I've always heard the Rosie rumor.

Both are just awful. No wonder he refused. The show or someone at ITV seemed to take it out on the character, including making him a deadbeat for years. I read that David said earlier this year he went to stay with Martin. The actor is now a cheesemaker, but maybe they could bring him back every blue moon for visits...

Falling back into the show as I routinely do every now and then. I haven't seen enough episodes to comment on the show's quality but last time I watched David and Kylie and co were in the midst of some big secret that they were desperately trying to hide and you inevitably knew it was going to come out. Now, David and Kylie and co are in the midst of some big secret and they are desperately trying to hide it but you know it will inevitably come out. Is there a reason for the deja vu? lmao I do find it wonderfully OTT that there's a body hidden under Gail's annex. I mean, that poor bitch just can't catch a break. I bet she'll be accused/arrested for it (I'm watching from Hulu, so I'm a couple weeks behind).

I'm no longer uploading Corrie episodes on Youtube due to copyright strikes, so here is my Dailymotion channel.

 

http://www.dailymotion.com/StephStokes

 

One of the episodes is June 12, 2002 - the second day of Bet's return. This is the first:

 

 

These are the third and fourth:

 

 

 

You may want to watch these while you can as Youtube will probably be taking them down soon enough.

 

I guess this return is called a disaster because of Julie abruptly quitting and throwing the show into the lurch (frankly I am impressed that they invited her back for a brief return the next year - many shows may not have), but otherwise it's not that bad, really? The story is a little thin, she's a little too coarse, and obviously she isn't as well-written as she was in the '90s, but they remembered her key relationships and the basics of the character. 

 

I think it was BetterForgotten (?) who said they tried to make Becky into Karen, and you can see that in the June 2004 episode I put on my Dailymotion, where she has a meltdown after Steve doesn't show up for the surprise birthday meal she has planned. It's unpleasant to watch, but you can still feel for her, whereas with Becky, she was just made to be too grotesque.

It wasn't a terribly written return (there's been a lot worse), I think the only reason it gets so much sh!t was because Julie abruptly quit and it was during the era in the early 00's where they show wasn't very popular with the general press. I do have to wonder if there's a lot more to why Julie quit than she's ever let on. I know she said she severely disliked the shooting schedule as it had changed and was more grueling than when she left in 1995, but I feel like it had to have been something or someone else that led her to quit so quickly. 

 

Corrie was very lucky to have Suranne Jones back then, she really carried a lot of the material they thew at Karen. She was probably the most popular actress on UK soaps when she left, and I'm glad she's never looked back. 

Edited December 5, 201510 yr by BetterForgotten

Not sure if it's true or not, but someone at Digital Spy said Julie fell out with various people during her return. Someone else said Tracy Shaw (Maxine) didn't like her and complained about her to the press. Of course given that six months later the show let Shaw leave over a salary dispute and killed her off, I tend to wonder if she wasn't too popular herself...

It's probably best she quit, I can't imagine what silliness Bet would be reduced to if she was on the show currently. Could you imagine her propping up the likes of Michelle and Sean? Ugh. 

 

However, the Rovers would probably still be a genuine establishment if she was still there, that's for sure.  

It's probably best she quit, I can't imagine what silliness Bet would be reduced to if she was on the show currently. Could you imagine her propping up the likes of Michelle and Sean? Ugh. 

 

However, the Rovers would probably still be a genuine establishment if she was still there, that's for sure.  

Definitely. Or I could see her running The Bistro or Joinery or whatever the hell its called.

 

I think Liz is the strongest example of what they can no longer do with middle-aged women - they can't allow them to mature or have dignity and still be formidable or desirable. Liz is just written as a dumb, shouty, spiteful whore.

 

I'd never watched a lot of this period of Corrie, but I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying 2002. It's a strong year, for the most part, and well-balanced. 2001 I have more of a problem with, because I think the "issue" stories were a mistake and were nothing but earnest awkwardness, but you can still see the seeds for better stuff to come. 

I disagree about Liz. I loved the recent scenes with Liz dumping Tony and getting his shares of the Rovers, all the while still loving him, but being rid of him because it was the smart decision to do. 

I disagree about Liz. I loved the recent scenes with Liz dumping Tony and getting his shares of the Rovers, all the while still loving him, but being rid of him because it was the smart decision to do. 

It's not so much the recent material with Liz and Tony (which I think was a good conclusion of the storyline) as the general regression of the character over the years, especially how she reacts to things and her relationship with Steve. I feel like she and Steve both lost about 50 IQ points in the last 5-10 years, and I'm not sure why. 

Topele Dorgu will be recurring on Hollyoaks. Not a big role, but after the way she was allegedly treated at Corrie, I'm happy for her. I always liked Kelly.

 

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hollyoaks/news/a777016/hollyoaks-casts-ex-coronation-street-star-tupele-dorgu-as-new-doctor/

 

(HO spoilers)

Edited December 12, 201510 yr by DRW50

Topele Dorgu will be recurring on Hollyoaks. Not a big role, but after the way she was allegedly treated at Corrie, I'm happy for her. I always liked Kelly.

 

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hollyoaks/news/a777016/hollyoaks-casts-ex-coronation-street-star-tupele-dorgu-as-new-doctor/

 

(HO spoilers)

Good for her! I am glad she is back on screen too given how Antony Cotton allegedly treated her on Corrie. I liked Kelly too. I hope her Hollyoaks role pans out to be something long term for her.