It's November 5th as I write this, and with a deluge of rain and flooding in South Yorkshire having quelled the expected fireworks, I'm devoid of excitement. Therefore, I thought I'd start writing up the latest Corrie Christmas / New Year teasers to post on the Corrie blog. Rather than saving the best until last, my first article starts with the best at the front - that being a two-hander that celebrates/commiserates the end of Peter and Carla's incredible tenure, which is due to air during Christmas week. Coronation Street is giving the relationship finale the best treatment, with a seasonal special two-hander, exploring the ins and outs of this dramatic duo. You cannot beat a Corrie two-hander, and as 2023 draws to a close, this could be the pinnacle of a brilliant year on the cobbles.
On October 25th, I joined an ITV press event to chat with Corrie producer Iain Macleod, to give you a little sneaky peak of what's to come.
Hi Iain, following Stephen Reid's death, we know Peter is due to leave the street. Can you give us the lowdown on what's to come for Carla and Peter?
What we wanted to do with Peter, was to deal with the reality of a man who has demons, it's fair to say, with a history of alcoholism and depressive episodes. His reaction to what he did to Stephen and the kind of battle to get it straight within himself. (He wonders) whether it was the right thing to do, was it necessary and how much of it was to do with getting revenge for Carla!
Will Peter succumb to alcoholism again?
We were very clear when we started the chapter of this story that we wouldn't want him to fall off the wagon again, so you won't see that. We thought it was important that as a transplant recipient, he wouldn’t drink again - that was an important message to send out. However, he will struggle psychologically with his demons and his happiness on Coronation Street. Carla becomes aware of his feelings - he’s not okay. It's a fork in the road for them, with their happiness appearing to be not reliant on each other.
Does this lead to a Carla and Peter showdown?
It leads to a surprising Christmas day episode* - a HUGE two-hander between the two of them (they are pretty much the only cast on the episode) that picks over every single detail of who they are, what they've been as a couple, what they want for their futures, and what happiness looks like for them. As we know, this is leading to Peter’s exit, which will be bittersweet and is Corrie at its best.
Has this been filmed yet?
It's filming right now (late October), and I cannot wait for you to see the results. If it's as good as the scripts, and experience tell(s) me it's always better, it will lead to a stunning Christmas episode for us. It's the culmination of a decade-long* love story, I think the viewers are going to love it!
Thanks, Iain!
* The Christmas Day episode is not the two-hander, that's a full-cast ensemble. The two-hander will follow on Boxing Day.
Corrie has teased this image:
Is this a double for the ‘Weatherfield North’ tram stop? It makes a change from someone leaving in the back of a black cab, doesn't it?
*It's actually been 12 years since Carla and Peter’s affair began!
Do we have any current/new relationships on the street that could last that long?
Let me know in the comments or @rybazoxo on X using #Corrie
