Strife at N0.5 Coronation Street: Joseph’s ‘illness’ sparks Linda’s return!

Gemma’s depression at Paul’s illness and looking after the Fab Four has manifested itself into classic displacement. These past few weeks have seen her convinced that Joseph’s ill, which Chesney completely ignores, and what with Bernie’s upcoming imprisonment and Paul's imminent death, you can forgive her for being distressed. With Christmas just around the corner, Joseph’s set to receive a present in the guise of his loaded gran, Linda! Does this mean he is actually ill? This week sees another hospital visit for the family, and back in October, we spoke to Corrie Producer Iain Macleod, who gave us a tease of what happens next:

Iain told us ‘’Joseph's issues, on-screen at the minute, culminate in him falling behind with his school work, and his fairy godmother turns up, in the shape of Linda (his grandmother) who decides that she’s going to try and fix all this and starts throwing money at the situation, which puts Chesney and Gemma in an impossible quandary'’ Iain continued ''By accepting financial help from Linda, they feel that they can't look after Joseph, and are just conceding to Linda’s cheque book'’  

How does Gemma feel about it? 

‘'It’s interesting because Gemma is not Joseph’s biological mother, so there are tensions around that, (in terms of) Chesney and whose side he should be on. It fractures their (already fraught), relationship'’

We don't want to give anything away, but for other reasons involving Joseph, Gemma, and Chesney, Linda is stopping for a bit longer this time?

''Yes, it's going to be a long runner for us. The tease I can give you is that we are taking the original story played by Ken Barlow (in the very first episode of Corrie) as inspiration. Our inspiration for this story goes right back to 1960, which is all capitalised by Linda’s arrival’’

Watch Coronation Street on ITV & ITVX this week as this Winter-Brown story continues!

Let me know what you think in the comments or @rybazoxo on X using #Corrie

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Coronation Street Episode Review; Wednesday 12th January 7.30 & 8.30 pm

The current pace of Weatherfield life is fast, dramatic, 100% top form, and only has me asking questions about what is coming up next - I'm enjoying 2022 Corrie (so far) tonight being no different. My highlight of this Wednesday week was watching Jenny Bradley expel her ‘new romance’ glow everywhere and having a little catch-up with Rita and Sally. It's classic Corrie territory, and although we had a lot of going off tonight, it was a reminder of the shows illustrious history: being a good mix of the old and the new.  

Joseph's lofty poverty problems (see what I did there), may well have been skirted over by a distracted Ches and Gemma had it not been for (hellfire) Hope’s involvement. Bullying is a serious issue, as is the socioeconomic consequences of 5 kids in a working-class backstreet, so him going missing, and hiding in Fiz’s loft, is a surprising turn of events. This could open a few more storylines, and I imagine, it could garner online headlines too. I am thinking, of course, of a working-class kid that went missing who was found (alive and well) under a divan bed. Without mentioning names, could that true-crime story have been the inspiration? I *think* I can see where this is going.   

I don’t half miss my Corrie visits to Salford Quays, so I appreciated that location shoot outside Trafford War Museum, which incidentally, is bang next door to Corrie studios. They won't have travelled far, and it looks like Brian and Cathy are doing the same with their UK staycation holiday.  Shona's descent into madness (just me?) continues tonight with a sudden interest in working at The Kabin. We haven't seen the inside of the place in months and rarely do we see Cathy and Brian either, so is this 'holiday' signalling an incoming change for the street’s newsagents? 

Although Rita sold everything, there’s no slowing the sprightly octogenarian from still being involved in the shops running. As Brian and Cathy plan to be away, Rita needs a hand, and Shona seems to have roped in to help out?! ‘Why the secrecy?’ Rita asked, somewhat confusingly, and I thought the same! It's a strange one, that. Coronation Street did have a longstanding story arc, starting with Mavis, which had our Reet having a longstanding assistant/confidante (Leanne, Sharon, Tina) that ended with Norris. Is this strand about to be restarted? 

Elsewhere on the street; Trouble continues for the Nazir’s, Summer’s offer for Oxford causes her more pressure, and Tim carries on hiding his health secret, causing more suspicion for Sally.  

 

I am @rybazoxo Your self-styled cobbles connoisseur!

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Coronation Street Episode Review 1 November 2019

We continue with an hour long episode this Friday evening and the story lines are pretty clear cut.  Josh has woken (so any charge will only be for attempted murder) and has told his side of the story to the police.  Somehow Abe Crowley and Tez Collier hear quickly that they are completely off the hook as Josh has not implicated either of them in his attack.  They do not know what he has said so Abe and Tez have assumed that he has "forgotten" what happened.  Turns out as Imran tells David that Josh has "remembered" that David stabbed him and has signed a statement for the police to that effect.  David says he did not do it - but there is a ready explanation.  David has a motive - because of history of course - and Josh has worked out that if David is accused of attempted murder it means that a jury will be more likely to clear Josh as David's evidence will be tainted by the attempted murder charge.  When she visits Shona seeks to convince David that if he goes to see the Governor to explain events he might be able to turn it around as the wedding is next Thursday in the Bistro and the wedding night will be spent in the new room at the Rovers.  Tez (above left) and Abe (above right) intervene as David is about to leave the wing and they explain to David that ratting them out to the Governor over Josh will not do David any good at all and they threaten Shona and the children as well.  David phones Shona to explain that she had better call the wedding off - it looks like he is going to be away for a long time.  Gail tells Shona that the latter needs to consider her life and if Shona feels she should leave then so be it.  Shona assures Gail she is going nowhere.  Gail is not sure that Shona will want to be celibate for the next 15 years and may therefore choose to leave.

Emma arrives for work and is ribbed by flat sharer Maria over the hour at which she arrived home this morning.  Emma is feeling the worse for wear and Gary who has arrived for his date with Maria (with a big bunch of flowers) takes her to the medical centre where in common with our local GP practice no-one wants to know if you have not made an appointment (they did make an exception recently after an RTA outside the surgery).  Ali started the day badly walking into Toyah who was looking the other way and telling her off as he was tired following a 12 hour shift during which a woman nearly died; he has also decided that he wants Maria back.  Maria is ignorant of this and summons Ali to check out Emma - but as he says he cannot really get involved in treating people he knows and comes to the same conclusion - a hangover.  Maria cancels all the Trim Up North appointments (in a barbers? - you walk in and wait) and Emma returns to the flat.  After some drinks Maria decides to warm things up as Liam is on a sleep over and drags Gary back to the flat where they find Emma collapsed on the floor.  An ambulance is summoned and Steve falls out of the Rovers to find Emma being taken to the hospital so travels with her.  In the hospital a doctor announces a diagnosis of a ruptured appendix which no trained medic could miss (and it was being shouted at the television from here as well).  Ali realising his mistake turns up at the hospital and Steve (above) threatens to get Ali struck off for negligence.  Following an operation Emma is being treated with anti-biotics and should recover.

We had a brief visit from Alex who had a "Trim Up North" and a stint at Roy's Rolls behind the counter.  The other side of the counter Steve was approached by Michael Bailey who has the solution to their big dream - which Steve says is Kylie in a hot tub.  Michael is more interested in selling plots of land on the moon - which even Steve does not reckon will work.  Michael then gets a call from Nige and switches to selling bouncy castles (no-one buys a bouncy castle - we all hire them round here - would one even fit in Coronation Street garden?).  Hope has managed to jade Jade at the museum (it was boring) and volunteers to be a bouncy castle tester for Michael for the rest of the day instead of lessons.  Ty gives his approval after Jade promises shepherd's pie for everyone - so easily bought.  Evelyn has a list of complaints for her landlord and she cons Michael into using his skills as a builder to get them mended in exchange for a date with Jade - who tells Michael that she is not feeling well as she does not want to go for a drink (above).  Michael knowing that Evelyn would not allow him to duck out gets on with the repair jobs anyway.

The hospital in Llandudno looks a little like Weatherfield General - but perhaps all hospitals have the same paint scheme these days.  Initially it looks like Gemma and Chutney, sorry Chesney, will have to stay in a hostel as it is all that can be afforded.  Cathy uses some photos that Bernie has posted on t'internet to convince the Viscount Plaza hotel to provide a room for the quadparents so that they can stay near the babies until they can be safely moved to Weatherfield.  Joseph is upset as he is concerned that Chesney's love for him will now be divided five ways and that he will be overshadowed by the babies, Cleo, Aled, Bryn and Carys.  Chesney talks him around saying that they will all be looking up to their big brother and he will be important to them all.  Joseph is soon helping looking after the "Cable Car Quads" which the hotel will be using in a promotion, above he is calming Aled who stops crying instantly as Joseph has the magic touch!

A somewhat more balanced episode than some recently but the cat flap for Shona's disappearance is obviously opening up in front of her.  And it is a shame the quads are not Aled, Bryn, Cleo and Diane or similar - Another Bl***** Child Disaster!  Gary did not condemn Ali - and the latter did not really examine Emma - but I think he would have taken it more seriously than he did.  Finally if anyone knows what Jade is up to, apart from no good, please let me know.

Ms Kelstar will be here next week but I am going to be missing for a while.

Written by David Isaac and directed by Durno Johnston.

Kosmo
@Kosmo100

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Coronation Street's Joseph and his soap star sisters

The new version of Joseph Brown in Coronation Street is played by child actor William Flanagan.

And the Flanagans are a very talented family!

William's sister Bella Flanagan plays the new Hope Stape in Coronation Street.

And his other sister Amelia Flanagan plays April Windsor in rival soap Emmerdale.

All three children are represented by Ology Kids Casting which is an innovative casting agency based in Manchester, Leeds & London, exclusively for passionate young people.

Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers 
 
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