Is this really the 'end of an era'? Are 'times a-changin' at Weatherfield's finest watering hole? Just two idioms mentioned by rovers regulars on Wednesday night's Corrie, and it right got me thinking!
A few weeks back Coronation Street announced a marketing tie-up with real-world estate agents Purple Bricks, announcing the sale of our favourite fictional pub. The fictional boozer now has a real-life 'For Sale' sign adorning the set. A piece of canny marketing aside, I wonder; is Jenny going to give up her landlady life? Is The Rovers Return about to change hands, again? If that's the case then I have a few questions...
1. How long will the pub be on sale? Normally within Weatherfield business circles, transactions are completed within a week's worth of episodes (Gail's buyback of sinkhole number 8) when the reality of such acquisitions is likely to be months and months. So, with this product tie in, can we expect The Rovers to be on the market for a real-world time, say 3 months? Could it even be going up for an online auction?
2. Will it stay as a pub? In the real world, and as much as I love The Rovers it would surely be a Tesco express now, or have been converted into one-bed flats, a Co-Op, or even a Weatherfield Wetherspoons? Nah, me neither! I think the beauty of Weatherfield is the escapism and otherworldly drama that creates! We need that pub as a reminder of a bygone era, let's keep it that way!
3. Who's going to buy it? I can't imagine a new cast coming in to run it, can you? I'd guess that Rita could dip into her millions and finally buy it ( pals? pals!) for Jenny. Ronnie Bailey has cash and likes Jenny, Debbie Webster is minted, and Kev has got a few quid too. Could the street's legendary boozer, Audrey Roberts, buy it up and turn it into a gin joint? Sally and Tim would make a right team behind that bar too!
That said, in recent years, Jenny Bradley has elevated the Rovers landlady position back to the forefront of the show, in homage to Bet, Liz, and Annie, of course! Jenny is hilarious, gorgeous, bolshy, witty, and a cracking businesswoman who can handle any trouble in that bar. Ideally, I propose Jenny Bradley keeps the pub and Rita buys it for her. However, for drama purposes, she will struggle at first and somebody else will come close to purchasing, until the last minute saviour type moment! Steve Mcdonald, maybe?
The times may be a-changin' at The Rovers Return but let's not change things too much, eh!
What do you think?
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