I would guess that the show moved her from supporting to lead role due to her popularity, although it seems like they never went into overkill mode or made her a bad self-parody, like what happened with Becky. Of course the show had an actual ensemble in those days.

I remember one of the Corrie history books talking about the Raquel/Des/Tanya/Curly quad being the featured story when EE and Corrie clashed in 1994, and when Corrie won out, to the surprise of some analysts. They had a review that praised the episodes in particular (this is when Raquel caught Des in bed with Tanya), especially Bet comforting Raquel.

Yes - Tanya's exit was running off with a trucker Bet had been dating and even moved into The Rovers. (I think he also dressed up at Elvis at times, or maybe I'm mistaking him with someone else).

Bet's fellow (who Tanya ran off with and promptly discarded) was played by an actor who had been Sean Connery's stand-in/stunt double on several movies. He was an extremely sexy guy who could very easily have been the UK's answer to the Marlboro Man.

From what friends have told me Raquel was embraced by the public immediately. Sarah Lancashire was always absolutely brilliant in the role and could even make sub-standard writing look good.

Yes, when I discovered the Time Life Coronation Street collection series, I was surprised Raquel had one dedicated to just her. Outside of Des and the McDonald's, most of the characters that had a collections were characters that had been on the show for a very long time or ones that were hugely iconic.

There's a great bubbly innocence to the character that makes you want to root for her. She was naive at times, but it never really seemed that annoying. I also really liked her friendship with Bet, and how protective Bet was of her. The relationship with Curly was good for a time too.

Speaking of Bet, I mostly remember the Jack and Vera scenes from this (probably because they were shown in clip packages over the years), but hadn't seen the Bet ones that much. The bit where she warns off Steve (near the end) is so camp, but also so perfectly delivered, the way camp should be - just right on the edge of being too much.

Her hair at this point is truly horrendous though.

(I could swear she was almost flirting with Betty...)

Edited June 19, 201510 yr by DRW50

Aww. See I love how British actors over any caliber show love for their soaps and their stars. Makes me somewhat envy how our soap actors are treated, which is like smut.

Neat little special setting up the Granada Plus repeats.

I still wish they'd run the 1960-March 1976 episodes at some point.

Sad to see Thelma Barlow talking about Corrie's strong women - and just yesterday I had to sit through "strong" Liz gurning and simpering like a 12 year old as she was fawned over by all and sundrey.

"The world's longest-running dramatic serial..."

Ugh.

I'm still uploading some of the Corrie episodes I had that aren't on Youtube (many already are, of course). I'm posting this one as I thought you might enjoy it, BetterForgotten. It has a few fun scenes with Bet, a little more like she was in earlier years (behind the bar having an extended joke on someone) and not as much of the tragedy or camp.

There are also some good scenes in it with Denise shutting Ken down over his control issues, pointing out that he is putting his anger over Deirdre (who'd just married Samir) onto her. The reaction to her marriage to Samir is interesting, as there's genuine trepidation, rather than "toyboy"-style leering you'd often get today.

This episode (which is from another person's channel) is right after Deirdre got back from her holiday. There's such casual racism that would cause a mini-tabloid scandal and OFCOM tizzy today.

Seeing both of these, and Denise Black's return to Emmerdale, reminds me of what a great, strong character Denise was. I wouldn't want her to be with Ken romantically but I wish they'd consider bringing her, and Daniel, on to Corrie to help add more depth to the nearly-faded out Barlows, and to add more strong women to a canvas that needs them.

That episode has some lovely stuff with Vera too...and guess who plays the woman who runs the hotel she's staying at.

Maureen and Reg get on my damn nerves.

"The world's longest-running dramatic serial..."

Ugh.

Yes that's always irked me too. Imagine my surprise when after years of Coronation Street being referred to as the world's longest running serial/soap opera/drama/whatever in every magazine article or TV programme about Corrie, I suddenly find out that ATWT started in 1956 (and an even bigger surprise when the GL 60th anniversary edition of SOD came out in 1997, with GL having started on radio in 1937 switching to TV in 1952).

That's a great clip, Carl, thanks. That episode's not up on hulu yet. I'm glad to see that Michael didn't stay angry with Gail.

I loved it when David imitated Audrey a month or so ago.

Edited June 23, 201510 yr by TimWil

Jack P. Shepherd is one of Coronation Street's future cornerstones: