Plot Mechanics

Good drama springs from character and situation; it's not imposed.  It's an organic development.  Sometimes soap operas get this wrong though, and the audience can see the joins.  The cogs that turned to bring a situation about are obvious.

Brookside was terrible for this: a new family or character would be issued purely so they could cover an "issue".  Nat and Georgia may as well have turned to the screen and said, "hello, we're here to talk to you about incest for the next year."

Coronation Street isn't quite as bad as that, but sometimes you can see the strings being pulled, and it hurts.  I'm pretty sure this is why I've never taken to Robert Preston.  His introduction was contrived; I could see the join.  I can see why bringing back Tracy Barlow's ex-husband might be an interesting storyline.  When I saw that the sweetly pudding faced boy she married at the turn of the millennium had been transformed into a six foot tall brooding "hunk", I sighed.  "Oh, he's been brought in for us to leer at."

Worse was to come, and I'm not talking about his accent (fun fact: Tristan Gemmill was born in Royal Tunbridge Wells).  When they got into a discussion about his life since divorcing Tracy, Robert revealed he was now a talented chef.  He was a carpet fitter when he was married to Tracy, but apparently, at some point in the last twelve years, he'd developed a deep and abiding love for the culinary arts.  Even Tracy boggled at that one, pointing out that he was a terrible cook.  Still, being a good chef is just something you can learn, isn't it?

Meanwhile at the Bistro, Leanne and Nick were in a flap.  You're never going to believe this, but they needed a chef!  The old one had stormed out (off camera) and now, blimey o'reilly, they were in a right pickle!

I couldn't just hear the cogs turning, I could see them right in front of my eyes.  It was ridiculously contrived and I didn't believe a moment of it.

Robert has since continued on the Street, standing at the back and glowering from under his eyebrows, but this week he's suddenly, bizarrely, turned on Tracy.  A couple of months ago, Robert was deeply sympathetic when Tracy revealed that in an act of revenge, she'd broken into a flat, set it ablaze, then, when two people died as a result, she let Carla take the blame.  Never mind, he said; let me soothe your anguished psyche.

Now, Simon belts Amy and suddenly Robert is demanding Tracy apologises to Leanne for being angry.  A quick reminder: her daughter was hit by another child.  Tracy has every right to be annoyed, but in Robert's world, this is a heinous crime that means he can't stand to be around her.

And then I saw the cogs again.  I remembered that prior to Sarah Harding's appearance onscreen as Robert's ex-wife Joni, we got press reports about how the producers were "thrilled" with her.  There's this amazing quote from the Manchester Evening News:

Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn has said of the casting: “Sarah is proving to be a gifted and exciting actor and I’m absolutely delighted to have her on board, the viewers are in for a treat as her character will be right at the heart of a massive new story for the Barlows.”

In fact, just ahead of her appearance, she revealed that they'd asked her to return later in the year.

“It turns out they’ve given me more episodes to film,” Sarah revealed to The Sun. “But I don’t know about doing it full-time. You only get about seven days to learn your lines. Sometimes you have to learn on the spot.”
“It’s not like when I’ve done films and you learn the script well in advance. I’m nervous because people are going to expect high standards.”

And then Sarah Harding appeared onscreen, and blood spontaneously poured from the nation's television sets.  It turned out Ms Harding could not act.  Not even slightly.  There were eight week old bunches of flowers outside Dev's shop with more presence and talent.  Social media exploded, and newspapers were full of gleeful coverage about how awful she was.

So here's my theory: this wasn't meant to be about Leanne at all.  This storyline about a wedge appearing between Tracy and Robert was to have coincided with the return of Joni: one ex-wife against the other.  Sarah Harding's distinct lack of talent put paid to any return appearance, so there was a hasty rewrite and a jiggling around of storylines.  Cogs turning.

I could be wrong.  I probably am wrong.  I prefer my version, though, because otherwise it just means the characters are being written in a horribly contrived and inconsistent fashion for no reason at all.

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog

Download our free App | Visit Corrie.net


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

Celebs in t'Street: Do Novelty Castings Work?

Celebs in t'Street: Do novelty castings work?

Hello and welcome to what is not a Wednesday review and my first non-review article.

Recently, there has been a stream of castings within popular dramas, soaps and animated series in order to boost ratings. The value of star casting is extremely debatable. What started as an American trend in shows like The Simpsons and Glee, the idea of casting celebrities in order to entice viewers has seeped its way across the pond and flooded the Street, The main focus of this article is the issue of 'stunt casting'. Here is the general definition of that term:

"The practice of casting a famous actor or a celebrity in a role in order to publicise or promote a television programme, film or play"

Many famous faces have graced the cobbles over the years. For example, Sir Ian McKellen played conman Mel Hutchwright/ Lionel Hipkiss in 2005 and Sue Johnston played busybody Gloria Price between 2011 and 2014, albeit whilst wearing an odd grey wig. This is not to suggest that star names should not be cast if they are suited to the role. They have studied, worked hard and learned their craft to achieve their celebrity status.


However, in 2015 alone, there were three very highly publicised incidents of stunt casting. The audience was subjected to the acting styles of popstar Sarah Harding as Robert's vengeful wife, Joni, who tried and spectacularly failed to be a match for Tracy Barlow. Soon after that, comedian Paddy McGuinness turned up as a wildlife expert, in what was a highly publicised comedy storyline. Only a few episodes later, Michelle's relative Aidan Connor arrived, played by 2005 X Factor winner Shayne Ward. That means that two former reality TV popstars are now in the Connor clan.


Fans of Coronation Street are intelligent enough to realise when someone has been shoe-horned in in an ill-conceived idea to win ratings. The embarrassingly brief appearance of Sarah Harding caused a stir amongst viewers. Although she received a negative press, the programme was still discussed at length, which could be considered good publicity. However, had someone else been cast as Joni, the character may have gone a lot further. Given that Ms Harding did not even audition, it appeared to be an unfair, unnecessary and ultimately unsuccessful ploy for more viewers.


It was reported at the end of 2014 that Corrie’s viewing figures had reached an all - time low of 4.9m. Many have attributed this to the departure of Tina, who was likely to have brought in a lot of heterosexual male viewers. Michelle Keegan was a complete unknown when she was cast. She has, like Pat Phoenix and many others become famous because of the Street, and has launched a successful career since leaving as herself.

Back in 1987, 26m people tuned in on Christmas Day to watch the bittersweet departure of Street icon, Hilda Ogden. They were tuning in to say goodbye to a character which they, as a nation, had taken into their hearts, lovingly created by Jean Alexander. Of course, this was back in 1987, a long time ago in terms of television, when people had to watch a programme as it aired or simply miss it but given that Hilda Ogden was voted the greatest soap character ever in a Radio Times poll in 2004, the sentimentality still stands.


Neither Jean Alexander nor Michelle Keegan were stunt castings and they both benefited the show greatly.

All forms of entertainment work on a suspension of disbelief. To enjoy anything, we have to accept what is on screen as real and not a series of moving images. It is sometimes hard to admit that Corrie is in fact a work of fiction. It is a reflection of the world we currently live in, It often relies on popular culture references to help the audience relate to it, which is why it is frustrating when, for example, a reference to Girls Aloud is made and then an apparent double of one of the members turns up and nothing is mentioned. Girls Aloud exist in that universe - the factory girls memorably belted out a rendition of 'The Promise'. This makes the suspension of disbelief significantly harder.

It could be that the Street has had such a long life because of the characters. The viewers invest in them because they feel like they know them. In 1960, every street had an Ena, an Elsie or an Annie. The Street probably would not have worked had they cast a superstar such as Elizabeth Taylor as Elsie Tanner. Coronation Street made Pat Phoenix into an icon. She was Elsie and Elsie was Pat. People believed Elsie was real. Fast forward to today and any long-serving character is known largely in real life by their character name to the public. Barbara Knox is known and referred to as Rita, Helen Worth as Gail and Sally Dynevor as Sally (see what I did there?). This re-enforces the aforementioned point that it is the character the public become attached to, not the actor.

Now, reverse that and most Hollywood actors are often known by their real name to the public in any film they star in. Their character names are frequently forgotten. Brad Pitt is often referred to as Brad Pitt by viewers in any film he stars in, and the same usually applies to actors such as Meryl Streep or Leonardo DiCaprio.

Research for this article has shown that personal opinions are mixed. Some people enjoy seeing familiar faces in the very familiar street but most find it difficult to separate the celebrity from the character, since the celebrity is already well known to them as someone other than their character. Some think that it takes what is a potentially a very good career opportunity from unknown actors. There are thousands of trained actors out there who studied for years only to end up pulling pints in a real pub.

Overall, the general consensus between people of all ages is that celebrity casting is a negative thing.

A celebrity must convincingly separate themselves from their real-life counterparts. Corrie is about down-to-earth, relatable people. That was its original charm. In terms of viewers, Corrie is still the top-rated soap, but still significantly less than it was two decades ago. This, however, begs another question. Has modern technology of catch up and Sky+ got in the way, or have people just lost interest in Soapland?


So - do novelty castings work? I don't think so.  A celebrity may still be cast but only if they are right for the role, in which case it would not be a novelty casting.


Thank you for reading my non-review post. This is an interesting topic and I look forward to hearing opinions.


Jordan


Twitter- @JordanLloyd39


Download our free App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook | Visit Corrie.net





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

Sarah Harding won't be returning to Corrie

Sarah Harding, who appeared as Joni Preston on Coronation Street last week, will not be returning to the show, says The Sun today.

Mr Curry Sauce told The Sun: “It’s safe to say Sarah’s Corrie career hasn’t gone as planned. Fans and critics have been pretty unimpressed with her acting. It doesn’t reflect well on Corrie, who have been accused of chasing ratings with gimmicks. They will not be getting her back and the general consensus on set is that this was a failed experiment.”

However, although she was only signed up for four episodes it was later reported that Sarah Harding apparently "wowed show bosses".  And she said she's been asked back to film more episodes later this year.  So perhaps this is the return that's been axed?

A Coronation Street spokesperson confirmed to The Sun: "Sarah was cast for four episodes in a cameo role for a specific storyline. There are no immediate plans for the character of Joni to return.”

Sarah also admitted that she was never auditioned for her role on the show.  "The producers YouTubed me."

I have one word in response to this news item: Phew.

Download our free App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook | Visit Corrie.net



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

Sarah Harding's debut on Coronation Street

It wasn't great, was it?

Although she was only signed up for four episodes to start with, Sarah Harding apparently "wowed show bosses".  And she's been asked back to film more episodes later this year.

She has also admitted that she was never auditioned for her role on the show.  "The producers YouTubed me."


Download our free App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook | Visit Corrie.net



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

Sarah Harding turns up on Coronation Street tonight

Sarah Harding, the ex-Girls Aloud singer, arrives on Coronation Street tonight. Sarah plays the role of Robert Preston's wife Joni.

Joni knows that Robert has never really got over Tracy and that he's still holding a torch for her.  Joni  is therefore feeling very vulnerable when she finds out where Robert has disappeared to.  Joni is aware that Tracy is not living up to Robert's ex wife’s memory.

Then she meets her and she is less than impressed. She knows she is in someone else’s shadow, she is living a lie and trying to believe that he will fall in love with her. But once he meets up with Tracy again it is evident that isn’t going to happen.

Our blogger Emma met and interviewed Sarah Harding and spoke to her about joining Coronation Street.  You can read the interview here.

Download our free App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook | Visit Corrie.net



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

Coronation Street Blog Interview: Sarah Harding

If Tracy Barlow isn’t initiating trouble, it’s sure to follow her about, and if the return of her ex-husband Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill) isn’t enough, it sounds as if his current wife Joanie will make life far from plain sailing.

I caught up with Sarah Harding who will be playing the part at ITV in Manchester to hear all about it.

A big fan of the show, Sarah is very aware of its heritage and declares herself honoured to have landed this four episode guest role. She is excited, overwhelmed and nervous all at the same time and is very anxious that she do the programme, its audience and her own fans justice.

“Corrie is my favourite soap” she reveals, and talks of her northern roots on her mother’s side, recalling “when I went down the ginnel the first time when I visited the set it really reminded me of going back to my Grandma’s house in Moston.”

It is true that she didn’t audition for the part, as it is a short guest role, and Corrie bosses were aware of her work. Sarah explains that the whole thing came about on a visit to the set. “I was running around getting photographs” she explains, “and we got chatting that day and it went from there”.

Sarah plays the wife of Robert Preston with whom she owns a restaurant in Manchester. Asked if it’s a shock for her to find he still harbours feelings for Tracy Barlow, Sarah tells us “I’ve moved with him to the restaurant and obviously he’s still holding a torch for Tracy which I’m not happy about whatsoever. So I play a woman on the edge. She does come across quite angry and feisty, but she’s also hurting and people have got to remember that.” Sarah explains how Joni has been living in Tracy’s shadow and reacts badly on first meeting Robert’s ex-wife.

“She’s not a wallflower” she continues, “he clearly likes a feisty woman and I think Tracy and Joanie in the same room leads to fireworks.” It doesn’t help that Joni’s first reaction on meeting Tracy is to remark “I was expecting something more the way you go on about her”, or that Robert has been rather economical with the truth when reigniting his flame with Tracy.

So what was her first day like? “I started filming with Kate [Ford] on the first day” she tells us, “and she’s the total opposite of her on screen character. Tristan [Gemmill] and Lisa [George] were there too. It was really nerve wracking, on location and there were paparazzi. It was really good fun. I had to give Tracy a choreographed slap. Even though we were screaming and shouting at one another, we were giggling like schoolkids when they cut.”

I asked Sarah about her first time filming on the street “I shot on the cobbles for the first time with Malcolm [Hebdon] which was fun” she told me. “I’m trying to bang down Tracy’s door and poor Norris gets in the firing line”.

Asked how she’s finding the experience, Sarah remarks, “It’s very fast paced. With films you’ve a lot longer to learn. It’s different with soaps, it’s not easy but it’s been a learning curve.”

Both Sarah and the programme makers appear to be conscious that both herself and Shane Ward may be on the receiving end of added criticism and scrutiny. So is she ready for the reaction when her episodes air? “I know it’s gonna be a mixed reaction as people are going to be expecting high standards. You’ve just gotta be prepared. It’s the nation’s biggest soap and it’s a massive honour to be on it, but there are gonna be people that say ‘she can’t act’. I am just gonna say, it is what it is”.

She adds, “I did train in acting when I was younger, which a lot of people don’t know.”

It also helps that Sarah doesn’t focus on the negative when it comes to social media. “I try and look on the positive side. I’ve done something I’ve really enjoyed doing, and had a blast doing it, I’ve met some really lovely people, and everyone on the cast has been so lovely.” Sarah found a particular gesture by the sound technicians to be very amusing; they kept playing Girls Aloud tunes in between her takes.

Asked if she’s planning anything special for when the episodes go out, Sarah reveals, “I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to watching anything back. I’m my own worst critic. I’ll probably watch it with my Mum. She’s my biggest fan.”

I asked Sarah if there was anyone she’d like to have had a scene with. “Beverley Callard or Ali King would’ve been cool" she told me, "but like I said I’ve really enjoyed just being here and feel honoured I’ve been asked to do it. I didn’t know it was actually going to happen. It only started with a fleeting gesture and it escalated and I’m so glad it did.”

So would she like it to be more permanent? “There’s loads of stuff going on for me, including my music, so obviously I’d love to come back, but we don’t know at the moment.” Sarah explains that it would all depend on her availability, the storyline and her music, but we’re told that while the story is self contained for this period, that’s not to say it couldn’t continue in the future.

In addition to talking about Celebrity Masterchef, what it’s like to rise to fame from a talent show, and her time with Girls Aloud, Sarah revealed how she has left London behind to live the country life; she even has a veggie patch. Her hands are also full with three French bulldogs and two Persian cats to look after. “When I’m in a busy place I find it so noisy as I’m so used to the peace at night now” she tells us.

It doesn’t sound like there’ll be much peace on the cobbles for the short time Joanie is around, and I look forward to seeing Sarah in action.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.wordpress.com

Twitter: @ELHynes

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

Corrie Superfan seeks paint drying companion

In its current form, Coronation Street wouldn't be commissioned today. Imagine approaching ITV with a proposal for a new continuing drama called Coronation Street, set on an old terraced backstreet, with a corner shop at one end and an old boozer at the other. Half the cast are at pension age and the proposed storylines include a man keeping chickens in his back garden. The Tony Warrens of today would have a battle on their hands trying to persuade commissioners to put Coronation Street on telly at all, let alone in a prime time slot. And yet there it stands, after fifty plus years, the most watched programme on British television. It's been a while since I've blogged, so here are a few of my thoughts on where Corrie stands at the moment:

Do we really like Corrie that much or are we just creatures of habit?

Our Blog team on a visit to the Coronation Street set

A fellow blogger vented his frustration on Twitter yesterday about the direction Corrie is going in since the emotional story of Hayley cropper's pancreatic cancer and subsequent death last year. And I have to agree, 'peaks and troughs' seems an appropriate way of describing the quality of our favourite show, which lurches from gripping drama to lighthearted comedy to frustratingly dull and badly acted waste of half an hour. Like all soaps, some storylines are dragged out over months and in some cases over a whole year in order for the narrative to develop and seem realistic, but if those months of anticipation are filled with repeated stories and disappointing cliff-hangers, the viewer loses interest and the ending becomes a relief rather than an enjoyment.

Spoiler Alert

There seem to be more Coronation Street spoilers now than ever before, on Twitter, in magazines and on television. The only problem is, so much effort has gone into making them that they deem watching the full-length episodes pointless. Not only do they show the best bits, but they even reveal the punchline these days too. By the time we get to the actual episode, we realise that we already knew EXACTLY what was going to happen. No surprises, no twist. Nowt. 

Corrie goes POP

Shayne Ward

Shayne Ward and Sarah Harding are the latest pop stars to join the Corrie cast, following in the footsteps of now long-serving actress Kym Marsh. My immediate response was to roll my eyes and groan. I've always been of the opinion that the North West of England is brimming with talent and I'd much rather see new faces like we did when Michelle Keegan and Georgia May Foote came on board. However, as was said to me by another fellow blogger when we visited the new set recently, jobbing actors are jobbing actors and we shouldn't begrudge them a job. And as we haven't seen whether Shayne and Sarah come up with the goods yet, perhaps we should give them a chance. 

Tipping Point

Coronation Street is most loved for its ability to get the comedy right and portray true northern grit. Even amidst some pretty hard hitting storylines, there's always a bit of lightheartedness in all of the doom and gloom. Major storylines seem to be few and far between at the minute, with Gavin's secret still not out and the Tracy and Tony situation simmering away, there's not really a great deal happening. 

We've been offered a bit of light relief with Mary's motor-home madness but I could probably have done without the allotment story which has introduced us to a new friend for Roy. We are all invested in Roy's happiness and all of his scenes are brilliantly played, but it's just a bit dull. In the past year we've seen the aftermath of Hayley's cancer death, a disappointing bus crash (again, the spoilers left nothing to the imagination), Sinead's far from emotionally gripping struggle to learn to walk again, and the loss of a handful of characters we probably won't miss. 

We should brace ourselves for some bad news about Deirdre, and hopefully see the end of some of the slow burning stories I've mentioned, so there should be some great scenes to look forward to. The one surprising development in recent weeks has been Jenny Bradley's descent into mad psycho. It's the not the direction I thought they'd be taking her character, especially with such an interesting history with Rita, and it all seems very familiar.

Stop the Cull

Now that we have a new Tory government in Britain, Armageddon can't be too far away, and it seems to have already begun at Coronation Street. We've lost Owen, Katy, Peter Barlow and others, soon to be followed by what will be huge losses in Carla, Lloyd and Julie. There's talk of mutiny in the ranks at ITV if the press are to be believed so there could be more off-screen drama to come too.

Everlasting Love

It might be a bit hard going being a Corrie superfan at the moment, what with never ending storylines and little left to the imagination, but as always, Coronation Street will recover.

So Graeme, if you're reading this...don't give up just yet.

@StevieDawson 

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

Two new characters for Coronation Street

With four actors leaving Coronation Street later this year, one taking a break and one beloved characters being written out- read all about them here - there are also some new faces coming into the cobbles. 

There are plenty of comings and goings on the cobbles this summer so this blog post clarifies who will be joining the show.  Both signings have been confirmed by ITV.

Pop star Sarah Harding will join the show in a guest role.

Comedy actor Paddy McGuiness will join the show for six weeks in a guest role as a fitness instructor this summer.

See also:  Four characters returning to Coronation Street

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

Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding to join Coronation Street cast

Our blogger Llifon said earlier today that Harold from Neighbours was joining Coronation Street. April Fool!

However, this one appears to be serious.

ITV Corrie report that Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud will make a guest appearance on Coronation Street in four episodes to be transmitted this summer.

Exact details of her storylines are being kept under wraps, but she will play a feisty character who is going to make life difficult for troublemaker Tracy Barlow.

Sarah whose acting credits include Bad Day, the BBC television film Freefall, Run for your Wife and St Trinians 2: The legend of Fritton’s Gold, will start filming in May.

Sarah Harding said: "I am extremely excited to be joining Coronation Street. As a fan of the show it is a huge honour for me to join the cast. I can’t wait to get started!!"

Glenda Young
Flaming Nora Blog / Twitter  

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