The Corrie Roller-Coaster

The Coronation Street juggernaut powers on. This year we've had fires, destruction, deaths galore. The usual secrets and lies, extra episodes dropped in without so much as a warning, precious little Rita, far too much Platt and the campest villain known to man. 

Watching Corrie these days is a roller-coaster in quality control. Most of the time one scene featuring Eileen Derbyshire being majestic in The Kabin or the Community Centre is enough to wipe out the glaring holes created during the Jenny Bradley kidnap drama. I don't know why, but it's just very up and down these days. It's been a joy to see Beverley Callard take centre stage as Liz, the best Rovers Landlady we've had in eons. It's been much less pleasurable to see forty odd years of Helen Worth's hard work dribble away as Gail becomes a permanent twittery waste of space.

Alison King can do no wrong as Carla, but her recent storyline seeing Mrs Connor's descent into self pity and gambling addiction just hasn't worked. Neither has her newfound lust for Gail's oldest off-spring and the fruit of Brian's loins, the whimpering Nicholas T. These two briefly worked together when the Nick with this face joined five or so years ago. At the time people wondered if they'd stick them together and thankfully they didn't. So why now? Have the storyliners run out of options? As the only two residents of the posh flats, can they only mix with fellow characters with balcony and fancy window shutters? 

Also added to the mix is the arrival of yet another Connor nobody has ever mentioned before but everyone knows so well it's as if they only saw him last week. I was prepared to hate Aidan on sight. This was partly down to the casting, following as it did hot on the heels of Sarah Harding's brief stint. More importantly it just felt like the latest in a long line of flashy businessmen in nasty suits, driving shiny motors and ramming their male selves into the back office at Underworld. We've had Paul Connor, Liam Connor, Luke Strong, Tony Gordon...blah, blah, blah. Nobody has come close to equal the sublime Baldwin years as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, despite my worries, I've actually taken to Aidan Connor. I know it's early days but I rather like the character, I like his dynamic with Carla and I'm quite impressed with Shayne Ward's acting. It also helps that he's fairly easy on the eye. I guess time will tell but it's showing promise.

Sadly, I'm still struggling with another newcomer to the cobbles. I know our wonderful editor Flaming Nora is loving the Roy and Cathy story but it's just not clicking for me. I don't even think it's anything to do with Hayley or the memory of Roy and Hayley together. I just don't think the characters work. Melanie Hill is an excellent actress with a strong career but somehow Cathy Matthews is just leaving me cold. I don't care enough.

Unfortunately the Platt family are going to dominate the September live episode. Well, it makes sense given that they've dominated the entire year. I don't mind the individual members of the Platt family, it's just when they move as a pack I get concerned. We've had so many family meetings, threats from Callum and dewey moments when Gail has said the worst is over. You'd think the woman would learn by now. It's become so tedious I just wish Callum, Gemma and Max would be spirited away somewhere t'other side of the Pennines.

I loathe Callum. He's a laughable character, played in a bizarre fashion. All the stuff with Sarah was dire. I also loathe Gemma although I know she has her fans. I sincerely hope whatever happens to Callum happens to her too as I don't want her as a long-term Rovers regular. Weirdly, Bethany has grown on me. Putting the stroppy eye-rolling aside, the character has come on of late and is actually the best of the Platt bunch at the moment. I may live to eat my words...

I've also found myself sighing a lot whenever Fiz and Tyrone appear on screen together. Ok, they will never be as beige as Sinead and Chesney (a traditional old before their time Corrie couple), but since they settled into domestic bliss they've become irritating and smug. Tyrone I'll always love but Fiz has morphed into a character I love to hate. She's become domineering, self-righteous and over-bearing. Vera Duckworth could be all of these things but we always forgave her. I struggle with the forgiveness when it comes to Fiz. 

I live in hope that Audrey and Rita may emerge from the Corrie Cupboard soon, all Deansgate frocks and scarves, freshly coiffed and ready to camp. Whatever the writers do, please DO NOT put Aud with Kenneth Barlow. The return of the glorious Jenny Bradley must surely mean more screen time for Barbara Knox as Rita. She's been noticeably absent this year and there is so much they could do with these two wonderful Weatherfield women.

Apart from that I hope Lloyd leaves Andrea-free, Craig's lovely girlfriend pays him a visit, Anna takes Faye on a long trip...somewhere else, Kevin shaves off his scraggly beard, Gary finds someone better than that Alya (me), Steph and Luke get a proper storyline as siblings and Zeedan finds himself in an episode where all his shirts are in the wash (hint).

You can follow me on Twitter @GraemeN82 


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Corrie Weekly Awards: Aug. 24 - 28

Xena award: Sally thinks shoulder pads make her feel like a warrior princess going into battle. She gets the fashion award, too. I liked her suit!

Musical ambiance: "Pick up the Pieces" on the juke in the pub when Erica is moaning about losing Nick.

Delusional award: Sally and Sean both for thinking Aidan was flirting with either of them. Actually, he was, but he didn't mean it!

Stag on a Mountaintop award: Robert and Aidan. Which made no sense. Tracy was the rude one, Robert was just trying to keep the peace not make moves on Carla. Contrived much?

Art gone Viral award: An art class was scheduled in a little back street community centre. 24 hours later there were so many people that wanted to take it that they had to turn some away? Really?

More Art Win: Craig's flowers were awesome. So was Mary's Grim Reaper with Nettles in its own way. Very Mary.

Guiltier than Thou: The more Carla sinks into misery, the guiltier Tracy feels.

Gang wars award: Callum threatened Tony revenge. But I think Tony's heavies could probably trump Callum's and then some. Callum might have used the finger of doom on Tony but he was begging a minute before and gasping for breath on the way out.

Turning point award: Todd has some some awful things but I wonder if this is the crisis that's going to make him pull his own life together.

Lines of the Week:
Gail "I'm standing in me kitchen drinking "cambridge's"(?) talking about gangsters and guns"
Tony "I look after my own" Eileen "When it suits you" (Ow.)
Sally "I like a substantial shoulder. It makes me feel like Boudicca going into battle"
Carla to Nick "You like having a car crash girlfriend?" (yes, actually, I think he does)
Steve "It's like leaving the monkeys in charge of the bananas!" Lloyd "You getting a monkey??"
Liz (about the dog) "How does she cross all them roads?" Steve "Maybe she takes the bus"
Lloyd "I'm funnier than Nick Tilsley" (I agree. Nick is not one i would call a laugh-a-minute)
Gail about Bethany "How can she be so stupid?" Nick "The question is, how can Callum be so smart?"
Lloyd to Steve "If you ever turn up here in a pink dress or a string of pearls, you and me are finished!"
Tony "I don't need people poking their nose into my business" (then don't talk about your business in a pub)
Cathy "They would have spotted I was a fake faster than the Mona Lisa in a top hat"
Lloyd "I'm trapped!"
Mary "For me, cut flowers are synonymous with death. And betrayal"


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In Photos: Tracy is arrested

On Thursday, September 10, Residents watch in shock as Tracy Barlow is arrested for the murder of Kal Nazir and Maddie Heath! The dramatic arrest comes after Tracy confessed to Carla that she started the fire at Victoria Court flats. But who has called the police? Is it Carla or has someone else decided it is time toxic Tracy paid the price for her actions and for Carla's name to be cleared?

The photos below show Tracy being escorted out of the pub where many of the interested parties gather to watch though oddly none of the families of the ones that died in the fire. I wonder if that's significant? We'll know what happens by the end of next week. 

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Doing a Talk on Corrie

Sheffield, my hometown, is having a bit of a festival moment. As a result, I’ve been asked to do a talk. The only trouble is I don’t know when, but have been told to be ‘ready to roll’ from about 19^th September.

There are several things that I could talk about but only one that I would really like to talk about –Coronation Street, of course, and our wonderful blog in particular, with  much gratitude to Glenda for starting the whole thing off.

My plan for the talk is essentially this -:

·      Beginnings - Tony Warren - his vision

·      Facts and figures – audience viewings, number of hotpots sold etc.

·      Issues raised in Corrie

·      The women  - in general

·      Characters – Elsie Tanner, Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden, Emily Bishop, Bet Lynch, Rita Tanner, Deirdre, Carla Connor, Mary Taylor – detailed character analysis and their individual speech styles

·      The men – holding back the women – general theme.

·      Details of men and their secondary role – as envisaged by Tony Warren

·      How the show has changed or not, through the decades.

·      Snobbery surrounding soaps, lighthearted comparison to the great dramatists

·      And then finally, some clips – including-: death of Stan Ogden - Hilda and the glasses, Death of Martha Longhurst, rows between Ena and Elsie. And some modern stuff.  There is SO much, it is difficult to be sure that you have the best bits.

I would be very grateful for your assistance here, my fellow bloggers and our much valued and loyal readers. Is there anything that you think is CRUCIAL in a talk about Corrie that I have not touched on?

Btw did you know that in 1990 Hilda Ogden was the 4^th most recognizable woman in Britain, after the Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Di?

And this – Blanche Hunt – ‘Good looks are a curse Deirdre. You and Kenneth have been very lucky.’

Very much looking forward to your comments. Thank you.

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