It's dumb, but so is Maria. Plus, it's a very short term thing apparently so it doesn't bother me.

Maybe this story would've been more receptive to me if it was Todd rather than Maria. 

A while back someone asked me to upload Blackpool Week (Jim and Bet's 2003 return). It takes so long with Dailymotion I forgot about finishing it, but I finally did today. 

This is the first episode, which was uploaded by someone on Youtube a few years back.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve6vvcZe1Vg

 

The rest of the week is here, in a playlist I made (this just links to the first but you can find the playlist on my channel):

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3jt2l7_coronation-street-november-23-2003_fun

 

It's a good slate of episodes, although truth be told I don't think they had enough material to fill the week - a lot of repeat conversations and padding. Jim, always the most entertaining McDonald, is oddly underutilized. The best part for me is Bet's story - tragedy queen to the end, with some very nice work from Julie Goodyear, especially in the last two episodes. I also enjoy Claire and Ashley's trip to Blackpool, where you can see their bond truly begin, and see her becoming Joshua's mother. I will try to ignore Ashley randomly becoming a huge dumbass in the November 28 episode to move the plot along. 

 

There are a few stories back in Weatherfield, not really all that interesting, although Deirdre's Jon Lindsay trauma being used to torpedo Bev's relationship was a nice twist. 

Edited April 16, 20169 yr by DRW50

RIP Victoria Wood.

 

I didn't cross paths with Victoria Wood much, but that Corrie parody was great.

Cheating stories can get tired quickly, but in regards to Michelle and Will, I've never wanted someone to have an affair more. I might like her if she decided to cheat and decided to have the gumption not to apologize for it either.

I agree re Michelle and Will. I've always liked Steve but those two have chemistry, too.

A week left if you want to participate in the Corrie character countdown at Walford Web.

 

http://walfordweb.com/topic/11587180/1/

I was hoping Luke's sudden appearance signaled the end of the dreary Bethany Being Bullied storyline but I have a feeling it isn't. I think the young actress playing the ringleader is pretty, though, and has a bright future. She looks like she would have fit in perfectly on Brookside-I seem to remember her mother sounded like a Liverpudlian.

 

Simon Gregson looks really good and I don't think it's just the color on his face. His hair looks different. Has he lost weight, too? Talk about awful timing for Beverly Callard to have her "breakdown," just as Steve's returned. So we won't end up seeing Liz for a few months? Will she find out about Tony off-screen?

Edited April 26, 20169 yr by TimWil

They just need to kill off Phelan, already. After tonight's episodes it's fair enough to say that Johnny can be added to the long list of presumed suspects by the time the deed is done. And it really has to be done.

 

Ryan Thomas really isn't delivering the goods with Jason's reaction to Tony's death, is he? I know scenes of extended grief are difficult to play but he just doesn't have the range to pull it off.

 

 

 

I agree that Ryan Thomas is not delivering, but his performance isn't helped when you have the worst writing team in soap.

 

I'm enjoying the Phelan story. He's a digusting toad, but having a real villain on the show again is exciting. It's too bad he won't kill Eileen. She deserves it for being the stupidest woman alive.

 

I begrudgingly admit I've actually grown to like the new Connor clan. It was just really unnecessary for them to be Connors.

 

Billy losing his sh*t was totally unexpected. Brocklebank gave a great performance tonight. He's really been quite a strong addition to the cast. I wonder if this Lee will turn out to be Erica's brother, who has the same name. It'd be a waste not to make that connection.

Edited April 30, 20169 yr by Bright Eyes

I am liking the new Connor clan too. At least Aidan and Johnny. I could care less about Kate. I find her story with Sophie to be predictable, so I just cannot invest. 

I don't watch regularly but I'm pleased at the above opinions because I've never had a problem with them either. I think Johnny is one of the better older guys cast in recent years (admittedly they've had some horrors), and Aidan is one of the better younger leading men (ditto). 

 

My issue with Phelan is that I only want to see him if he's ruining the lives of characters I don't like, like Anna and her mushmouth bore of a husband, Owen, who thankfully fucked off last year. I like Todd and Jason. 

 

I think Ryan Thomas is good at emotional material sometimes, but he's seemed checked out for a while now (maybe all the partying catching up to him - who knows). I'm going to miss Jason, but sometimes more for what he's been than what he is now. Still, I hope he returns. 

 

Brocklebank was terrific on Emmerdale, and from what I've seen he's been decent on Corrie as a very different character, but he really shocked me with those scenes today. Kate Oates needs to give him a central role. He reminds me a lot of the Corrie leading men of the '60s and '70s - placid but full of fire underneath.