Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[All My Shadows]

Because rape and suicide just aren't enough. Gotta go for a triumvirate. Ugh.

And why in the world is he telling us that we're gonna be on the edge of our seats with the twists and turns after basically telling us how the story is going to end. Just goooo away, dude.

[DRW50]

Yeah he said not to believe what we read in the paper for the Natasha story, but then there's this.

The soaps have these constant big leaks for the papers. I guess they want people to know what's going to happen. In the case of this story, which is so awful and has been dead for such a long time, they may think this will cause some revived interest, who knows.

It's crazy how many stories involve such depressing topics. And this is kind of a knockoff of what happened to Kevin's wife Allison.

This isn't what I expected at all from Collinson...his work on Doctor Who was nothing like this either, and RTD when he's spoken about Corrie seems to see it as a happy show, not as Brookside Street.

[BadBoy93]

More babies for Corrie

Baby Twist Ahead For Corrie Couple

[DRW50]

Let me guess, the strain of it all will cause her to have a miscarriage.

After last night's episode, which had endless scenes to show us the evils of David and Jason and endless scenes of pathetic Tina (who yet again seemed far more interested in her father than in Graeme) being cuddled by Graeme like she's some kind of sick dog, I have decided to just not even comment on the episodes for a while. Big loss there, I know...

[All My Shadows]

Wow...and there ya go. I was slacking on the episodes, but now I'm consciously making the decision to stop watching for now. Pity, because I was enjoying parts of the show a whole lot. But jeez, it's very rapidly going to crap.

[DRW50]

I was hoping to hear what you have to say because I really enjoy your posts but we're in the same boat. If the last few episodes are any indication then I would probably just annoy the hell out of people with a page of rants. Aside from Mary there's just nothing to enjoy right now and what I don't enjoy is rapidly getting worse and worse and more one-dimensional, I hate the damn propping in some other stories and I hate watching Graeme/Tina and I hate Nick popping up like the gremlin that he is. So I just can't take any more for right now.

[All My Shadows]

LOL I had 24th June sitting on this computer for over a week, kept telling myself that I would "get to it," but the simple fact that the episode before it ended with Tina kissing Graeme made me want to take my time. I'm trying to enjoy too many other shows at the moment to waste a half-hour or hour on this show. The characters I like are either backburner, on their way out, or on their way to being ruined completely, so what's the point? I don't like Nick, I don't like Graeme, I'm dreading the relapse of Molvin. Why in the world would I want to watch Corrie right now? I'll just stick to digging up an old episode every now and then. I figured the 50th anniversary would be a great time to be a Corrie fan/watcher, but I'm glad Collinson didn't lead us on or anything and just flat out told us he has no interest in celebrating the anniversary. Now I won't feel the need to watch.

Maybe I'll finally use the little extra time to get into current Emmerdale. I've slowed down with the 70s episodes, but I want to get back into those.

[DRW50]

The 70s episodes are some good stuff -- I especially like anything with Annie telling someone off, and then the story around Sharon Crosstwaite. Jack also fascinates me, he has such a vitality along with his bitterness, and he has a good sense of humor.

[DRW50]

Well, look at me, being a hypocrite in only a few days, and posting again. I guess I can't help saying something after learning one of my favorite characters, Ashley, is leaving with Claire and family not in a positive story which might have been fun for a character who has had a terrible life, but instead in an extremely depressing storyline involving accusations of child abuse. What does it say when even the writeup says "there's no going back."

Why not just rename Corrie "Open a Vein Street"? Every story I have heard about over the coming year involves horrific trauma.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a237299/corries-peacocks-in-child-abuse-plot.html

And didn't Eastenders do this story only like five years ago with Little Mo, her baby, and Ben Mitchell?

Edited July 3, 2010 by CarlD2

[Y&RWorldTurner]

If this is true, it sounds like it's going to be offensive as hell.

http://www.people.co.uk/celebs-tv/tv/2010/07/04/coronation-street-s-most-controversial-scenes-ever-102039-22379978/

Edited July 4, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[All My Shadows]

Really?

"Open a Vein Street" is too nice.

Let's Blow This [!@#$%^&*] Up Street is much more appropriate.

And it just tickles me how unapologetic they are about all this depressing, violent, contrived nonsense. I can imagine Collinson walking into the studios, pointing at Knox and Derbyshire, and saying "No, no. You are old, you are ugly, and we'll only use you when people get angry at us for not using you enough. Then it's back in the cupboard you go, hags."

[DRW50]

I guess this might be an interesting story, but shouldn't this be something done with characters who will actually stay around? Ken will not only never see this son again, he likely won't ever see the grandson again, who is the one he is supposed to be defending. And will they at least have Ken want to become closer to the son he barely ever mentions, Daniel? Otherwise, even by Ken Barlow misery standards, this is one hell of a devastating anniversary storyline -- he gains and loses a son and grandson due to ugly homophobic invective?

I also have to ask, does this mean they are going to bring other gay characters and stories onto the Street on a permanent basis, besides Sean, who is such a poorly developed/acted character that they have to keep most of his stories offcamera (have you ever seen a story where a search for a child takes place entirely offcamera and the only moments spent oncamera are saying, "I need to check Facebook")? Surely they could bring in someone new or bring back Todd Grimshaw, instead of just having a short term character pop up long enough to remind us that some gay people have parents who despise them?

Honestly, while I do think it will be well acted (Linus Roache is a very good actor), on paper, this sounds like something out of 1975 or something.

A lot of these stories sound like a parody of a very obsessive "issues" activist who suddenly gets power over a television show. I am surprised we haven't heard about a storyline where factory conditions over the years cause Janice to get cancer and die within six months.

Edited July 4, 2010 by CarlD2

[All My Shadows]

It could be interesting, right, depending on how/when the intsaprogeny is introduced. The whole "long-lost son" angle rubs me the wrong way because it reeks of someone wanting to tell this story, seeing that it would make no sense with any of the current characters, and deciding to shoehorn these brand spanking new characters into the show at the expense of more established characters. Who is the mother anyway? Ken married Val within two or three years of the show debuting, so it'd have to be a girlfriend from early, early on, unless they just create a one-night stand.

But, like I said, if they approach it the right way, it could work, I guess. If they introduce Lawrence and James without immediately going into the homophobia angle of the story, then it'll actually mean something and people will actually care when they get to that part.

I can't roll my eyes at them bringing on another gay male character and especially tying him in with the longest-serving character, but I wish it was different. Daniel's what, 15? They could have brought him on without all of the stereotypical and purposely offensive homophobic melodrama. But then again, they're looking to shock people out of their boots, so that wouldn't have worked. Ugh, Corrie.

The Peacock spoilers just sum it all up for me. Collinson has no use for them, so he's going to write them out in the most sensational way he can without having Ashley murder-suicide his whole family. And really, is this not the same street where Rita was arrested for hitting Chesney? And now Claire's decided that they couldn't live with the shame of Sunita's false accusations? RUBBISH.

Edited July 4, 2010 by All My Shadows

[DRW50]

I think the mother is supposed to be Ann Cunningham (?), a girl Ken dated in the show's early episodes. They were in college together and wanted to ban the bomb and such.

The problem I have with this is that they are only going to be in a limited amount of episodes, so how much time before it becomes all about this ugly bile over homophobia? A few weeks? A month, between Ken knowing them and this blowing up?

If they wanted to tell this story why couldn't they cast actors who were going to be able to stay around? It's nice that Ken will have a gay grandson but if this grandson is forgotten as soon as the few months (if even that long) are up, then what was the point? Do they not want to have another gay character on the show so this is a way to have people yell about homophobia for a short time then it's done? I'm sure someone will say, "We don't need more gay characters anyway, there's Sian and Sophie" but they've been invisible for months. And then there's Sean, who is just taking up space.

I would they have rather not even brought this up if it was only going to be for a short time because it's more like a very special episode of an old drama from years ago, not something which is actually being addressed.

I keep wondering what the happy spoilers are going to be for the fall or Christmas periods. Perhaps Rita will euthanize Emily...

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I liked the scenes between Rita and Tina in Sunday's episode. I think Rita works as a great soundboard for Tina.

Even when Corrie is bad, their character writing often has a lot of credibility and no other soap does comedy like Corrie does.

I really cannot stand Ben Price as Nick...

Sean is back.

Edited July 5, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner