiness in Coronation Street.

Most couples in Corrie are separated into two different categories. There are those who lurch  from one outrageous disaster to the next (Nick and Leanne; David and Kylie; Peter and Carla; Steve and whoever). 

And there are those who just seem to exist together because it's comfortable and despite faults on both sides, they're well and truly stuck with each other. Yes, that's you Ken and Deirdre Barlow! Normally when couples get together in Coronation Street and enjoy happy times or good fortune you know something disastrous is just around the corner. 

Yes, I hear you cry! A consistently happy couple in Weatherfield would be tedious, dull and boring. I guess that is true, but I would love a bit of long lasting happiness for some of our Corrie couples for a change. Or at least a few more couples managing to fight through their troubles and stick together regardless. Too many break ups and musical beds, oh powers that be!

So who have been the happiest couples in Weatherfield in the past? Looking back, one couple stand out above all others. Stan and Hilda Ogden. Together on screen for twenty years, they never had much of anything and Stan was forever driving poor Hilda up the wall. However there was a strong bond between them that was only broken by Stan's death. There were never any huge romantic gestures between the two of them, but there were often touching moments and you knew they would never be apart. Similarly Jack and Vera Duckworth, very much the Ogdens' successors, shared an often unspoken love for each other which could be both touching and heartbreaking.

Are there any couples to rival the Ogdens or the Duckworths today? Probably the closest thing to enduring happiness on the cobbles today is the relationship between Roy and Hayley Cropper, however this image has now been tarnished as we know the partnership is to come to an end. I had hoped Audrey and Lewis would settle down long term, but sadly both the writers and Nigel Havers' pantomime commitments got in the way. No, for me there is one clear stand out happy couple in Weatherfield today - Rita and Dennis Tanner. 

I loved the touching story of Rita and Dennis finding each other after so many years. Although we don't see as much of them together as I would like, I think both characters have gelled and I love the idea of Rita being a Tanner after all her history with Elsie. I hope Rita and Dennis have a good few years together. So please writers, don't follow the pattern of Rita's previous partners. That means no motorway crashes on the way back from visiting a mistress. No Blackpool trams. No brain tumours. And finally, please don't turn Dennis into Alec Gilroy!

So do you think there should be more happiness on the cobbles? Who do you think are the happiest couples in Weatherfield? 

I'm off to watch Stan and Hilda on their second honeymoon back in 1977. What could be better - a bottle of champagne, chocolate mouse and a borrow of Rita Fairclough's best nightie...

"What's that lipstick taste of?" All together now...

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5 Corrie couples who are great together

Yesterday I wrote a blog post about 5 Corrie couples who shouldn't be together. You can read it here. 

Today, on a brighter note, it's the turn of those Coronation Street couples that are great together.

Sally and Tim. My favourite couple at the moment. Comedy, class warfare, clean windows and snobbery - what's not to like? Tim is the perfect down-to-earth foil for Sally and her high and mighty dreams. A perfect Corrie couple.

I love, love, love Sarah Platt and Gary Windass together. Mind you, I'd still much prefer Gary and Izzy to get back together but as that doesn't appear to be on the cards any time soon, not with Nicola's baby on the way, then it's going to be interesting to see how Sarah and Gary play out. Will she dump him when she finds out about Nicola? And she will find out, won't she? This is soap after all.

Steve and Leanne. The Corrie couple who never were together, not really, but they proved in that short period of time that they could be awesome as a two-some. Come on, Corrie, put these two together and get them running the Rovers with Liz behind the bar.
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Beth and Kirk. Warm, funny, common as muck and they love each other so much as well as their family and friends. Always a delight.

Billy and Todd. Yesterday I included Billy and Todd in my list of 5 Corrie couples who shouldn't be together because I truly believe Todd has the capability to really hurt Billy and break his little heart.  But until (or if) that happens, they really are a joy to watch, especially with the addition of Summer.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know your views.

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Someone to watch over me

Now then.

Single men are starting to pile up on the corner of the cobbles, have you noticed? We have Ken, Norris, Sean, Brian, Roy, Chesney, Craig, Luke, David, Adam and now Steve. There are a number of single women at the moment, as well. Liz, Tracy, Rosie, Sophie, Alya, Cathy, Yasmeen, Kate, Rita,  Gail, Shona, Audrey, Gemma, Mary.

Since soaps don't seem to want to keep anyone single for long, it's a pretty safe bet that a few of those men will find someone to warm the cockles of their hearts before too long. I had time to let my mind wander around on the subject. See if you agree or disagree with my ideas.

Brian and Cathy are already making eyes at each other, we can probably pull them off the list though I really don't think they will go the distance. Brian is far too selfish and oafish. Cathy and Roy really would have been ideal but Roy isn't ready and maybe he never will be and that's ok.  Maria isn't on the list because of her affair with Aidan. We might reserve the more senior characters for the moment as well. Please, Romance Gods, don't put Audrey and Ken together now that Freddie has gone!

There has been speculation that the Powers that Be will throw Shona and David together. I kind of hope not because it would be weird for David to be romantically partnered with the mother of the man that killed his wife. But stranger things have happened. They are about the same age, actually. We were told that Shona was just about 13 when she gave birth to Clayton who was 15 when he killed Kylie. I think I'd rather see David single for a little while longer and then meet someone completely new.

But you know, I think Shona might make a good partner for Steve even if she's almost a generation younger than he is. (and a couple of Coronation Street Blog commenters seem to have agreed with me just as I was writing this!) That never stopped a romantic pairing on Corrie. Most of Deirdre's men were yards older than her! Shona has that earthy no-nonsense attitude and she's not self centered or a drama queen like Michelle. I think she could suit Steve very well and throw in the added bonus that a new partner, a much younger model,  would put a knot in Michelle's face even if she does say she doesn't want Steve any more.  I like her, I do. There's something about her. What I don't want is for Steve to end up with Leanne with the only thing they have in common being wee Oliver. Leanne needs someone responsible, someone that isn't jealous and insecure. I used to think she and Robert would have made a good couple but I don't really like him much anymore. Leanne and Peter are water under the bridge, too.

I think Rob Donovan was the love of Tracy's life. He really "got" her, accepted her for all her faults and they really worked well together. They also had more than the usual things in common. Murder, much? But since that's a no-go now that Rob is back inside, I wonder if Luke can forgive her? They weren't a bad couple though Luke is probably too honest for Tracy. I think we should suggest that Luke and Alya get together. Alya has ambitions but maybe she'd like a steady guy who is good with his hands, eh? They need to use Alya or lose her because on the rare occasion we do see her these days, she's got her nose in the air or a scowl on her face. They've made her dislikable and I'm afraid she probably isn't going to be around long if they can't think of something soon.

I would have suggested Gemma and Chesney get together but I really don't think they would make a very good couple. Gemma would have him for breakfast. I'm pleased that Gemma is trying to gain some confidence and turn her life around, I really am, but she's far too much for Chesney and he's too much of an old soul for her.

I don't think Kate and Sophie should get together but what happened to their friendship? It seemed to go the way of the dodo after Caz left and Kate got embroiled in her father's fling with Jenny Bradley and is now pursuing her father's health problems. Mind you, when Kate first arrived on the scene, I did think she would be a good partner for Sophie. She has a sense of humour and is a lot of fun and would bring Sophie out of her surliness.  Rosie should not be with someone like Adam because he wouldn't treat her well. He'd look down on her and treat her like an object. She and Jason were really good together. Jason adored and cherished her and They were pretty much equal in the intelligence department. I do think Rosie needs to mature a bit, though, because she's getting too old to be this daft bimbo. She's got to find a direction for her life or a hidden talent.

I'd also like to see Sean find someone that truly appreciates him. I did think he and Billy were good together but I'm sure there's a match out there for Sean somewhere. Maybe someone a little older who can give him a bit more confidence in himself so he won't be such a slave to his own insecurities. It would be nice to see him reconnect with his son, Dylan, too. Maybe find some who has a child of his own, something they'd have in common.

While it's lovely to see some of the senior characters find love, it feels too incestuous for any of them to fall for any of the others. They've all been friends for far too long for it to  believably morph into love.

Finally, it seems very much like Nick is spiralling into his jealousy again over Peter and Steve both. Nick's jealousy and insecurity is going to be his downfall I think. Leanne is already showing signs of him being instrumental in putting her between a rock and a hard place constantly by not being able to compromise.  Leanne should stay single for awhile, please. Don't put her with Steve just because she's got Steve's baby.

Who would you like to see some of the Corrie singles matched up with? Someone current or new? Someone unexpected?


Crossposted from State of the Street
By Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

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Love the one you're with, Leanne

There's a song about that sort of thing. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with - and I think that's exactly what Leanne is doing. She's the love of Nick's life. Is he the love of hers?

I don't think so and it's got nothing to do with him "always" wanting to be a dad. Yes, I know you've all been hollering about the rewriting of that little piece of history.  But maybe that's not why he said it. Here's what I think about it. Maybe he didn't really mean it literally. What do you think?


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