Coronation Street Blog: july 1998

Showing posts with label july 1998. Show all posts

Monday, 21 June 2021

The Week In Classic Corrie

MONDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 31st July and 1st August 1998

Sally began to realise she was no longer in love with Kevin. Not only was she getting jealous when she saw Greg with Maxine, she also found his chat boring. Kevin talked enthusiastically about his plans for the garage but Greg warned Sally - if she was thinking of leaving, she didn't want to have her money tied up in the garage. Curly was upset that Lorraine had picked Spider over him and worried that it was something to do with his age. It was made worse when Alma guessed he was in his forties when he was only 35. Toyah was also unhappy with Spider's new relationship, and followed them to a nightclub. Spider felt responsible for her which annoyed Lorraine; to make it up to her, he invited her to spend the night. Rita and Alec made up and she agreed that she liked him being around. However, he took it to mean that they were going out, and started throwing his weight around at the Kabin. Rita was angry to hear he'd overstepped the mark, but realised that she'd forgotten about their conversation entirely in her post-hospital state.

TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 3rd and 5th August 1998

Toyah turned to top teen mag Only 16 (clearly the predecessor of moxy!) for advice on how to seduce Spider. She dressed up and went round, but Lorraine was there, being seductive, and so she got absolutely nowhere. She complained to Ken that the magazine was a load of rubbish and he encouraged her to write and tell them. Rita's memory got worse, with her forgetting she'd even been ill in the first place, and she worried that she was going bonkers. The doctor advised her that it would clear eventually, but in the meantime, she locked up the Kabin - and left the keys in the door. Curly received a letter from Raquel asking for a divorce. He naturally felt depressed and wondered what the point of life was. Fred came up with a great idea to celebrate the Millennium - the world's longest sausage. He tried to persuade Audrey in a scene so thick with innuendo Sid James would've found it a bit much, but she enjoyed his company, and went to dinner with him. Alf was unamused.

WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 7th and 9th August 1998

Leanne arrived at the Kabin to discover it had been ransacked overnight. She was deeply upset, and even more so when she realised she was behind on her bills. Alec packed her off to stay with Mavis in Cartmel and took over running the shop with the help of Ken. Curly's mid-life crisis deepened and he went into town and bought a load of new clothes, got his ear pierced and asked Maxine to give him a modern haircut. He debuted his new look at Spider's party, and tried to chat up a girl, but she left with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, at the same party, Toyah got bladdered on Olde English Cider and ended up puking all over a gatecrashing Les. She got better news the next day when her letter was published in Only 16, winning her a tenner. On top of that the magazine offered her £50 to write them an article. Sally told Kevin that she wasn't going to use her mum's money to buy the garage. He was confused about why she'd changed her mind and Natalie was angry that he'd wasted her time. At the factory, Mike told Hayley there was a confusion over her tax, as the HMRC were insisting she was called Harold. He told Alma about the confusion and she explained about Hayley's past. Mike was horrified.

THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 10th and 12th August 1998

Kevin pleaded with Sally to give him the money to buy the garage but she was adamant. He went to the bank and got a loan, using the house as collateral, which upset Sally. She told him that she'd got a job in the evenings flogging knickers - actually a cover story to allow her to see Greg - and he accused her of hoarding cash so she could leave him. Sally pulled one of those sideyes that people in soaps do in cliffhangers but in reality would be followed with a load of follow up questions. Alma begged Mike not to say anything, but he was convinced he should fire Hayley as she was a "distraction". He told her she'd have to leave but said he wouldn't reveal her secret. Unfortunately for him, she'd made a big impression on the factory girls, and they were incensed that she was being let go. The sainted Ida Clough told Hayley they were all on her side, while Roy lost his temper with Alma for ruining her life. Toyah wrote an article about sad old men dressing in young men's clothes, and then used Curly's computer to type it up, which is a bit cheeky. Natalie saw a draft of it and took Curly to one side to tell him that his new look was making him a laughing stock.

FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 14th and 16th August 1998

Curly sang the praises of his laptop computer to Audrey in the Rovers, boasting about how he could access Firman's prices anywhere in the world with just a phone line. He discovered Toyah's article about sad old men and was deeply hurt. He told her so, and Toyah was upset that he hadn't seen the funny side and she'd hurt him. The factory girls threatened to strike if Hayley wasn't reinstated but Mike told them they were fighting for the wrong cause. Roy went in to see him and pleaded her case, but Mike threatened to tell everyone about her past unless she smoothed things over with his staff. Maxine surprised Greg by turning up at the flat and he dumped her for being possessive. Sally appeared on the doorstep with a bottle of wine just as she stormed out. While Maxine sobbed, Sally and Greg continued their filthy affair, with her staying at the flat until late. The next morning Kevin confronted her, asking why she was tormenting him, and he said he only wanted to make her happy. Sally was touched by his loyalty and tried to end things with Greg, but he told her how much he wanted her, and she immediately caved.

I really want to reach into the screen and tell Sally to stay away from Greg. Not just because he's a wrong 'un, but also because he's a terrible actor. Help me invent time travel on Twitter @merseytart.

Classic Corrie is on ITV3 weekday afternoons and is also on the ITV Hub.

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

Monday, 14 June 2021

The Week In Classic Corrie

MONDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 13th and 15th July 1998

Rita was put in a hyperbaric chamber at the hospital as she was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Sally and Alec maintained a vigil at her bedside, worrying that she wouldn't pull through. Curly and Spider threatened to report Fred to the Gazette for trying to bribe him, but Fred maintained it was a misunderstanding. Curly meanwhile tried to use his campaign as a way of getting close to Lorraine, roping her into helping out, not realising that she fancied Spider. Liz went to Jim and told him she still loved him and the wheelchair didn't bother her one bit. However, they decided to take things slow and not rush into a disastrous relationship.

TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 17th and 19th July 1998

A gas engineer visited Rita's flat and pronounced that the fire had been installed wrong, causing the carbon monoxide leak. Alec realised that Steve had installed it and swore revenge. However, Steve visited Rita in hospital and persuaded her not to prosecute, as it was ultimately Jim's firm that was responsible for putting the fire in and he'd suffered enough with his disability. Greg offered Sally a glass of wine after hours in the factory and she unburdened herself on him. Inevitably they ended up having sex on Mike's desk. They were almost caught at it by Maxine, who was pathetically puppy dog about her devotion to him. The incident made Sally doubt her relationship with Kevin, though, and she worried when she saw that he was putting the garage in both their names. Fred and Audrey went canvassing and they both showed all the people skills of a demented rottweiler, with Fred bellowing in the face of a toddler and making him cry.

WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 20th and 22nd July 1998

Toyah was feeling patronised and ignored by Spider and his campaign team. She unburdened herself on Roy and he encouraged her to improve herself. She complained to Ken that teachers at school didn't take her seriously and didn't teach her about the real world. He gave her the newspaper and encouraged her to read it. Meanwhile Janice told Toyah not to bother trying because it wasn't worth it, in a really depressing scene. Spider, meanwhile, found Audrey's leaflets hilarious with their false promises. He asked Lorraine to be nice to Curly for his sake and she ended up going to dinner with him. She found Curly dull but kissed him anyway to be polite. Maxine planned an exciting weekend away with Greg, hoping that it would reignite their relationship. She didn't realise that he was busy at the factory diddling Sally Webster up against a sewing machine.

THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 24th and 26th July 1998

It was election day and Fred thought he had a silver bullet to get rid of the competition. It turned out Spider had been in prison once, and felons were barred from standing. A cocky Audrey didn't bother campaigning, only to discover that as Spider's imprisonment was for less than a fortnight for non-payment of a fine, but she won anyway by seven votes. Spider was depressed at losing but Lorraine confessed she had a crush on him. Rita returned to work in the Kabin, though her brain was still a little addled, and Alec confessed that her near-death experience made him think that maybe they should be more than friends. Rita dismissed it though as a reaction to nearly losing her. Alec still had a go at Steve in the pub, bringing up Vicky, but he fought back and accused Alec of being after Vicky's money himself. Alec reported Jim and Bill's building firm to the HSE for incorrectly installing Rita's fireplace but she still refused to press charges. She wanted to move on with her life, and she was annoyed with Alec for going behind her back. Elsewhere, Ken agreed to tutor Toyah, Kevin suggested Sally work in the garage with him - but she wanted to stay at Underworld - and Mike refused to give Hayley a job as a machinist. To win him round, Roy bet him £100 that Hayley could out-machine anyone else at Underworld. If he won, Hayley would get a job.

FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 27th and 29th July 1998

Nicky followed in his father's footsteps by taking on a summer job at the garage. He almost immediately took his top off for no apparent reason (Nicky Tilsley Shirtless Count: 5). Hayley went into the factory for her demo and turned out to be an amazing whizz on the machines. Mike gave her a job immediately but the rest of the girls were annoyed at her speed showing them up. She did some of their work as well to curry favour. Alec was sad that Rita wasn't talking to him, and finally apologised. He confessed he loved her and asked her to marry him, but she refused on the grounds that she didn't trust him. (The fact that he was once married to her former best mate didn't seem to factor into it). Ken was thrilled by Toyah's progress, as she enthusiastically read Of Mice and Men, but he worried that she was keeping their lessons a secret from her parents. Having seen how disgusted Janice was that she was reading a book I'm not surprised. Sally used a visit to see Rita as an excuse to cop off with Greg in a hotel, but when she was unavailable for another session, he went with Maxine instead.

To be frank, the author finds Nicky Tilsley with his shirt off repellent. He looks like he's made of plastic. Tell me why I'm wrong on Twitter @merseytart.

Classic Corrie is on ITV3 weekday afternoons and is also on the ITV Hub.

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

Monday, 7 June 2021

The Week In Classic Corrie

MONDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 28th and 29th June 1998

Sandy the barman went down a storm with the ladies in the Rovers but Jack and Alec were disgusted. They wanted a dolly bird and were angry they couldn't get one. He proved useful when Jim came in demanding a drink. They refused to serve him, because they knew he was on medication, and when he became abusive Sandy kicked him out. Jim bought a bottle of whiskey from the shop and got drunk at home, only to topple out of his wheelchair to wallow in his own self-pity. His therapist tried to get him to move on but instead he tried to drive his chair into the street for Mike to run him over. Fortunately - sort of - Mike avoided him. Audrey made the election battle even dirtier, telling a journalist about Spider's protests with Toyah - but framing it as "hippy lures underage girl to Red Rec". Fred and Alec were scared he might sue so they demanded she write a retraction. Spider confessed to Emily that he didn't want to take the Council seat if he was elected - he wanted his principles to remain unchallenged. Alma took Roy to the airport with his passport for his first ever trip abroad. I don't know why because I would've thought he'd have jumped at the opportunity to get the train to Manchester Airport station (yes I am a station nerd). He found that Hayley was living on a houseboat with a man called Johan but he was relieved to hear she was only renting a room and Johan was actually gay. They awkwardly reconnected and it was delightful.

TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 1st and 3rd July 1998

Maxine was struggling to raise a deposit for the flat above the shop. Greg suggested that he negotiate instead - then he took on the flat himself. Emily and Ken persuaded Spider to take his council ambitions more seriously and to take his seat if he's elected. They also persuaded him to cut his hair and wear a suit to create the right impression. Roy and Hayley went sightseeing together in Amsterdam, and she opened her heart to him, telling him that now she felt like a full woman and she was looking at her future. Roy was predictably awkward and couldn't confess how he felt. He went to the airport and Hayley waved him off - but when she discovered he'd left her a watch as a gift she rushed off after him. She caught up with him at Schipol and said she was returning to Weatherfield with him (it's so delightful to see Roy smile by the way). However, she was detained by the immigration authorities because her passport still listed her sex as a man. Maud let herself in to Jim's and gave him a good talking to as a fellow wheelchair user. She told him he needed to be brave and surprisingly, it worked. Alec signed Sandy up for his escort agency - I doubt he was offering Ken Barlow-level intellectual stimulation on his dates - and he took the night off sick for his first job. When Vera realised what he was up to she sacked him from the pub.

WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 5th and 6th July 1998

Audrey's campaign for councillor reached new levels as she put up posters around town with her headshot on it. Unfortunately the headshot was roughly twenty years old. (Incidentally there was the first appearance for a while from a poorly looking Alf). Spider's poster meanwhile showed him as a polite, well-dressed young man; he was ashamed that he wasn't being true to himself and tore the posters down. Emily was upset that he resented her advice and passed him on to Curly to be the new campaign manager. Rita, meanwhile, was annoyed when Audrey got her paperboys to deliver her leaflets. She was actually feeling incredibly rough, with a terrible headache, and she gave Leanne a set of keys and asked her to do the early shifts. Leanne was thrilled. Greg moved into the shop flat - without Maxine - saying that he wanted some space. He then tried it on with Fiona, because he's awful, and when she tried to warn Maxine she got it thrown back in her face. Natalie brought in her niece, Lorraine, as a replacement barmaid, and she immediately caught Curly's eye even though she looks old enough to be his daughter. Roy and Hayley were eventually released by the border authorities with Roy incensed. Hayley calmed him down, saying she wanted to put it behind her, and ended up kipping on his sofa. They went to Heaton Park's boating lake and, in a lovely scene, shared their first kiss. Awwww.

THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 8th and 10th July 1998

Alec had a brilliant idea to get in customers during the World Cup: a TV in the bar. Being Alec though he bought a cheap portable and so everyone fled to the Legion, where they had a widescreen telly. Vera and the ladies ended up watching The Lovers on it instead (that's The Lovers starring Paula Wilcox and written by Mr Maureen Lipman, Jack Rosenthal). He ended up having to buy a big screen telly anyway. On the advice of his support worker Jim claimed Disability Allowance and he offered it to Liz to pay her for her help. She was upset, explaining that she helped him because she cared, and even more so when he asked her to stay away. Rita got more and more ill, eventually collapsing in her flat. Roy helped Hayley clear out her dad's house, and she opened up to him about her sad past; he was encouraging to her and caring. Audrey and Spider attended a hustings at Nicky's college, with Spider appealing to the students with his youth and passion. Audrey managed to fight back by peddling her feminist credentials and her love of a good time, but then she spoiled it by saying she wanted to bring back Miss Weatherfield. It went down with a lead balloon with the modern youth and when they booed her, Audrey went on the attack and insulted them all, criticising the appearance of the hecklers. Her campaign team legged it.

FRIDAY - Episode originally broadcast 12th July 1998

It was the World Cup Final and the Street gathered in the Rovers to watch it (on ITV, which is unlikely). Kevin wanted to watch it in the pub but it was Sally's birthday so he thought he'd best make a fuss. They'd just returned from holiday though, so she didn't want to do anything special - plus she was a bit sick of his company. They went to the Rovers where Greg flattered her. When Alec couldn't raise Rita, Sally and Greg rushed over, with Greg kicking down the door. They found her unconscious and she was taken away in an ambulance. The campaign team wondered if Audrey was a liability and she considered quitting. Alf said that would be a good idea because she'd be a terrible councillor - so she decided to stand just to spite him. Alec and Fred though had a better idea to get her a win, and offered Spider a bribe to quit. Michael, Jim's therapist, encouraged Liz to help Jim out and not leave him to fester. She told Jim not to push her away because he was in love with her, and he said he had no feelings for her at all.