Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Yeah, I've heard people say that Ashley and Claire had to go because there was nothing you could do with their characters, and I laughed, because a) why do you have to "do" something with characters, and b ) take your pick with this show. It doesn't help that the new hires over the last year are generally so bad. It does not fill me with confidence about the show's priorities. Keep the worst of the old and bring in new who are as bad or worse.

I agree about the last scene. I think Alan Halsall has done a good job most of this week but that wasn't great, and also not a great way to end the episode.

Apparently the ratings were about 13-14 million, which is pretty good, since this episode hasn't been heavily advertised so much as the entire week has.

[BadBoy93]

Been a while since i posted on here but after watching Tram week , here is my thoughts on Corrie

- Tram Week Was Great. Exciting and important. The Stunt was really good and was something you couldn't turn away from

- Acting was marvellous by the majority of the cast including Jane Danson (Leanne)

- William Roache (Ken) is the man

- Kevin & Molly's Affair was finally revealed to Sally

- The Death's Were Sad but well done especially the first one

- The Live Episode was good "But" It didn't feel Live

- The Tram Crash Aftermath was brilliant due to how realistic it was

- Characters I Love - Ken , Rita , Peter , Norris , Leanne , Maria , Kirk , Simon , John , Tina & Mary

- Characters I Dislike - Bill , Dev , Ciaran , Sean , Becky & Pam

- Characters I Want Back - Elsie , Ena , Annie , Albert , Alf , Hilda , Bet , Alec , Vera , Blanche , Mike , Jack , Curly , Terry , Percy , Martin

, Alan , Sarah-Louise , Reg , Fiona , Fred , Natalie , Les , Toyah , Candice , Shelley , Richard , Cilla , Charlie & Danny

[DRW50]

It's nice to see you posting again. I'd like to see Ena, Elsie, and Annie again too, but sadly that won't happen At least we have our memories. What I'd really like to see is all the episodes made available, not just a select few.

Did you get to see the DVD special Curly was in earlier this year? How as it?

I haven't watched tonight's yet but I read that they had a montage. Groan. Between that and the Peter death fakeout and all that, it seems like the show is running away from most of what made it unique. I know Tony Warren has praised Collinson but I wonder how he really feels when he sees those cheesy montages and sound effects and gimmicks about "4 funerals" when only 3 people died. Now when a lot of people think about the anniversary they will wonder why the show misled, for no real reason. Why not just have Maria choke to death on her extensions or something. That's #4.

Jean Alexander feels the show has lost its identity.

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a292473/jean-alexander-corrie-lost-its-identity.html

Edited December 10, 2010 by CarlD2

[BadBoy93]

still it was a very entertaining week. I dont mind her complaining because she is right , the show isnt what it once was. It doesnt feel like real life that much anymore. It feels like a US Primetime soap opera , but never the less its gripping the nation all over again.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

The hype of the anniversary week and live episode will end, and then what's left?

The live episode caused a lot of destruction for the 40th anniversary in 2000. Many claimed it took the show a while to recover after it, since they poured so many resources into it and didn't plan in the long-term for much else. EastEnders suffered the same fate this year when they only planned for the live episode and not much else after it, and it will take the show a while to recover from it. I think Corrie will probably face the same problem again with the longterm aftermath of it all.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

I think it's better off and worse off than Eastenders, because they didn't really have any big reveal that had to be kept secret until their live episode. Stacey killing Archie was kept secret from a lot of actors and they clearly had barely planned out the aftermath -- the episode where Stacey and Max talked about the truth was written on the fly.

On the other hand, Eastenders, at least on paper, had several big stories which were supposed to take up the slack (Chryed, Lucas). That didn't really work out, but the idea at least made sense.

I guess Corrie's stories could work out, but to me they seem to be very thin. Tracy returning again -- her last appearance wasn't exactly a great success and I think a lot of fans are tired of Becky and Steve. The "love square" is seriously compromised by the poor work from Ben Price and the character assassination of Leanne and by Carla's overnight obsession with Peter. The story about baby Jack doesn't affect that many people and the show

doesn't suggest they have any real ideas or hope for this storyline. What else is there? Gary's PTSD could be interesting I guess, if they stop with all the special effects and actually have faith in the actor. Lloyd and the wooden stripper and her boring ex is dull. So is the Stape silliness. So is everything with the snoozeworthy Charlie Stubbs knockoff. Then there's the great idea of bringing in Chris Fountain as a Duckworth when all of his relatives are gone and he could have had a few last scenes with his grandfather if the show had planned it differently -- but then, if the other new characters are any indication, I guess Fountain will just spend months standing around with his mouth half-open.

Edited December 11, 2010 by CarlD2

[Ben]

I think Corrie is seen to be in a better position than EE, simply b/c some changes have taken place. Of course, the storylines are still left over from Kim Crowther, and should've ended, like Molvin and Stape/Fishwick, and that is their weakness. ITA with everything you said about the stories, as they don't have much to take them through the New Year, except for Tracy, who I think they're pinning a lot on, especially with:

Ideally, Tyrone would be better off leaving, and the show bringing in a new family; they should also dump most of those new characters, as they just don't work or are not needed. I hate the way Bill and Pam have been sidelined in favour of the new builder - I know they're only recurring, but more could be done with them. Also, there seems to be a bit of a mess with Liz, and that weird story w/ Jim's return and that builder guy. What happened to Jim anyway? Last I saw, Steve told builder guy that Liz had dumped him after jetting off to Spain off screen.

I also think it's weird how they've fired the guy that plays Eddie. The Windasses work, b/c each one brings something different, and when one falls, the two left will feel incomplete and alone. Ironically, when they first arrived, I believed that Anna would've better as a single mother, but since they've changed the characters for the better, that no longer stands.

Also, anyone else notice that they seemed to have slightly changed Greame's appearance? He doesn't look so goofy, or Curly-esque, almost like they wanted him to look better, b/c he's with Tina.

[DRW50]

I've heard a few others say Anna would be better off without Eddie, but I think that might just further isolate her.

I don't see why they decided that Graeme needed to be "normal." He was popular with fans because he was weird. I don't believe the actor can pull off serious material and Tina just seems to be there to help him along. Don't they remember what happened to Curly when he became "normal"?

I can see why they have decided to extend the story with John, because it is one of those weird things which can go on and on as it was odd to begin with, and Graeme Hawley is an underrated actor who has always given his best to this silly stuff. It seems like they keep this up because they have to stretch to 5 episodes a week. But it has become so ridiculous. I just wonder whether any of this will ever affect anyone on the Street. It's such an isolated story.

I really wonder why Tracy needs to be back. I get that she's Amy's mother but I think people need a break from Becky/Steve stories. All of Tracy's relationships seem played out (especially the one with Deirdre) and Kate Ford isn't a very good actress. The only way I would be interested in her return is if she made life hell for Carla, and I wonder if the show will even remember Peter and Tracy were close.

When was Jim last seen? After he was beaten up?

I guess Izzy's father and sister were supposed to make up a new family, but I don't think they click. I don't understand why they cast such an incredibly dull actor for a role which was supposed to have some type of spark. The story with Liz seemed to be scuttled quickly, as Bev Callard vanished without much real explanation.

Corrie used to be great at creating new characters. Even Kim Crowther had some like Mary. I wonder what has changed. If Collinson is ashamed of creating silly new characters, surely they are better than dullards.

The show has a lot of characters at the moment who do nothing and who are played by actors not talented enough to drive story. The show seems afraid to get rid of them or somehow lulled into thinking that this is just what Corrie is. But beyond that the show has become so cordoned off that even if characters who are supposed to be major suddenly disappeared, I'm not sure how many would notice. Corrie used to be a very character-driven show. It was about people interacting, not as much about their stories. Now it's very plot-driven, but as a result, the show no longer has any tone and you get really weird things like Steve barely noticing that a tram crashed or a building blew up or that one of his friends died. Not to mention how many characters shrugged off Rita being found after a week in the rubble.

[DRW50]

A few 1995 clips of Tracy, after she had started taking drugs. This was before the character became some sort of weird campy joke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO0OdWNTflY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pA8QymIdE0

[DRW50]

I will say that as much as I'm dreading Tracyluv's return, the character was popular during Kate Ford's run, and they had her in some good stories. The actual buildup of Tracey meeting her match in Charlie Stubbs (who was sex on legs -- if they could get away with any fake death story, it would be with him) and slowly being driven to madness. The real mistake was in having Tracey kill him.

Her return early this year was just terrible. Perhaps this one will be better, I don't know.

[DRW50]

[DRW50]

It looks like Claire's exit is going to be good. Or I hope so anyway.

[Dion]

Go Claire! You get her! lol

[Sylph]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12008612

[DRW50]

That should be a huge change. I wonder what the new set will look like. Maybe we won't notice a difference.

When Collinson wants a character gone, they're gone, huh? Ashley, a 15-year character, gets no funeral, just some cheapjack thing that was apparently thrown together by the characters in two days. Quite a goodbye