Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[JamesF]

Michelle Collins's accent has varied wildly since her first scene but seemed to be finally settling down by the end of tonight's episode. I live in Manchester though I'm not a Northerner and even if it doesn't resemble anything I hear on a daily basis I think she might be passable as she gets used to it.

What I don't get is why she had to have an accent. When Phil Collinson was interviewed on This Morning, the presenters tried to hint that it didn't go down well and was trending on Twitter but he pretty much talked over them to drown out criticism and praise the Stella character to the nth degree. I don't feel strongly about it but I'm really getting a sense of shoehorning an old friend into a role. The set up of the family and the supposed planned storyline isn't bad in itself but Collinson insisted that the landlady should be Northern and clearly she's high profile so...why go for Cindy Beale when there are dozens of powerhouse Northern actresses who could do the job better?

I've read all the criticism about the show over the past few months, here and on Digital Spy and I'm starting to feel ennui about the show. Certain set ups are funny, the odd scene is touching but the whole product is becoming really unappealing. I've not felt so ambivalent about catching episodes since the never ending Frankie/Jamie/Danny triangle.

[DRW50]

Apparently Michelle insisted on a Northern accent because she didn't want to have the same accent she had in Eastenders.

You'd think she would be more concerned about her inability to move her face.

The show is heartless. Collinson has taken any heart Corrie had left. It's also rigidly plot-driven - characters like Tracy or Carla go from genius to chump within an episode. It's a miserable experience.

Edited June 18, 2011 by CarlD2

[Ben]

ITA with James - her accent wasn't awful. It dipped in and out a bit, but for the most part it was passable.

The thing that bugs me the most about Collinson, is that there is this feeling that he doesn't like to listen to audience feedback - he doesn't think it's important, b/c as he's said in the past: "Corrie is run by the writers". I think that's a little arrogant, as fans should have a voice, and our criticism should be listened to as we are just as likely to know when story/characters aren't working.

The show is unappealing, and I think that's b/c a lot of the characters aren't very likeable at all; everyone seems to be nasty all the time.

[DRW50]

It always amazes me when I hear "Corrie is the comedy soap" and "Corrie isn't depressing like Eastenders." The only comedy on the show now is ugly putdowns. If it's not more depressing it's because the show never commits to telling any story all the way through - they will always skip most of the aftermath and most of the buildup, because it's easier to have the same half-dozen scenes again and again, followed by a week of hysteria, followed by nothing.

[Skylover]

This show is in such a terrible state. I have been watching it for about six months just because it's the oldest soap in the UK and I thought if it's got such history then it must be a great show...

Little did I know that I would be tuning in to poor writing, tens of characters who have stayed past their use-by-date and the poorest acting of all the soaps. It makes me sad that when Neighbours is on such a creative high Coronation Street gets about 6m more viewers a day.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Corrie has been getting the crap kicked out of it by the press lately. I haven't seen such vitriol thrown at a soap since EastEnders during the Louise Berridge era.

Here's the latest article attacking the show, namely Michelle Collins, and claiming that Phil Collinson will be gone in 2012:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/3687723/Michelle-Collins-really-is-car-crash-telly.html#ixzz1Rkio76xH

[DRW50]

I've seen some of this at Digital Spy - a rare break from the usual Eastenders hysteria. I'm sorry that so much of it centers on gay characters. For one thing, it's pathetic that gay characters are what drives the press against a show. For another, I have zero idea why the gay stories, which have generally been non-events, full of eunuchs who rush through plot points while managing to say the same thing every time, is controversial. I come to the conclusion it's controversial solely because it's on Corrie.

That's where Collinson has failed. He doesn't bother to read the nature of the show, how the public perceives the show, or how a soap works. Instead it's just rushed stunt after rushed stunt. Who cares if Cindy Beale is fighting for her life? You barely know her. Why are she and Leanne already reconciled? People say oh well it's great they aren't doing this like Eastenders. It's great that they aren't actually bothering to tell a story at all?

You can say very reasonable excuses for why ratings are down so much, and they'd all be true. But the fact that the press is even trying to push the idea of massive ratings loss is pretty damning. Clearly Corrie has done something to push their buttons. Even Collinson giving them every single detail of every story hasn't helped.

That little report about Collinson's story meeting kind of tells what his vision of the show is. He was eager to get a big new story for Nick, since Nick is such an important character. Never mind that Nick could leave tomorrow and only Gail would really notice. Or that Ben Price has consistently ruined every story he's been in. Collinson always seems to champion the show's worst actors and characters.

I'm also so tired of how he has destroyed Carla. He has made her the Sharon Newman of Corrie. She is beyond pathetic in every way.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

this is damn pathetic how both Collinson and Collins had to go on This Morning to defend themselves against the press attacks.

They're giving it more attention, so now the press is really going to do wild on them.

<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TMjluX7WW88" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Edited July 12, 2011 by Y&RWorldTurner

[DRW50]

I think Collinson probably wants this type of press attention. I think he sees it as another way to get ratings. There was no reason to go on TV about this. It isn't that huge of a crisis. As others have said, Louise Berridge, who was under attack for over a year, did not go on TV. He seems so eager to get hype that he is destroying any integrity or quality Corrie had.

Why was Michelle Collins there? And didn't they previously say that she wanted to do the accent? Now she's saying she had no choice.

I also don't believe that Sean is a popular character. A few years ago, possibly, but I think his stories, especially that story with Violet and the baby, destroyed most of his popularity. Cotton was horrifically bad (remember all the crying into a pillow?).

[Skylover]

I feel quite sorry for Michelle Collins as I don't think she deserves all the criticism she's getting. The press really annoys me. To be honest I'm surprised that Phil Collinson and Michelle seem to be taking it so well, they don't seem upset at all.

Still, as you say, there was really no need for them to go on TV for this. What a waste of time. Thanks for the link though, it was interesting watcing it.

Edited July 12, 2011 by Edward Skylover

[DRW50]

Someone is uploading some early 90's Corrie episodes. Come look at the days when the show had normal characters, when Deirdre was miserable and punishing instead of a brain dead self-parody, Steve was young and fun instead of stupid and miserable, and people actually had conversations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNSQQs_syo

[All My Shadows]

Those must be from the 90s DVD sets that came out last week! I'll be sure to check them out before they disappear, though it seems classic Corrie's been sticking around a lot longer on YouTube than it used to. I think all of the DVD episodes from the 60s and 70s are still up there.

[DRW50]

They're all very good. It's especially interesting to see the McDonalds when they seemed real and weren't the embarrassingly bufoonish, wretched self-parodies of recent years. All those who praised Jim's exit because "It was SUPPOSED to be a comedy!" should watch the episodes when Liz delivers that premature baby. Good luck getting that on Collinson's watch. Instead Carla would plow into her on a bender and she'd deliver a healthy baby released from the hospital after two days.

[All My Shadows]

I'm very excited to delve into some of those. I've never really watched a lot of late 80s/early 90s Corrie, so I'm thankful to the poser of those vids!

Carl, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this, but with the news of Katherine Kelly Lang's son doing gay porn making random websites, I thought it was hilarious that one site, obviously totally unaware of who KKL really is, posted a picture of Katherine Kelly with a little inset of KKL's son:

I don't know why, but that's so funny to me

[DRW50]

That IS hilarious. I guess that's what happens when the UK is one of the few foreign countries to not become obsessed over B&B. Poor Kat Kelly. Now they'll say KKL is having a feud with Kym Marsh.