Suranne Jones, who played Karen McDonald, is one of the ex-Corrie actresses who have been most successful since leaving the soap. You can find out who the others are here
And now, Suranne has said that she'd happily return to Coronation Street ... if it was for charity. "If it was for a good cause and we were going to raise a lot of money, I'd definitely consider it for Comic Relief," she said in an interview with The Sun. "I don't have time to keep up with Corrie but I'm friends with Jennie McAlpine and Antony Cotton so I do catch up. But I didn't know Steve had a baby - that is news to me and I am gobsmacked." This fan would love to see Suranne back on the cobbles for good, for real or for charity! Read more Corrie news, interviews, gossip and spoilers
Suranne Jones, who played Karen McDonald to perfection in Coronation Street, is joining the cast of Frozen.
No, not that Frozen.
This Frozen... it's a play opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London next year and is about a mother whose child goes missing.
Frozen originally premiered at the Birmingham Rep in 1998 and ran on Broadway in 2004 when it was nominated for a Tony Award for Best New Play. It ran at the National Theatre in 2002.
The piece, set in present day England, focuses on three characters: a serial killer, a psychiatrist and a child's mother, played by Suranne.
As well as Corrie she has previously starred in Doctor Foster, as well as Scott & Bailey, Lawless and Doctor Who.
2012 character poll position (women): Not included
Introduced as a friend of Linda Sykes’ and who was taken on as a machinist at Underworld. Popular with men, she soon had flings with Vikram Desai and Peter Barlow.
By 2001 she was in a relationship with Steve McDonald. Janice Battersby made a bet that Karen wouldn’t get engaged. Karen persuaded Steve to propose in the Rovers and they married – much to the surprise of both of them!
In 2003 Karen fell for the charms of Joe Carter and agreed to steal the factory from Mike Baldwin with Joe. Karen realised that Joe was just using her and temporarily left Weatherfield. Steve tracked her down and the McDonalds reconciled.
In 2004 Karen decided that she wanted a lavish wedding and so called a divorce so that she could re-marry Steve in a church rather than a register office. But the wedding was spoilt somewhat by Tracy Barlow’s revelation that Steve was the father of her daughter Amy. After some persuasion from Steve, Karen eventually remarried him.
Karen’s wrath for both Tracy and Amy escalated so much that it led to the breakdown of her marriage. She left the cobbles on Christmas Day 2004. Steve received his divorce papers on Valentine’s Day 2005.
Were you a fan of Karen? Should she pay Steve a visit?
I'm afraid I am back on my soap box again today. Following yesterday's blogwhere
I got a lot off my chest about the current state of Corrie I can't help
but do a follow up and this time I'm singling out Tracy Barlow. I
really cannot stand this character and I think it is time she departed. I
don't really care how, I just want her gone.
The
loyal Corrie viewer has had to suffer Tracy on and off for years now
and the situation is becoming increasingly desperate. I see the
character as someone the storyliners can turn to when they need a cheap
ratings boost or someone to create some ridiculous dramatic tension in
the break between double episodes on a Monday or a Friday. Tracy is
reliably unpleasant, vicious and nasty. Most soap operas need a
smattering of characters like this but more often than not they are
short lived.
However
Tracy Barlow has never really had her comeuppance. Forgiveness is
something she receives far too easily from those around her, no matter
how vindictive or heinous her crimes. It just doesn't ring true and it's
certainly not what Coronation Street used to be all about. She's turned
into a low grade pantomime villain only sadly she doesn't even throw
sweets to the audience. Tracy is just out and out vile. Other characters
in Corrie have their moments - Leanne has been an arsonist, a
prostitute, a drug addict and a gobby little mare, but the skill in the
characterisation is that she survives because she can and has changed.
It actually enriches the character. Sally too can be downright rude,
spiteful and unpleasant yet we all sided with her when Kevin did the
dirty and we longed for Tim to turn up and marry the woman.
With
Tracy however there is no light and shade. There is no real humour, no
humanity and any vulnerability is short lived or nondescript. Because
Tracy is always so rude, so abrasive and so on the attack, it is
virtually impossible for the viewers to understand her, like her or feel
for her. It's as simple as that.
Ken,
who was always less sympathetic towards Tracy that Deirdre, still
forgives her every indiscretion and allows her, when she is nearly
forty, to continue to clog up his house with all her endless dramas.
After Deirdre's death, Tracy promised to change and to honour her
mother's memory. What was the point of that exactly as less than a year
later it's like that little story arc didn't happen. We are expected to
believe that Tracy is a decent mother, yet would she do all she has done
if that were the case? The only saving grace chez Barlow at the moment
is Amy's transformation into a mini Blanche. She is fantastic.
As
I wrote yesterday, the Tracy and Carla feud has been boiling away like a
pan of overcooked sprouts for far too long. All taste and colour has
gone and we're now left with a ludicious merry-go-round of rubbish. What
it really needs is for Karen McDonald to suddenly launch herself at
both pathetic women with the heel-end of her red stiletto. That would
liven things up and show them how it should be done. There's just no
spirit in these scenes anymore because anyone in their right mind would
have brought this simmering hatred to a head long ago and moved on.
I'm afraid I blame whoever took the decision to
release Tracy from prison back in 2010 on a technicality designed to
boost ratings. Nevermind doing the time for bumping off the gorgeous but
menacing Charlie Stubbs, Tracy should have been left to rot for all
eternity for performing that rancid dance in the lead up to whacking him
one. My retinas are still in recovery. I honestly don't know what you'd do to salvage a character like Tracy now. Too much water has gone under the bridge. My only suggestion is that we revert to what happened periodically in the 1980s and send her upstairs to listen to her tapes. Either that or...
It's time then, once again, to look back at the many weddings and wives of Steve McDonald, so far...
Mrs McDonald No. 1
Vicky Arden.
Wealthy, orphan grand-daughter of Rovers landlord Alex Gilroy.
Married in St Lucia on 18 August 1995.
Divorced.
Mrs McDonald No. 2
Karen Phillips, they married for a bet on 30 August 2001.
Divorced.
Mrs McDonald No. 2 (again)
Karen McDonald, they married again on 18 February 2004, this time for love not money.
Divorced.
Mrs McDonald No. 3 - Almost!
Friday 13 March 2009
Steve's bride, Becky Granger was too drunk and the wedding didn't go ahead.
Mrs McDonald No. 3 - Second time lucky
Friday August 14th, 2009
Becky Granger
Divorced
Mrs McDonald No. 4 Tracy Barlow, January 21, 2012.
Separated at the wedding reception when Steve learned Tracy had
lied about her miscarriage being caused by Becky pushing her down the
stairs.
Divorced.
So far, Steve has had six weddings and four wives...will it be a happy ever after with Michelle?
Ah, the perils of a returning character. It either works or it doesn't. For me at the moment, Coronation Street is all about the return of that legendary ginger minx, Jenny Bradley. This is a joy for me as it brings back memories of one of Corrie's best ever sagas from what I still see as a golden era for the show. So far Sally Ann Matthews has been on fine form, performing the difficult task of bringing life to Jenny over twenty years after her last appearance. I think it is working a treat. It is stirring up drama for some of the more established, long standing members of the Corrie cast and that can only be a good thing. The return story is plausible and Sally Ann is clearly relishing being back. I can't wait to see what happens next. Bringing back former characters is a risky business. It's a gamble that can pay off, rewarding long-time viewers with references to the past, although sometimes they can just get it wrong. I think the main principles for bringing an old character back to Corrie are quite simple. Firstly, the character concerned must still be relevant. They must have current, ongoing links and often unfinished business with regular cast members. Secondly, the actor must be returning to play a character that is still recognisable to enough of the regular, loyal Corrie viewers. Finally, the writers must be able to write authentically for the character and understand both them and their motivations. Sometimes I do sympathise with the powers that be. They can't do right for doing wrong. Either they are bringing in too many new faces which fans think do not gel or are not right for Corrie or they are bringing back too many old hat characters that have long since past their sell by dates. Some recent returns have been surprisingly good. Jenny aside, I found myself enjoying CIlla's brief visit to Weatherfield last year. I was never much of a fan of Cilla during her original stint, she was always too extreme and too pantomime for my tastes. However the toned down, vulnerable CIlla we saw more recently worked well and felt a lot more believable. One of my favourite returning characters of recent years has to be Wendy flamin' Crozier. Coming from the same period as Jenny Bradley, the Ken-Deirdre-Wendy triangle of the late 1980s was superb. Roberta Kerr just seemed to pick up where she left off and it was great to see her back to upset the Barlow applecart. Sometimes though, we are left scratching our heads and wondering where it all went wrong. Step forward Julie Goodyear, former queen of the Rovers Return as the iconic Bet Lynch. I loved our Bet - the comedy, the drama, the frocks, she had it all. The ill-advised come back in 2002 left a sour taste in the mouth as both Ms Goodyear and the viewing public quickly realised too much water had flowed down the Irwell since her last appearance in 1995. Some things are best left in the past as glorious, camp memories.
At least the character of Bet remained true to herself on her much heralded return. The same cannot be said for others. I loved Sunita when she first appeared in 2001. She was sweet, kind and easy to love. Her come back in 2009 proved otherwise. She returned to Dev, they did a crazy, Nazir-like move into the street and the writers morphed her into a vamp, a seductress with the morals of something you'd find up the ginnel late at night. The same can be said of Dev's errant daughter Amber. She was the funny, sharp kid for a while, then left only to return solely to ruin Sawphie's relationship with Sian. It didn't work at all. Of the current cast, we have returnee Todd, another previously mainly decent character who has now inherited the warped mind of the tricyle riding child from The Omen. I think we are finally due an explanation of what the devil has happened to him. There are always characters I would still love to see make a return to Weatherfield, whether for a special one off appearance or for a longer stint. Everyone has their own wish list of those they'd love to come back, so here is mine: 1. Mavis WIlton. Oh for one final glimpse of our Mave. I want this so badly I was over the moon just to hear her name mentioned recently when Rita went to stay with her. Seeing Barbara Knox and Thelma Barlow reunited for that special documentary at Christmas was an absolute joy. It would be wonderful to see RIta and Emily visit Mavis at her guest house for a special episode. Go on, Corrie, make it happen. 2. Eddie Windass. Why Corrie ever got rid of the fantastic Eddie Windass I'll never know. He was a classic Coronation Street character in the making. He was lazy, work shy and needed a good going over with a damp flannel yet he still managed to turn out beautiful cakes for any occasion. Now that we are seeing the back of Owen, isn't it time Gary went to look for old Eddie, bringing him back to Weatherfield and reuniting him with Anna? 3. Suzie Birchall. One of my all time favourite Corrie women, Suzie epitomised the golden Corrie era of the late 1970s. Indeed, Suzie really brought Corrie into that decade with a bang. I loved the set up of Gail, Suzie and Elsie, it really was cracking stuff. Gail rarely mentions Suzie these days, perhaps not surprising considering she tried to pinch her husband Brian back in 1983. In fact, with hindsight, it might have been better for Gail if she'd succeeded. I understand Cheryl Murray has suffered some ill health in recent years but I think it would be terrific to see Suzie turn up on Gail's doorstep one more time. We've had Gail the overpowering mother from hell and we've had Gail the simpering lovestruck bride to be, so why not have Gail having some fun and turning some heads with her old pal? 4. Janice Battersby. Perhaps a bit of a Marmite choice here, but for me her relationship with Leanne was always much more truthful and believable than anything the writers cooked up with Stella. Janice has all but been wiped from our memories which I think is a shame as Vicky Entwistle brought a lot of verve to the role. She wasn't always nice, but she was fiercely protective of her own. I'd like to see Janice back for a visit. 5. Finally, please powers that be, tempt Suranne Jones back for a stint as the wonderful Karen McDonald. Karen has been the only real match for Steve as far as I'm concerned. I loved their fiery relationship and Suranne is a brilliant actress. There are plenty of reasons for her to make a return with the likes of Steve, Liz and Tracy all still in the show. And I for one would love to see her take on Michelle. So there we have it, my take on the pros and cons of bringing back classic characters to Corrie. The next cab off the rank will be Gail's darling Sarah Lou. We shall have to wait and see how that one goes. Follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook All original work on the Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
The Advent season is upon us once again, and the ITV Coronation Street website are releasing classic clips, every day I hope until Christmas Day, of classic Corrie Christmases of bygone years. I can't wait!
Today, they're going back 10 years to Christmas Day 2004. Here's what the website says:
"In this rain-soaked rooftop scene from 2004, Tracy is out for blood after she believes that Karen has killed Amy.
Would Steve get to them in time?"
We can probably answer that! Ten years on, Steve's life is still not a bed of a roses is it!
To the see the video, click here. For people outside the UK, the clip is featured in this YouTube video.
For a synopsis and info of the episode (Episode 5923) on Corriepedia, click here.
If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.
If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.
2. Steve McDonald and Karen Phillips/McDonald 2001-2004(251 votes)
Unlike other married couples, Steve and Karen ended up at the altar due to a bet. It was due to Janice Battersby stating that Karen could never keep hold of a man. Factory machinist Karen persuaded cabbie Steve to propose to her in the Rovers, which he did and both were surprised when they actually married in 2001, and found they were indeed in love.
Underworld’s manager Joe Carter found Karen attractive in 2002, and although she resisted his advances, she soon fell for him, after discovering Steve had had a one night stand. Joe persuaded Karen to help him steal the factory off Mike Baldwin. Guilty Karen confessed to Mike in 2003, who sacked her and Joe left Weatherfield, and by then Karen had realised he had used her.
Karen soon found herself with Steve again and asked for a divorce so she could have a dream wedding. They managed to convince the neighbours by publicly rowing and in 2004 they remarried. The wedding was dampened with Tracy Barlow’s revelation that Steve was the father of her daughter Amy. The second marriage was burdened with Karen’s feud with Tracy and Karen suffering a miscarriage. By Christmas 2004, the marriage had collapsed and Karen left Steve and Weatherfield and they divorced in 2006.
Were you fans of Steve and Karen? Should they be at number 2? Should they be in the top 10?
If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.
Note: To date, this is Ken’s last appearance in the top 12. He currently holds the record of being in the top 12 for the most years: 29 out of a possible 54. And for 11 years, there hasn’t been an original character in the top 12 – the biggest gap in the history of the show. This is, to date, the last time Geena appears in the top 12 and the only time Richard appears.
Hello all! Now, I hope you voted in the first poll of ten because that is now officially closed. But you have until midnight next Monday (18th November) to vote for two of your favourite couples in the second poll.
So, who's in our third poll?
Bert and Ivy Tilsley (1979-1983) – During the four years that we saw the senior Tilsleys’ marriage on our screens, it was Ivy’s hatred and judgement of daughter in law Gail as a wife, mother and as an Anglican that dominated storylines. Poor Bert had to be a referee between the two women and regularly escaped to the Rovers. Bert was also unemployed for most of his time on screen and this was a constant thread in their marriage. Bert died in 1984.
Alan Bradley and Rita Fairclough (1986-1989) – Poor Rita had no idea of the trauma she’d go through when she fell for foster daughter Jenny’s dad Alan. What began as two lonely middle aged people falling in love ended up with Alan cheating on, lying to, stealing from, manipulating and trying to kill Rita. It was a storyline that gripped the nation in the late 80s and ended with Alan being run by a tram in Blackpool.
Peter Barlow and Leanne Battersby/Barlow (2008-2012) - Their relationship began when Leanne helped struggling father Peter to look after his son Simon. Their colourful pasts leads to a tempestuous relationship with break-ups and reconciliation the norm. Peter’s alcoholism also causes problems. Both are unfaithful to each other: Leanne had an affair with ex Nick and then Peter had an affair with Carla.
Steve McDonald and Karen Phillips/McDonald (2001-2004) – Unlike other married couples, Steve and Karen ended up at the altar thanks to a bet. But by then, they had already fallen in love. But they also had problems: Steve had a one night stand with Tracy Barlow and Karen had an affair with Joe Carter. They reunited and Karen sought a divorce so she could have her dream white wedding. They remarried but the wedding was dampened when Tracy announced that Steve was the father of her daughter Amy! The second marriage was burdened by Karen and Tracy’s feud and Karen suffering a miscarriage. Karen left the street on Christmas Day and the McDonalds divorced in 2006.
Brian Packham and Julie Carp (2010-2013) – Reminiscent of Derek and Mavis, Brian and Julie’s first attempt at a relationship was sabotaged by John Stape when he contacted Brian’s estranged wife. Brian and his wife Margaret reunite but Brian returns in 2011 – his marriage over and wanting to retry with Julie and she happily accepts. In 2012, Julie discovered she was pregnant but she actually has a growth and has to remove her ovaries, dashing her hopes of being a biological mother. Julie has since been interested in fostering but Brian is not so keen. They complement themselves as a couple.
So which two of those five are your favourites? Well vote, vote, vote!
The moment has come. You have been voting all week in my poll to find which Corrie character from the past you would most like to see make a come back. First of all, a massive big thank you to everyone who voted and commented on this poll. We had a huge 625 votes! I know some people were disappointed their particular favourite did not appear in the poll, but as usual with these things the choices made were entirely personal and selected to generate discussion. And the ultimate winner was...Karen McDonald with 31.68% and 198 votes!I admit I am quite pleased by this, as Karen has always been one of my favourite characters. I hope one day we see the brilliant Suranne Jones pay Weatherfield a return visit.
Curly Watts came second in the poll with 20.16% (126 votes). I was quite surprised Curly didn't take top spot, particularly given the recent publicity about a possible return.
So, to a quick run down of the other results:
Jamie Baldwin– 18.24% (114 votes)
Mavis Wilton – 11.84% (74 votes)
Jim McDonald – 8% (50 votes)
Linda Cheveski – 4.16% (26 votes)
Fiona Middleton – 1.76% (11 votes)
Billy Walker – 1.6% (10 votes)
Tricia Hopkins – 1.44% (9 votes)
Personally I'm rather surprised that the wonderful Tanya Pooley came last with only 1.12% and 7 votes. In my view she is definitely an iconic character who left a lasting impression. My second disappointment is that Jamie Baldwin didn't fare better - always one of my favourite Corrie men. I hope you all enjoyed the poll - and I'm sure the results will get you all talking! So are you happy with the outcome?
