Novels by Coronation Street Blog's Glenda Young

Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Tonight at 8pm: Rita and Me

The Coronation Street documentary Rita and Me will air on New Year's Eve on ITV at 8pm for one hour.  It'll be repeated on New Year's Day at 6.45pm on ITV.

It's half a century since Barbara Knox first brought Coronation Street's red-haired Rita so vividly to life and she's been one of the most popular characters ever since. She's certainly my favourite female on Corrie.  Barbara looks back on her career as well as the role that has brought her such acclaim.

In the programme, Barbara is given a surprise by Paul O'Grady on the Corrie set.

The programme has already aired in Canada. Read our Canadian blogger Tvor's review of it here.

Should be a real treat. Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook


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

Preview of New Year's Eve on Coronation Street

Wednesday 31st December at 7.30pm for one episode only.
Followed at 8pm by Rita and Me - documentary about Barbara Knox

BIG BEN RINGS CHANGES FOR THE STREET’S RESIDENTS. Ken offers to help Roy clean the graffiti off the café windows but Roy insists he’d rather be alone. Gary arrives back from hospital and calls in the café to see Roy. Gary tells Roy how sorry he is for breaking into the café and how he deserves to be punished. Roy feels guiltier than ever. Meanwhile Alya calls on Gary and wishes him a happy new year and a new beginning. Will the couple reconcile?
DAVID CONTEMPLATES A NEW YEAR WITHOUT KYLIE. Realising that Michael’s been evicted from his flat (he was unable to pay his rent due to not receiving his Streetcars wages), David allows him to move into No.8 until he sorts himself out.
STEVE DREADS ANOTHER YEAR OF MISERY. Worried about Steve’s financial predicament, Liz tells him he can borrow the funds from the Rovers’ account to pay his staff. Steve’s grateful. But as he plucks up the courage to present Michelle with the bracelet he bought her, he overhears her telling Tony how Steve is her past and she’s looking to the future now. How will Steve react to what he’s heard?
ELSEWHERE Erica confides in Liz that she only ever wanted a holiday fling with Nick and she’s worried that he expects more. But how does Nick really feel about Erica? In the bistro, Steph texts Katy, telling her how cute Gavin is and how she’s hoping for a New Year’s Eve snog. Steph’s mortified to realise she’s accidentally sent the text to Gavin and grabs his phone to delete the message. Snatching his phone back, how will Gavin respond?

Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook


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

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Victims of circumstance


I've made it clear that I hope the Wind-strongs will be rested in the months ahead. We know Owen and Katy are leaving in 2015 and I'm not sorry. While the Pat Phelan storyline had its moments (mainly Phelan and his gob on a stick wife), they have dominated for too long now.

That said, I have found Gary's recent altercation with Roy to be an interesting development. Yes, I know there is only so much Windass angst and misery we can stand, but I think the reactions to Gary's run in with Roy have been illuminating. They have certainly provoked strong debate in our house.

As much as I love Roy and appreciate that he's had a truly dreadful year, there is no excuse for his attack on Gary. That said, I can't really blame him. As well as Hayley's sad demise, Roy's delicate hold on life has been rocked by the persistent, unpleasant bullying from a bunch of thugs. Given his recent troubles, he was in a heightened state of anxiety and that must have played its part when he found Gary in the cafe. 

I also feel sympathy for Gary. When you are told often enough that you are rubbish and a complete waste of space, sometimes you can't help but fill that role. He has been put in a desperate position. He has no money, no job, no support from those around him. He has been humiliated and treated like the lowest of the low. While Gary's main problem is controlling his temper, he has been repeatedly goaded by the deeply unpleasant Owen for such a long time now. It is very uncomfortable viewing.

Yes, Gary should not have punched Phelan, but he was just defending his mother. However Owen is wrong to blame Gary for all their misfortunes. It was Owen's greed that brought them to Phelan's door in the first place. Also, the family has ganged up on Gary after they got it into their collective brain cell that he wanted to get back with Izzy. Izzy and particularly Katy (has she not learned anything?) have judged and treated Gary really harshly. At no point did he suggest he wanted to reunite with Izzy, as i frequently scream at my television!

I must also take Anna to task over her treatment of Roy. I do like Anna, the character has developed nicely over the years. I can understand her shock at what Roy has done to Gary and her primary instinct is to defend her son. However, it would also have been appropriate for Anna to at least reference that Gary was at fault in his attempt to rob from the cafe. Anna may soften in her stance towards Roy when she realises how much she needs her job.

i also think it is interesting how Roy's attack on Gary has divided the Corrie community. It is probably true to life that older characters like Norris and Rita would defend Roy's right to defend his property, while younger characters like Sinead struggle to see past the violence of Roy's attack on Gary.

While I often moan that Corrie is too depressing or the drama is too heightened or extreme, I do think the issues raised from this recent storyline are thought provoking and important. As far as the performances are concerned, anything involving David Neilson and Mikey North is bound to be extremely watchable.

As for Owen, I can only hope Pat Phelan makes a return to the street and plays some part in Owen's exit. That would at least make it more interesting. 




Follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 



Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook


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

My Corrie predictions for 2015

(This was posted on State of the Street. Posted here with permission)

I love to speculate on what might happen on Corrie. Some of it is based on standard soap plots but some speculation is based on pure, off the wall predictions. So, just for fun, here's what *could* happen on Coronation Street in 2015:

Nick and Carla get together and surprisingly, it's a really good match. After all, he's not a rapist, he's not a murderer, he's not cheating on anyone else (that is, if Erica is out of the picture. I don't think that's going to be anything long term). I think Nick has enough of both arrogance and sympathy to work well with Carla's personality.

Kylie gets her life back together, perhaps after a rehab stint or a stay with Becky to get her head and body straight. I think someone will find her working in a run down caff or pub somewhere, maybe in Weatherfield or maybe somewhere else like Liverpool or Sheffield or Leeds, perhaps Eva or even David himself. She'll be pregnant with David's child, she'd have left on Christmas Day not realizing she was pregnant so will be about 6 months along, depending on how long Paula Lane's maternity leave is. She will eventually prove to him that she's left the old life behind. David will take her back for the children's sake and the new baby, a boy.

Julie and Dev marry, with Mary's blessing, having gone through a rough patch of adjustment with Julie and Mary at odds. Mary moves into the corner shop flat, finally getting a home and Julie works in the corner shop which puts Sophie's nose out of joint.

Maddy decides to go back to school to make something of her life. Sally approves. Sophie gets jealous and stroppy when Maddy makes new friends and finds out she's really good at her classwork. Sophie spends all her time sulking. No change there, then.

If Sean can keep control of his jealousy and insecurity, he and Billy might just have a chance at happiness but it won't be smooth sailing. Billy's church will have objections and it will be difficult for Sean to accept that Billy's committment to the church will be at least as important as his personal life, probably moreso. Emily will be Billy and Sean's champion in spite of her own personal misgivings because she still believes everyone has a right to love whom they choose. Instead of a tree, Auntie Em climbs the church bell tower in protest, hanging a rainbow banner off the belfry.

The real Gavin is either already dead from the heart ailment or will show up and be a real wrong'un, full of resentment and contempt for his father. The Gavin we have now will admit he pretended at first as a joke but got tangled up in the situation and grew to really like the Platt family, and Michael's heart condition is making it even harder to admit he was an imposter. Either situation causes Michael to collapse but luckily, he's able to get a heart transplant. He survives and marries Gail. The real Gavin will try to push out the fake one and will treat Michael and Gail badly, perhaps trying to rip them off but the fake Gavin will prove to be the real hero.

Sarah Lou and Bethany will return from Italy. Bethany will be as all the young teens are that are new to the street and be a real handful, spoiled and contemptuous of this little back street neighbourhood after the glamourous life in Milan. She's going to be 15 this year so is just the right age to have the boys drooling. Craig has a crush but she makes a beeline for Zeedan, who, in spite of her not being Muslim, finds himself in the same boat as his father and sister.

Sarah will cut a swath through a lot of men and will be a Tracy Barlow clone. She'll set her sights on Luke, Gavin, Gary (probably just a one night stand), and will be entangled in one love triangle after another. Maria will be yet again dumped after Sarah and Luke have a go.

Tracy will continue to pull Tony's chain and end up in a full affair. When Liz finds out, there will be hell to pay. Deirdre will return and will finally stand up to Tracy and not make excuses for her anymore. Ken will sigh and retreat to the library.

Katy leaves the Street, looking for a life. Alya's knicker designs are a huge hit and she and Carla become very successful partners. Yasmeen becomes a good friend to Roy, offering a supportive shoulder. Roy starts to pick up the pieces of his life and even, finally, gets his driving license as Hayley always wanted.

Fiz returns and we find out that looking after Cilla has driven her to drink. She struggles with booze addiction until one of the children is injured because she was drunk and neglectful. This finally pulls her up and she admits she has a problem.


Mary will meet a rather odd binman, a tall, thin men who keeps muttering about how things keep coming around full circle. He has a particular fondness for hanging around outside Freshcos, looking longingly in through the windows, that is, when he's not looking up at the stars. He and Mary have a connection, based on their eccentric outlook on life and fondness for trivia. She lets him live in her campervan since she's now living in the shop flat. She finally convinces him to come into the pub one night and he's recognized by a number of people. It's Curly!

Steve hits bottom after the van crash and finally starts getting help. Michelle is so ashamed at how she treated Steve that she runs away to Ireland (we can only hope!). Chesney and Sinead die of boredom. So do Lloyd and Andrea. Unless Andrea and Steve have a fling, Andrea being much more fun than Michelle but far less unstable than Becky.

How about you, dear readers? Let us know what you think will happen in the coming year!


Download our App | Follow on Twitter @CoroStreetBlog | Like on Facebook


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

GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!

You might also like...

Coronation Street Books for Fans

GRITTY SAGAS BY CORRIE BLOG EDITOR GLENDA YOUNG, PUBLISHED BY HEADLINE. CLICK PIC BELOW!