Thursday 30 June 2011

What's in the wind for the Windasses?

(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog September, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

I suppose everyone's allowed a holiday sometime, but as a big Windass fan I've been experiencing "Eddie withdrawals" as he's only been glimpsed on screen occasionally and very briefly recently *pine*. However, today I read over on (contains spoiler) Digital Spy that the Afghanistan storyline, in which Gary Windass (played by Mikey North) features as a bomb disposal expert is definitely in the pipeline and is due to be Very Emotional. Hankies at the ready. I think this will be a good one. Lots of families have sons and daughters in the Forces and will be able to identify with this.

I know many people loathe Eddie due to his dreadful layabout tendencies and filthy habits, but there's more to him than that, and I think we're about to see Eddie at his best. However, I really hope the Coronation Street writers don't redeem him too much. Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) is always really good at humour and pathos so this will be ideal for her, and Mikey North is a credit to Corrie, so all in all, I'm going to sit back and enjoy. I only hope that Gary's upcoming flirtation with the awful Kylie is brief - I'd far rather see a Gary/Izzy romance develop.

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Linus, James or Bill Roache?

As this is an open Coronation Street blog and there may be people under 16 reading it, here's a poser for you - which one of the Roache men would you like to knit a nice hat for?

Here's Flaming Nora's choice right here.

Bill Roache's Dream come True


(This post was originally posted by me on the Coronation Street Blog in August, 2010, reposted with permission.)

The Roache "Family Affair"  is on our screens currently. Yes, Ken Barlow has discovered that he has a long lost son, one of the stalwart Soap Opera Plots. This time, it works, considering how many women Ken has had in the past! There was bound to be a love child in the woodpile, wasn't there? Anyway, in the Mirror today there's an interview with the Roache men about working together on Coronation Street.

Bill looks at it as a "dream come true", proudly working with his two sons. As you know, in the storyline, Ken gets back in touch with old girlfriend Susan Cunningham, the girl he was dating when Corrie first started in 1960. He figures out that her son is also his, and if he looked in the mirror or at an old photo, the resemblence is obvious! Linus is a dead ringer for a young Bill Roache, after all. His newly discovered son, Lawrence, is a professor but Ken has just found out that his son Lawrence has disowned his son because he is gay. Ken, of course, is very liberal and doesn't care about these things and tries to play peacemaker this week.

Linus says it's "a dream" to be working with his dad and his brother and James, the new actor-kid on the block, considers it an honour. James is also playing his father in the BBC drama Florizel Street, the story of how Coronation Street made it to the airwaves.

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Who was Corrie's Susan Cunningham?

This past week on Coronation Street, Ken got a shock when Emily handed him a letter she's found hidden in her house.

The letter turned out to be from Ken's ex-girlfriend Susan Cunningham and this leads to Ken's long-lost son and grandson turning up the Street.

But who was Susan Cunningham? I couldn't remember so I did a bit of hard-core research (aka Google) and here's what I found. Susan Cunningham dated Ken around 1960-61 and only appeared in four episodes. She was played by actress Patricia Shakesby who went on to star in Howard's Way.

I wrote a summary of Corrie's first episode which introduces Susan, read it here.

You can watch Susan Cunningham on YouTube here, she's the woman in the full skirt, not the one with the dark hair (that's Beryl Bainbridge!).

Monday 27 June 2011

The Children of the Street

There are a lot of child related story lines going on at the moment.  I am currently watching Monday's episode and we have touched upon:

1.  Ken Barlow's long lost son Lawrence together with mention of Lawrence having a son of his own.
2.  Kyle's son Max and how she stole him from the foster parents only to have to give him back but now this opens up for Becky to fill the childless hole in her heart to get him back.
3.  Ashley has become a single dad now that Claire has run for the safety of her mum's house.  Thankfully Graeme was there to make Joshua put his shoes on.
4. Aadi is coming home from the hospital hurray!
5.  The youngest Webster is still MIA.
6.  And the newest Webster is on his way....

Corrie weekly awards: June 20 - 25 (Canadian timeline)


How d'ya like me now, ma? award: Sally's face when Kevin told her it was true about Sophie and Sian. Rosie's, too, but Rosie was a little too supportive, giving her money to run away with.

Vindictive Award: Gold Star: Dev on a vendetta against Claire when it wasn't her fault.
Silver Star: And Sally Webster is a pro at firing shots across the Peacock bow and all.

Fashion statement: Rita's flowered jacket was a very bold statement.

Quietest Stag Night Ever: Gold Star: Roy's "stag night" was a far cry from Hayley's.

Sourpuss award: Gold Star: Sally had reason to be sour at the wedding or at least she thinks she does. What was Norris' excuse?

Pants on fire award: How many more lies can Natasha tell before she gets found out? Fiz already knows her secret. Kylie swears she had nothing to do with Steve's bike going missing but she's splitting the procedes of the sale through a dodgy mate.

Lines of the Week:
Roy on what to do on the night before his wedding: "I thought a period of quiet contemplation ..." (doh)
Deirdre about Ken: "I don't know why I didn't think of this years ago... just not listen!"
Hayley: "Before I met Roy, I thought a good man were like a unicorn." Becky: "White hair, big horn!"
Roy to Hayley: "I will remain standing beside you. That will not change."
Sally about lesbianism: "There are no dungarees in this 'ouse!" (And she didn't know about Sophie yet.)
Natasha: "Any day now, I could get pregnant."

Pics: William Roache's son as young Ken Barlow

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog in July, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

There's some wonderful pictures from the filming of the Coronation Street docudrama called The Road to Coronation Street for BBC4. Here's William Roache's son James playing the young Ken Barlow in the show.

There's more great pictures at Daily Mail online.

James Roache turns up in Coronation Street this week as Ken Barlow's grandson.

Sunday 26 June 2011

State of the Street - August 2010 for June 2011

We're at the point in the storyline where we've just cracked the beginning of September 2010. That means there's a roundup of August's storylines due! I always make notes about some of the storylines that dominated Coronation Street for each month and my own feelings about them, good, bad or ugly. You can read about August here on my UK Corrie blog.

Sunday Corrie Comments, June 26

It was the Royal Corrie Wedding of the year and wasn't it a party!!! That was amazing! From the train, even with Mary trying to sabotage it and Fiz and Becky pumping that hand car, to Roy's delight to see her and his touching speech! Awwwww!!! Hayley looked so nice even if it was Mary's dress! Even at the last minute, Mary was trying to put the guilters into Hayley but she didn't back down and invite Mary and i think overhearing Becky making fun of Mary probably pushed her past that edge of her tenuous sanity. Norris, of course, was a grumpy guts, i don't know why he even bothered going if all he was going to do was complain. Just scared he'd miss something and he got his fill, all right. The bus set off and Mary followed it, just like Jaws stalking a swimmer!

Just an aside, boy they sure got off that platform and into the train lickety split didn't they? I think that was probably where the break was in the middle of the show in the UK. Still... There's Mary sitting on the end of the platform and nobody saw her even though they were all leaning out the window waving? And who were they waving at? There was only her and they would have been waving something different than a full hand wave if they'd seen her! And the result? Half way down the line, the last car unloosed itself. Wouldn't they have heard a clang or felt a jerk as the car came away?

And wow, Didn't it all kick off between the Websters and the Peacocks! Feathers were flying and Sophie and Sian didn't stick up for Claire. Sally poked and stoked and it was her fault... her temper got the better of her and she was the one that caused all the trouble and it sparked that red headed temper in Claire. Uh oh, she let the lesbian cats out of the bag! Did you see Sally's face? Will Sally believe her? No, because Sophie didn't own up at the wedding.

Kevin later told her he'd support her but it wasn't about that, it was about Aadi. But when she did tell her dad, he was shocked but he did try to understand. What a sweet little scene between her and her dad, too, wasn't it? but then he told Sally and uh oh.... Poor Sally's in shock and she didn't handle it very well but she means well. She would have been supportive if she'd had the chance and once she'd got her head around it.

What was i telling you about Sian being a bad influence? I'm serious. I'm with Sally on that point. Now Sian has decided that she and Sophie must run away because nobody will accept them as a couple when it's just that she's scared of her father finding out. I feel bad for Sian as far as that goes but running away? And what did Rosie do? Fund them! I suppose she knew she wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. We'll be in for a few weeks of Sally hand wringing and feeling guilty now.


But back to the wedding... Awwww... It was so lovely! Roy could barely manage a kiss but the cheer from the audience was resounding. Roy's speech was very heartfelt and touching, too. Off they went in the Woody and happiness to them. Did you happen to notice a blonde woman at a table by the dance floor, wearing a white top and dark jacket? She was also behind Norris when he caught the bouquet. That's my mate R'Annie! And you can see a pictorial essay of the day here.

Hayley looked so funny standing on that push cart at attention! Mary back at the bar was full of bitterness. It sounds like her mother has a lot to answer for. Becky is pretty sure that Mary was responsible, i laughed at her winding up Mary in the cafe, pretending that forensics were looking for her fingerprints.

Didn't take Michelle long to get her feet back under the table. Can Ciaran be far behind? At least Liz stood up for herself. Liz *is* the manager and licensee after all. Kylie damn well is responsible for Steve's bike gone missing. She might not have taken it herself so she could swear to it but she did arrange for it and then used some of the money to buy her little boy, Max, a toy for his birthday and then hiked out the bathroom window with him. Luckily, Becky managed to diffuse the situation and persuade Kylie to give Max back. Do it the right way and Kylie will get Max back but otherwise, she never will.

Meanwhile, Ken has tracked down Susan's son, Lawrence and he's got a son, James. Deirdre had no room to be bitchy about Ken not telling her anything. She's been giving him the silent treatment for weeks if she hasn't been bickering with him.
Ken meets Susan's son and it's clear to everyone but him (ok, Deirdre) that Lawrence is the spit of Ken, snobby attitude, mannerisms and philandering included. Deirdre sure changed her tune when she saw how good looking Lawrence is. Well there's no surprise that he's turned out to be Ken's son. And i swear, they're trying to make Deirdre into her mother, with all those sarcastic remarks. Wonderful casting, too. You do know that both actors are the real-life sons of Bill Roache! Linus Roache is Lawrence. The younger one whom we'll meet next week, James Roache, played his father in the Road to Coronation Street (My review of it here), the story of how Tony Warren created Corrie. It's available in Canada now, so look for it, it's very much worth it.

Dev is horrible. Just horrible. How on earth any rational man could go on a blame rampage against neighbours he's known for years, i don't know. First it's Claire, then it's Sophie and Sian. Then it's Claire again but oh, Sophie ran away it must be her to blame (Aided by Ashley, mind you who was just protecting his wife). I don't like Dev and i like him even less now.

Ah so Fiz found out that Natasha isn't really pregnant. It was a short leap but she let Fiz believe she'd had a miscarraige. She's trying to get pregnant and thinks she can get away with a date mixup but come on... you might be able to get away with a few weeks but she should be almost 2 months gone now or even a little more.

Saturday 25 June 2011

We Love Weatherfield


Just because it's Friday and we love Coronation Street.

Friday 24 June 2011

Sneak Preview of next week's Canadian Corrie, June 27 - July 1

In brief, here's what's coming up on Canadian screens next week in Coronation Street:

A new baby arrives with the help of a neighbour. Claire has had enough of the gossip and makes a plan. Will Ashley go along with it? The truth is out there. Will it end the bad feelings?

Ken tries to bond with and play peacemaker for his new-found family. Kylie may be about to get her family back, if she doesn't blow it. Gary fancies one girl and gets an offer from another. Natasha's lies weigh heavily.

For more detail and photos, visit the Moosejaw Mercury on Corrie.net.

Thursday 23 June 2011

Interview with Corrie’s real-life Hayley Cropper

This interview was first published on Coronation Street Blog in August 2010. The woman interviewed has been an advisor to Granada for Hayley Cropper's character to make sure they got it right when dealing with trans gender issues. Reprinted with permission.


Here at the Coronation Street blog, we are privileged to bring you an exclusive interview with the lady who helped bring Corrie’s Hayley Cropper to life.

Working with Press for Change, the lobbying and educational organisation, which campaigns to achieve equal civil rights and liberties for all transsexual people in the UK, she’s been the advisor to Coronation Street since April 1998, three months after Hayley first appeared on screen.

We are absolutely honoured to speak now to the woman whose help and advice has propelled Hayley to become one of Corrie’s best loved female characters.

Q: First off, how did you enjoy Hayley’s wedding tonight on Corrie?
Wonderful! Very happy that Granada have continued to invest in Roy and Hayley as a couple and still occasionally drop in the kind of everyday situations that trans people face, legally and socially, in the wider world. The legal wedding of the Croppers is, in a way, the final step in a 12 year journey. It was all shot on location at the end of June, when we still had a summer, so it all looks beautiful. It was a lovely atmosphere on set for those five days of filming... I got quite emotional!

Q: Most people thought that Roy and Hayley were already married, so why was this second wedding necessary?
When Roy and Hayley first wanted to marry, they were unable to do so because the law at the time refused to acknowledge that Hayley was now a woman, i.e. she was still legally male. The best they could have was a “blessing ceremony”. The change of law brought about by the Gender Recognition Act of 2004 means that persons such as Hayley could now apply for a revised birth certificate, legally allowing her to marry the man of her choice, Roy. Since the law changed, I’d been hoping the story team would “finish the story” as it were, so I was delighted when I was told in March that it would indeed be featured this year.

Q: How did you get involved in bringing Hayley to life?
I was introduced to the story team by campaigning group Press for Change in 1998, just as Hayley was leaving Weatherfield for the first time, because they wanted to bring her back later that year, and really get to grips with her as a person and the subject of transsexuality as a plotline. I had already expressed a desire to do so, because there were very large parallels with Hayley’s life and my own. It was more a consultation exercise about her thoughts, emotions and hopes, than it was about the legalities. Things that only a first-hand experience could relate. The regular advisory role gradually diminished as years went by and ended around 2001, but I have always tried to stay in contact with the office, and offer whatever help I can.  

Q: Are there any of your own experiences that you suggested for Hayley’s storylines on Corrie?
There weren’t that many incidents as such. It was more life experiences, such as her father refusing to acknowledge her as Hayley, the missing photographs of her as a teenager, the fear of discovery and the humiliation felt when insults were thrown. The tax office blunder experienced by Hayley and Mike Baldwin was one of the good ones though. Because the first meeting between myself and the researcher was taped, a lot of my quotes and lines were used by Hayley over the next couple of years. I was often asked what my reaction would be to certain situations.

Q: What’ve you been most proud of in your advisory role with Hayley on Corrie?
Helping to change public perceptions I suppose. Not all trans people are some of the attention-seekers we see occasionally in the press. I’ve also been very happy at the warmth and love shown by the public to this “odd couple” love story, which has had to overcome so many challenges to get to where they are today.

Q: Isn't Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Hayley on screen, a patron of Press for Change?
Julie’s patronage is not a duty, nor is she led by Press for Change. She is simply an ambassador for “the cause” as it were. Because of her character, and our personal friendship, she can answer almost any question on the subject with honesty and insight. She has a passion for social justice and equality, and the role of Hayley has allowed her to have her part in changing the world in a very real way. She was the perfect person to cast as Hayley... in every way.

Q: Do you think having such a high-profile transsexual such as Hayley has helped change the public’s understanding and perception of transsexuals in the UK?
It has been very encouraging to see the sensationalist aspect of transsexualism diminish, as the wider public came to know a trans woman face-to-face, albeit a fictional one. The vast majority of transpeople want the same as Hayley; a quiet life with the one they love. For those of us who experienced the conflicts and emotions of being trans from very early childhood, life up to the point of transition was anything but quiet. Life has, in many ways, but not all, been made a little easier for the other transpeople out there, men and women, who want just that.

Q: What would you dearly love to see Hayley achieve in the future on Corrie?
After this wedding, she’s achieved everything I think... certainly in the realm of trans issues. I’ve often suggested to the story team that the issue of Hayley’s mum needs addressing. (She left Hayley and her dad to run off with another man when Hayley was only 12). So technically, she’s out there somewhere.)
Although the storyline about foster child Wayne back in 2001 has prevented the couple fostering or adopting a child officially... I’d like to see them become some kind of parents in the future. Having said that, they almost are, to Fiz and Becky.I’d also like to see Hayley become her own boss somehow since she’s got the skills and drive to do so. Most of all, I just want to see Roy and Hayley happy ever after.

You can read more about Press for Change and their involvement with Coronation Street at the website here

Jamaican Coronation Street singalong


(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog August, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

This takes a little while to load but it's probably worth the wait.

Why not have a look at this blog post which lists loads of versions of the Coronation Street theme tune? Click here.

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Coronation Street and mental health


(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog in July, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

I'm full of admiration for Ian Puleston-Davies (Coronation Street's Owen Armstrong), who spoke out recently about his experience of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It's not an easy thing to do.

Beverley Callard has also spoken candidly about her experience of depression. There's still a considerable stigma around mental illness, mental health problems, call it what you will, and it really affects people's job prospects, relationships, self esteem, and so forth - so it's commendable when people in the public eye speak up. Sometimes, celeb depression/bipolar stories in the newspapers don't ring quite true somehow - but these ones do, to me.

Personally, I've seen mental illness from both sides - I spent years working as a counsellor and then due to reasons I'll spare you, suffered from severe agoraphobia and panic attacks which were truly horrendous. Although I don't suffer from OCD, I can identify with much of what Ian describes. Terrifying stuff. Fortunately in my case the worst is way behind me, I battled through it somehow, but like many I'm always afraid it will come back.
Mental health problems of one kind or another affect at least one in four of us (that's the stat. that's usually bandied about anyway), so they are a part of daily life - and Coronation Street reflects this. And the good thing is, they don't ruin it by going all po-faced and heavy-handed - like some "other serial dramas" I could mention.

A storyline which sticks in my mind for obvious reasons, is the Shelley Unwin one, where she developed agoraphobia. I thought it was handled pretty accurately, except she got over it awfully fast! but, hey - it is soapland, and it would have been awful AND counterproductive if they'd made it boring. Another storyline I thought was well-handled was Maria's reaction to Liam's death.

The Peter Barlow alcohol storyline has also been excellent. But best of the lot, in recent times - and I know we were all sick to the back teeth of hearing "He was a GOOD MAN" - aaargh!! - was the Joe McIntyre debt/desperation/faking own death saga. Very true to life - mostly! There are many (I WAS going to say, "in the same boat" - but won't) - who will be equally desperate, especially in the recession.
Anyway - many, many thanks to Corrie cast, writers, etc., for increasing awareness of these issues and showing that they are part of our daily lives.

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Congratulations, Roy and Hayley


We've just seen Roy and Hayley's wonderful wedding on Canadian screens and it really was superb! It had drama, confrontation and sheer romance from the heart. I've done a post over here with screen captures of the episodes as my own little souvenir and I hoped you might all enjoy it as well.

What's next for Rosie Webster?

I'm thinking I might be in a minority here, but I find Helen Flanagan's "turn" as Corrie's Rosie Webster very enjoyable. In fact, I've always thought she was a good character. I thought she was great as a Goth, and really funny as John Stape's seducer/nemesis.

She gets plenty of stick for getting her "nadgers" out and pouting too much, but personally I think Corrie is right to have a character who portrays the current desperation for WAG-style fame among some youngsters. The boob job sub-plot was well-observed. She gets some good lines as well. In a recent episode I liked her referring to John Stape and Charlotte as "pair of freaks" (spot on!) and thought her outfit with the tight tee shirt and the huge sunglasses was vintage Rosie.

They've got her as a cartoony, Betty Boop type, not meant to be taken too seriously, and I think Helen carries it off really well. But, I'd like to see her as less of a cardboard cut out. Rosie has a venal side but she's not totally self-serving and shallow - she's shown support to her mum and sister, for example. Interesting to see where this Coronation Street character goes next. In the meantime - I've started knitting her a nice cardi.


(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog in June, 2010, reposted with permission.)

Monday 20 June 2011

Corrie Canada weekly awards: June 13 - 17


Hen Night of the year:! Playing doctors and nurses and Samba night in the cafe and ROY -dear heavens! and oh my - can't Hayley dance!

Quietest Stag Night Ever: Gold Star: Roy's "stag night" was a far cry from Hayley's.

Sabotage award: Gold Star: Becky and Steve didn't get picked for adoption due to her half sister's nasty negative reference.

Are you new here? award: Gold Star: Nick saying to Natasha about moving in together "Are you sure I didn't push you into this?" (huh? who did all the chasing?)

Dumb Blonde award: Gold Star: Natasha shouldn't be using the exact same symptoms as Fiz. How can two of them both go off curry and Branston pickle?

Pants on Fire award: Gold Star: Kylie was telling porkies about her wonderful life.
Silver Star: Claire lied about leaving the kids with Sian and Sophie but Aadi could have got hurt no matter what.
Bronze Star: Sophie promised her mother no more lies. Umm...


Who peed in your cornflakes? award: Gold Star: Mary really is in a snit over the wedding, isn't she?

Styling:
Ooh, Liz has her old curly look back! She and Janice must have gone to the same stylist. Did Audrey get a deal on perm rods?
Hayley in a cardi and the anorak...in August!
Roy's Samba look - brilliant!

Lines of the Week:
David: "Since when has Nick done the right thing by anyone?" (got it in one)
Owen to Jason: "You obviously didn't inherit your mother's dynamic personality and rapier-like wit" (leftover from last week)
Rosie: "There is a God." Sophie: "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"
Eileen: "I got absolutely ratted and I would have left me on the doorstep and all!"
Eileen to Norris about Graeme: "He's a butcher, Norris, not the flippin' Pied Piper."
Fiz "You do not want to hit Canal Street sober. It's like seeing your Grandma naked!"
Kylie to Michelle: "Your perfume... what's it called? Past it?" and about Ciaran: "Nice guns (biceps), shame about the eyesight."
Mary to the hens: "I shall bid you good evening and leave you to your debauchery." (Jealous, much?)
Deirdre about Ken "I don't know why i didn't think of this years ago! Just not listening!"

Sunday 19 June 2011

Sunday Corrie Comments, June 19

Becky and Steve were turned down for adoption. There was a nice little moment with Liz and Becky, with Becky and Amy and even, Becky and Steve stuff. They really wrote this and handled it well i thought. In the end it really was very little to do with Becky's crafty fag. Turns out that her half sister Kylie tore Becky's reputation apart. I bet it was out of spite, too. How did they even find her? And Becky and Kylie get a family reunion. Typical, and it looks like Kylie is cut from the same cloth as Becky, it was all bashing, throwing things, and finally making a bit of peace.

What i don't understand is... if Kylie was just "squatting" or temporarily staying where Becky found her, how did the Social Services find her? Because she told Becky a pack of lies about that big house where she'd only cleaned for the guy for awhile. Hmm Kylie has a secret... why am I not surprised. And what's the secret? She's got a little boy who's in foster care and says they won't give him back. Um... because you don't have a home? We did initially meet you squatting in someone's house and Becky took you in because you had no place to go! No home, no job, no other support


Gotta say, though, the actress Paula Lane is great and i like her already! I'm not entirely sure i trust Kylie, though. This should be interesting. She ruffled Michelle's feathers by flirting with Ciaran but Michelle hasn't said Yes to Ciaran either. Feeling possessive, are we? Still, Kylie caused Michelle to thump Becky when she ducked out of harm's way and Michelle got sacked and Ciaran quit in sympathy. Oops. But didn't Kylie look smug at the trouble she caused! I think we're going to be in for a bumpy ride!



Chesney is smitten! You know, I'm starting to think Sally's right. I think Sian is a bad influence or at least one that is quite willing to buck the authorities and put a crack in Sophie's good girl exterior. That isn't always a bad thing but it's not always a good thing either. 



A mouse in the house, poor Emily and Norris was very rude and dismissive about Emily's phobia. There are better things to be concerned about, Norris has found a letter behind the skirting board and is fizzy with curiosity. Ken is too, his first love wanted to reconcile and he never knew. Now he's got to track her down. What will he find, i wonder and will Deirdre even care?


Funny stuff: Becky, Steve and Liz hastily putting their cigs out and spraying room freshener. Like that would really disguise it. Sophie gets a B... in religious studies of all things! Mary stalking the hen party from the shady confines of the motor home. Not that subtle and they didn't notice?

Sophie had four... no five kids to mind when Claire had to leave in an emergency. Poor Aadi fell over and knocked his head. It didn't seem that bad, he only fell two feet and couldn't have hit the table or the carpet covered floor that hard yet he's rushed to hospital with a head injury. Sophie only left the boys for a minute and accidents happen but she didn't know it did. Ah but Claire discovered that she and Sian are a couple!

Aadi must be the first kid that didn't complain that he didn't feel well so he could get out of school! Now he's got a haemorrage on his brain, poor lad! I don't get why everyone is in an uproar. He's a little boy, they get tumbles and bangs on the head and bruises all the time. They don't always tell Mum and Dad what happened and let's face it, there were 4 or 5 kids playing in the house that night. I am surprised Aadi didn't tell them he fell off the sofa.  But the powers that be are determined that someone hurt Aadi and Dev is just as determined that, since he knows it wasn't he or Sunita, it must have been Claire and he'll drag up all of her past problems to do it.

Unfortunately the worst thing about this lame story is the lame acting from Jimmi Harkishin. He's not really got a lot of emotional range does he?

Natasha ends up at the pre-natal class with Fiz and John... and the doctor that knows she's not pregnant! And an over enthusiastic Nick by her side. She's borrowing symptoms from Fiz and she stole the ultrasound scan! Eileen was bladdered on her date with Owen. I don't think that's the best way forward on a first date! Eileen didn't get to buy Tyrone and Molly's house and now her landlord is selling up (and in case you all forgot, Steve had to sell Number 11 to help pay for that big wedding Karen wanted). Stop and think about it. She was already approved for a mortgage to buy Number 9, why couldn't she buy her own? Yep, that's it. And get a second job doing Owen's books.

It's the countdown to the big wedding. Mary's still trying to "help" but she's getting very passive aggressive, hanging around and muttering and sighing. She makes a nuisance of herself but then makes a martyr of herself when she's invited to the hen night after all. Suit yourself! I half expected her to be peering through the windows, nose pressed up against the glass! To be fair, she knew that Hayley only asked her because she felt guilty but who made her feel guilty? Miss Mary Martyr.

Wasn't the hen night a blast?? All that salsa training has certainly paid off and wow, that was the best tango since Mavis trod the boards on the QEII! And Roy done up like a Spanish Waiter with a little tache and all!  Wonderful stuff! Roy's "stag" was low key but he wouldn't have been happy with anything else.

Friday 17 June 2011

Come in Number 169!

My mum sent me an email the other day to update me on Corrie (and her vegetable garden).  Don't worry this isn't a spoiler.

She told me about Craig Charles' break from the cobbles to go back to the mining ship.  It must be true, there is an article on the official Red Dwarf website.


Obviously they read my blogs !

Sneak Preview of next week's Corrie, June 20 - 24

In brief, here's what's coming up on Canadian screens next week in Coronation Street:

The fairytale wedding of the year, complete with wicked witch is finally upon us! There's glitches, unhitches and hitches. There's drama and tears. Don't miss it!

The pack turns on one member of the community and when another's secret comes out, they make an escape plan. Yet another person is still keeping a secret, too but is being pressured to reveal it. Kylie's presence causes waves. Ken meets his past.

For more detail and photos, visit the Moosejaw Mercury on Corrie.net.

Thursday 16 June 2011

My Fantasy Corrie Cast

(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog in June, 2010, reposted with permission.)
 
After reading the recent post about Lysette Anthony joining Corrie, I was just thinking about all the famous faces "d'un age certain" - 'scuse my French - that have appeared on Coronation Street.

Not the ones who appeared when they were still unknowns, like Joanna Lumley - I mean well-established faces, such as Sir Ian McKellen, Andrew Sachs, Nigel Havers, Anthony Valentine, and so forth. And I was also thinking about those who have expressed a wish to appear, such as Julie Walters and Joanna Lumley.

How do the producers decide who will "blend in", as a character rather than a famous face, and who will not? It must be pretty difficult with the bigger stars. Ian McKellen was great - he really did seem to be "Mel Hutchwright". I didn't really find myself thinking "Oh, there's Ian McKellen." Now there's quality.

Why have I used this picture? well, Frances de la Tour and Richard Griffiths are two actors I'd love to see in Corrie - and they are so good, I'm certain they'd "fit in" in the Rovers. Other members of my "fantasy cast" would be Leonard Rossiter and Christopher Cazenove. Okay, both have sadly left us now, but hey. I think Richard E. Grant could be good, and also, Kate O'Mara, Kylie Minogue and Pamela Anderson - though how you'd get Kylie and Pammie to "blend in" is beyond me.



Wednesday 15 June 2011

Chuffing Corrie - Street wedding goes full steam ahead

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog in June, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Roy and Hayley's wedding looks like it's going to be a treat. The Coronation Street cast were filming yesterday on the East Lancashire Railway for a wedding trip on a steam train.

The train used was the Lancashire Fusilier steam train which runs between Bury and Ramsbottom, Lancashire.

If you want spoiler pictures...

There's some truly wonderful paparazzi pictures online here.

See more behind-the-scenes pictures from Roy and Hayley's wedding here.

John Stape - what next?


(This post was originally posted by Seapenguin on the Coronation Street Blog August, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

"All he wanted to do was teach" - and look where he is now. Think on, anyone doing a B.Ed. or whatever they are nowadays.

I know some people can't stand Coronation Street's John Stape, but I'm a fan and I'm always hoping for more developments. I enjoyed the odd - very odd! - glimpses we had of him while Fiz was in Majorca, propping up the Rover's bar in a filthy debauched stupor.

And lately when he's "snapped" and lost his temper there have been flashes of a really sinister Stape, which is genuinely giving me the willies. If Fiz hadn't returned and announced her pregnancy - and didn't Stape's desperate grin look almost maniacal when he heard - he was heading for hell in a handcart. Now, he says that he'll be content to be a family man and clean toilets or whatever, but I can't see that lasting more than five seconds. Where is this going? Will he be able to cope with the knowledge that Fiz is blithely running up knickers on top of Fishwick's corpse? Is he capable of feeling guilt, or just self pity? And is Fiz going to put up with him, or pack her bags once and for all?

Until recently, the general opinion seemed to be that Stape would end up under "the tram". Due to his nefarious doings, there seemed to be no other way forward for him - if you can call being mashed under a tram a way forward. Others have suggested that he might redeem himself by rescuing someone from the wreckage. Personally, I've no idea how this will evolve, but I'm hoping they can spin it out for a bit longer and keep Stape in Corrie.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Nick Tilsley - Snog him or Slap him? (contains SPOILER link)

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog in June, 2010, reposted to this blog with permission.)

In a fun poll on the Coronation Street blog last June, Corrie fans were asked whether they'd like to slap or snog NuNick Tilsley.

271 votes were cast and a whopping 83% of the votes were from those wanting to give Nick a good slap!

Obviously, we're not, er, condoning violence here on the blog. I think we'll leave that to Peter Barlow when he finds out this spoiler.

Monday 13 June 2011

Corrie weekly awards: June 6 - 10

Fashion award: Sian's ice cream shirt.

Just suck it up award: Whinging star: Peter. Isn't paying out a big win now and then all part of the business of being a bookie anyway?

Business Magnate award: Paper Star: Chesney has business cards. For a market stall.

Kicking a puppy award: Sad Star: Who's more downcast? Natasha or Audrey?

Oscar Wilde award: Cobbly star: Nick looking at the stars from the gutter.

Keys to the kingdom award: Iron star: Bill sold the yard to Owen and gave Jason his tools. The Coronation Street builder tradition moves on. Surely Bill is pensionable age by now? He can't be far off.

Reopening old wounds award: Gold Star: I truly don't think Leanne has feelings for Nick any more but he sure opened that old scab from the past, didn't he?

New hair-do award: Janice has curls, that's a new look for her!

You've been told award: Gold Star: New doctor laid down the law to Gail for telling Nick that Natasha was in with the Doctor.

Lines of the Week:
Ciaran to Sean: "I thought you were.. ummm," Sean: "Oh I am, but we all have our off days!"
Audrey: "He said I was his Helen of Troy. Turns out I was just his "stalking" horse."
Sophie: "When my mum's on one, she makes Gail Platt look like Courtney Flamin' Love!" (Ain't that the truth!)
Peter: "Apparently gullibility's not a crime, neither is lust." Deirdre: "Did you get that line off yer dad or did you make it up?"
Leanne to Nick "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
David: "It's like the Thriller video in here!" (*snort*)
Audrey to Peter: "You should listen to your father, poor sap that he is..."
Natasha: "I'm not mad, just desperate." (Indeed.)
Ken: "Is this our future, Deirdre? TV dinner with a side order of resentment? A diet like that could kill us."
John "I will never lie to you again" (and he said it with a straight face, too!)
Fiz: "And nothing is going to go wrong for us again." (aggghhh! Phrase of Doom!)
Steve "If we go in 10 minutes we're going to be 2 hours early!

And the infamous Renshaw twins... finally captured on camera.

Sunday 12 June 2011

Sunday Corrie Comments, June 12

Nick figured Leanne would be on his side after Peter thumped him but she thought the pair of them were childish. She was right. Nick is working hard on her and Peter has a chip on his shoulder the size of the viaduct. Good thing Deirdre wouldn't take "You're sacked" seriously. But if Leanne didn't actually go to Janice's after her fall out with Natasha, where *did* she go?

Peter tried to get the money out of Audrey and when that didn't work, he decided to take half of Deirdre's wages. Anyone that had any idea of getting a solicitor would have him hung out to dry in 5 minutes flat, pulling stunts like that! And it had the required result, Deirdre quit so he could hire John after all. And THEN he had the nerve to tell John he was giving John a second chance because people had given him ones over the years. So where's the second chance for Deirdre?

The fallout continues. Audrey is hiding away and licking her wounds. She thinks everyone will be gossiping about her and laughing. Well, they probably will be gossiping but it'll soon die down. She doesn't believe it so she thinks she might move to Greece anyway. David wants to push her on the plane so he can have the salon for himself! Ah but you didn't really think she'd go, did you? Not if Rita has anything to say about it and she did, with a good dose of honesty, sympathy and friendship. So Audrey is staying and she even managed to brave the Rovers.


Natasha is at her wits' end. Pregnant, no fella, a flat she probably can't afford. Meanwhile Nick is working on Leanne, putting the poison in. As if he'd do romantic things like running her a bath after the first 5 minutes!  Anyway, Natasha was encouraged by Maria to try to get Nick back and she walked in on Nick and Leanne having a talk. There's instant jealousy and she thinks Nick and Leanne are doing the dirty. They aren't but not for Nick's want of trying. But Leanne knows Natasha's secret so she had to tell Nick and he doesn't want to know. Well why would he? He's going to feel well and truly trapped. Leanne gave him the boot again, in spades, pointing out that he has a habit of running away when things get tough. (why does she keep coming round him though?) so Nick must have figured if he can't be with the one he loves, he might as well try to love the one he was with, or at least the baby.

And it's triggered some painful old memories in Leanne too. I really believe she doesn't have any lingering feelings for Nick but there's probably a lot of old baggage that was never dealt with, too. With Peter being a pain in the butt, will Leanne lean towards Nick's flattery after all? 
Too late. Natasha had an abortion and didn't find out Nick wanted her back until it was too late and she knows if she tells him she's not pregnant anymore, he will leave her high and dry. What's a girl to do? Why, Lie of course and try to get pregnant in the meantime. Yeah. Like *that's* going to work out well. I guess she figures if she gets pregnant later, he'll be annoyed but will stay with her. Why would you want someone to stay with you only for a baby's sake? And really, he's only excited about the baby, not her. Gail's none too thrilled to be a granny again though. But then she knows that Nick had doubts so serious that he dumped her. She reckons Natasha is trying to trap Nick and she's right but in more ways than she realizes. At least Natasha has Fiz as a guide for what she's supposed to be experiencing. Big mistake to have the exact same cravings/turn off foods, very suspicious.

Nick is over the moon about the baby but he still hasn't actually told Natasha he loves her. Well he did, sort of, he told the pub he loved her but I've not seen him say it directly to her but it wasn't really an intimate moment, was it? He was so excited, that he burst into the doctor's office which is a huge no-no.  But he's just as much of a pratt as always. Natasha says keep it quiet, he announces it to the Rovers. He's so selfish!

Did you catch that nod to Hilda Ogden? Kevin told his father: "The world's yer lobster!" That was classic Hilda. New doctor on the block. Dr. Carter. I loved that he gave Gail a rollocking over telling Nick that Natasha was in the office. Take no prisoners! And just you wait, that could very well be her undoing, our little Ivy-clone that she is, she's not going to be able to keep her nose out.  Ken's digestion is all out of sorts, too, trying to deal with Deirdre. I think they're doomed to be miserable together for the rest of their lives.

Hayley has finally given Mary the boot as wedding planner. Finally! I hope Mary doesn't get all psycho on her! And just in time for the upcoming Hen Night. We'll probably see Mary peeking in sorrowfully through the window, shut out again.

And it's finally time for Becky and Steve to be approved or not for adoption. Becky seems to think it's a competition, that only one couple will be approved and she and Steve won't but it doesn't work like that, though Steve thought a few lame jokes would help anyway. . It might have gone well, but uh oh, Becky shared a cig with someone that turned out to be on the panel! Will that break the case? We'll find out Monday. That woman was pretty bitchy about it too. Sneaking a cig isn't *that* much of a crime! (If Steve and Becky had to be buzzed in to the building, how was Becky going to get back in from the cig break?) (How come Steve didn't smell the smoke on Becks?)

Fiz is back from her holiday early and guess what? She's pregnant too, and decided to give John one last chance. Where have we heard that before? The road to hell is paved with last chances, mark my words, she's going to regret this. He's resigned his teaching job for real at least and lo and behold got taken on at the Bookies, another person getting a  job 10 feet from his door. Then Roy could hardly contain himself with joy for Fiz... he even shook her hand and patted her shoulder and even SAID how happy he was.

Sophie is really being punished. I wonder if Sally even goes to the toilet with her? Sian really is a bit of a bad influence though isn't she? She keeps coming round and risking being seen, which would get Sophie into even more trouble. Now they're sneaking to choir practice to be together. Like they're not gonna get found out? Kids are so dumb, aren't they?

Bill is trying to be cool and not let Owen take him for a fool with the sale of the yard. Something tells me that Bill isn't exactly a shark when it comes to business. Jason was disappointed. He had hoped to be able to buy it someday. If he hadn't already had a mortgage on that flat (what's going on with that anyway?), he might have been able to. Chesney has already started off on the wrong foot, fancying Owen's daughter!

Friday 10 June 2011

Would you approve Steve and Becky for adoptive parents?


This week we have seen Steve and Becky face down the Childrens' Services panel, to see whether they might be approved to be allowed to adopt a child. We'll find out next week if it's a Yay or a Nay but, musing on the subject, would you approve them if you were on that board, but knowing what we, the viewer know about them?

Let's see...On the minus side:
Steve and Becky both have a criminal record.
They live in a pub.
Steve's ex is in prison for murder.
Steve has been married three times (four if you count Karen twice).
Becky has come from a very unstable background and has been in care herself as a child.

We know that Becky can go off on a temper like nobody's business, usually shooting herself in the foot as a result, especially when she's been hurt or let down by someone. Or jealous. Or drunk. Or has been provoked.
They haven't been married very long.
They haven't really dealt with the fact that Becky can't have kids or dealt with the grief over that.

On the plus side:
Steve has proven to be a good father.
Steve has the support of his mother and some good friends.
Becky dearly loves Amy and has proven that she can be a good parent. She doesn't like to her and she treats her with respect.
Becky has the support of Roy and  Hayley, good solid citizens.

I don't know. Overall, because we like them (most of us, anyway), we'd want them to be approved but I'm not so sure they'd be approval material overall. They are very strict about these things, even for just fostering.

Anna and Eddie? What about them? They've really taken a back seat in all this. We haven't seen Eddie trying to quit smoking, we haven't seen much of their interaction with the Social Services folks. Eddie is a wastrel and has had a dodgey past though we don't know if he's been in jail. Anna is a very earth-mothery type, however.

What do you think? (If you already know, please don't say!)

Sneak Preview of next week's Corrie, June 13 - 17

In brief, here's what's coming up on Canadian screens next week in Coronation Street:

After a great disappointment, Becky discovers one face from her past and a new face to love. Ken gets a message from a long lost love. Dev and Sunita face a family crisis. Chesney meets a pretty face. To what lengths will Natasha go to keep Nick? Hayley's hen night rocks the cafe.

For more detail and photos, visit the Moosejaw Mercury on Corrie.net.

Thursday 9 June 2011

Brooke talks about Sophie's journey

(This post was originally posted by me on the Coronation Street Blog in July, 2010, reposted with permission.)

There's a good article over on SheWired.com with an interview with Brooke Vincent. It's all about the journey that Sian and Sophie have made from best friends to coupledom. Brooke talks about filming with Sascha Parkinson, her long time friend and says that although confused at first, Sophie now accepts that she's a normal girl who just happens to be a lesbian. Her new found faith in God isn't an issue either because Sophie believes God accepts her for who she is as well.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Big news for Canadian Corrie fans

I couldn't be grinning any harder than this at the moment! In fact, I could be in danger of chewing off my own ears! There's big, BIG news for Canadian Coronation Street fans who have been bitching for years about the CBC being so far behind the UK broadcasts!!

According to CBC's newly announced fall schedule, they will be showing 1 hour of Corrie every weeknight in an effort to catch up! There is no word yet on how this affects the Sunday omnibus and no word to say how long the double episodes will be airing but, you know, we should take this as a great gift and rejoice!!

Thank you CBC!!! My DVR will be working overtime. Check  your schedules closer to September for details in  your area and we'll blog it here, too, when we know more.

By the way...this will probably put the 50th anniversary week shows forward from the very end of September to about the middle of the month.

Dobbs speculation with SPOILERS

(This post was originally posted by me on the Coronation Street Blog in July, 2010, reposted with permission.)

Around the time they were filming the birth of baby Dobbs, I started thinking and speculating....The baby was due in September (about early summer on Canadian screens). Spoilers (though you can't believe all the spoilers you read)  have said that Molly will leave the show around Christmas. Tram crash...December...lying in a hospital at death's door for a few weeks before she expires at Christmas...what are the odds? Pretty good, I'd say, if the rumour is true. They also speculate that Sally and Kevin are going to raise baby Jack Dobbs. Hmmm...

So...where's Tyrone? Does this mean that the truth of the baby's parentage comes out? Or is Tyrone going to be killed as well, leaving the baby an orphan for "best friend" Kevin and his wife to take the baby in. You certainly wouldn't give Jackie Dobbs the baby and I'm guessing Diggory is a bit on the old side to be raising an infant alone. Or maybe Tyrone finds out the baby is Kevin's, takes the garage buyout and leaves after Molly dies and that's how Kevin ends up with the baby.

What I would love to see is the truth of the affair and baby coming out and Sally and Tyrone kicking their respective cheating spouses out on their respective cheating backsides. I'd like to see Tyrone find out the baby is definitely his and leave the street, taking the baby with him. Unfortunately, it means we'd lose Tyrone but I can't see him staying partners with Kevin and raising the baby across the road from him under the circumstances. All this is purely speculation, and I suspect the truth will be a lot more dramatic because, you know, it has to be "gripping" and "explosive".

How do you think this will all play out?

Tuesday 7 June 2011

More upcoming Corrie spoilers through the links

As I sometimes do, I am posting links to spoilers that appeared on the Coronation Street blog last year. If you want to know, go through the link, otherwise, don't peek! I'll just post the name that the spoiler or storyline concerns. Also be aware that some of these spoilers as posted didn't always turn out quite the way they were reported at the time.

Ken Barlow
Chesney Battersby Brown
Claire Peacock
The big 50th anniversary storyline
Gail/Natasha
Carla Connor
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