Do ITV want Classic Corrie repeats to work?

I'm a bit confused to be honest. As with many fans I was overjoyed to hear that ITV3 were to begin airing classic episodes of our beloved soap from 1986 onwards - this was the first time since the closure of the Granada Plus channel that we'd been treated to old eps and for fans like myself who weren't even born in 1986, this was going to be a real treat.

However, I do feel that the vast majority of Coronation Street fans probably won't even know that the episodes are airing following a multitude of faults on ITV's behalf when publicising (or rather not publicising).

Back when Granada Plus began repeating episodes back in 1996, it was with a blaze of promotion. Thelma Barlow fronted a special programme called Coronation Street: They're Back, introducing viewers to the characters and storylines of 1976 (see above video). Jean Alexander appeared in adverts on the channel, and within print posters too. The episodes were also cross promoted on ITV at the time.

On weekends, Granada Plus aired an omnibus of all of the classic episodes from this week, and frequently hosted themed weekends featuring just Christmas or Elsie Tanner centred episodes.

Fast forward to 2017, and what do we have? Classic episodes brushed off into a poor time-slot, a mid afternoon when most people are still at work, picking up kids from school or at university in my case. The repeats are the next morning - at 6am! When lazy uni students like me are asleep and everyone else is rushing about before their morning commute.

If it wasn't for me looking at TV listings a few weeks in advance, not even blog readers would have known that the episodes were going to be repeated. We broke the news on Twitter and soon enough the press picked up on it - but even then ITV didn't issue a proper press release. The official Coronation Street social media accounts haven't mentioned it either.

Thankfully for me, the classic episodes were being uploaded to the ITV Hub. They may have been listed alongside the 2017 episodes and confusing to find, but they were there, ready to watch whenever I could. Until they suddenly disappeared due to a supposed 'technical issue', and no more have been added since. I tweeted ITV Hub and apparently there are now no plans to upload them.

I'm finding this so disappointing because there will be many fans missing out for a number of reasons. Many won't be aware that they're even airing, whilst the rest of us are missing most of them due to the ridiculous time-slots and lack of online catch-up. I feel like this is ITV's way of saying "we gave you what you wanted, and it didn't work".

Us fans have waited so long for this, and now it feels like the repeats are written off before they've even really began. What a shame.

You can follow me on Twitter, @MichaelAdamsUk

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Five things we've learned from Classic Coronation Street this week

 

I was overjoyed when the announcement came that ITV3 would start re-running classic episodes of Coronation Street. To begin with, I was disappointed the network wasn't going to show episodes from earlier on - I believe the mid 1970s to early 80s to be the golden age for the show - however I can now see the benefits in starting in 1986. The episodes broadcast this week are modern enough to feature a vast number of characters viewers today will still be aware of, either because they are still regularly on our screens or because their time has only recently been and gone.

This first week has featured Ken, Rita, Jenny, Audrey, Gail, Sally and Kevin. All characters we still thankfully have with us today. The likes of Deirdre, Emily, Jack and Vera, Betty and Hilda are still very much in our consciousness too. Early '86 also began some long running stories, introducing Sally Seddon to enliven Kevin's life for many years to come and most of all, the start of the three year Alan Bradley saga. 

I have been tasked with cobbling together a blog on five things we've learned from the first week of Classic Coronation Street on ITV3. So here we go...

 

It was much easier to get rid of Tracy Langton/Barlow in 1986

1985 had seen Coronation Street invest in a second Tracy. Holly Chamarette played Ray and Deirdre's sprog from 1985 until replaced by Dawn Acton in 1988. These were the days when Tracy could disappear upstairs for many months at a time without Digital Spy launching a poll or taking to Twitter to ask the audience where she's gone. This week of episodes focused very heavily on the Barlow family and Ken's attempt to adopt Ray Langton's offspring. What amazed me were the many creative ways the writing team of '86 had of getting rid of young Tracy so Ken and Deirdre could thrash out the drama without the side ponytailed youth getting in the way. Here are my favourites:

"Go and wash your hands Tracy-luv and don't get marmalade on the banister"

"Go and get me a handkerchief from the top drawer of me dresser Tracy-luv"

"Go and scrub the back of your neck Tracy-luv, I don't want to see a tide mark again"

Please note, none of these instructions involved taking ecstasy, one of Samir's kidneys or getting into bed with Roy Cropper.

 

The Rovers was enduring a major 1978 hangover 

Even though we are more than half way through the 1980s, much of the Coronation Street set seems to be stuck in the late 1970s. Brown predominates, particularly in the Rovers where Bet is now in charge and ruling over Betty, Jack and Gloria Todd with an alarming behive and classic Resting Bet Face. The saloon bar of the Rovers appears to be a slightly less alarming shade of deep turd brown from when Dame Annie Walker ruled the roost and looked heaven-ward each time something common occurred "Frrrred! Frrred! Fetch the Rover!" 

The wallpaper circa 1978 was a horrid, turgid brown wheel of fortune motif with curtains to clash but by the mid-1980s and pre-Rovers fire (poor Bet crawling through her own vomit in a nightie we all hoped was flame proof - a treat still to come) it had been softened to a kind of silky beige print although elements of the seventies still remain. Most notably the creosote brown wooden surround, remarkably good as new despite that lorry load of timber crashing into it in 1979 and those dreadful curtains that clashed with absolutely everything. I jest but they hang there forlornly, as if waiting for Dame Walker to return although we all knew she never would.

Susan Barlow was about as wooden as the saloon doors in Baldwin's kitchen

1985 had seen the return of Ken's daughter Susan, twin of Peter and daughter of the late Val. Having been sent to Scotland following Val's incineration in those weird maisonettes, mainly because Ken couldn't snog Joanna Lumley and look after two whinging kids at the same time (come on, that would be a stretch even for Sir Laurence Olivier), Susan was found living in Newcastle without so much as a Scottish accent. She was soon in cahoots with that Cockney cad Michael Vernon Baldwin, despite her being 21 and him being old enough to have played a gangster in a 1960s Norman Wisdom film. 

We all know how that storyline ends (step forward factory stripper and ambulance chaser Adam Barlow). However what struck me was just how awful 1980s Susan was. On paper the decision to bring back the actress who had last played young Susan in the early 1970s was a sensible one, ensuring continuity. Unfortunately this plan overlooked the fact that in this case anyway, a decent enough child actor had not transformed into a great adult acting star. Watching grown up Susan and her wavering northern accent as she bobbed between No 1 Coronation Street and Baldwin's bachelor pad was excruciating. Even the brief, pointless scenes of her drinking Mellow Birds in a borrowed yellow-brown dressing gown, sat on Mike's manly green leather sofa were painful to behold. In a period which was still chock full of legendary Corrie characters, the predominance of Susan Barlow is something that makes me glad 2017 has brought us a more high-tec remote control.

(As an aside, the focus on the Barlow family in early 1986 made me realise just how old that kitchen was when Pat Phelan ripped it out last year! Ken, Deirdre and co lived with those foul units, pond scum green tiles and willy shaped jelly moulds for nigh on thirty years). 

 

George Wardle? Anyone?

Early on in the week I spotted a grey, mumbling Don Brennan prototype lurking about in the shadows in the Badwin's Casuals sewing room. He's so grey he's even got a rancid grey pleather blouson on to match his character. Looking at the credits, which fortunately didn't disappear into a quarter of the screen while the continuity person announced what was coming up Saturday week, I found that this character went by the name of George Wardle. No, me neither. Watching more episodes it soon appeared this poor unfortunate had until recently been linked romantically to that edifying representation of black roots, brown food and all encompassing misery, Ivy Tilsley. Apparently George was quite keen on Ivy, despite knowing she was an interfering old fantasist who came as a package deal with foghorn best mate Vera, toothy muscle-bound son Brian and pony-tailed Wailing Wall Gail. 

Following the storyline closely (ahem) it seemed that by January '86 our George was spending a great deal of time in Packing (pre-Kirk) with a delightful new companion called Pauline, much to Ivy's chagrin. Thankfully gob on a stick Ida Clough helped her friend get over the heartbreak by bringing it up every time the camera happened to fall on her delectable features. The only other thing I learned about George was that he couldn't stand onion in a ham roll. Quite right too. Wardle had gone by February having been sacked by Baldwin for crimes against men's fashions. 

The Fruity Sauce story arc ruled

Ah the little things. These days we rely on the likes of Brian and Cathy for delightful, down to earth story arcs. In early 1986 Alf's mini-mart took centre stage to provide comic support to the serious goings on with the Barlow family and with the newly arrived Jenny and Alan Bradley combo from hell at Rita's. She's never had it easy, our Reet. Alf's new wife Audrey spent much of January '86 tarting about the corner shop and moaning about living amongst cardboard boxes full of salt and vinegar in the shop flat. The delights of Grasmere Drive were sadly still a few years off. Audrey's flighty doings led to a calamitous mishap with a pricing gun that the likes of Percy Sugden and Vera Duckworth were only too happy to take advantage of. 

Oh yes, Audrey mistakenly priced up bottles of "fruity sauce" at 14p instead of 41p! The biggest outrage in the shop's history until that tram popped off its tracks in 2010. The cost of things in 1986 shocked me on a couple of occasions this week. I can't imagine buying anything for 41p these days not to mention the fact later that week Alf and Audrey tootled out in Alf's alarmingly sporty soft top MG Midget to view a semi-detached house (with a sun room) on the market for £40 000! 

This week of classic Corrie on ITV3 has been an absolute triumph. It has reminded us of the slower pace Corrie once had - it was more character driven, less aggressive and all about the writing. It was a nostalgia fest and nearly as comforting as wallowing in a roll top tub full of melted Caramac. And I for one can't wait for more.

Classic Coronation Street is broadcast on ITV3 every week day at 14.40 and 15.15, repeated from 6am the next day.

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 

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Remembering Susan Barlow in Coronation Street

There's a tabloid rumour that Billy Mayhew is going to be exposed as the person who killed Susan Barlow. You can read all the details here.

It's such a bizarre set up for a storyline that it may well be true. ITV have neither confirmed nor denied the tabloid rumour from The Sun, so it may come to nothing.

But the mention of an old character from times past prompts us to remember who Susan Barlow was.

And so, with help from Corriepedia, here we go...

Susan was the daughter of Ken and Valerie Barlow, twin sister of Peter, wife of Mike Baldwin and mother of Adam Barlow.

Susan started a relationship with Mike Baldwin much to Ken's disapproval and hatred of Mike.

She married Mike but they separated when Mike pressured Susan into having a baby, even though she wanted to put her career first. She told Mike she'd had an abortion - but she returned to Scotland and gave birth to the baby - Adam Barlow.

When Mike found out about Adam he demanded custody. Susan left Glasgow with the intention of going where Mike couldn't find her, but she was killed in a car crash on the journey. Adam survived.

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Is Billy the Vicar a Coronation Street killer?

The Sun (so please take this with the usual pinch of salt) says this week that the lovely Billy Mayhew is going to be exposed as the person who killed Susan Barlow.

Say what?

I know!

In the news article in the tabloid, it says that Billy will confess he killed Susan Barlow after it had previously been thought she had died in a tragic motorway accident in 2001.

Susan Barlow, you'll remember, was Peter Barlow's twin sister who married Ken's nemesis Mike Baldwin.  She is Adam Barlow's mother.

From The Sun.... "But in shock scenes to air in the coming weeks, Billy finally admits his guilt and confesses to Todd Grimshaw he has lived with the secret for years – sparking fury and heartbreak which will build to become a major Christmas storyline."

Mr Curry Sauce tells The Sun: “Billy is one of the nicest men on the Street, and fans see him as a mild-mannered voice of reason in amongst all the chaos. But in the coming weeks, fans will discover there is much more to Billy than previously thought – and he’s been harbouring a dark secret. For 16 years he’s been wracked by guilt knowing that he killed Susan, and finally things come to a head as he reveals to Todd he caused the accident when she died. It’s heartbreaking for him, and he tells how he now has to suffer the agony of living alongside the family he caused so much pain to all those years ago.

A spokeswoman for the show is quoted in The Sun saying: “We do not comment on storyline speculation.”

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The faces of Corrie in 1986

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.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1986, 105 episodes were broadcast.

1. Jack Duckworth (72 episodes)

2. Terry Duckworth (72 episodes)

3. Bet Lynch (71 episodes)

4. Gloria Todd (68 episodes)

5. Hilda Ogden (67 episodes)

6. Rita Fairclough (67 episodes)

7. Mike Baldwin (66 episodes)

8. Susan Barlow/Baldwin (66 episodes)

9. Ivy Tilsley (65 episodes)

10. Kevin Webster (65 episodes)

11. Mavis Riley (65 episodes)

12. Vera Duckworth (64 episodes)

Due to lack of space, Betty Turpin fails to make the top 12, but she also appeared in 64 episodes

Average age: 41

Note: To date, this is the last time Terry appears in the top 12 and the only time Susan appears. This is also the first time that an original character failed to make the top 12.

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Sunita Alahan - the Valerie Barlow of 2013

Last week I noticed the similarities between Chesney and Katy and Dickie and Audrey Fleming. This week I've noticed the similarities between Sunita Alahan and Valerie Barlow!
 

Despite a 42 year gap, their lives ended or will end very similarly. Valerie of course was electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer in January 1971. When electrocuted she hit the electric fire which fell into a packing case and began a fire which in time made the whole masionette the Barlows were living in go ablaze. Despite the doctors' efforts, Valerie couldn't be saved (the electrocution and fire contributed to this) and she died at the age of 28. The fire exposed structural faults in the masionettes and so the council demolished them. Valerie of course was the mother of twins Peter and Susan and left widowed Ken to bring them up on his own - which he didn't for very long! He sent them to Scotland to be raised by Valerie's parents Alfred and Edith Tatlock.
 

Fast forward to 2013 and we see Sunita, who's in her mid 30s, fall victim to a fire. And yes, she will leave twins Asha and Aadi without a mother and Dev will have to bring them up alone. Unless he'll send them to India to be looked after by Uncle Umed!

And then Asha will come back (with an Indian accent) and marry the latest factory tycoon (who is Dev's arch enemey after he had an affair with Dev's latest wife!) and then tell him she's pregnant and then tell him she aborted the baby but in fact she didn't and her son will appear years later while she'll die in a car crash. While Aadi will return to run the bookies, become a bigamist, alcoholic and adulterer. Something tells me that that's been done before?
 

Will history repeat itself? It usually does!

Am I the only one that's seen the similarities? Maybe I'm reading too much into things!

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