Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[Ben]

I forgot Dennis is leaving. I always thought he would be around for several years, or even for ever. I think it's a shame, even if his stories have sucked. I don't watch much of the show now, but when I last watched, Rita was acting nasty - seems like she's had the SB personality transplant treatment that he prescribe to the majority of Emmerdale characters. Liz and Michelle were also behaving nasty, too.

[DRW50]

Nothing new for Michelle...

I just wish all these people who hate Blackburn realized most of the rot was there with Collinson. I don't like Blackburn as a producer, but he's a scapegoat for other producers and their failures. Blythe passed away, he didn't quit like Collinson, but both gutted their shows and people ignored it because of hype.

I'm just sorry that Corrie, a show built on history, now has absolutely none.

[Ben]

It started with Collinson for sure, who did a lot of damage. I think he was able to cover it all up better, if that makes sense. With SB, it's very obvious; the shift in tone and style suddenly becomes miserable and grey. Even without Collinson's damage, SB would still ruin the show.

It's true about Michelle, but she's even more nasty now, if you can believe it. ETA: And she's taking Liz down with her!

Edited December 29, 2013 by Ben

[Soaplovers]

What is the story with Liz? Was she a fun-loving character in the past, a long-suffering character, or somewhere in between?

I also don't get Tina's about face especially given what I've read about the character in the past. This new story twist seems out of character for her. I would probably have bought it if the show spent the next six months building up to it and explaining why Tina's so suddenly latched onto someone old enough to be her father. Did she have a bad relationship with her father? If so, I could have bought if it was due to daddy issues as opposed to actual love or lust.

I think Tina would have been better used in the David story moreso then being thrown into Peter and Carla's story. If the character of Peter needs to stray, what character would you rather have been used in place of Tina?

[DRW50]

Liz was a very serious character in her first stint, who mostly put up with her sons and her overbearing husband, and occasionally had an affair. This was about 90-98, or a little longer. She came back in 2004 or so and was much trashier and "fun," although sometimes still bitter. That last until she left in 2009 or 2010.

[Ben]

Carl's right about Liz. I always remember the trashy, fun Liz, as it's the most recent, but during the 90s, she was serious and long-suffering, having to deal with Steve and Andy's dramas, and Jim going to jail more times than he changed his socks. This Liz isn't fun, serious or suffering - she's nasty, rude and witch-y. Steve & Michelle used to be together, running the Rovers with Liz, then he cheated, and Michelle dumped him, never to go near him again (this was one of the character's positive points). Then randomly, she took him back, which was very out of character, and suddenly they buy the Rovers (again), and Liz returns to run it (again). Notice a pattern? It's like they've purposefully rewound time to 2004-05, and reset these 3 characters as if the proceeding years didn't exist for them. However, they've failed to capture Liz and Michelle's characters and their relationships with Steve, and thus their "fun" banter of old now translates into "fun" bullying of Steve.

Now, they've made Liz a confidante for Tina, who keeps telling her that what she's doing is wrong and how she should stay away from Peter. Yada, yada, yada.

If Peter had to cheat (like why? He was only just developing!), then it should have been with Eva Price. She never gets any story at all. They made a thing about Eva getting the PA job, and her and Peter genuinely get along. It would have been much more conceivable for these two to have an affair, than randomly chucking Tina into Peter & Carla's orbit. It's all very fake. To make it all the more complicated, Eva is dating Jason, and while I think it would be cruel to have yet another girlfriend cheat on Jason, it could have created a different dynamic story wise.

I do wonder how much of this story was planned in advance, and how much of it was thrown together after they fired Chris Fountain, considering Tommy & Tina were a pretty solid couple. I really can't see what Tommy's role in the story would have been if he was still around. Really bad move firing him, IMO.

[DRW50]

I have a feeling his firing was an ITV mandate, because of all the controversies surrounding the cast at the time. He was a scapegoat, in a way.

I'm so glad you're back here again, Ben. I really do need to watch some of this again soon so I can actually talk about something beyond my own bitching.

[All My Shadows]

I had no idea they were getting rid of Dennis. What possible reason could they give for writing out one of the few links to the show's early years? Do they not see the value in having a tie like that around?

[Soaplovers]

Eva would have been perfect! There were hints that she and Peter were getting along well while there was friction between her and Carla that could have evolved beyond just work politics. Plus, Eva's half-sister is Leanne who is Peter's ex wife. Not only would it affect Jason (which would send his mum Eileen on a warpath against Eva plus more clashes with Eva's mum Stella), but would also have affected Leanne as well and had Nick question if her disgust was due to still buried feelings for Peter and being more vocal about it due to his head injury. Plus, I could see Eva's good friend Kylie blurting it out during a drunken fight with Tina at the Rovers.

[BetterForgotten]

I'm surprised this crap story made ABC news:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/soap-opera-suicide-storyline-draws-praise-concern-21607908

[ER Tosh]

So the Jamey was complaining that the Roy/Haley story made many US websites when "characters on US Soaps try to kill themselves all the time". I know most people here have mixed feelings about today's Corrie and all but you can't really compare a storyline that went on for months and ended with Haley taking her own life with Maxie being suicidal for one episode of GH.

[difficultdiva]

I'm sorry, but Jamey should really think about the things that he complains about, due to be angry over the media (outside of the soap world) interest in certain things pertaining to soaps. You're correct. There's a huge difference in what Corrie has done, to what YR, DAYS, GH and even BnB have failed to do in the past regarding illness and suicide storylines.

The outside media would pay attention, if the folks in charge of daytime soaps made some sort of effort to bring SOME sort of reality and truth to their need to "entertain" in these fictionalized worlds.

[DRW50]

Bill Roache found not guilty on all charges.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-02-06/coronation-street-star-william-roache-cleared-of-all-charges

[Graham]

All that stress and the man still looks 20 years younger than his age.

[DRW50]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9wnXUr6OGw