That list is atrocious! The Sophie overload is bewildering because she's obviously included for the lesbian story, but that story has barely even been featured since the two became a couple. Ugh.

I was going to start watching again but decided against it once I got behind on EE. Nothing's really tempting to get back into Corrie, I'm afraid. That promo highlights everything I dislike about the show right now.

Corriepedia also had a list of all time funniest characters, and that was mostly new characters, sadly. Sophie was also on there. It's a bit odd, because while she has had some funny moments - usually making fun of Rosie - I wasn't expecting her to get voted for that too. Then again I find her more amusing than what's become of Graeme or Becky.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=45956589&postcount=233

Chris Fountain is joining Corrie as Tommy Duckworth. This seems a bit random. He has no relations on the show and doesn't know anyone, and the character template is also as generic as can be. Why didn't the show bring back Nigel Pivaro as Terry, at least as a recurring character, if Nigel was interested? Then there would be something for Tommy to do. Another "charmer" who has "eyes for the ladies" and is too old for the role is just Nick Tilsley 2.0, although unlike Ben Price, Fountain can act and is still handsome. I just hope they are better at bringing him in than they have been any other new characters in recent years.

http://www.itv.com/coronationstreet/news/tommyduckworthreturns/

Some said that this is EE's loss, but if Kirkwood had cast him I think a lot of fans would have had a fit. Oh it's Hollyoaks again just like we said. And so on...

I do have to credit Collinson for taking credit for casting Fountain 10 years ago. I guess he was trying to head any criticism off at the pass.

Edited November 26, 201015 yr by CarlD2

Who cares if Jack and Vera aren't there?

If they wanted Fountain, couldn't they just have created a new role for him with a brand new character? This kind of reeks of "He has the Duckworth last name, so people will love it!"

I think they see this as some sort of nod to history, when Collinson seems to have little interest in the show's history. It's just random casting of a random role. As you said, they should have cast him as a new character. I wonder if the unpopularity of Izzy's family and of Cheryl and her ex have made the show hold off on too many new characters. The problem is that, as proven by most of the Baldwin family (aside from Danny) and Nick, just having a history last name doesn't mean a hell of a lot.

I do hope they remember just how close Tommy was to Tyrone (though I think that's a given) AND Maria (and they better not pair them off either coz that would be gross) back in 2000

Sophie is not funny...I think that pairing's got a bad case of the Nukes, and it's even worse because Sophie and Sian are on even less than Luke and Noah were at the beginning of their relationship.

Chris Fountain is gorgeous, and I liked him a lot on Hollyoaks, so I hope he does well on Corrie.

I keep forgetting Maria is still on the show.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s3/coronation-street/scoop/a290156/pics-corries-kirk-auditions-for-x-factor.html

If you needed any confirmation of what Corrie women truly once were, and what they are today, the Radio Times does it for you. Why am I not surprised that Kym Marsh is on a cover even though Michelle has had no actual stories to speak of for some time. The same goes for Tina -- this character became nothing more than a mattress for the Platt friends and family a long time ago. And Becky's stories have basically wrecked the character.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1333429/Coronation-Street-castmembers-old-new-grace-cover-Radio-Times-anniversary-issue.html

Barmaids reunited. Even if the show might see past characters as unworthy, I'm glad the press is doing this stuff.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3249835/The-rovers-return.html

I really wish they would bring Suzie Birchall back (give Gail something interesting to do). And Irma still looks nice.

Edited November 29, 201015 yr by CarlD2

More updates:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1360286&page=12

For any fans like me who love the old days, someone put up a Women of Corrie video from 1998, full of a lot of clips of various strong females (remember when Corrie had those?) of the show's first 37 years. They also have the 40th anniversary special, and the first 6 episodes.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Coronationstreettube

Edited December 1, 201015 yr by CarlD2

The barmaids article is great! I'm ashamed to say I don't know who most of them are, but nevertheless it's still nice to see the pictures. It's a much different article from the EE25 article where most of the original cast members seemed to have bad memories of the show.

The Sophie thing is really starting to irritate me. I can't believe there are people out there who thinks she's one of the top ten best characters over the show's entire history. She and Sian sat on the backburner for most of this year, and only recently did the show decide to do something with their storyline. And at them being named the top two sexiest, above Michelle Keegan. That's ridiculous.

The sexiest men list is pretty sweet. So good to see Ryan Thomas at the top followed by Rob James-Collier. I'd switch Ben Price out for Bruno Langley.

Is Corrie calling the Nick/Leanne/Peter/Carla thing a "love square"? I keep reading that on DS, over and over.

I wonder how Jane Danson feels, if Collinson has such disregard for Leanne that he overnight turns her into some kind of lying tramp who just can't help bedding down with the creepy ex who treats her like garbage. They have no chemistry, and this whole thing is so contrived. So is Carla's overnight obsession with Peter. This is supposed to be some type of great drama but it has just trashed Peter and Leanne and reinforced how one-note Carla is. Does she have anything to do beyond chase after other women's men? At one time I thought she had real potential but now she is extraneous.

So much of the drama seems contrived. I do not believe for a minute that Tyrone would demand another baby only a month or so after his last child was born (or he thought it was his child anyway).

I also don't understand why the huge bore known as Owen takes up so much airtime. Is seeing him beat up Jim McDonald, who barely has a presence on the show anyway, supposed to mean something? He's just a very dull Charlie Stubbs.

Collinson is lucky that Crowther was so unpopular, because the show seems just as plot-driven and full of miserable people now as it was under her tenure.