My Seven Corrie Wonders

A very interesting discussion emerged on Twitter this week, which the lovely Graeme has already dedicated a brilliant blog to in Picking Your Favourites. We were asked to do just that, and narrow it down to seven.

A couple of names immediately sprung to mind, and I wondered if I should go with my gut, or give it some thought; after all there are a lot of characters to choose from, and just because they don’t instantly come to mind, might not mean they aren’t a favourite. My seven, as it turned out, arose from a mixture of thought and instinct, and here they are:

Peter Barlow

Todd Grimshaw

Liz McDonald

David Platt

Roy Cropper

Ken Barlow

Pat Phelan

As Graeme says, the exercise did reveal more about ourselves than we might have thought it could, and I managed to surprise not only him with my choices, but myself as well.

The first thing of note was that six out of my seven were men, while most people tweeting on #7favcorriecharacters were choosing women, and almost exclusively at that, including our Graeme. In my case, even the ones I had laboured over, but who didn’t make the list, were mainly male.

As I picked them purely because they are my favourites, I wondered what my choices said about me, and how they might reveal what I enjoy best in a Corrie character. Here's what I learned: 

• My six men all have one thing in common; they’re not afraid to stand up for themselves. My sole lady, Liz, is the same.
• With the exception of Phelan, there is a vulnerability to them.
• I love Phelan regardless.
• My male choices don’t fit the strong women and mithered men trope. Okay, most men on Corrie find themselves henpecked at some point, but these are more likely to resist it, answer back or reach a point where they’ve had enough, and are not afraid to say so. I admire this in them.

So, Graeme has asked you to try and pick your seven favourite characters. What I want you to tell me is, what do you think your selection says about you and what you enjoy in a character?

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

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net


NEW!
Coronation Street: The Official Colouring Book
Available to pre-order now!


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

What makes a top Corrie bloke?

Well, we've found out who is fans' favourite Corrie male and it led to think what makes a top Corrie bloke? 

Unlike the countless memorable women who have tread the Corrie cobbles, very few men have really left their stamp on the show and have become 'legends' - exceptions being Ken, Mike, Roy, Jack Duckworth and Fred Elliott.

Steve McDonald received 400 more votes than Percy Sugden who was at the bottom of the poll and there were even over 200 votes between Steve and Peter Barlow who was just as No.5. I imagine it would be a closer call with the top 25 women possibly?

Steve has the qualities of every kind of man in Corrie's history. As pub landlord he's at the heart of the community in the same guise as Alf at the Corner Shop or when Jack ran the Rovers. He's had his share of women like Ken and Mike but he's also been henpecked by Karen and Michelle like poor Stan and Jack. He can be very funny like Eddie Yeats or Graeme and has formed great partnerships in the same way as Reg and Curly or Stan and Eddie.

The classic Corrie man has never been a hunk. They have been ordinary blokes leading ordinary lives. Their jobs are nothing out of the ordinary: pub landlord, cafe owner, window cleaner, bookie, hairdresser, butcher, teacher and builder. Not to sound snobbish, but a man with a higher wage job wouldn't live on the street. Apart from a brief period in 1976-1977, Mike Baldwin opted to live in a swanky flat and lorded over his employees. 

Side by side with strong Corrie women like Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, Bet Lynch, Rita Fairclough, Vera Duckworth and Carla Connor, you've had ordinary men like Harry Hewitt, Don Brennan, Gary Mallett and Tyrone Dobbs. I know there have been weak and forgettable women but the women always trump the men with immortality: Alan Howard was Elsie Tanner's husband, Don Brennan was Ivy Tilsley's husband or Luke Strong was Carla Connor's business partner. Remember him??

The recent fad of introducing 'hunky' male characters like Matt Carter, Andy Carver and Luke Britton have led to them become boring characters with no character qualities. Just look at the top 10 men voted by you - with the exception of Peter, Mike and Ken, every other man there is not known for their looks. It is their personalities and traits that stand out.

So that's what I think makes a good Corrie bloke - ordinariness but also that something extra special that makes you love them as a character. 

What about you? What makes a top Corrie bloke for you?

by Llifon

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

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog

Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net


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