Corrie live screening at the BFI – a review

It was a small, mainly male, and appreciative audience who turned up at the BFI Southbank on Tuesday 24th February 2009 to watch their favourite soap screened live on the cinema screen. As part of its ‘Live TV’ series, the BFI screened three live episodes of Corrie on the big screen, two black and white episodes from 1961 and the 40th anniversary episode from 2000.

Immediately noticeable in the 1961 episodes was how fitting they were to be shown at the cinema. The live theatrical performance burst into life when shown on the big screen, as if Corrie had been designed to always be shown off that way, not contained in a small box in the corner of a front room. Also noticeable was the speed of delivery of the clacking of dialogue written by Corrie creator Tony Warren. And of course, the dominance of each episode by the women - Elsie Tanner, Ena Sharples, Minnie Caldwell, Annie Walker – with the men providing the background, being feckless, daft or just a plumber passing by. Spotted in the early episodes were actress Beryl Bainbridge and actor Tony Booth, the man who went on to become ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair’s father-in-law and real-life husband of Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie Tanner.

Ken Barlow tried to ban the bomb in episodes from the 60s and in the 40th anniversary live episode from 2000 he was crusading again, this time to save the very essence of the Street - the cobbles. The 2000 episode didn’t seem any more polished than the 60s live episodes, there were technical and acting blips in both. But there was less nuance and subtlety. In the 60s episodes a piercing look from Ena Sharples deserved a scene of its own, in the 2000 episode there was no time for such luxury. The dialogue remained as sharp as ever and British royalty appeared when Prince Charles popped up in a scene.

Corrie has come a long way over the decades to stake its claim as not only the best drama serial in the UK and the second longest running soap in the world, but as an integral part of our British culture. As a Corrie fan of over 35 years, watching my favourite telly show at the cinema with a shared audience was an unusual experience but one that I wouldn’t have missed for the world.

Coronation Street Weekly Update, January 7 2008

Greetings fellow hill walkers. Let’s hope you’ve got your thermal undies on, your trousers tucked into your socks and you’re wearing your head for heights. For this week the update heads to the hills as Coronation Street hits the Lake District - again. It’s ok, I’ve got a smoke flare we can set light to if we get lost, and a pocketful of Kendal Mint Cake if anyone’s peckish. And so, without any further ado, here we go with this week’s Coronation Street update.

Yes, this was the week when Corrie’s star crossed lovers Liam and Maria – ah, what the heck, let’s get up close and personal and nickname them LiaMaria – headed on holiday to the Lake District. Now, if only they’d read the newspapers this week they’d have known not to travel to the Lakes, not to climb the mountains and not to stray off the paths. The Lakes at the moment are a dangerous place to be with one man in the know telling the posh papers this week that even experienced climbers would do well to stay in’t pub and have another pint of real ale and a Cumberland ring rather than take to the heights because of the worst snow he’s seen in years. However, not having combined access to the brain cells to check a weather forecast never mind a storm warning, LiaMaria don their funky new waterproofs, aka anoraks, and head off to the peaks with Ozzy the dog. As Maria headed to the hills there was a distinct lack of nuns but I think I was getting confused with a film I had seen over Christmas. While the hills were alive, will Liam be in the same condition by the end of this update?

So there they are, LiaMaria and Ozzy walking along, minding their own business, enjoying the scenery and admiring the view. The rugged face, the peak, the scar top, the cleft, Maria admired it all in Liam’s handsome face until pretty boy fell from the fell and did himself a mischief. Far too many tears for one soap ensued and Maria spent the best part of two episodes in a mascara-streaked tear-fest. The Keswick Mountain Rescue Team came to the rescue with four words of help: Abseil. Stretcher. Helicopter. Hospital. But at th’ospital, there were more words that Maria didn’t want to hear and that was the nurse telling her that Liam’s waking words were a heartfelt plea for “his Carla.” Having spent the week in tears in a bad jumper, Maria carried on as she started and had another big weep.

Back on the Street there was less danger this week but just as much intrigue. John Snape came fussing around Fiz hoping to win her back. “I might have been unfaithful with my body,” he told her about being ensnared by the power of minx, “but I was never unfaithful with my brain.” Women up and down the country pretended to stick their fingers down their throat and mimed a throwing up motion on the living room carpet (I know I did) at this point. We all hoped to high heaven that Fiz would do the right thing and tell John where to go - the Lake District, preferably, at the top of a very high and slippery peak, somewhere that the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team couldn’t get to even if they wanted. But no, she took him for a coffee in Roy’s café instead. Poor Fiz, you could tell she was tempted to give him another try but with Becky in one ear, Chesney in t’other, and even Schmeichel giving her pleading looks, all of them urged Fiz on to give John the heave-ho. She’s missing him, of course, but Fiz will rise from the ashes of her spent, burnt out passion to spread her wings and fly, ooh, all the way to Rosamund Street. Just you wait and see.

Speaking of the minx, Rosie returned to School this week to smirks from Amber at the bus stop. Amber told Rosie that she’d heard that John Stape had been fired from his teaching job and was now only allowed to work at an all-boy school, full of ugly boys. Even sister Sophie got in a few jibes, calling her older sister a “home-wrecking, teach-loving tart.” I love lines like that, don’t you?

Elsewhere, Liz and Vernon went off on honeymoon to Nashville but it was a close run thing. Vernon found out that Liz had planned to call off the wedding before she went through with it last week and he was deeply wounded, thinking that he would always come second place to big Jim. Liz assured her new hubby that all was well, even though it wasn’t, and the two of them trundled off in a taxi to Tennessee.

Meanwhile, Becky smirted with Harry this week as she had a sly fag outside of the caff. Apparently, to smirt is the new word for having a bit of a flirt while you’re having a fag. I know someone who smarts. Harry’s still keeping his eye on wayward son Dan in the betting shop after Dan barred Blanche from putting tuppence ha’penny bets on in the bookies as she sits there with her foil wrapped sandwiches and flask of hot drink. Apropos of nothing, but seeing Blanche this week did make me wonder where Eccles the dog has got to these days.

Over in the Rovers, Michelle proved what a dab hand she is at wearing the carpet thin by walking backwards and forwards, chewing over her worries with a cup of tea in her hands. All she’s done for weeks is mope around and moan to anyone who’ll listen, usually Steve, that she doesn’t know what to do for the best over the stalker shenanigans. Steve’s so fed up listening to her whinge that his face has gone puffy.

And finally this week, David Platt’s new girlfriend arrived. Well, viewers don’t yet know that she’s David’s girlfriend but we’ve read enough about her in Celeb-Dazzle-Glitz magazine or whatever it’s called to know that she’ll turn out to get very close to demon Dave. Her name’s Tina McIntyre and she’s done so well so far by managing to get on the wrong side of Gail in the health centre. More news on Tina next week, that’s if you don’t read it first in Celeb-Dazzle-Glitz. Available from newsagents all over the place.

Coronation Street writers this week were Jan McVerry, Stephen Bennett, Joe Turner and Simon Crowther.

And that’s just about that for this week.

Glenda

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Blogging away merrily at http://flamingnora.blogspot.com/

Coronation Street Weekly Update - Christmas and New Year 2007/8

Happy New Year greetings from the first weekly update of 2008. This update is a bit of a bumper edition covering two weeks. It takes in Christmas 2007 and welcomes 2008. I hope everyone reading this had a good Christmas and New Year and it’s with a fresh start and a new fluffy pair of slippers that we head into a new year with the first of 2008’s weekly Corrie updates. And so, without any further ado, here we go with this week’s, and last week’s, Coronation Street update.

There were three huge storylines running across the last two weeks and I’ll deal with these in the order they happened, because I like to keep things neat and tidy here in the weekly update office. And so ladies, and gentlemen, who like this sort of thing, hang onto your hats as the weekly update brings you Commando Sam the stripper from Liz McDonald’s hen night in the Rovers Return. He was butch, big and black and might have had his boyfriend waiting for him in the back room of the pub but Commando Sam had the Street’s women in thrall. As Liz straddled the stripper, Vernon went off with the stags of the Street – er, Dev, Steve and Bill, for a night of Northern Soul at Rochdale Town Hall. And throughout all the wedding planning, the stag and hen shenanigans was Jim McDonald, lurking and biding his time, so he was, hoping to get back into Elizabeth’s good books and under her duvet. And he almost succeeded, almost. Confused about her feelings for her fellas, Liz was ready to call off the wedding to Vern and sent Deirdre ahead to the Register Office to tell everyone to go home. As Deirdre took on the task, Liz bumped into Jim in the back yard at the pub and all hell broke loose. Vernon overhead Jim telling Liz he wanted her back and still considered her to be his missus so he rushed outside to find out what was going on. And that, my friends, was Vernon’s mistake number one. Mistake number two was for Vernon’s wedding outfit to be white, yes all white, for white showed up the blood and gristle that Jim smashed out of Vernon’s skull when he gave him what for, as you knew he would the minute he set foot back on the Street. Not only did Jim beat up the groom, he also knocked out Bob the best man and did for Dev too. With a bloodied Vernon in her arms, Liz’s pity for the poor bloke changed her mind and she decided to go through with the wedding after all and told Steve to stop Deirdre from calling it all off. But she already had and the guests were ready to leave, full of gossip and wonder as to what had gone on. Steve turned up and ushered everyone back inside for the ceremony which left poor Deirdre’s head spinning, she didn’t know what was happening - and neither did Liz. With Vernon covered in blood and Liz in a right state, the pair of them were pronounced Mr and Mrs Tomlin as the newlyweds headed back to the Rovers to celebrate with champagne before the Street regulars celebrated the New Year with champagne and 250 vol-au-vents, made by Betty’s fair hands.

And so, as one couple tied the knot and Elizabeth Jane McDonald married feckless Vern, another Street regular set off for pastures new. Yes, this was the week when Sarah-Lou-Platt-Grimshaw left her newly wed husband for a new life overseas. Jason was ready to leave the Street with Sarah until she admitted she’d planted drugs on David. David had already tried to warn Jason about Sarah: “I’m telling you this,” David told Jason, “because you’re too thick to see it coming.” And so Jason let Sarah leave with Bethany as mother and daughter boarded the train (Engine No 323225) to Manchester airport to fly to Milan to start their new life. Back on the Street it didn’t take much to cheer up Jason when Becky started flirting. And as the twelve bells struck on New Years Eve, Becky had a smile on her face, a bottle of champagne in one hand and Jason Grimshaw in t’other. Gratuitous picture of Jason Grimshaw below.

Now then, as if all of the above wasn’t enough excitement for one update, there’s plenty more to come. Let’s just do a quick rewind to Christmas Day (I know I said I’d do the big stories in order, but I lied) and see what’s going on in the Webster house. I’d been looking forward to this storyline ending for a long time, primarily so that it’s over and done with but also because the climax of it all was hyped as the Christmas day Corrie treat. Did it work as well as I hoped? Well, sort of. What did you make of it all? First off, Rosie demanded to see John on Christmas Day so he lied to Fiz that he needed to pop out to buy some nutmeg.

Nutmeg? No-one buys nutmeg! (repeat ad infinitum every time someone mentioned John’s seasonal shopping habits). Well, it wasn’t nutmeg he was after but something more spicy and he handed Rosie her Christmas present in his little car. Rosie’s face dropped when she opened up the parcel to reveal a pair of Fiz-sized flannelette pyjamas - but John was more shocked. If Rosie had the jim-jams, then that meant Fiz had Rosie’s frillies! John raced back to the flat to see Fiz but she’d already stormed over to the Webster house after opening the scanty panties, assuming John had bought them for Sal. After a stand-off over the sprouts at the Webster Christmas dinner, Sally convinced Fiz and Kev that she and John weren’t having an affair and the frillies weren’t for her. Just when it couldn’t get any more confused, in walked Rosie with the pair of pyjamas in her hand and the penny dropped. And then it dropped again. A huge fight broke out (brilliant stuff!) and Sally slapped Rosie hard across the chops. Kev stormed out and beat up John on the cobbles, kicking him and doing him some serious harm. As Fiz stood and watched we shouted at the telly: “Kick him, Fiz! Kick him!” However, Kev’s kicking was so serious that he’s up in court later this month for assault - but with a clean record and no previous convictions, he’ll surely escape prison, won’t he?

Anyway, elsewhere over the festive season in Weatherfield, Maria was feeling unsettled when she found out that Liam and robo-Carla had once shared a snog. Carla’s doing her best to cause problems for LiaMaria and she’s got Determined Look No. 15 on her face that makes me think she’ll succeed. That woman’s face runs the gamut of emotions all the way from A to B. (Thanks to Corriestreet for the picture).

Over at Roy’s Rolls there was a Christmas dinner with a difference when Roy invited Becky, Chesney and Kirk to have dinner in the caff. In between murder games and turkey with stuffing, the phone in the caff kept on ringing, it was Hayely calling from t’other side of world in Africa, but she seemed destined never to speak to her soulmate. Every time Roy tried to answer the phone, something would stop him from making the connection with Hayley. But finally, at the end of the dinner when everyone had left, the phone rang and Roy answered. As he sat down to wish his beloved a very Merry Christmas, the lights in the café dimmed and the credits started to roll. And I think I’d had too much sweet sherry at that point, as my eyes filled with tears right then.

And that’s just about that for the last two weeks. There were lots of lovely little touches that made the Christmas and New Year episodes so special and one of the best was Fiz in the Rovers on New Year’s Eve. Drinking to get over what happened between her and John, she got very drunk indeed. “I’m ok,” she told Marcus at the bar, “I’ve got a qually fullified medical professional next to me” and then she fell sideways to the floor in one of the best comic moments that Corrie’s had in a long time.

See you next week. All the very best to you and yours for 2008.

Glenda

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Blogging away merrily at http://flamingnora.blogspot.com/

Coronation Street Weekly Update, December 18 2007

Shivering salutations from the frozen tundra of the weekly update office. I forgot to tell the Gas Board I was coming back to work so there’s no heating on and I’m writing the update today wearing a woolly scarf and a bobbly hat, keeping warm from the flickering heat of a Mandle Candle. What’s that dear? Am I really? No, of course not. I’m cosy at home with the wireless on, a huge cup of tea and my feet in a big heated slipper.

I’ll not be here next week because it’s Christmas and I’ll be lying under the tree with a small sweet sherry in my hand. But I will be back soon. Before I get started I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of you who emailed me with lovely messages to welcome back the weekly updates. It was quite overwhelming. Wherever you are and whichever way you celebrate, Merry Christmas to you all. And so, without any further ado, here we go with this week’s Coronation Street update.

Audrey’s son Stephen is a welcome delight back on the Street. He’s become close to David and sees something in his nephew that no-one else does – a cheap and keen labour force. Mind you, I’d be a bit suspicious if my estranged uncle made me an offer I couldn’t refuse – and in Italy too. Who knows what Stephen’s been up to for the last 10 years? Was he really in Canada or was it Cosa Nostra? What’s really behind his offer of the Italian job? Will David leave his family for the Family? Is Stephen the Boss? Will David start spouting Mafia-speak, telling his new Italian mates: “I want the spaghetti hoops-a, just like my mama used to make.” So many questions, and if you ask me, not enough answers. This doesn’t deter David, who packs his clothes and starts planning his new life. Sarah’s not best pleased and threatens David that she’s going to spoil his plan of a life in the sun as she wants a pizza the action herself. And I wouldn’t put it pasta.

Over in the Rovers, Jim and his old mucker Bill have a drink at the bar. Liz gets nervous when she sees Jim walk in and then starts quaking in her boots when some rowdy lads kick off and a drink gets spilt down Jim’s back.The locals stand back and wait for the explosion. Liz has her dialling finger on the phone ready to press three nines in succession and call for the cops. The drums roll, the tension mounts, the volcano inside ex-con Jim simmers… and ffffttt… nothing happened. Jim has clearly been exchanged for a non-violent double. He told the lad there was no problem, he told Elizabeth he was a changed man, so he was, after the anger management classes in the big house. Liz is astounded with the change in Jim’s behaviour and can’t believe the calmness he exudes. I can’t even believe I’m writing this about Jim McDonald too but I saw it with me own eyes so I know it to be true. After hours in the pub, Liz tells Jim that she’s sorry she doubted him and the two of them warm to each other in the glow of the optics. Just as they’re getting cosy, in walks Vernon who gets paranoid and jealous, but he’s the one who gets to take Liz up the apples and pears to Bedfordshire. Outside on the Street, jailbird Jim saw the light as he passed by her window and caught the flickering shadows of love on her blind. Liz was his woman and as she deceived him he watched and went out of his mind. Oh aye, aye, aye, Elizabeth.

Now then, when Violet’s sister Lauren turned up on the Street a couple of weeks ago I thought she had potential. She stepped out of the cab, looked at herself in her little mirror, smacked her lips together and declared herself: “Fabulous!”. Wahey, I thought, this ‘un looks good. But now I’m not so sure. Maybe she just isn’t getting the dialogue she was handed by the fab Corrie writer Jonathan Harvey in her first episode but Lauren’s losing my interest already, which is rather sad. She moved in with the domestic goddess that is Eileen this week as Violet and Jamie moved into Michelle and Ryan’s old flat. Lauren and Eileen could work well together, we’ll have to wait and see for now.

The new bookies continued to ease their way into their new life. Dad Harry shows potential, he’s trying to extricate himself from his third wife, a harridan of a woman who is after Harry’s cash. We’ve only ever heard her referred to and have seen Harry on the phone to her but by ‘eck, I hope she turns up and gives him what for. She’s one of the best characters we’ve never seen on Corrie, second only to Fat Brenda from Levenshulme of course. Son Dan is a bit less likable, for this fan anyroad, and tried most of the week to get off with Mel Morton’s lady policeman friend Abi. After trying to chat her up all week, he finally got her back to his flat only to find Harry had moved in and Abi walked out. It’s a fair cop.

However, Dan looked in danger of forming a relationship with another of the Street’s women in the form of Blanche Hunt. Well, she’s no stranger to the odd gamble now and then and even stole all the pens from the bookies shop too.


Meanwhile, John took Rosie on a romantic date this week. Ha, just fooling you. They had a lay in a lay-by in John’s knackered old car. Rosie told John she wanted him all to herself over the school holidays at Christmas, but this didn’t fill John with Christmas cheer. The showdown to this story comes out next week on Christmas Day when there’s frillies thrown around at the Websters’ Christmas dinner. I can’t wait to see it unfold.

Elsewhere this week, Michelle met Ryan’s stalker and he told her that his son Alex was swapped at birth with Ryan. The swap story shocker proves too much for Michelle and she spent much of the week in tears.

Her streak-free mascara deserves an update of its own.

And finally this week, Liam wasn’t happy when Catalogue Tony sent the Underworld girls off on a paid half-day holiday and closed the factory down. As you can imagine, the factory girls reckon that Catalogue Tony is second only to James Blunt in their top ten of best men.

And that’s just about that for this week. Merry Christmas!
Glenda
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Blogging away merrily at Flaming Nora