Emmerdale wins the BAFTA - is it Corrie's turn next year?

Last night, the BAFTA Television Awards took place in that London. I think these are my favourite awards, there's less shouting and screaming than at other awards ceremony and it always seems a bit more refined, as Annie Walker might have said.

In the category of Best Continuing Drama, Coronation Street weren't nominated. And if anyone reading this knows why Corrie wasn't included in the line-up, and can explain to use how the judges choose the category nominees, we'd love to hear from you.

The "other" ITV soap - Emmerdale - won the Best Continuing Drama, which is great news for Emmerdale Fans.

As the Emmerdale cast and crew took to the stage to collect their award, Coronation Street producer Kate Oates was on the stage with them all, looking very glam in a gorgeous dress.  Although Kates is obviously no longer producer at Emmerdale, now she's working at Corrie, the BAFTA award was in recognition of the show's success during her time at the helm.  It all bodes well for Corrie next year. Bring it on!

And in the meantime, don't forget to vote in this year's British Soap Awards

More Corrie news and spoilers here

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'David's Revenge' is Sweet

So, we’ve just witnessed another major week for Corrie. When I viewed all five episodes in Manchester a short time ago, I thought they were brilliant, and was looking forward to seeing how they would be received by fans. In fact, I was still on the edge of my seat viewing last night’s double in which David made his escape by tricking Gail, managed to get the car started and sped it full of petrol down the street as Lily escaped Fiz’s care. It was the sight of his daughter in the road that saw David jam on the breaks and flip the car over on top of her and the heroic Gary Windass. It was a lucky escape for them, but not for Anna who caught fire in what was a rather traumatic scene. It was gripping, shocking and dramatic and very strong stuff indeed.

A number of us have written about the change in the air, including my fellow blogger Clinkers who has also articulated his thoughts today, and which are very much in line with mine.

It was as if this week was a showcase of what we might come to expect from new producer Kate Oates and while cars naturally won’t be exploding in the street every night, the evidence of a positive shift can be found elsewhere in the drama.

For me, the hallmarks of quality were found in the performances, dialogue, direction, pace, characterisation, the sense of community that was created, the return of Peter Barlow and the lack of spoilers. In fact, the only thing I didn’t like was the music at the end which didn’t feel very Corrie, and I don’t think ever will.

This wasn’t just a big week for Corrie though, but ITV in general with Emmerdale also staging a special set of episodes. Like Clinkers, I found myself watching the latter for the first time which had me pondering if I was proof that hype really does work. I thought the overall idea on Emmerdale was brilliant, and that the week had some great moments, but I think I would need to watch regularly when normal services resume to really know if I’ll be adding it to my appointment to view television. This, I suppose, leaves the jury out on whether 'explosive' weeks succeed in winning new viewers. But, what does it matter? Both Emmerdale and Corrie draw in millions of loyal fans for every episode regardless.

The argument against such weeks is that they are sensational, and a departure from the norm arguably for the sake of hype and ratings. But sometimes the hype is deserved, and I have no objection to them, because they are engaging and enjoyable, and a great excuse to show what the programme and actors are capable of. Also, while they shake things up a bit, it all has to go back to normal. It must. And for me, there was even enough ‘normal’ Corrie in there despite the shocking elements to assure me that, exploding car aside, things are very promising. In fact, there was more ‘normal’ Corrie in there than there has been in some time.

The week leaves some characters in interesting positions. How will Anna fare? Gary and Sarah are close relatives of the injured and injurer, will this allow their love blossom, or prove an obstacle? What is Peter Barlow hiding? What will happen to Ken? You’d have to think from the way it ended that David is cured of his desire to die in the pursuit of revenge for the sake of the kids, but what will the consequences of his actions be, for both him and others? What will Clayton’s verdict be, and how will David react?

There is just so much of interest to tune in for, but more than that, this week and those directly prior to it show that it is all likely to be handled very well.

I'd also like to mention that today marks my three year anniversary of being a member of the team on this wonderful blog. I continue to feel very happy and privileged to bring you my thoughts on our favourite programme, and to share in yours, and long may it last.

By Emma Hynes
www.emmahynes.net
Twitter: @ELHynes
Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites
Instagram: emmalouhynes

Read my interviews with Chris Gascoyne, Bill Roache, Helen Worth, Jack P. Shepherd and Ben Price.

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Emmerdale star's younger brother appears in Coronation Street

One of the two young lads giving Chesney grief in the kebab shop this week in Coronation Street has a famous soap brother. 

The lad above in Corrie is Brayden Fletcher and he's the younger brother of Kelvin Fletcher.  Kelvin stars in Emmerdale as Andy Sugden.

They're not the only brothers who play parts in both Emmerdale and Corrie.  Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street has a younger brother Adam, who plays Adam Barton in Emmerdale.

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Tribute to Shirley Stelfox

Shirley Stelfox, the actress best known in soap land for playing Edna Birch in Emmerdale, passed away yesterday at the age of 74. Shirley played the role of Edna in Emmerdale for 15 years.

She has also appeared in Coronation Street four times and by way of a little tribute to the actress, here are the roles she played. With thanks to Corriepedia.

Shirley Stelfox played the following four roles in Coronation Street:

• Norma in January 1964
• A Barmaid in April 1965
• Margot Sutcliffe, the proprietor of the Bill & Coo Video Dating Agency in May 1983

 

• Blackpool landlady Shirley Henderson who appeared in September 1993 and July 1994.

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

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Paula Tilbrook's Corrie roles

Today we heard the news that Paula Tilbrook, aka Emmerdale's Betty Eagleton is to leave the soap after 21 years. 

While I'm not a regular Emmerdale viewer, I do have some warm memories of watching it with my Nain when I was a boy in the late 90s/early 00s and so I was and am still fond of characters like Betty, Seth, Alan Turner and Jack Sugden. 

So I couldn't let the announcement of Paula's retirement go by without looking back at the various roles she has played in Corrie over the years.

They have all been minor roles, and so here are a brief synopses of each one:

In episode 665 (1 May 1967), she played a Customer. 

In episode 1351 (26 December 1973), she played Mrs Cleghorn, who rubbed Rita up the wrong way. See a synopsis of the character here.

She then appeared as Estelle Pimpton, an acquaintance of Annie Walker from the Lady Victuallers Society in episode 1741 (21st September 1977) who is amused that Annie's new carpet is from the old bingo hall!

In episodes 1978 and 1979 (17th and 19th of March 1980), she appeared as Olive Taylor-Brown, another friend of Annie Walker. You can see a synopsis of the character here.

Her final role was as Vivian Barford on a irregular basis between March 1991 and July 1993. Vivian was a member of WARTs and was an old friend of Alf Roberts who rubbed Audrey up the wrong way. She successfully persuaded him to re-stand as a councillor in 1991 against Deirdre. You can read a synopsis about the character here.

Soon after her last appearance on Corrie, she began her long stint on Emmerdale. Happy retirement Paula!

by Llifon

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Coronation Street: Straight out of the Dales

Weatherfield is positively brimming with immigrants these days. Although from not too far afield. Yorkshire in fact. For many years now, that familiar Lancashire twang of Coronation Street residents has been diluted somewhat and there seem to be less true 'locals' than ever before.

Hayley Cropper's lovely dialect is from Accrington, in deepest Lancashire and back in the 1960s and 70s this was pretty much how the whole cast spoke, either naturally or acted. It was a very working class sound and perfect for the Lowryesque, industrial setting of Coronation Street in the Salford of the not-so-swinging Sixties.

I first noticed the invasion of the Yorkshire folk however back when the Harris family were in residence at the first half of the last decade. It was written into their story that they had moved from Sheffield under witness protection and sure enough, Tommy, Angela, Katy and Craig all had the same Yorkshire accent. Their origins were clear enough, but what about David Platt? He was born on the Street but wouldn't sound out of place propping up the bar in Emmerdale's Woolpack. And Liz McDonald, certainly another one from across the border and of course Beverley Callard appeared in Emmerdale at one point. Then there are others like the much missed Vera Duckworth, Ivy Tilsley, Des Barnes and the more recent Becky McDonald, sister Kylie, Gary Windass...the list goes on.

Kevin Webster has a different but arguably more accurate accent than Hayley considering the area in which Coronation Street is set. Michael Le Vell, who plays Kevin, was born in Newton Heath which is very close to central Manchester. Despite being Scottish, John Michie who plays killer Karl doesn't do a bad job of a similar 'Manc' accent, much better than his Mrs. Rob James-Collier had a great broad Manchester twang too. Some of the cast hail from South Manchester and Cheshire so characters like Steve and Eileen have accents that are a little less broad. There have been accents from all around the country, a good number from London, most specifically the cockney Baldwin clan. The writers probably avoid tipping the balance with non-northern accents, but it's probably not the end of the world if large chunks of the cast originate from the Dales.

However if you want to hear the true Corrie accent, listen to characters like little Simon Barlow, Chesney, Sally Wester, Dierdre Barlow and of course Hayley. Flippin' great.

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Charlie Stubbs joins Emmerdale

Bill Ward, who played Charlie Stubbs on Coronation Street, is joining the cast of Emmerdale.

The actor has landed the role of John Barton's older brother James and will begin filming in September.  Bill will play a farmer and single father to three grown-up sons. Viewers will soon discover that he had a rift with his sibling which wasn't healed before John's untimely death last year.

Speaking of his new role, Bill said: "I'm really looking forward to it. The Emmerdale team are a very talented bunch indeed and I'm extremely chuffed to have been asked to join them."

Emmerdale fans will see Bill on screen as James in October.

See also: Whatever happened to.... Bill Ward?

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Do you ever stray from Corrie?

That's not meant to sound as sordid as it may first appear. It is a genuine question though. We Corrie fans are quite full on about our favourite soap, so passionate about when it gets it right (or wrong) that I wondered if we have room for any other television soap operas, or continuing dramas, if we're giving them their Sunday name.

Although obviously Coronation Street is the very best option in this category, and the programme on which all the others are based, I'm interested to hear from Corrie viewers and blog contributors on what else, if anything, regularly appears on their goggle box.

Personally, I've never been able to tolerate EastEnders, even in short bursts. There are worrying moments when Corrie competes and nearly wins out in the complete, abject misery stakes, but for me, there is nothing more awful than the London based soap. I've never been tempted by Emmerdale either. I always imagine it being all cows bottoms and men with mutton chops, but apparently these days it's all bed hopping and raciness. The transformation doesn't quite work for me. 

Then there is Hollyoaks. Enough said. I loved Brookside back in the day (before it went a bit bonkers with crashing helicopters and mystery viruses). Looking back, I see Brookie as the main rival to Corrie's crown at the time. It's a pity it all went wrong and disappeared. If only Sue Johnston could channel a bit more Sheila Grant and a bit less old crone in her current role as Gloria.


There are also the imported Australian soaps. I never know whether to include these with our own as they just aren't as dark, as gritty or as controversial as the British soap operas. I do have a soft spot for Neighbours (Susan Kennedy is a bit of a legend, and in my view, the only character in Ramsay Street ever to indulge in a bit of the other). Maybe it's just the sunshine and outdoor lifestyle that grabs me, I don't know. It generally isn't the acting talent on display...


I don't know much about the American soap operas, so I'd love to hear from readers in that part of the world on how Corrie compares. 

Anyway, it will always be Corrie first and foremost for me. What about you though? Do you limit yourself solely to Coronation Street, or do other soaps often take your fancy? Are they all pale imitations or do any seriously rival the Street?


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Which other soaps do/did you watch?

Hello all! I'm not sure if there's been a blog post about this topic before, but here we go. Apart from Coronation Street, are there any other soaps you watch? Or you used to watch them?

Personally, I'm an avid fan of both Corrie and Neighbours. I've followed Neighbours since 2008, although I used to watch some episodes when it was on the BBC, but since it changed to Five, and the storyline involving Harold Bishop's exit, I've been a big fan. And maybe it was because I'd just finished my GCSE's and it was something to watch during the summer months! I think both soaps are similar - street based, a mix of drama and humour and great characters. Only that Neighbours has more sun! Neighbours doesn't have a strong number of viewers here in the UK compared to Corrie, but I do think it's an excellent show. For some, the golden age of Neighbours is long gone, but it must be doing something right, or I wouldn't be watching.

With the other soaps, I watch them if there's a big storyline or a legendary character leaves. Hollyoaks doesn't appeal to me, nor Doctors. And I'm too young to remember Dallas, Dynasty and Crossroads. I do however have a fond childhood memory of my parents letting me watch Brookside with my nain (Welsh for grandmother) during the holidays, because it was rather late if I remember, about 10-11. Loved the theme tune and the credits over Liverpool. As I'm from Wales, I watch youth based soap Rownd a Rownd (which is based on a paper round) and I used to be a regular viewer of Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley), but sadly, for me, it's gone pretty dire. If you think Corrie has its low moments, you haven't watched Pobol y Cwm!

So what about you? Eastenders, Emmerdale or Neighbours fans? Crossroads? Emergency Ward Ten? Take the High Road? Or classy Dynasty and Dallas? Or did you ever watch Albion Market or Eldorado? Or, if you only watch Corrie, tell us what makes it triumph over other soaps? Just leave a comment!


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Graeme Hawley and Jeff Hordley to launch radio show

Corrie and Emmerdale's baddies, John Stape (Graeme Hawley) and Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) are set to team up, to do their own radio show, according to Digital Spy. The show will air on Radio Republic.

The pair used to work together on a radio show a few years ago. Hawley told PA that "We're both very much into our music, so we'll be playing everything from folk to soul and funk and a bit of rock 'n' roll and a bit of everything really."

Finally, the picture is from Emmerdale in 2005, when Graeme played a copper investigating Alice Dingle's death, which was a very good storyline. Who knew he'd go on to be Corrie's most bonker's villain?

Inside Soap chats with Phil Collinson

This week's Inside Soap has a chat with the Coronation Street producer, Phil Collinson, who reveals why some decisions were made and gives hints toward the future.

The Rovers - Phil says that Steve will be the owner of the Rovers for the forseeable, but there will be a new licensee, but it's not Claudia, so who is it?

On the Lewis/Audrey storyline - Phil reveals that Emmerdale and Coronation Street writers discuss storylines and one show sometimes has to drop storylines to avoid similarities, but the Lewis and Audrey storyline was deemed to be different enough from Diane Sugden's storyline with conman Charlie to go-ahead.

On Owen - Phil says that Owen won't be an out and out bad guy, and he's soon to embark on a romance with a certain character.

On the fourth death - Phil says the reason for lying about fourth main character death was to build suspense (and in my opinon, it worked) so that we were left thinking either Rita or Peter were dead.

On Dr. Carter - Matt will feature as a main part of Fiz and John's story later this year, so were going to be seeing a lot more of him.

On the Royal Wedding - Phil said the Street will be celebrating the upcoming event on screen!

Ex-Assistant producer, Gavin Blyth passes away

1969-2010

Ex-Assistant producer (also story associate and producer of the 'Out of Africa' DVD special) Gavin Blyth passed away after a short illness, Gavin left Coronation Street in 2008 to take the helm of the Yorkshire based soap 'Emmerdale'. Gavin was behind storylines such as the introduction of the Connor family, David Platt's reign of terror and the Tracy Barlow murder plotline. He will be sadly missed by fans of both soaps.

More scheduling changes

This one is a bit of a plus, on Thursday 2nd December, Corrie will air at 8pm instead of 7:30pm, due to an hour long Emmerdale, this means Corrie will no longer clash with EastEnders.

See the full scheduling changes upto 10th December here.

Ryan Thomas' brother joins Emmerdale

Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street, has a younger brother Adam who's also an actor. Adam is joining rival soap Emmerdale next month, playing Adam Barton in the show.

See also: Who is Ryan Thomas' brother?

Corrie's Assistant Producer moves to Emmerdale

Coronation Street assistant producer Gavin Blyth has been appointed series producer of Emmerdale, reports ITV Soaps. This news comes days after ex-Corrie Producer Steve Frost was named as Executive Producer on Emmerdale.

Starting as a senior publicist with Emmerdale, Blyth moved into the role of storyline writer in 2002, before becoming story editor and script editor of the soap. He moved on to Coronation Street in 2005 as a story associate, rising to the position of story editor and then assistant producer. Last summer he produced the DVD, Coronation Street: Out of Africa.

Gavin said: “Emmerdale has a great tradition of being simply unmissable television and I look forward to building on that - developing great, engaging characters and introducing compelling storylines at every turn.”

Corrie boss takes over at Emmerdale

Ex-Coronation Street Producer Steve Frost is set to take over as Executive Producer at Emmerdale. Steve is currently ITV's Head of Continuing Drama, a position he moved in to when he left Coronation Street in the very capable hands of Kym Crowther.