Coronation Street Episode Review Friday 3 May

Evening Corrie fans it’s Kelly here with your combined review of Friday night’s two episodes.

It’s a day of moving, as Gemma tells a tearful Rita and a perpetually angry Paul that she is moving in with her never-spoken-of-before Mum. As she sits on the park bench waiting for her errant mother Paul arrives and tells her that lots of people love her. She’s determined to go however, saying that Chesney thinks she’s a worthless human being. Meanwhile Imran and Toyah are moving into Kate and Rana’s old flat. Did I miss something here? I know Kate is staying at the Rovers, but I don’t actually remember her moving out? And where is PC Tinker living now. I hope they all had a cast-iron break clause in their rental contract.

Mary has also decided she needs to move her life on by divorcing Norris so that she can be with Eastern Europe’s answer to ZZ Top, Jan. This is a big shock to Moira who can’t believe anyone would choose Mary over her. But not half as big a shock as it is to the man himself who thought he was letting Mary down gently. When he tells Eileen that he made up a story about a dead fiancée she of course immediately blabs to Moira, because Eileen has all the sensitivity of a blunt axe. Moira delights in breaking the news to Mary who then confronts Jan. She tells him that she ‘has known the duplicity of men before’ (no one does melodrama as well as Mary), and to keep away from her.

In other news Nick and David are skulking around, talking in indecipherable code and mysterious acronyms as they expertly cover up the dodgy money that Shona heard them discussing. Only kidding, they both look as guilty as a six-year-old sitting next to an empty bag of Haribo. No one would ever have Sarah down as brain-of-Britain but even she spots there’s something up and is convinced that Nick is behind the factory roof collapse. I hope him and David never try their hands at poker!

Elsewhere walking white male privilege Geoff is sulking because Yasmeen won’t sack off her work or her hobbies to pay him attention. Tim is far luckier when Sally tells him that an occasional surgery snack is fine, as is plenty of sex. The two ladies are both convinced they are experts in healthy eating, so when Sally claims that all curries are fattening, Yasmeen vows to prove her wrong by inviting her and Tim round for a meal. This scuppers the charmless Geoff’s romantic plans, but since he seems to be mostly in love with himself I’m sure he can just look in the mirror for two hours.

Back at the Street Mary and Tracy see that the door to Number 3 is open. Weatherfield’s answer to Cagney and Lacey burst in to find Emily’s niece Freda inside. She tells Mary that Norris is at a silent retreat in Shepton Mallet and that he agrees to the divorce. When Mary leaves, furious that Norris hasn’t contacted her himself, Freda takes out an urn and places it next to Norris’ picture saying, ‘I’ll miss you every day’. It’s surely not Norris in there? Could it be Emily? Or did Freda once have a beloved pet llama whose ashes she carries around everywhere with her?

Meanwhile Chesney catches up with Gemma, who’s mum never showed up. Rita has told him about the baby, and he thinks they should be a family. She’s not convinced and walks off towards the dodgy looking estate. When he returns home there’s a knock on the door. Gemma has returned but only to tell him that he can be a part of their baby’s life but nothing more. She leaves once more, but only to go as far as the warm couch and embrace of Rita. And seeing Reet not crying anymore suddenly all is right with the world.

I've been Kelly and you can catch more of my pointless mutterings on Twitter @mskelstar.

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Queen of the Street and Future Heiresses

Rita Sullivan is clearly the undisputed queen of the street currently, and has been, in my view, for many years. Even if she forgets her own name, Rita is one of the best women to have landed in Weatherfield and fits closely the type of strong woman who Tony Warren had in mind. But, if she does depart to the cobbles in the sky, who, of the remaining women, has the characteristics and capability to occupy the vacant throne?

Now, much as I like Audrey and Emily – (will she ever return?) I feel that the crown must be passed down to the next generation.

So what characteristics do we need? We need someone who is well-liked and respected. Someone strong and forthright too, who will fight her own and other people’s battles, with passion and fury. She should be someone who hasn’t had an easy life, but has come through, scarred, but wise. And underneath the tough exterior, not a perfect person, but someone with a flawed character and with a good heart, who genuinely loves her friends. A sense of humour wouldn’t go amiss either and we need longevity, too.

So let’s see who we’ve got. Now we know she’s returning, first for consideration has to be, none other than...

1      Carla Connor – A strong candidate for the crown. Independent, takes no prisoners, strong, kind when it really matters (Roy and Hayley). What lets her down is that though she is admired and factory boss, I don’t feel she is very well liked and doesn’t have many friends.

  Liz McDonald – another strong candidate. Since leaving The Rovers, Liz seems to be at a  loose end. After years of fulfilling her role as landlady, she has shown herself to be popular, kind and probably in the know of many people’s business, either from their intentional sharing of their private lives or because of having overheard confidences. She is emotionally intelligent and though I am sure she would appreciate a man in her life, she is not willing to have one at any price – remember the public humiliation of Tony Stewart? And yes, she is tough. She also has a sense of humour.

3      Sally Metcalfe – Although her character is an appealing one in a soap, I doubt that Sally would fulfil the stringent criteria laid down for Queen of the Cobbles. Sally is ambitious, often amusing, though not always deliberately so. She is a social climber, an egomaniac and a snob. She tells people she eats kale and quinoa, but then lets herself down by asserting that a Vienneta is a suitably bourgeois dessert. She reacts to people, according to their station, the posher, the better, and is very swift to judge. Sorry Sally, the crown cannot be yours.

4      Eileen Phelan – Witty, kind, especially to Summer, very generous in allowing people to stay in her house, but she can be cold and unpleasant. Her feud with Gail is ridiculous and both women should end it now. A good friend, but lacks interest in goings-on outside her small domestic sphere to have any chance of wearing the crown.

Michelle Connor – she has suffered recently, but falls into men’s arms too easily and indiscriminately.  She shows little ambition, for her own sake, only insofar as it involves a man. A little naïve but she was an excellent friend to Carla, though I understand that that friendship will struggle to survive on Carla’s return. But, she has forgotten that she has a son called Ryan! Sorry Michelle.

Other possibilities include, Gail and Yasmeen, but I’ve ruled them out. Gail doesn’t have the gravitas and Yasmeen has not been around long enough. If she sticks around, she will be considered.

Of the younger ones, we have Jenny, Eva, Maria, Fiz, Toyah, Leanne, Sally, Mary, Sarah, Eva, Izzy, Alya, Rana, Kate, Shona and even Gemma (!) who, under the influence of the current queen could make the grade given time. Gemma has shown herself to be devoted to Rita and is a loyal friend to Chesney, and of course, we should never say never. In some cases access to the throne will take time - a heck of a lot of time.

By Ruth Owen.

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Why Corrie would be correct to kill off Rita

Yesterday Graeme wrote an excellent, impassioned piece calling for Our Rita to be saved from the Grim Reaper.  He made a lot of good points, but I didn't entirely agree with his premise.  To me, if you're going to write out Rita Littlewood-Fairclough-Sullivan-Tanner, there's only one way to do it: kill her.

I should start with the usual caveats.  The article we're all talking about was printed in one of the most disreputable tabloids, and has been neither confirmed or denied by anyone at ITV.  This could all be a fuss about nothing.  Remember, the tabloids were confidently telling us that Sarah Harding was so good she'd been signed up for further appearances.  The red tops are also keen to predict the axing of much-loved Street stars whenever a new producer comes in - if you believe the papers, Bill Roache must be on a knife edge following a shift in personnel, because every single producer has a secret desire to kill him off.  And yet, it's never happened.

Which brings me to Barbara Knox.  If the story is true - and I'll write the rest of this piece assuming it is, and Rita is soon to die - then she must be on board with it.  La Knox is the grand dame of the Street, an icon and a legend and a fearsome personality.  It's highly unlikely that she was handed her cards without any notice.  If she wasn't the one to ask to leave, then at the very least she was extensively consulted, especially about her final storyline.  Much as I'd love to have Ms Knox holding a tearful press conference to protest her axing a la Mrs Overall, her silence makes me think this was a mutual decision.

Does a faithful dog expect to be kicked? That show was my life.

And if Barbara Knox wants to go, let's send her out with a bang.  Some of the greatest characters in the Street's history have had iconic farewells - Alma, Mike Baldwin, Jack and Vera.  Actors love a good deathbed scene.  You're the absolute centre of attention, surrounded by well-wishers, acting your little socks off.  It's the kind of scene that looks great on your showreel, or in your Lifetime Achievement montage at the Soap Awards.  A brain tumour is frequently used to kill people in continuing dramas because it gives you plenty of warning.  A terminal diagnosis means a big build up to the end as she tidies up her affairs and gathers her loved ones around her. Imagine Rita tearfully slipping away after weeks of preparing for the sad event, surrounded by her friends and family.  There wouldn't be a dry eye in Weatherfield.

It'd give closure to us, the viewers, too.  The problem with characters going away is they're always missed.  We always want them back.  Emily went to Peru, and we're all still hoping she'll come back for a proper goodbye.  Becky flew off to the Caribbean, and we were all disappointed she couldn't make it back for Kylie's funeral.  Martin's ignoring his grandchildren, Andy refuses to get on a plane to visit Weatherfield no matter what traumas Liz and Steve suffer, and Ken only remembers he has kids when they are literally stood in front of him.  If Rita went off to retire in the country, we'd all be waiting for her to return for, say, Sophie's wedding.  After all, weren't we all just a little bit disappointed Mavis didn't return when Rita wed Dennis?  (Killing a character also stops the actor from returning years later for a disappointing follow up that trashes the goodwill from their first goodbye cough Bet cough).

There's another big reason for Rita not to simply wander off in a black cab, and her name is Jenny Bradley.  The return of Jenny - and especially Sally Ann Matthews' performance - has been an absolute triumph, and part of its glory is her reunion with Rita.  They've bonded again, both realising that they are the closest they have to a real family.  Jenny is calling Rita the mother of the bride, and Rita is adoring the role.  Given how close they are again, would Rita really up sticks and move away?  Especially after all she did to put Jenny back on her feet?  No chance.  She'd want to be with Jenny now to watch her live a happy life with Johnny.  A quiet retirement in her flat above the Kabin with her just down the road would be absolutely ideal.  If she simply left, it'd mean the end of this relationship, and that would be awful.

It makes sense from a character point of view too.  Rita is eighty-four, and yet, if the programme is to be believed, she's still up at five to do the papers, then on her feet for the rest of the day behind the counter in the Kabin.  That's not a woman who is ever going to retire, no matter what happens.  She's had plenty of opportunities over the years but it's never happened.  The only logical end point for that kind of person is to die with your boots on.  Having her suddenly say "oh, I've had enough, I'm off to live with Mavis" would seem forced and unrealistic.

If Rita died, it'd also stop her from drifting away.  Graeme was right when he said that older characters have receded into the background, but that's what happens when you have cast members in their eighties.  They simply can't keep up the relentless pace required to produce two and half (soon to be three) hours of television a week, and need time off and rest.  It means fewer, quieter storylines to keep them ticking over, while the younger ones take over the heavy lifting.  Much as I loved Betty, her last decade on the show consisted of her sitting behind the bar saying "luvvy" a lot and pulling faces.  She did it brilliantly, but it meant she became peripheral.

Betty's real-life death also deprived us of a proper farewell.  She vanished from the show, and then, a few months later, the characters were allowed to say goodbye.  The same happened with Blanche and Deirdre.  It robs the show of its drama because it's done out of necessity, rather than desire.  The writers are having to make good on a bad situation, and no-one's very enthusiastic about it because it's tinged with the real-life sadness.  Barbara Knox is a woman in her mid-eighties; I hate to sound ghoulish, but nobody lives forever.  If you kill Rita now, you get a final goodbye that will make sense for the show and the public, and allow us all to close the book on her.

Kill Rita and you score a number of slam dunks.  You allow a much loved character to say her final goodbyes onscreen.  You get a good, dramatic storyline that will affect every character on the Street and create smaller storylines (how will Sally and Jenny react to losing their surrogate mothers?  How will Norris cope in the Kabin on his own?  Will Gemma go off the rails without a calming influence?).  You get boffo ratings - you can bet that ITV will be all over it; they're probably preparing the Farewell Rita documentary even as we speak.  And Rita can go out with a bang.  That's what the showgirls always want - a hell of a curtain call.

If you want to tell me just how wrong I am and why I should be drummed out of Weatherfield you can do so at my Twitter account: @merseytart. 

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Rita at 85: Your favourite moments?

Today marks a birthday milestone for Rita Tanner as she reaches her 85th birthday. Barbara Knox, who plays her, won't reach that milestone until September 2018.

Corrie will be mentioning Rita's birthday in Monday's episode where everyone seems to have forgotten it! I wonder if Emily has sent her a card from Peru?!

For 45 years Rita has starred in memorable storylines, shared classic scenes with classic characters, and has had her fair share of hairdos and clothes!! You can tell what year a photo or clip is from Rita's hair!! She's a character who has many threads and layers. From her romances to being a mother figure, from running the Kabin to singing, Rita is a classic soap character and one of the last true soap royalty still active on screen. 

So what better on a Saturday in February than share your Rita favourite moments/storylines with us on the blog.

My top five: Rita's slanging match with Bet in 1995; Rita confronting Alan Bradley in 1989; Rita running after Norris after he bought her flashing trainers after she broke her toe in Budapest in 2006; Rita in court in 2004; and Rita's version of A Winter's Tale in 2010.

What are yours? Happy birthday Reet!!

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Top 25 Favourite Corrie Females - No. 5

5. RITA TANNER (333 VOTES)

Duration: 1964, 1972-
Played by: Barbara Knox
2012 character poll position (women): 3

A personal favourite of mine, Rita first appeared in 1964 as an old friend of Dennis Tanner. She was not seen again until 1972. Over the course of 44 years, flame-haired Rita has matured from saucy songstress to pillar of the community.

After a fling with Ken Barlow, Rita fell for Len Fairclough. They had a tempestuous on/off relationship with Elsie Howard being a thorn in Rita’s side many times. After breaking off their original engagement in 1974, Rita and Len married in 1977. Rita had to drag Len from his bachelor life and forced him to make renovations to their house. Happy with her house, Rita’s mothering instinct came to the fore. Failing to adopt, the Faircloughs became foster parents to the likes of John Spencer and Sharon Gaskell. Their marriage lasted for six years, before Len was killed in a car crash. Rita was devastated when she learnt that he was on the home from seeing his mistress.

After being wooed by Tony Cunliffe and Alf Roberts, Rita became involved in a serious relationship, this time with Alan Bradley. Between 1986 and 1989, Alan cheated and stole from Rita and when she confronted him, he tried to kill her. She escaped to Blackpool and when he chased her across the promenade, he was fatally hit by a tram.

Rita eventually recovered and married Ted Sullivan in 1992, but he died of a brain tumour three months later. After Ted she had numerous gentlemen friends that included Fred Elliott, Alec Gilroy, Anthony Stephens, Archie Shuttleworth, Colin Grimshaw and Lewis Archer.

In 2011, Rita reunited with old friend Dennis and he moved in with her and they fell in love. They married in 2012 during the Diamond Jubilee weekend. Happy initially, Dennis soon grew tired of Rita’s nagging and always having to ask for money. He found solace in Gloria Price and she persuaded him to dump Rita and whisked him away to Spain. Dennis returned a few months later with his tail between his legs and tried to win back Rita’s heart. When she was on the verge of forgiving him, she caught Dennis punching Norris and stealing from the Kabin. She gave Dennis his marching orders and they divorced in 2015. 

Since 1973, Rita has been behind the local newsagents counter, called the Kabin. Her scenes with her loyal assistant Mavis Riley (1973-1997) were mainly of a comedy purpose and this is repeated today with her partnership with Norris Cole. In 2009, she decided to retire and sold her share of the Kabin to Norris and went on a cruise. But when she returned, she found retirement boring and lonely. Norris persuaded her to be his assistant. But Rita still rules the roost!

Childless, Rita has become a mother figure to many over the years, notably Sharon Gaskell, Jenny Bradley, Sally Webster and Tina McIntyre.

Are you, like me, a Rita fan?

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Barbara Knox's 1973 album: On The Street Where I Live

While looking at some vintage Corrie episodes on YouTube, I came across these 11 audio clips of Barbara Knox (or Mullaney as she was called back then) singing from her record album, a year or so after she returned to Corrie in 1972. 

Back in 1964, Barbara Knox was playing Rita, who was portrayed as an exotic dancer but by 1972 in Corrie she was also a singer. Barbara Knox has often recalled that she was horrified when the Corrie producers asked her to sing on the show. In the soap, Rita's rehearsal went well and for many years, Rita was known as the Weatherfield Nightingale and she still gives us a song now and then.

In 1973, Barbara Knox was asked to record an album. It was called 'On the Street Where I Live'. I have to say that many of the songs are unknown to me, but it's great listening to them. Sadly, she was never allowed to promote the album, and so few were sold. So if you have got a copy at home, leave a comment below and tell us about it. 

You can listen to all the songs here.

The songs are:

You're Getting to be a Habit with Me - First heard in the film 42nd Street (1932), starring Warren Baxter and Ruby Keeler. It was later recorded by the likes of Petula Clark, Bing Crosby, Doris Day and Frank Sinatra.

The Very Thought of You - A 1934 song that was a popular recording by Bing Crosby. 

Embraceable You - A 1930 song that was recorded by the likes of Billie Holliday, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. Knox performed this song on the Corrie on the QE2 spin-off in 1995.

Who's Sorry Now? - A 1923 song that was a hit for Connie Francis in 1957.

I'll See You in my Dreams - A 1924 song that was recorded by Pat Boone, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald and Andy Williams.

I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby - A 1928 song that has been recorded by Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Doris Day and most recently Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

The Nearness of You - A 1940 song that was featured in Romance in the Dark. It was later recorded by Glenn Miller, Dinah Shore, Shirley Bassey and Nat King Cole amongst others.

Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love - A 1928 song by Cole Porter for the musical Paris. It's been recorded by Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

Are You Lonesome Tonight? - A 1927 song that was a hit for Elvis Presley in 1960. 

Paradise - A 1931 song that was recorded by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

The Party's Over - A 1956 song that was recorded by Nat King Cole, Lonnie Donegan, Lesley Gore, Shirley Bassey and Doris Day.

It would be nice to know if Barbara Knox chose these songs herself, as they are 'Rita' classics. 

Enjoy!

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Getting it right when a Rover Returns

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 

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