Character Study: Maria Sutherland Connor

We first met Maria Sutherland in 2000 when she was working at her family's kennels. Tyrone Dobbs went there to find a breeding stud for his greyhound, Monica and the two shy young people instantly liked each other. They were sweet together, holding hands and making doe-eyes and eventually cemented their love with a physical relationship which led to an engagement. Tyrone asked Maria to marry him while they visited the top of the Blackpool Tower. Jack and Vera approved and thought Maria was perfect for Ty. It wasn't a smooth ride, however. Tyrone's jealousy caused a few ructions when Maria made friends with both hunky Sam Kingston, a mechanic at the garage and Jason Grimshaw but she was faithful to Tyrone and proved he had nothing to fear. This changed, however, when Fiz Brown arrived and set her cap at Tyrone.

Tyrone's previous jealousy had made him more susceptible to Fiz's forceful pursuit and eventually Maria and Tyrone broke up. By this time, Maria was working in the salon, forging a new career for herself. She may have been meek but it didn't stop her from giving Fiz a hard time under the salon styling scissors. She also worked behind the bar at the Rovers.

She didn't lack for fellas, though. She went out with Jason for a while and moved into the salon flat with Toyah Battersby. She met Nick Tilsley at Richard and Gail's wedding and was instantly attracted. The feeling was mutual. Maria's always been impulsive and not always very smart about men but it seemed like Nick was "The One" so she decided to quit her job and move to Canada with him. She soon got bored and again, impulsively, left Nick and came back home without even telling him. She got her job back at the bar and decided to change her image and her life.

No more the shy, sweet girl, she started to dress as trendily as she could afford, and as skimpy as she dared. She wore short skirts and dated fast men. She moved back into the salon flat. Fiz had moved in while she was gone but the three girls managed to live together without too much contention. That is... until Maria fell under the spell of Toyah's two-timing boyfriend. John was a university instructor and enjoyed seeing how many lovely young college-age students he could seduce. The only problem was, Maria got pregnant. Unbeknownst to Toyah, it was, of course, John's baby. Toyah was a good friend and supported Maria through a termination but when she found out who the father of the baby was, she was so horrified that she left town.

Maria continued to party and her lacklustre time-keeping and personality clash with Shelley's mother, Bev, ended up getting her the sack from the bar. Audrey took her back on at the salon and she's been working there ever since.

Nick returned to town and after they worked out their differences, they got back together. They even got engaged but Nick's ex-wife returned to Weatherfield and when she met Maria, sparks flew. Leanne was intent on causing trouble as revenge for how Maria had treated her sister, Toyah and succeeded in breaking them up. Maria had been living in the flat over Streetcars with Nick and stayed on there, but Steve moved Liz in as her roommate. They rubbed along all right but eventually Maria moved back to the salon flat.

She and Tyrone went around a second time. But Maria, not being very clever, seemed to think Tyrone was not quite trendy enough and set about trying to change him, subjecting him to body waxes, new clothes and facial care. They were going to get married but Maria had another pregnancy scare. She admitted she didn't want a baby yet though Ty was over the moon at the idea. Tyrone eventually realized that he and Maria weren't really suited and finished with her.

Maria still hadn't got the message. She lurched from man to man and had a very ill-advised affair with Tracy Barlow's boyfriend, Charlie Stubbs. But this time, at least, when she realized that he had no intentions of being with her openly, she broke up with him and told Tracy about the affair. She moved back in the salon flat with Fiz once again, bemoaning her lack of sense when it came to men - which didn't last long as she then had a brief fling with Peter Barlow when he returned for Tracy's murder trial.

It wasn't long after that when she caught the eye of Liam Connor. He was also interested in his sister-in-law, Carla, who was recently widowed when Liam's brother Paul was killed in a car crash. Again, Maria showed about as much sense as a soap dish when she decided to present Liam with a puppy, quite a committment for a boyfriend she had only been seeing a few weeks. Then, once again, she got pregnant. They discussed what would happen and Maria had pretty much decided on having another termination but Liam suddenly proposed to Maria and it seems to the viewer that it was on the rebound, to show Carla that he didn't have feelings for her.

Maria soon realized that there was something between Carla and Liam but Liam denied it and stayed faithful to her. But her insecurities ran rampant when, after a hiking accident, Liam murmured Carla's name. Maria managed to move the wedding date up and though Carla tried to interfere and nearly succeeded, married Liam. Tragedy struck when the baby was born too early and didn't survive. In her shock and grief, and worry that she'd lose Liam, she didn't tell him for a couple of days and he found out from someone else. Her bad judgement nearly ended her marriage but they managed to pull together and recover their old feelings. At least, she thought so.

Maria and Liam tried for another baby and Liam sold his share of the factory to Carla's new man, Tony Gordon so that he could cut ties with Carla for Maria's sake. Unfortunately, Liam still had feelings for Carla though he did love Maria. During the few days after the baby's death and Maria returning to him, he had a short fling with Carla. Rosie Webster caught the pair snogging in the morning and before long, Tony found out the truth and exacted his revenge. He arranged for Liam to be killed in a hit and run accident. Maria had just become pregnant again and is going to have to face a future as a single mother whose husband hadn't had a chance to find out about the baby and who was about to leave her but was callously murdered by his lover's fiance. Pretty bleak as it stands now, but it's a soap.

Having said that, it seemed very weird seeing her first vehemently accuse Tony of the murder (she was right!) and then become dependent and the fall in love with Tony, her husband's murderer but grief and hormones can do funny things. Knowing what we know, we viewers gasped in horror when Tony proposed to Mary on the anniversary of Liam's death *at the cemetery, no less*!!! It's all going to go pear shaped, though, because Carla's back and Tony's getting desperate. She knows the truth and with Samia Smith soon on maternity leave herself, the truth is going to come out sooner than later and Maria is going to flee for the boggy moors of Ireland or to sunny Cypress in short order and Tony will be summarily dumped. Back to being a single mum for our Maria when her world comes crashing down. I'm hoping this will probably be the making of Maria, giving her the strength and maturity she was somewhat lacking before. But knowing Maria and her tendency to lean on men rather than be independent, I doubt that's what's going to happen. After all, one of her earlier loves, Nick Tilsley, will soon be back on the scene!

And so it goes.

State of the Street - October 2009

Rosie's an expert in twisting things and Luke would be twisting in the wind at a tribunal once Rosie was done with him so he did the only thing he could. He twisted her back. He got out of Dodge City, in a shiny red car and all of Rosie's money. By God it was good to see her face when she realized Luke stole all her money and her 9% probably wasn't Luke's to sell either! The country shook with the sound of 8 million viewers stomping and cheering! And that's the end of Luke Strong.

I always thought Leanne and Peter were a good match. Peter seems to be able to really be honest with her even if he's still a bit weak. So will this bar really work? Will he be tempted? Problem is, if things don't go well, if they have a row, he could very well be tempted again. Lots of people that run bars don't drink, it's true, but we all know what Peter's like. It always bothers me when Ken never seems to support his son. He is always so careful to be neutral with everyone else yet with Peter, it's negativity. I know Peter hasn't always proven himself worthy but aside from voicing a few concerns, would it kill Ken to offer support a bit more often? It's a vicious circle. Peter screws up because he figures his father expects him to and thus, his father always does expect Peter to screw up.

The worst storyline ever continues. Bleurgh. I wonder if Sally will actually find out? Oh of course she will, it's a standard soap opera plot. I'd love to see her take chunks out of Kevin and throw him out but spoilers say she's going to discover she's got breast cancer, later in the year. I reckon she won't find out until she recovers but Tyrone may find out before. He won't be able to tell because of Sally's health. That's my prediction. How could you cheat on this lovely sweet face of Tyrone's, Molly? And how can you make a reservation in a posh hotel without a credit card? Well you can't. So doesn't Sally check the bills? Meanwhile Molly is getting stroppier and stroppier and doing the classic cheater's stunt of avoiding relations with the spouse, guaranteed to make them suspicious, which Tyrone is. Funny you wouldn't think our dim little Ty would get suspicious before Sally does but maybe Kevin is more clever about covering his tracks.

Fiz married Prisoner 666 and it was my heart that broke. Don't get me wrong, i'm glad Chesney, Roy and Hayley supported her. I just don't see why it had to be in prison when he is getting out in a matter of weeks. He watched her leave with that little triumphant smirk on his face. I don't know if it's just his acting, if he was meant to be conveying utter besotted love, or if he's really as manipulative as i think. Or maybe i'm projecting. Chesney thinks Stape is sly and so do i. It's not going to be easy, living in the neighbourhood with Sally on the warpath but most of the others seem to be willing to live and let live.

By God it was chilling watching Maria sobbing over Liam's grave and pledging to move on with her life, standing by the man she now loves, her husband's murderer! And looky who's back! Carla!! As soon as Leanne clapped eyes on Tony snogging Maria in the pub, She was on the phone to Carla straight away and that's what brought her back to town. Just in time for the anniversary of Liam's death and the christening. Wasn't that confrontation great! Raised the hair on the back of my neck seeing the pair of them together nad her telling him what for. Don't think Carla didn't time that just so. Of course Tony tried to have Carla offed but thought the better of it. It's all been excellent viewing, from the edge of my seat!

The stress grew and grew and finally Tony was felled by a heart attack and he confesses to Roy Cropper because he thinks he's going to die. Now, what's Roy going to do with the confession? Tony will probably try to talk his way out of it but Roy will be convinced it's genuine because a dying man isn't likely to lie. I reckon he'll go to the police but will they believe him? Well, Gray O'Brien is going to be doing panto in Manchester over Christmas and Samia Smith is going on maternity leave (well, she's actually had her baby girl now!) so it looks like Tony's going to be nicked. He's been a great villain!

Liz and Lloyd nearly got back together but she keeps pushing him away, making silly excuses. She pushed him all the way to Teresa which was really strange but i guess booze has no conscience. It's a classic Soap Opera Plot isn't it? Mixed signals, misconceptions, star crossed lovers. I really like Liz and Lloyd together, I really think they work.

We've lost Darryl and we've lost Uncle Umed who freely and finally admitted he was a fantasist and believed his own stories because he couldn't face reality. I liked that little aside. And i liked Umed even though his tall tales were clearly bullshit. He was a buffoon, yes, but i still came to enjoy his little scenes.

Best week of Corrie ever!

OK, maybe not "ever" but it's been utterly fantastic stuff this week! One of the best weeks of Coronation Street in a very long time. I've already blogged about Monday's episode with Carla's return and it went onwards and upwards from there It was electrifying for me. Carla, Tony and Jimmy kept me riveted through every scene of theirs the rest of the week, too. Tony went back to Jimmy for another "job" and he didn't seem too pleased about it. He could very well be the weakest link. He doesn't want to kill Carla but he'd have no trouble at all offing Tony. Tony is a big bully and a coward, really. He won't do the dirty work himself, he pays someone else to do it.


Watching Tony's stony face through the whole baptism was riveting. He was almost robotic! Do you reject the devil? He does, knowing Jimmy is at that moment attempting to kill Carla who is drinking coffee from the same mug Tony used earlier. Tony finally bottled it but it was almost too late! Exciting stuff! Poor Jimmy ended up on the floor with his head bashed in and Carla believed Tony's lies that he wasn't to blame and that she killed Jimmy which she didn't. Kind of ironic, she used the candleholder to bash Jimmy, the very one that Liam gave to her and Paul. She's off in a black cab but we've not seen the end of Carla. I'm guessing we may not have seen the last of Jimmy either. Murderers don't get away with it.

Helen Connor being a mardy cow all week was fun to watch. Sniping, sarcasm and bullying non stop. She plays the part well!

The spirit of the late Des Barnes wafted through the Street with the arrival of a boat in back nick needing a face and body lift. The ever optimistic Joe doesn't see the disaster, he sees potential. I think he's running away from the reality that is his disaster of a life. The last boat ended up going up in flames. I wonder where this one will meet it's maker? At least it's winding up Norris and that's never a bad thing.

Asides:
Rosie's comeuppance was truly a joy to watch.
Molly's birthday... where was Auntie Pam?
Did Carla not notice the broken office door?
Nice touch having the thunder crash just after Carla left Tony at the church.
When Carla first rang Tony it said unknown number. By the end of the night the phone was showing her name. Did he actually have time to save the number and store it?
Tony lived in the flat for a long time before they got married yet the only name on the door is "Connor"
Maria's calling Tony "Daddy". She's got an awful shock coming to her.

Character Study: Kevin John Webster

Kevin Webster is one of the more underrated characters on Coronation Street. He's been on the show for close to 25 years and has been a rock steady character for most of that time. Kevin is a family man, a mechanic, a business owner. He's reliable, dependable. He is a "voice of reason" most of the time though sometimes is a bit quick with his fists, but only if he's provoked. He's seen sometimes by fans as a bit of a doormat but he's a loyal friend and husband (even when he has been messed about!). He's a good guy but he's not perfect. He's been unfaithful but learned from his mistake. He's played very ably by Michael LeVell.

Some may say that Kevin is a bit of a doormat or a fool, willing to put up with Sally's shenanigans. Indeed, sometimes I have wondered over the years why he puts up with it. I am sure they have both found a way to love each other after all their individual lapses but I think maybe Kevin would just rather be with Sally and the girls than without them, even if he may not trust her. I think he understands her, probably better than she understands herself sometimes. I do cringe when Sally hurls insults about her little life in a little back street and Kevin must do so as well. It must make him feel like she doesn't think he ever did enough for his family when in fact, he has given them a solid foundation, a good roof over their heads and security.

When we first met Kevin, he was a fledgling mechanic. The Websters bought Elsie Tanner's house at Number 11 after she scarpered to Portugal in the middle of the night in early 1983. Mother Webster had died and Father webster, Bill, bought Len's old builder's yard. Also in the family was younger teen daughter Debbie but we never really got to know her very well. Kevin was fun loving but responsible, intent on learning his trade. He made friends with Curly Watts, Martin Platt and Terry Duckworth and dated one or two girls before he met Sally Seddon, quite suddenly, by driving through a puddle and soaking her. The rest is history and the pair married in 1986.

Kevin took his responsibilities seriously. By now he was working in Brian Tilsley's garage. He was dependable, hard working and was a good husband to Sally. Although there were some periods where he didn't work for a local (on screen) garage, he usually put in the hours under one owner or another, including Brian, Tom Casey, Mike Baldwin (who bought a garage unit on Coronation Street, conveniently right across the road from Kevin and Sally's house) and Don Brennan. Although Sally pushed him to buy the garage several times, Kevin wasn't ready to be his own boss and was quite content to work for someone else, much to Sally's chagrin. Eventually though, the opportunity and price were right and he went into partnership with Tony Horrocks.

Kevin made a go of the business but it was to be the downfall of his marraige when Tony's mother, Natalie, took over her son's share of the business and moved in on Kevin at a vulnerable time. Sally was away nursing her mother and Natalie had no compunctions about seducing a married man. Kevin fell for her line, hook, line and spanner and when Sally found out, he was out on his ear. The worst part of it was the effect it had on his children, Rosie and Sophie. Kevin was a good dad and loved his kids and it broke his heart when Sally, out of bitterness, made it very difficult for him to have access. By the time Sally softened enough to try to get him back, though, Kevin had moved in with Natalie so Sally moved on as well and finding out that she had a fling with his employee, hunky Chris Collins, made him see red and green at the same time. Jealousy reared it's ugly head but let's face it, Kev, what's good for the goose and all that!

Seeing that, Kevin realized that his affair with Natalie wasn't long-lasting love, only lust. In the end, Sally took Kevin back, mainly for the girls' sake but that wasn't to last. She was then seduced by the dangerous charm of Greg Kelly and this time, Kevin threw *her* out. Greg used her money (inherited from her recently deceased Mum) and then abused her. It was all over in a flash but Kevin wasn't taking her back. Not yet.

Kevin still had lingering feelings for Sally even though they had both moved on to new partners and the night before Kevin was to marry pregnant Alison, he and Sally had a roll in the hay for old times' sake. Nothing like that can be kept a secret for long and though Kevin did marry Alison, the secret came out before Sally married Danny who then left her. Kevin was further devastated when his new baby boy died and Alison flung herself under a truck in her demented grief. The stage was set for Kevin and Sally's reunion.

Kevin and Sally remarried, but not before she nearly ran off with a decorator. Kevin knew this but married her anyway and she said I Do, again, seemingly for the sake of her girls. It seemed Kevin was willing to look the other way and it wouldn't be the last time he'd have to do it. He loved Sally and loved his family even more. Sally had another affair with her boss, Ian Davenport which Kevin again overlooked, pretending to believe Sally's lies that nothing actually happened. Sally also had a flirtation with her tutor,and if Kevin suspected, he said nowt.

Kevin could be very jealous too and that temper has got him into trouble more than once, most recently when he decked 17 year old Rosie's older lover, John Stape and spent 14 days in the nick for his bruises. It's not the first time he spoke with his fists either. Ian Davenport felt the knuckles of Kevin's suspicions as did Chris Collins, Martin Platt and a few more of Sally's bits on the side even if he wasn't married to her at the time.



Kevin himself has been steadfastly faithful up until 2009 when an affair with his best friend and co-partner Tyrone's wife, Molly, seemed to come out of nowhere. Seemingly out of character for Kevin, have the Personality Transplant Fairies kicked him up the backside? It seems like it's not so out of the realms of possibility that he could develop a crush but when Molly encouraged it, finding her own new marraige a bit boring, Kevin jumped in with both feet. Perhaps he's just tired of Sally's nagging and social climbing or maybe the 20+ years of wedded unbliss has finally got to him. It might be a midlife crisis but it seems like Kevin would *never* go after his friend's wife, and one so much younger, not after all the upset with the older John Stape's affair with his teenage daughter. He even went to prison for that and now here he is running after 20-something Molly. I don't buy it but there you are. It's a soap.

Kevin loves his family. He is loyal to his dad but has always seemed to be led around by the nose by his wife who has always been a bit on the pushy, bossy side. When she gets too focussed at the detriment of one or the other of her children, Kevin provides the balance with a joke or an extra bit of attention to the daughter that's not directly in Sally's radar, usually Sophie. Maybe Kevin overlooks Sally's indiscretions because he's desparate to keep his family together because above all, Kevin is a nice guy and a family man.

And verdict on Kevin and Molly is NAY

Wow, there certainly is a lot of strong reaction to the Kevin and Molly storyline, as you can read over in the comments to this post on another blog. Almost all the reaction has been firmly negative with one or two exceptions. I think that's probably reflective of the general viewing public, too. I may be echoing many of the sentiments of the commenters but that's because I agree with their opinions. One commenter mentioned the Jamie/Frankie Baldwin fiasco. Most people were against that but they had their fans as well. That storyline was, at least, mercifully brief. This is set to drag on and on into the New Year, more's the pity.

Actors don't really mind what they have to do most of the time and they're only pleased that they have something challenging to do and something that features them on screen in a front-burner storyline. I'm sure that sometimes even they realize the storyline is out of character and may have a hard time with it but they're all professionals and will do the best with it, whether the writing is bad or the storyline really clunks. We've had phases on Coronation Street in the past where there have been a lot of poor storylines and even not-great writing but a new producer often cleans up the act and things get better.

Producer Kim Crowther has mainly been firing on all cylinders, giving us some great stuff over the past year or two and introducing fab new characters as well. The writing has shone brightly and the performances have risen to the challenge. That makes this current storyline of Kevin and Molly's affair stand out even more like a major dud. The concept is just so wrong! Kevin has been unfaithful to Sally before, with Natalie Horrocks and if you will think back, it wasn't really provoked. Sally was away for some time looking after her ill mother (I think the actress was on a maternity leave at the time) and Kevin didn't have his needs looked after and strayed when Natalie decided she wanted him.

But Natalie was an independent, the mother of his coworker and his business partner for a time. The only person he was betraying was his wife. Bad enough, yes, but now he's also betraying his best mate, coworker and business partner, Tyrone. Kevin has always been a loyal friend to his mates. He just wouldn't do this, ever! He was pissed when Sally had a fling with Martin, his other best friend and they were divorced at the time.

We don't know Molly as well as we know Kevin. She does seem impulsive, and she seems stroppy and headstrong. She did entice Tyrone away from Maria without a blink of an eye and went after Kirk to try to get back at Fiz for bullying her in school. When she found out that Kevin fancied her, I think she decided to encourage it. I don't think it's all that out of character for her even if she was a newlywed. It does seem a bit, though, because she was so crazy about Tyrone. He isn't the most exciting bloke but he's a real keeper. I suppose she's doing it for the excitement.

It doesn't really have as much to do with the age difference because older men/younger women couples happen all the time. There is and was nearly 20 years difference between Deirdre and most of the men she's ever been with, Ken Barlow, Mike Baldwin, Ray Langton and Billy Walker and she was only 18 when she was engaged to Billy and not much older when she married Ray and both men were well into their 30s at the time. It does seem pretty hypocritical that Kevin is blustering about John Stape after his affair with 17 year old Rosie, his daughter, though when he's shagging Molly who is also just about young enough to be his daughter too.

One of the commenters over on t'other blog mentioned that the actors don't seem to be acting this very well, that they seem uncomfortable and I agree. I think they feel that the storyline just doesn't work and the writing seems strained as a result. And as a result their performances are strained a bit. It seems like they are trying to do their best to make the best of an awkward situation and it is starting to show. Both of the actors are talented and they are doing the best they can. Unfortunately, the storyline isn't worthy of their talents and the majority of the viewers feel the same way.

The reveal and reactions of Tyrone and Sally will be good and I hope the fallout really makes them pay. I have a fear that Molly won't really do much pennance. Tyrone will go around looking hurt but will probably not leave her in the end. I hope he thumps Kevin, though. Sally will be all righteous even though she's been unfaithful to Kevin more than he has on her and I hope Kevin throws Ian Davenport in her face. I'm still on Sally's side on this one, though.

Thing is, Sally only remarried Kevin for the girls' sake and it took her a long time to get to where she really regained that affection for him. Even now, she often seems unsatisfied with her life and as a result, her ambitions have been pushed on her children. This could break their marraige for good but Sally is also due to have a bout of illness so she may not have the energy to fight it out. This time, also, the girls are old enough to know what's going on and hear the gossip. I'm betting Kevin will be more hurt by their reactions and rejections of him and that's going to be punishing. I think the fallout will be far more watchable than the actual affair, at least. But it's going to be painful getting to that point.

Some affairs work because the characters have chemistry. They are believable because of the circumstances that lead up to it. They are accepted because the viewers can understand the motivation. This feels like it was done purely for the sensationalism and the shock. It feels like it's taken a page out of the American Soap book of rules but we don't want our show to be like that! If we want to watch an American soap, we'll watch one! This isn't Desperate Housewives, it's Coronation Street!

Down Corrie memory lane

I was perusing the listings on one of the UK television download sites, I forget whether it was UKNova or TheBox, but there was a Classic Coronation Street show listed from January 1993. I thought it was a classic episode and went ahead and downloaded it. Most of the classic episodes that i've got this way are copied to digital format from a VHS tape so the quality is a bit spotty but most of them aren't too bad.

Anyway, imagine my surprise when this turned out to be a copy of a television special from that date, not an episode. It featured a lot of classic clips from the show, plus a couple of interviews as well. There was a feature on Ena Sharples as narrated by Les Dawson who donned a hairnet and mugged for the camera. Don't you think he looks just like Ena?? Ena was one of the most wonderful characters ever. They wrote such amazing dialogue for her and Vi Carson delivered it with a rhythm that just flowed with sublime timing.

They had both William Roache and Johnny Briggs on stage to talk about the Mike and Ken feud, which, at the time, was about to enter another phase. Ken had just discovered that his new lady, Maggie, was Mike's ex and the mother of his son, Mark. There were all the classic clips to this story that you've seen many times including several punch ups between the two men.

There was a medly of clips from a Street variety show which had this unlikely trio of performers. That's Eddie Yates on the left and Fred Gee on the right! We also saw Rita singing Lily Marlene as Marlene Deitrich, Bet, Norma and Betty as the Andrews Sisters and Uncle Albert reciting a poem about kissing a lass under the stairs!

There was a section of clips that viewers had written in requesting and i was tickled that one of my absolute favourites was included. You may or may not remember Boris, the Mexican mouse eating spider that Alec hoped would make him a pile of money. AT the same time, the kitchen was being renovated on orders by the Health Inspectors. The huge spider of course, escaped and turned up on the kitchen worktop at the same time the Inspector was...er... inspecting. I remember being in hysterics watching this big hairy spider delicately toeing it's way past the tomatoes! Alex cornered it between his hands behind his back before the inspector saw it and it was clear by the end and the spasms Alec was going through that he had to squash it. His face was green after the man left!!! Brilliant stuff!

Other requested clips included the one where Bet saw that Jack Duckworth had joined a video dating service as Vince St. Claire, Hilda, Stan and Eddie digging through heaps of rubbish looking for her accidentally discarded laundry and Albert and Minnie deciding not to marry after all.

Lots of clips of Ena of course, and of Annie Walker, ruler of the Rovers Return. This was the piece de resistence, however. The show ended with a short introduction and a few words with the actors that played Billy Walker and Annie Walker, Ken Farringdon and Doris Speed!!! Wow! This was aired in January 1993 when she was about to turn 94, probably her last appearance, I'm guessing. She was dressed and fully made up and looked wonderful, even if a little frail. I think she may have been a bit deaf because the interviewer raised her voice a bit and Doris' answers weren't quite the answers to the questions but it was still fab to see this icon of Coronation Street one last time!

Done like Dinner, the figurative death of a once-great character

That's it. Fiz is done like dinner. They've completed the decimation of this once spunky and funky girl, the girl that would strip her top off on the factory roof to stand up for herself. The girl who would, though she was a bit tubby, had wild red hair and gap teeth, cheerfully run after blokes, knowing she was the sexiest thing on two legs. The girl would wouldn't take crap from anyone because she'd had to take so much from her mother all her life.

Now she's hooked up with her first love, a man that cheated on her with one of his students, because he was flattered and couldn't say no when she jumped into his trousers. This man then kidnapped that young girl and held her captive for 5 weeks but "did it all for her". A man that wheedled, is oily and smarmy and manipulative and has her in puddles of nerves. Against all odds she's marrying him, even though her beloved brother is dead set against her and all the neighbours think she's out of her mind. She's lying and hiding everything. If you can't be honest about your relationship, how can it be a good thing?

Jennie McAlpine reckons John is the love of Fiz's life and it's a more mature relationship than Fiz and Kirk were. She also says that John may be in part, a father figure and if that's the case, it's definitely doomed. Fiz may see John as a decent person deep down but I see him as weak. He's cheated on her once with hardly any thought and he'll do it again. He even admits he couldn't resist at the time. Leopards don't change their spots. Not that much.

Fiz is right, your wedding should be the happiest day of your life and she was miserable, secretive and to me, she comes across desperate, not aching to be with the man she loves. It's not as if he was wrongly accused and she's tying a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree.

I've said it before, i think John is manipulative and he proved it again on the wedding day. Even after Fiz admitted she lied about Chesney and all their friends being against them, he says something smarmy like he feels loved (because she cared enough to lie)! I really thought she'd back out when she finally have realized where her priorities should have been all along. He accused her, saying she can't hurt Chesney but she can hurt Stape. There's a difference. Chesney is a child. John is supposed to be a grown up but that's debateable, too. But damnation didn't Ches show up to do the right thing and she was backed into a corner. Stape was practically punching the air in triumph.

How much do I hate this storyline? It's one of the worst I've ever seen though the Kevin and Molly stuff is the absolute worst! I dread the day Prisoner 666 comes out of jail and lands back on the cobbles. It'll be all the neighbours tossing insults and Fiz weeping and Chesney telling her so and what did she expect? Maybe he's going to try to get her away from her friends and family again when he can't stand the heat.

I can't say it'll all end in tears. It's been nothing but tears all along! Not to fault Jennie, though, she's great and she always is. She doesn't get rated as highly as she should do!

Who are you and what have you done with Fiz Brown?

State of the Street - September 2009

Yay! Becky's off the hook thanks to 007.5, Lloyd! He found Slug and they all managed to convince him to tell the truth. I hope Liz gets to eat a very large portion of crow now she's been proven wrong. Everyone else, too, but Liz was the most vocal. She was the one that put the knife in over and over and made Becky decide to do a runner. Luckily, Steve caught her in time and talked her down. Beautiful little scene with Becky explaining things to Amy. It was odd after all that venom that Liz seemed to do an abrupt about face and now seems to think the world of Becky. Maybe it was because of the way Becky was with Amy that morning? I expect we won't see much of Steve and Becky now for a bit, with Carla back on the cobbles and the Tony storyline ramping up.

Next was Hooch letting Becky off. His explanation to Steve really was rather lame. It almost sounded like he was letting Steve off because Becky was bad news and she'd drag Steve down with her anyway. He really did have her bang to rights and could have decimated Slug on the witness stand but maybe his reputation within the department was still just a little too shaky to withstand the accusations anyway? They would be aware that he'sgot it in for Becky, after all. They wrapped that up a bit too quickly and too off-screen for my taste.

Claire and Ashley spent a few days sniping. Or rather, Claire did the sniping and Ashley spent it sucking up and then she cut off the rumpeh pumpeh. She can be a right cow, can't she? He's a coward. That's all it was, the only reason he didn't go through with the op. No second thoughts, no thinking of the future, not really. Claire had no business airing their dirty laundry in front of their neighbours at the dinner party. Yes, i know, she's terrified of being pregnant and has had enough of hospitals but if she's that adamant, an out patient surgery for her is always an option.

Kevin. Molly. Bleurgh. Are we going to have to go through months of them almost getting caught? I want Tyrone to find out and throw her out on her runner's buns. I don't want Sally to find out because Sally will be insufferable no matter how much Kevin deserves to pay. Oh wait, yes i do want Sally to find out so that Kevin can throw her affairs back at her! Molly is certainly coming over all pushy and demanding of Kevin's time, too, right off the post! That attitude is going to land her in it well and truly.

Maria and Tony were keeping an awfully low profile. Amber had the shortest university career on record. I love that Eileen has another new storyline. The business with her father was great, showcasing Sue Cleaver's dramatic talent and Jesse and the bird are showcasing her comedic talent. I also love the relationship between Blanche and Peter. Peter's having a few problems though. Dead rabbits and egg on his face, quite literally.

Some really funny stuff this month too. Technically Blanche's fortune telling was the last day of August but it was just too funny not to mention. The HiyaLowa auditions were really funny too, with the bird skwawking, and Sean and Eileen peeing themselves laughing. Incomprehensible moment of the month has to be Teresa and the tin of Spam. Does anyone know what that was about? I also laughed and cheered when Luke dumped Rosie in the pub with Sean, Janice and Kelly earwigging! Of course there was Mr. Gay Weatherfield himself, Jason Grimshaw!

Ramsay's storyline came to an end and unfortunately it leaves Emily bereft, having found love late in life yet never had the courage to tell him. Regrets. And Norris has had a few, too. It really threw him more than he realized. He pushed Ramsay away and didn't want to know but now that his brother is gone, he realizes just how much Ramsay got under his skin in the end. Lovely scene when Norris went through the trunk of Ramsay's belongings and finally admitted how he really felt. But it must have really ticked off Emily that he finally thought he should have been nicer to Ramsay which would have kept him in Weatherfield but it was too late. Ramsay's money looks to be invested in buying out Rita's share of the Kabin in yet another faster-than-light estate settling and real estate transaction. She wants to retire, or so she says but i have a feeling she's going to be behind that counter like Betty is behind the bar, till the end of her days. She'll sell up but I figure she'll be back part time.

Poor Simon lost his rabbit and Peter knows it's more about his mother's death than the rabbit's. I would have liked to have heard Peter talk about losing his own mother at much the same age but he was really good with the little lad. Leanne's back, too, and after a rocky start, they seem to be making a go of it. Problem with Peter is he really is a compulsive liar though doesn't do it to be mean. Michelle is back too, just to throw a monkey wrench into the mix. I really think that Leanne and Peter make a very good couple if they can manage to make a go of it. And how absolutely wonderful is Blanche? She's got an over abundance of chemistry with Simon and with Peter, she's like their real Gran, a fairy grandmother. She can be caustic and mean but when it really comes down to it, she's there and she tells them what they need to hear and she's the reason Leanne decided to stay and give it another go with Peter. We'll see how it goes.

And as annoying as Rosie has been this month? Don't worry. She's going to get her comeuppance. Soon. I can hardly wait!

Norris Cole, Flavour of the Month

Now, I've made no secret of the fact that I really don't like Norris Cole however, I do think his portrayer, Malcom Hebden, is superb! Over the last few years, it seemed like The Powers That Be (TPTB) have picked an actor and have featured them in storyline after storyline, good or bad. I don't know if that's because the actor's agent or publicist was very, very good or if the producers were cashing in on the popularity of the character or trying to make the character popular to bring in the punters. Perhaps a combination of all three! We've seen the characters of Michelle, Sean and Becky be spotlighted in recent days. All of them are young and likely to bring in their age group, which is what ITV wants. Bring them in young and maybe you'll keep them for life.

This year, though we have seen an awful lot of Becky, we've also seen a new trend and I like it a lot! The most recent character to receive a lot of focus is none other than Norris Cole! Think about it...competition madness leading to the storyline with Mary, then Ramsay, his long lost brother shows up. We're about to see Norris possibly become the new owner of the Kabin and ITV has announced that Mary Taylor is returning in the New Year! Two more Norris stories! For one of the more senior members of the cast to get so many front-burner storylines all in one year is unusual when you think back on Corrie over the last decade. They're lucky if they get one every few years! Yet this year, not only have we seen Norris in the forefront, we've also seen Ken Barlow, and Rita as well, in shiny storylines of their very own. You might say, "What about Emily?" She, too has had a good storyline but that's been part of Norris' which was the main focus of the long lost brother.
And that's the other good thing about featuring Norris. It also brings in other senior members into the forefront and that's never a bad thing *and* it's about flaming time! The older members of the cast have so much experience and so much talent and the younger actors can learn a lot from them.

Usually, when a storyline centres on an older person, they have their storyline and that's it for the rest of the year (or two!) and that seems to be the case with Ken Barlow and probably Jack Duckworth now he's going to be moving out of the street (while the actor is easing back on his workload). That's not going to change much but we can look forward to Blanche having a possible romance in the near future. That makes four romances in one year for four senior cast members! (Ken, Rita, Emily and now Blanche) That's got to be a first!

As much as Norris annoys the pants off me and gets right up my nose, I applaud Granada for bringing some focus back on the older generation. I get tired of seeing the under 30s all the time. One can only take so much of Rosie screeching and prancing and showing her cleavage all over the place. It gets tiresome to see David scowling and grimacing and skulking in corners. If I see Michelle flouncing around and sticking her new chest into scenes continually, i'm going to heave. Don't even get me started on all the fake tans and big shiny hoop earrings and pushup bras...and that's just Liz McDonald! ;) Just kidding, i love Liz!

Yes, we see a lot of Steve and Becky but I still love them. Always will like Gail Platt storylines because Helen Worth is an absolute star and I adore watching Sally's nose get higher and higher into the air.

That's beside the point, though. It seems like Norris Cole is this year's Corrie "Flavour of the Month" and that's actually not a bad thing on the whole.

State of the Street - August

Another McDonald "wedding of the year" and at least the bride stayed sober and they got married. But, thanks to Slug and Hooch, Becky spent her wedding night in the nick. Much like Sunita did. And both of them are innocent and were/are set up. But the hen night was delightful, with Becky and Betty having a cuddle, with Anna and Hayley dancing to Two Frozen Peas and then some heartfelt moments between Becky and Steve out in the ginnel. Liz returned in the gawdiest outfit i've ever seen her wearing, that pink pantsuit, and then wore a Spanish Flamenco dress to the wedding. After it all fell apart, Liz really ripped into Becky, Becky ripped into Liz and Steve actually defended his wife and hollered at Liz for speaking those things to his wife. Has Steve finally grown up? The rest of the month was the quest to find Slug and prove Becky's innocence which of course, they will.

Now Liz is back to face Lloyd and there were some lovely scenes between the two when she bared her soul and confusion and he cried. It was one of the best scenes I've seen on Corrie and the actors really made it work, as I've said before. (Do you think he looks thinner?) And that's the plainest i've ever seen Liz in my life! Black tshirt, no cleavage, no makeup. After all the upheaval of the wedding, i still enjoyed seeing the McDonald clan back together for a short visit.

I really wondered how thick Gail's blinders are. She works in a health clinic, i'm sure over the years she's seen addicts come in for help, or come in to try to get drugs. Surely she'd know the signs. It took months for her to finally figure it out, when Joe broke into the clinic in desperation. Yes, he needs help. No, she's not so sure she can support him. It's no wonder. With everything she's been through over the years with men, it's any wonder she has any strength left to work this hard on a relationship. She doesn't expect it to be easy but i'm sure she didn't expect it to be like Atlas shouldering the world either. Mind you, spoilers say Joe's going to drown. I think Gail needs to seriously consider moving to the desert! And Gary had a mate whip the tar out of David so they're even. Will David ramp up the feud again or will he leave it alone? Is anyone else getting tired of him gazing bitterly at Jason and Tina who, I have to say, are being a bit insensitive snogging practically on David's doorstep every chance they get. Aside from that, though, I actually like them as a couple.

There's been some lovely scenes with Anna Windass and both Chesney and Fiz. Also, Anna at the Hen Party was loads of fun, too! I can't stand Eddie and Len is a waste of skin but I always liked Anna and i like her even more now. And since Gary is the one responsible for the beating on David, i may warm to him as well! (kidding!) I think they're going to make Gary a bit more of a sympathetic character. If they don't, he won't last long on the Street. And maybe with Anna's help, Fiz and Chesney can find their way back to each other but things went kind of quiet after the first week or two after Ches found out about the engagement. The wedding's in September. I'm crossing all my bits and pieces that it won't go through and we can get our sparky Fiz back again.

Maria and Tony are officially a couple and he's got his feet under her sheets, never mind the table and Michelle went ballistic. I can understand it in one way, it's quite quick for someone to find a new love of her life after her husband was killed but everyone is different. Now *we* all know she's cozying up to her husband's killer and she even thought that's what he was a few months ago but she changed her mind and nobody else knows except Carla and she's not around to tell. Yet. Carla's coming back soon and it's all going to kick off, but unfortunately it'll end with Maria's absence from the screen while the actress goes off to have her baby. I am guessing she'll retreat to Ireland or Cypress for a bit to lick her wounds.

Claire has another crusade, to organize a village fete and she got so involved in it that she failed to see that Josh had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. He'll be ok but the truth about the vasectomy will come out now and it'll all kick off again between the Pained Peacocks. Actually, I don't mind Claire but a lot of people seem to really dislike her or find her tedious and boring. I find there are similarities between her and Maxine, Ashley's first wife in that they are both determined and like a dog with a bone when they've got a goal or cause. Claire is just as stubborn as Maxine was. The difference is that Maxine was a bit of a dumb blonde where Claire isn't quite so much. (Dumb. She's definitely not blonde, obviously). Ok, Claire is a bit of a Moaning Mona, but i think she's very well suited to Ashley just the same. He's a bit of a Moaning Mona too!

Molly and Tyrone returned from holiday. Molly was supposed to have been topless tanning but she had tan lines anyway. Back to the dreary life of laundry and cooking. But does she think it would be any different if she married macho mechanic Kevin? She'd be washing his dirty coveralls and socks and grubby underpants just the same as she's doing with Ty's now. Sadly, that break didn't cool off the affair. It almost feels like Molly only went for Kevin because she found out he fancied her but when he decided to back off after the first shag, she didn't like that one little bit. It's only over if she says it's over and Tyrone is boring the bits off her. They celebrated their fun run with more exercise in bed. I wouldn't have thought they'd have had the energy! Have I mentioned that i really dislike this storyline? Thought so.

Who would have thought Emily was going to find a fancy man so late in life? But it was not to be. Ramsay got on the plane back to Oz and dropped dead. I blame Norris, you know and so does Emily. He really is a detestable little weasel. If he had relented even a little bit to Ramsay's olive branch, he'd have stayed around. However, we do discover that Ramsay had a brain tumour so it was only a matter of time anyway. Hmmm... this sounds familiar. Rita married Ted knowing he had a tumour and limited time. I suppose they couldn't go that same route with Emily. Some lovely scenes though, with Rita telling Emily that she helped make Ramsay's last few weeks happy and then Emily calling Norris every strong name she could think of. Of course *we* saw that Ramsay's death affected Norris more than he let on but he won't let anyone else see that.