Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Ryan Thomas has signed a new contract and Phil Collinson reportedly has plans for Jason...

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a223439/ryan-thomas-lands-new-corrie-contract.html

[DRW50]

That's good to know. Jason is one of my favorite characters, at least when they bother to write for him and he isn't just a hothead. He's also one of the most gorgeous men ever in soap. I hope he gets some good stories and a good love interest.

[dannigold]

Coronation Street' pulled for third day

ITV soap Coronation Street has been postponed for a third consecutive day, it has been announced.

The commercial broadcaster's decision to pull the soap's Siege Week episodes from its schedules comes as the Cumbrian shooting massacre continues to dominate headlines.

Harry Hill's The Best of TV will once again be sandwiched between Britain's Got Talent's live performance and results shows.

ITV this afternoon announced its schedules for the remaining episodes of Coronation Steet's Siege Week.

Monday, June 7

7.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Should have aired on Wednesday, June 2 at 9pm

8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Should have aired on Thursday, June 3 at 9pm

Wednesday, June 9

8pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Should have aired on Friday, June 4 at 9pm

8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Should have aired on Monday, June 7 at 7.30pm

Will air together as an hour-long edition

Thursday, June 10

7pm - Emmerdale (1 hour) - Should have aired the same night but separately at 7pm and 8pm

8pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Should have aired on Monday, June 7 at 8.30pm

8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Is airing at its normal time. At this point, Corrie is back in sync.

Will air together as an hour-long edition

Friday, June 11

7.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Airs as normal

8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins) - Airs as normal

Edited June 4, 2010 by dannigold

[DRW50]

Monday's episodes...

Still not interested in most of the Gail story, and the more Tina screws up her face like an eccentric aunt trapped in a young woman's body, the less I have any interest in seeing her. Yes she will eventually realize that her father wasn't a saint and Gail is innocent but the problem is they have removed this character so far from the core of the show that I don't know what is left for her. Clinging to Graeme is not enough.

Gray O'Brien was just fantastic in these episodes, especially the first one, where his sarcasm and bitterness and pretending not to care were all jumbled up with his madness. I didn't care as much for the stuff when Maria showed up, although I did REALLY like the scene where Maria said she was walking out and when he said he'd shoot her, she said, "No, you won't." I also thought the little moments with the guy from Vicar of Dibley were strong. I wish they'd done more with him. The stuff where Carla and Hayley convinced him to turn against Roy were the most interesting part of the episodes.

Carla has been a very difficult character from the start, because she is so often used as a bitch or as shrill or as some type of vamp. She's also very isolated from most of the canvas. Kim Crowther got the balance just about perfect for Carla for most of 2008, but her return hasn't worked, she doesn't really work with Trevor or with Nick (especially Nick), and when she starts the shouting I found myself wanting Tony to shoot her. If they can't fix this character then it may be time for her to go.

There are a lot of surprisingly isolated characters on the show now, which is crazy, as Corrie is all about relationships between a community.

The stuff at the pub was memorable for the brilliant line when Janice called Nick "Max Headrom". Love Janice.

[BadBoy93]

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a224317/corrie-role-for-former-grange-hill-star.html

New Addition to The Street. Looks cute.

[All My Shadows]

Got around to watching these. Tony's just running things, and it's so fun to watch, if fun is the right word. The Underworld scenes are very tense and claustrophobic. I'm liking the whole thing a lot, especially Carla, who I never cared for before but now enjoy most of the time. I'm also glad to see Maria back. Her utter confusion as to what to do when she walked out of the factory was just riveting! The simple fact that she walked clean on out of there to begin with was bold and definitely something different from most hostage storylines.

The Gail drama. The only scenes that really stood out to me as scenes that I liked were Nick and Natasha back at the house and David and Tina talking on the bench. 'Chelle and Jack have this great chemistry, I love them together. Nick grew on me a little in the scene with Natasha, though I did find it just a teensy bit condescending. I even liked David and Graeme, and honestly,

Other random bits...the more they show Ashley, the more I hate them for giving him the axe. He's just as viable, if not more than, as Steve and Tyrone, and way more viable than Lloyd, Sean, and others. Ugh. I liked Kirk all throughout the hour, which is strange, and Janice/Julie/Sean/Fiz brought some laughs, especially Janice. Max Headroom, indeed.

The Roy scene was kinda pointless, no? I get they wanted to establish his coming home and not finding her, but it was kinda out of place. Whatevs.

[DRW50]

You're right about how Ashley shouldn't leave. I also thought Kirk was more likeable. He's become more likeable lately, or less pointless anyway. I liked the scene in last night's episode where he wanted to get his "wagon wheels" cake he'd left in the factory. Then he saw a cop eating a wagon wheel cake. It made me laugh.

I do hope they go with Gary/Izzy over Kirk/Izzy, I think the former has more potential, not to mention seeing her interact with Eddie Windass.

The first episode was great, the performances from Julie Hesmondlagh, Allison King, Gray O'Brien were unbelievable, and the tension was palpable. I also loved seeing Becky start trying to break into the factory while all the men were standing around looking confused. That was the best Becky scene in years! The last scene between Carla and Tony went on a bit too long, and the smoke coming out of the factory didn't seem like that much, and then when Tony was walking towards the entrance he looked constipated, but otherwise it was great.

The second episode was OK, mostly thanks to the great scene with Maria and Carla. The trial stuff, outside of Norris and Mary, isn't that interesting.

I have to admit I was annoyed because of all the hype over someone dying who had been on the show for 10 years. This was even sort of confirmed in the soap press. It didn't happen. The factory does not count!

I was also slightly annoyed by Fiz, Julie, Janice, and Sean sitting in the Rovers and not paying any attention to Maria running in or to Becky yelling about what was going on. I know the factory girls don't care about what happens there but this is taking it to a new level.

[BadBoy93]

Is gail Guilty Or Not Guilty.

[Ben]

Siege week was surprisingly so much better than I had imagined. The acting from Alison King was phenomenal, and Samia Smith and Gray O'Brien really stepped up.

I loved the Tony & Carla scenes, when she pleaded with him, then turned on him. Chilling.

I loved the Maria & Carla scene. There's potential there.

But, I really disliked the scene with Nick & Carla, and the way he spoke to her, as if she'd just been through the ordeal of chipping a nail, not surviving nearly being burnt alive by her deranged ex-husband. That was callous, and a new low for Nick. The Nick was never like this.

Is it just me, or did anyone else think involving Roy & Hayley in this story was unnecessary and felt kinda out of place? I mean from the very beginning. They could've picked someone/people who were more connected to Tony/Carla/Maria.

Oh, and I guessed the factory would be the third casualty.

Do you really have to ask? Logic should tell you that:

[DRW50]

Roy and Hayley's involvement in this story has been jarring from the start, back with Tony confessing to Roy. The actors have done a good job but it does feel like giving them something to do. Didn't Hayley sit on the backburner for almost a year before Tony's confession?

I did love that their involvement meant Becky finally got a strong scene and no baby bull. I am tired of the baby stories.

The factory as a casualty is a copout because even if it's not the same building, the factory has been a part of the show for many decades. It will probably just be rebuilt yet again. Who cares?

Nick is a sociopath, he treats people like garbage over and over. Watching him makes me uncomfortable.

The Carla/Maria stuff was good, yeah. I actually wish the show would just go nuts and have them become lovers. Then again look at how much airtime Sophie and Sian get.

[DRW50]

For dramatic purpose I thought they would have Gail convicted and later released when the truth was revealed. Otherwise, a lot of the stuff done to cast doubt on her chances, like Tracy, or the witness David and Nick paid to lie, didn't have as much purpose.

I'm not sorry to see the Gail prison story over with but I was hoping she might let herself be happy for a moment or two before she became so miserable over Tina. At least, in that very good scene on that boat which the cops apparently had the time and money to drag back to the Street, Tina finally seemed to be close to making peace with Gail.

That beatdown Tracy got (which seemed very mild...) was kind of hilarious. So was her trying to throw a chair, she even did that in a wooden manner. She's just so one-note. And Deirdre saying she was afraid Tracy's beautiful face might be damaged. Would a mother say that? The whole thing is hard to invest in. And I guess this tension with Peter and loathsome Nick is a way to degrade poor Leanne by shackling Nick to her.

Natasha's unease around Gail was amusing, yet also sad. I really wish they were keeping Natasha. There's so much else to get rid of with dead wood.

Izzy's father seems a little dull so far. He's OK I guess. I hope they will try to pair Izzy and Gary, I think they could have potential.

Poor Carla. I'm starting to like her a little more with Trevor, just because he's been such a rock for her. I wonder what she will do when he's gone.

Edited June 11, 2010 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

Congratulations to Barbara Knox and Eileen Derbyshire, Rita and Emily, on being made MBEs! Anne Reid, who was superb as Ken Barlow's doomed first wife (and Peter's mother), Val, was also honored.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a225852/knox-shocked-to-be-honoured-by-queen.html

Edited June 12, 2010 by CarlD2

[Ben]

Here's some news that should delight no-one, bar maybe All My Shadows.

*sigh*

[DRW50]

I don't remember hearing any rumors that he was going to join Benidorm.

Not a big surprise that he's staying, because he's friends with Phil Collinson (and so far Collinson, or Granada above him, have not really gotten any of their casting decisions right, with the BIG exception of Vicky Binns/Molly -- if you look at the show now are Ashley, Claire, Trevor, and Natasha jumping out at you as those who are in desperate need of firing?), and he's also an easy out for Corrie. They can say that they have a gay character and this means they get more of a pass for not actually having any interesting gay stories or characters. I was cringing at the "comedy" of Natasha making David and Graeme think they looked like a couple, because it was all so poorly done, the actors weren't even trying to sell it that way (Graeme looked like he was doing one of those old "someone gives a rival a violent massage" scenes). Yet this, which barely would have passed muster in 1970, is the closest the show is getting to any story featuring gay content?

At least the character interaction is becoming more interesting, although I feel sorry for Jane Danson having to go through so many scenes with cryptkeeper Nick doing that grimacing he calls smiling and doing that weird wheezing/sighing. I'm glad Leanne doesn't seem to have any feelings for Nick, but I hope this won't break up her relationship with Peter. They're a wonderful couple.

The Tina/Gail dinosaur watch scenes and the final reconciliation between the two women was very good, good writing and heartbreaking work from Helen Worth and Michelle Keegan.

Poor Janice. I'd almost forgotten she's still carrying a torch for Trevor. I guess she will have something to do with when he breaks up with Carla.

Edited June 14, 2010 by CarlD2

[Ben]

I think I said before that I can see why Ashley & Claire got picked, but really, like you say, they don't jump out at you straight away, or not even when you look at the show. If you were faced with clearing out the deadwood, Ashley & Claire would be bottom of the list; Natasha and Trevor shouldn't be on it, IMO. Trevor has really come into his own since Carla's hostage terror, and you can see him as a-knight-in-shining-armour type character, who steps up when the going gets tough. Trevor and Carla have a lot of potential - potential that ironically wasn't there to begin with.

Molly was a good decision, but really, what are they gonna do with Tyrone? He needs to go, too.

Character interaction is better, but still not at its best. Why hasn't Leanne been to see Carla? They're supposed to be mates!

The Gail & Tina scenes have been long over due. Sadly, Gail is still as miserable as sin.

I nearly chocked when Nick said: "I'm not just a pretty face." Oh, the irony.

That David/Graeme/Natasha scene was terrible. It made no sense why Natasha would jump to that conclusion from her POV, given that it looked like Graeme was attacking David with a meat dispenser as opposed to giving him a euphoric massage. I LOL at her rattling her keys in an attempt to remind them of sharing a prison cell.