Coronation Street Episode Review; Wednesday 3rd November 7.30 & 8.30

Last Wednesday, Corrie put me off a bit, I admit. The misery porn, Natasha's death, grief, guilt, and drunkenness. A cacophony of Corrie miserablism that would have put Morrissey off watching!. So much so I didn't watch Friday's episodes until the following Monday. I needed a breather, which is unlike me, to be honest. Like Tim and Kev love Wethy County, I follow Coronation Street until my dying day, but it did worry me a tad. Will I be singing its praises following tonight's episodes? 

When originally mooted, Kev and Abi's wedding looked full of fun. Sally and Tim both jostled for roles in the ceremony, tomboy Abi grumped over wearing a wedding dress, and some classic comedic Corrie was on the cards. Fast forward nine months, however, and things look a lot different. To say Abi has been through the mill is understating it somewhat (the collapsing sinkhole being a gun-toting finale). Debbie knowing about the gun means Kevin had to find out, the tearful confession was as expected. The ceremony did eventually go ahead in the end, but is another smoking gun waiting to go off in the newlywed's faces?  I would predict so. Corey disappearing will have ramifications for all concerned. Aside from Abi's running away trope, I thought it was such a sweet wedding ceremony. The humour wasn't needed in the end, and the  Buzzcocks soundtrack was a wonderful addition. 

No wonder Maria is feeling a bit out of her depth, but going viral on the internet seems to have fired up the hairdresser in her quest for Corrie COP26 infamy. We know this is a tie-in for national televisions climate conversation, and I am passionate about the urgency, it's just Maria's not that convincing? Would Nina or Mary have carried this storyline better? Anyway, the council are keen on flattening the Red Rec for a Bypass, and Coronation Street's rammed with cars, so the time is right for another resident protest. It was quite a catchy rally rouser to sing; air pollution's not a lie, please don't let our children die! 

Depending on whose camp you sit on, this is either inspiring or propaganda*. For me, it's the former, and Ian Kershaw’s intelligent and astute writing made sure the message was clear! Aside from the residents camping up a tree, or calling Emily back from Peru, surely this would be the perfect time to bring back our favourite (and only) eco-warrior character, Spider? Toyah needs support right now - it would make for perfect timing! Corrie writers can thank me later.  

On that note, I was pleased to see Tracy Barlow back on the street tonight too. She did look pretty (!) and whilst dishing out her trademark acerbic put-downs. It roused me from a brief Corrie slumber and I am now back in the game! Let us sing it from the terraces - 'Air pollution is not a lie, please don't let our children die!'

Elsewhere on Corrie; Zeedan’s money laundering via a food van, Curtis proposes, and Maria decides to stand for the local council. 

*For anyone suggesting this story 'isn't Corrie'  Ken went on a Ban the Bomb march in 1961. The political polemic has long been part of Coronation Street's illustrious history. Long may that continue. 

@rybazoxo self-styled cobbles connoisseur 

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Coronation Street Episode Review;Wednesday 25th of August 7.30 & 8.30 pm

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to attend the 'hate crime' Corrie ITV press day on behalf of this blog. I knew then that this story would be brilliantly hard-hitting, with oodles of drama attached. What I didn't vouch for though was how far-reaching this murder would be on the huge ensemble cast. I love how this has brought a huge swath of the cast together for this pre-trial build up. The story cast a shadow over both episodes tonight, and I really enjoyed it. Imran seems caught right in the centre of it all and the pressure is mounting! How much will this trial cost him?

Abi is another one struggling to hold things together too. Tommy O being called up as a character witness is an interesting turn of events. Any chance we could have him as a new cast member? I mean, the lads certainly earned his apprenticeship and I reckon he could be a popular addition on the cobbles? That’s based on Corey being convicted of course, and what if the junior footballer didn’t do it? 

The online identity leak of Corey’s name could compromise the whole thing before it starts. Laura’s release from jail also means Kelly can’t have her Mother anywhere near the trial. I’m guessing that’s where Toyah will come more to the fore, maybe even facing Sabeen in the dock? Sorry, I am theorising here and thinking ahead to next week’s trial! It's just how my Corrie brain works. 

Kev and Debbie’s court case chat was a good scene, wasn’t it? My favourite scene of the two episodes tonight. Maybe it was a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ kind of thing but it stood out for me. 

Toyah’s defence of Kelly and Imran is admirable and I’m hoping our Toyah (a personal fave of mine) doesn’t get caught in the crossfire of this courtroom set-up!! I wasn’t expecting Jack Webster to become involved either, but being Abi’s surrogate stepson, it worked didn’t it and another sub-plot strand to add to the mix. With James’ unconscious bias case set to be reopened by the Independent Office of Police Complaints, I thought the cops would be out to arrest young Jack as well (classic Weatherfield police tactic) but he seemingly got let off. 

Sally’s parking campaign, although a strange one considering the street’s previous lack of cars, is proving enjoyable too. Any storyline that has Sally with a clipboard, power suit, and social campaigning, has Classic Corrie written all over it. Suitably galvanised by Liam’s predicament, I think Maria could make a good ally for the street’s ex-mayor? I don’t think those two have had much interaction in the past? Sally was also the one who fed Jack the Tommy O witness story, which caused a rare clash with her longtime BFF, Abi. I didn’t see that coming.  

My only gripe overall would be that the ‘hate crime’ isn’t being taken into the courtroom, but, (and almost certainly mirroring real life), a murder takes precedence.

With the pressure on, Imran faces Kelly’s court case, his ex-wife, and the threat of losing Toyah! I for one cannot wait for next week’s court drama. 

My Corrie brain is now in overdrive! 

Elsewhere in tonight’s episodes; Jenny and Ronnie’s budding romance is withered by Daisy’s machinations. Meanwhile, Michael faces a few home truths and ends his loveless relationship with Grace, which causes more trouble for Agi & Ed. 

@rybazoxo 

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Coronation Street Episode Review Friday 21 June 2019

Hi.  Having been away in Cambridge and "Norfolk'n'good" for a few days so this week's Coronation Streets were more or less consumed at one sitting so this may be a little compressed!

The big news is not that Gemma is having quads nor that Vicky's up the duff as her delightful son put it but that Gary Windass has become a bad boy and has two notches on his bedpost (not to mention Izzy, Nicola and Sarah Louise) having dealt death to Rana and finally ensuring that Rick Neelan got his just desserts for having kidnapped Rita - an unforgivable sin in the eyes of many of us.  Gary's greatest concerns are not his conscience, his son or indeed his relationship with Sarah as she moves on - but a necklace which he was wearing before and he does not now know if it is in the ground with Rick, in Rick's abandoned van or in Bethany's car (and who knew that Bethany either had a car or could afford to run a car?).  He fails to find the necklace which along with the DNA that will be all over Rick (plus the dog walkers who catch him trying to dig up the grave in the woods) should be enough to get a conviction if the police even knew anyone was dead.

There were some strange sightings tonight - children everywhere.  Apparently all sorts of jotters and notepads had been stuffed into the toilets and were blocking the drains and had been for months so Bessie Street was closed.  Whilst the children were blamed investigation of the papers later proved that the recent deputy head, Phil Gillespie, had exacted revenge for his dismissal for maltreatment of Brian Packham who enjoyed a certain Schadenfreude from this knowledge.  So everyone is looking for childcare.  Shona gets Jakey dumped on her - he gets the job of cleaning the cutlery and Ruby is running Dev's (he has gone away and Evelyn was out the back).  Gail has Lily to mind.

Jack gets the best deal as Michael Bailey (27), decides he is brother (19) James's agent and sells Steve a behind the scenes, access all areas back of the pitch at Weatherfield County with Tim, Steve, Kev and Jack spending the afternoon on these pursuits (do none of these people have jobs?).  James takes the money off of Michael and returns it to Steve.

Roy is working on a new menu (including smoothies) but decides this is not enough to sort his mind out and after some thought the Woody comes out of hiding and with Sylvia safely strapped into the front passenger seat (obviously in her urn) Roy sets off for Grange-over-Sands to scatter her (Evelyn reminds him to be sure to stand upwind, a sentiment I can endorse as I am sure there are bits of my father-in-law still in my car years after he was scattered when there was no wind blowing) and he will then head off to see Carla as he feels it is important to ensure his friendship is re-inforced. 

Michelle books the vicar for a meeting at lunchtime; initially Robert reckons it is inconvenient but when Tyler rings to say that Vicky is having a miscarriage Robert tells Michelle that he has to take Chloe (topknot, did a shift in the Bistro recently) to an interview Michelle knows better than to interfere.  Billy is worried about Chloe because the poor girl is back "inside" and got her sentence increased because she was hardly respectful to the judiciary.  Turns out Robert spends most of the day in the hospital and a scan proves that at 7 weeks or so Vicky has not lost the baby.  Robert covers his tracks with an afternoon spent at the travel agent (do they still exist) booking a honeymoon - which he had intended as a huge surprise to Michelle! 

And finally (as they say) Sinead and Daniel attend a scan checkup on Sinead and will wait four weeks for the result.  I am surprised that it takes 4 weeks for a cancer scan to be interpreted - I thought the secret to beating cancers was speed?  Meanwhile Beth's shot of "Where's Mummy" baby Bertie is the winner in the newspaper competition as well as upsetting Sinead who think's the photo's title is a premonition of her not being there for Bertie and she rushes off.  She later explains to Beth who then sets up a photoshoot (using her phone) of Sinead and Bertie - photos that I sense will be essential for the remaining members of the family in the future.

Writers: Alasdair Morrison and Jan McVerry.  Director: Adrian Bean

See you all in a couple of weeks.

Kosmo
@Kosmo100

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Corrie Comicals: week ending 30 November 2018

She has not been around much recently but this line worked for me on Monday.  Mary is hoping that Jude will turn up, preferably alive and Mary recalls this is exactly what her mother had said about Albert, who was not her father but was in fact her hamster who escaped whilst having his cage cleaned!  Also recalling how Mary helped Bethany with Nathan it is great to see the debt being repaid as she helps look for that Jude using "the" twitter as Mary calls it.

Sideswipe - if Brian was up till 3am re-writing the nativity then he would inevitably have seen the 1 am email from Phil the deputy head.  Something is wrong round here with the space time continuum.

It was quiz night in the Rovers with Johnny being quizmaster and it came down to tie break with the two teams being asked  to give the biblical names of the three wise men.  Above Brian is giving the traditional names.  Roy correctly clarifies that they are unnamed in the bible in the gospel of Matthew, the other three gospels do not record the visit.  Roy's Rovers are the winners.  We can see that Johnny is glad that someone has fallen for his "trick" question.

Wednesday seemed to be a bit of a struggle until Mary appeared remarking that she had once expressed a casual interest in a cruise and had since been inundated with offers of arthritis chairs, walk-in baths, invisible hearing aids, and letters from elephants needing adoption.

Roy is around my age and my school was not as adventurous enough to run a mash up three-legged egg and spoon combination event, no wonder it left an indelible scar on his mind.  I am still trying to get my head around how Jack Webster is organising a one-legged race; explanation of the rules welcomed as the action moved elsewhere.

Children's television has been largely replaced by a variety of quiz programmes (I will admit to a slight addiction to "The Chase" now that I am retired) and clearly so is Rita whilst Johnny wants to watch something "on the other side" - he does not specify which other side!  Anyway Rita has already screamed "Porcupine" at the screen, answering a question which goes unanswered and then when asked by Jenny if the contestants have won the jackpot she makes the above comment!

Kev's phone apparently records that he does 12,000 steps a day.  As Jack tells his the amused listeners above the trips are to the cafe and the pub.  Given that 2000 steps is a mile then Kev reckons he is covering 6 miles a day.  Which I reckon is a lot of trips to the cafe and the pub as I can walk from the garage to those destinations in a couple of minutes.

And this small exchange was beautifully delivered.  Ty had told Evelyn that she was leaving after her assault on Hope and had told Evelyn that the girls must come first.  Fiz hit just the right note with "Did you?" as if she could not believe it either.  So maybe not comical but a testament to getting it just right as she showed her surprise and yet welcomed Ty being on "her" side and not Evelyn's conveyed in just those two words.  Great work.

Extras at Work

 Well not an extra but I like to sometimes remember the others involved behind the scenes so here is a call out to a recent cast member by the team - Tommy Orpington local football hero gets a mention on the newspaper board this week.


Writers: David Isaac & Martin Allen (Monday); Susan Oudot (Wednesday); Joe Turner & Mark Wadlow (Friday)
Directors: Abe Juckes (Monday & Wednesday); Matt Hilton (Friday)

Kosmo
@Kosmo100

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