State of the Street - June 2014

June started off in tragedy. Tina McIntyre was murdered good and properly by Rob Donovan. She survived a fall off the balcony over the builders' yard which she approached through a door in the flat. A door nobody ever knew existed. Never mind. Rob took an iron bar and bashed her over the head but when Leanne and Kal found her, she was still alive. Touch of the Terminator, was our Tina. I was hoping we wouldn't go for a rerun of Rob killing her in the hospital like Karl did Sunita. Surely they wouldn't be that stupid? They rerun a lot of similar storylines, but, no, Tina died of her injuries with Rob outside looking in. Rob is now a murderer and Marc Baylis' time on the show is officially limited. How long that will be is anyone's guess.

Carla was found looking over the balcony at Tina's body and nobody knew if she'd pushed her. She was certainly angry enough, having just heard that Tina and Peter had been having an affair since her and Peter's wedding day and she'd stormed over there vowing to kill her. Oops! But we veteran soap watchers know that the one that utters threats like that in public is never the one that did it. *Usually* it's a minor character and I was sure it was going to end up being Tony so kudos to the powers that be for having it be a main character, although the "Last one in, First one out" principle does apply here. Where this leaves Rob and Tracy is anyone's guess but it's always been unlikely that Tracy Barlow would have a happy ending. She's messed up too many other peoples' happy endings for that.

Rob is intent on placing the blame on Peter and it feels like Rob has almost convinced himself. Peter should take a lot of the blame for a lot of things...the affair, the drinking and all that stress that caused or contributed to Carla's miscarraige. Rob takes all that on board and that's become  his mantra. Peter's reeling around the neighbourhood, stinking of booze and trying to grovel to Carla. Good luck with that. Poor Simon. It's no wonder that child acts like a 6 year old with what he's had to deal with in his short life. But where was Leanne at the funeral? I can't believe she'd have let Simon go without her, his erstwhile mother, the mother that fought tooth and nail for him.

Another victim of all this is Steve. It's hit him hard because he knew about the affair and didn't tell but he was in a tough spot. He was told in confidence and Peter kept saying he was going to end it with Tina. Liz had a pretty good idea too but didn't come in for nearly as much flack from Michelle who walked out on Steve for a minute. I'm not going to go into how much I really feel these two never ever suited each other. I could go on for many pages so I won't.  It seemed to have sparked a mid life crisis in Steve who turned 40 at the end of the month. He recognizes that he always takes the easy way out and is somewhat of a coward. He's vowing to change. Time will tell.

One thing that really annoyed me is that we only got to see Tina's mother days after she died. Rita thought maybe someone should call her mother while they were holding vigil in the hospital. I would have thought the police would have done that straight away as her mother would be Tina's only next of kin so that was unbelievable. We know Tina has usually said she doesn't get on with her mother that well and that's ok, that solves the problem why mother wasn't around for most of the crises Tina's had but this time?

Legally, her mother had to be the one to make any medical decisions if Tina was unable. If they'd had to pull life support, even Rita would not be allowed to say one way or the other, not without her mother's consent. Plus all this would likely have been in the newspaper. If the police hadn't contacted her, surely she'd have seen it? And if she was out of the country, would it be so difficult to have a throwaway line from one of the characters to that effect? Doesn't work for me.

Anyway...On the other hand, a really wonderful development has seen Roy reaching out awkwardly to support Carla with his quiet dignity. No matter how often Peter came up against Roy while trying to get to Carla, even he doesn't have the heart to get in Roy's face. Roy just has so much dignity and he's not a fighter. That is pure Corrie gold.

Elsewhere, across the road, Anna finally told Owen what she'd done with Phelan to save her family. He was shocked, gutted and ran the other way, grateful he had a two week away job to go to. I wasn't sure if the time away would help him get his head around it or bring it to a festering rolling boil, knowing his temper. And that's what happened. He returned and was absolutely vile to her and then has the gall to say he *could* forgive her. If he hadn't treated her like something he scuffed off his shoe, Anna might not have kicked him out. I can't believe she let him back in the house just for Faye's sake. That kid is another one that's going to go off the rails anytime. She's already had one encounter with alcohol and let's not forget, she had an addict for a mother. That kind of thing has been proven to run in families, with a much higher risk of it coming out in the children of an addict.

It's a horrible situation to have been in and Anna really felt she had no choice after Owen nearly burned the building site and Gary was working up to another breakdown. It wasn't rape but it was an arguable near thing. I'm surprised we haven't seen Phelan again and I guess that's because it's not about him as such anymore, it's about the fallout. It still feels like he's not paid for being so nasty.

I always expected Phelan would end up dead. I suppose he still could but it's too close after Tina's murder so it isn't likely now. And in that case, if he had died a violent death, I would have guessed the "expendable crew member" would be his wife but we may never see that now. We have to see if Anna and Owen will break up and if so, will they find their way back to each other. Katy, who has always been daddy's very vocal little girl, says she understands but can't forgive either. Izzy has more maturity and is supportive of Anna. She probably doesn't agree with what Anna did either but seems to see both sides of it. This has really been a good storyline, for me. Lots of twists and turns and a most excellent actor playing the oily creepy Pat Phelan.

Maddie and Sophie have taken a back seat this month. Thank you Powers That Be. It's the only storyline that I've really not bought into though Amy Kelly playing Maddie is very good. I wish they hadn't thrown her and Sophie into a romance and rather had Sophie befriend Maddie and help her to her feet, much like Hayley did for Becky.

Sally and Tim, meanwhile, are a joy to watch and if Kevin ever comes back, I really hope they won't put him back with Sally. I think far too much time has passed and viewers also have got used to there being no Kevin in Sally's life. She's moved on with Tim and they are wonderful together. Kevin needs to move on with his.

Some fans have suggested Sally and Tim could be Stan and Hilda for the new millennium. While Tim has remnants of the workshy Stan, Sally really isn't in Hilda's league. Hilda was never as snobby and upwardly mobile wannabe as Sally. Hilda wanted better but she was never going to come near it. Sally, on the other hand, comes tantalizingly close but is her own worst enemy at times.

I think Steph is probably my favourite new character. She's daft and cheerful, loyal and good fun in the tradition of lots of Corrie young women like Gail (used to be), Suzi Birchall, Candice, Maxine, and even Rosie Webster. Eva is cut from the same cloth, too, somewhat but a few years older, and more jaded with life. Steph still thinks the world is her "Lobster" and is determined to live it fully. She's not had time and experience to become skeptical and downtrodden. She was gutted by Tina's death. They may only have known each other a few months but when  you live with someone, you do get to be close. I loved the little memorial that she and Luke and Katy had in the flat, sending messages to Tina by balloon.

That leaves us with Nick, Leanne and Kal. Now I always have felt that Leanne settled for Nick because she couldn't have Peter. She knew Nick loved her and had done so all his life so she knew he would treat her well. She probably had some unresolved baggage with him as well and she needed support and a step dad for Simon. She did love him in some ways but not with the lifelong passion and loyalty necessary and it wasn't five minutes after Nick made her leave that she'd taken up with Kal. Leanne can't be without a man in her life and Kal is the ideal rebound fella. It won't last because, as I said, she's rebounding.

We end the month with a new storyline for Gail. The man who tried to burgle her house (who didn't really get away with anything because Gail and Kylie scared him first), apparently went to prison. I don't know that worked because  someone like him who didn't actually take anything would never have got a prison sentence, and he wasn't in the nick for long, either. And the restorative justice thing? Again, I don't buy that it would have happened to a first timer like Michael who's main crime is that he's just a bit wet and pathetic, really. Gail is going to help him get back on his feet and knowing Gail, there will be a romance. Again, a wrong'un but that's our Gail. Michael should run for his life. Only one of her husbands got out alive.

And so it goes.

I don't buy it

Most of us know we have to suspend disbelief when watching television, soaps, dramas, you name it. Often things are a bit off the wall, over the top or just plain unbelievable at times. Some things are far too coincidental or contrived. You sometimes find yourself thinking "this would never happen".  But we watch because otherwise, the stories are good and the acting and writing (we hope) are top notch.

I do like to pick up on small inconsistencies, continuity stuff ups and things like that. It can annoy me but it can also be a bit fun finding where the writers obviously haven't talked to each other to coordinate what they've written. Every once in awhile, though, something occurs that really glares. It stands out like the proverbial sore thumb and it's hard to swallow. I've enjoyed the whole Tina/Peter/Carla storyline, all the twists, ups and downs. But this week, in the wake of Tina's death (pun intended), her mother, Ann, has finally shown up.

Wait. What?

Now, it's been mentioned before in the show that Tina doesn't really get on with her mother. We've rarely heard her mention her mother, even during the major crises in her life. Yet her mother told Rita that she spoke to Tina two months ago. Well. Ok. If you say so. The issue I really have is this: Tina was in a grave and critical state after her attack. The police were involved in an investigation. There's no way on earth they wouldn't have tracked down and contacted Tina's mother as her legal next of kin. Add to the fact that this would have been in the news and in the papers and her mother never showed up at the hospital? Nope. Don't buy it.

Rita did mention that someone should call Tina's mother and David said he thought Gail might have the number. And still she didn't appear. Would it have been so difficult to have a throwaway line from one of the characters to say Ann was out of the country or something? But no. And there was no explanation when she finally did show up. It all felt a bit like crocodile tears as a result, all that sentimental sobbing about a long labour and giving birth.


You can suspend disbelief but now and then the writers stretch credibility so far that it snaps like a rubber band in January.

I rest my case, Yer Honour.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

 Honestly? I feel a bit sorry for Steve at the moment. He dragged Peter out of a bar, discovering him drunk as a Lord. He tried to do a good thing, in his eyes, by taking Peter somewhere to sober up in hopes that it was a one off. Peter blabbed his secret. He's having an affair with Tina and now Steve is really in an awkward position.

Steve found out that his mate is cheating on Steve's girlfriend's best mate. Does he tell? Does he keep the secret and hope that Peter's promises to end the affair are not false hopes? He keeps the secret.

I know on the surface, it's going to look like "You men all stick together" but let's face it, we women all stick together, too. It's a tough spot to be in. You're placed in a position of confidence and it's just not the done thing to betray a confidence in most cases. You don't want to be the messenger that got killed for the bad news he imparts. You have to live a double life, knowing your partner is going to feel like you betrayed her trust by keeping the secret, too.

Steve McDonald is not really known for having the best judgement at the best of times. He's dropped himself in it more often than not and has had other's throw him under a bus, figuratively, as well. Heck, he's been in the same situation Peter's in. He had an affair on Michelle with Becky and Blanche knew about it, albeit by accidental discovery. Blanche didn't tell on him but that's probably only because she was able to wring free drinks out of him.

But to turn this around, think back to when Liam was married to Maria and having an affair with Carla. Michelle knew and never told Maria. At that time, she wasn't Carla's bezzie mate and was more a friend to Maria but still didn't spill the beans. Hypocrite, much? 


I'm not saying that Steve did the right thing not telling, I'm only saying I understand his position. If he'd told the truth as soon as he knew it, Peter and Carla's marraige would have been busted wide open but he gave Peter the benefit of the doubt at first. Peter didn't end up staying away from Tina and by then Steve had kept the secret too long. Plus, Steve was told in confidence and that's important stuff. He was damned if he did tell and damned when he didn't.

Now the truth is going to come out and Michelle is apparently going to walk out. Frankly, he's better off without her but that's another story.

State of the Street - May 2014

Maria seemed to be doing a good job is shoving that wedge in between Fiz and Tyrone. It's all about rebounding for her but poor, oblivious Tyrone didn't have a clue for the longest time even though Fiz's suspicions were raised early on in the month. But Maria couldn't leave it there. She'd sent one more text and Tyrone smashed his phone. The police are involved and it turns out Kirsty has left the building. er. country. Can she do that? I thought when you first got out of prison, you had to check in with a parole officer. Maybe not if you've served the whole sentence. And of course, she does have connections.

She manipulated and practically stalked Tyrone, showing up at the garage constantly and pouring poison into Fiz's ear, lying to Audrey and to Fiz that she and Tyrone were in love. All this time, David looked on bemused. That's kind of tacky, not saying anything to anyone but it's pretty normal stuff for David. And Fiz finally decided to call the texter's phone number.

I'm also surprised the police never phoned the number rather than just investigate it. Maybe they did but Maria didn't answer any unknown numbers. Also surprising that neither Fiz nor Tyrone never called it either. Fiz did the once when David heard her voice but she hung up. Anyway she did and Tyrone saw the phone and her name on it and the jig was up. Maria is finally busted and is scuttling off to Cypress to clear her head.

I liked this storyline though i know a lot didn't. It made sense that Maria went a bit doolally after all the men she's had that cheated on her or were murderers. Tyrone was the only one that treated her properly and she latched on to that. On the edges, Todd managed to get Marcus and flaunted him in front of Maria at every opportunity. Smarmy. Tosser. Petty. Mean. He deserved that smack Tyrone gave him (yes, normally violence is not the answer but it's television and didn't we all want to smack Todd soundly?) I'm pretty sure that now Todd has Marcus and proven his point, he won't want him. Marcus isn't the love of Todd's life, he was a game to Todd.

I'm also enjoying Anna and Owen's story but I do wonder what's happened to Phelan. I realize it's not really about him anymore, it's about Anna and Owen but it feels like he's been let off the hook. Anna finally told Owen the truth and he looked like he'd been kicked in the gut. He backed away from her and looked stunned. Even worse when he realized Phelan didn't force  her. Well, not physically at least. She did go willingly but it wasn't like she felt she had a choice. Owen pointed out that it was still her choice and they could have sorted it out but when you find your partner about to burn down the project and your son having a flashbacks and panic attacks, you might not feel like you have a choice.

And the biggest story of the month was the culmination of Peter's affair with Tina that ended in Tina near dead on the cobbles at the end of the month. Peter's rehab didn't last very long when he found out both Tina and Carla were pregnant. Tina wasn't, in the end, but it was enough to send him back to the bottle. He struggled with that the rest of the month, letting people down. Alison King and Chris Gascoyne were powerhouses. The scene where Carla attacked Peter when he missed the first scan because he was drunk made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. He couldn't keep away from Tina but he loves Carla the most and it's destroying him.

Tina guessed that Rob and Tracy were doing dodgey deals with Tony. It kind of surprised me that they would because Rob was so adamant that everything be legal because he really didn't want to go back to jail. The hair dryer scheme seemed to go ok and Rob first seemed to think that was pushing his luck and that was the end of it but  no, he got lured into more. Tracy egging him on didn't help, I suppose. Tina guessed the truth even without any real evidence but it would certainly be enough to get the police to investigate, at least. That threat and the fact that Tina and Peter were cheating behind Carla's back were enough for Rob to go after Tina.

The inital fall off the balcony was accidental. The iron bar to the back of the head was not. And still Tina lived and as we head into June, she's clinging to life, by a spider web of a thread. She must be part Terminator. We know it was Rob but Rob is trying to get Peter banged up for it and Carla's a suspect as well. Tina must have Peter's dna under her fingernails after scratching him. Roy overheard them arguing. Carla was seen on the balcony over Tina and had announced to the whole pub she was going to kill Tina. I know. It's just something you say but she was angry enough, in the eyes of the police. Peter had the opportunity before he went to the engagement party though timing-wise, if Tina had been on the street unconscious for that long, someone would have seen her. Surely the police can tell if the injury was from landing on the street or from a blunt object, though.

In time, of course, Rob's guilt will be revealed and we'll lose Marc Baylis, sadly. Rob has grown and in turn, has grown on me and I like him and the character. I won't be sad to see Tracy Barlow dumped again, though. I only hope she doesn't make another beeline for Steve again. That's done like dinner.

What's really interesting is watching Peter. As always, he makes all the excuses he can find to avoid really taking responsibility. He's weak. Tina chased him and he just couldn't resist. He drinks. He just can't change. The women he loves try but they just can't save him. He can't save himself either and in the end, he's a tragic figure. All the things he said to Carla when he was backed into a corner and confessed the affair were very similar to the kinds of things he said when he was juggling Shelly and Lucy and when he was cheating on Leanne. He tells them all what they want to hear and it's never the truth, or maybe it is in the moment he says it. Carla accused him of changing his mind to suit the situation and that's pretty accurate. Peter Barlow is one of the most flawed and interesting characters on television these days and a lot of that is down to Chris Gascoyne's talent.

In other news, Leanne and Kal have been circling each other all month. This is Kal's first involvement since his wife's death. Boy can he pick 'em! I bet he never thought he'd have to carry all Leanne's baggage. I could see this coming months ago but it's a really bad idea because of Nick's friendship with Kal. You have to wonder about Kal's common sense or lack thereof. He's made friends with Nick who confides in him and yet still follows through on his attraction to Leanne. Under other circumstances, I would like them as a couple but it's just too messy.

Lloyd had a heart attack during the charity run and that seems to have dropped into the Corrie closet. Aside from one time in the gym with Lloyd on a treadmill, surpervised by Andrea, we've really seen nor heard of it again and I'm sure like most medical issues, it will be swept under the carpet. I think it really wasn't about the heart attack. It was about creating more conflict between Jenna and Andrea and to make us realize that there's something going on with Andrea, some secret that's going to lead to Lloyd's already damaged heart getting broken again.

The fallout surrounding the end of Tina and Peter's story will play out in June. Everyone's a suspect. Owen is off to Aberdeen for a couple of weeks (the actor, along with Mikey North who plays Gary was touring in Canada). What's going to happen when he gets back? Is the family Windass irreperably shattered? Can Fiz and Tyrone put all their troubles behind them and finally be happy when Maria gets back? Kal and Leanne are trying to find the right time to tell Nick about their budding relationship. How badly is that going to put Nick's recovery back? Stay tuned for the next issue of State of the Street for June, next month.

Things I wonder about

So every now and then, I like to write down little thoughts, musing and random comments about Coronation Street.

What on earth does Marcus see in Todd? He's a sniveling toadie who used Marcus to prove a point. Now that he has him, he'll tire of him in weeks, leaving Marcus with nothing. 

If Adam Barlow was so ill that Ken has spent a year by his side, shouldn't something have been mentioned? Was he on his deathbed? Brain tumour and major operation recovery? I wonder if the writers will fill in some of the blanks when Ken returns. And since he was absent for a year, does William Roache still get to keep the Guinness record for longest continuous serving soap actor.

Like everyone else, I wonder if these tiny houses and flats are really TARDIS ships because most of them seem to be able to fit far more people inside than they actually have room for. When you see the size of a building like the Kabin and are told there are two flats over top. BOTH of them apparently having two bedrooms, then either the bedrooms are the size of closets or there's an invisible extra floor above. The flat over the Kabin also has at least two bedrooms and, I recall, a "Box" room was mentioned that was sometimes a third bedroom for a roommate or for little Liam. That building is also shared by Streetcars in the back and there's a 2 bedroom flat over that as well. In the real world, both of those buildings would only have room for one one-bedroom flat each. It's one of those times you really have to suspend disbelief but it's not always easy.

Some of the "old" houses do have a downstairs front room that is used as a bedroom (Eileen's house) sometimes. Upstairs, none of them have more than two bedrooms though Number 7 has 

After all these years, everyone that has their hair done at Audrey's still comes out looking exactly the same as they went in. Maybe that's ok if you're just going in for your weekly wash and set like Emily or having your roots done like Rita, but does nobody ever go in for a new look?

Does Aadi Alahan still play golf like a junior prodigy?

Where does Mary park the motorhome? It's only seen locally if it needs to be in the storyline. Surely it's illegal to be parked on the side of a street and living out of it on a full time basis? And where does everyone else park their cars when they're not needed for the storyline?

Has Phelan just dropped off the canvas altogether? It seems like there's unfinished business there. I really did think he was going to end up dead. He was just too nasty for him to leave abruptly like that. Ok, Owen and Gary are off the hook (because Anna had sex with me), See Ya Later Aligator. I suppose it just shifts to Owen and Anna now, with her dealing with what she'd done and the family buried under debt. Anna has finally told Owen the secret. If he thought their relationship was spiralling out of control before, watch this space. Maybe this will turn into a murder mystery yet. A real one.

The hype surrounding Tina's death wasn't a mystery at all, just a campaign to get people to watch on the night because we found out straight away it was Rob. Was it accidental? Kind of looked like it.

But I wondered why we've never ever known that the flat has a second exit, straight into the builder's yard office and upper balcony. I guess it makes sense that it might as it was always owned along with the yard even if rented out but it's never been seen or used on screen or even mentioned. That felt like a bit of a cheat but it did explain what Tina was doing on the balcony when none of the suspects had any connection with the yard. That's why I was convinced the killer would be Tony!

I did wonder if Maria still had Ozzy but there he was in the flat before Maria left for Cyprus.

Does the same child minder look after all of the babies on the street? (Lily, Hope, Ruby, Jake, Jack when he's not in Germany, Joseph).

I wonder how the gym is making any money. They only seem to have 2 cross trainers or treadmills at any given time as the scene requires, one bench, a few sets of free weights and one trainer. Lots of people walking back and forth, though. It's an odd location for a gym, too. It's across from the Victoria Court flats and not on a main road and is located in a small "back street" neighbourhood. Yes, i know, suspend disbelief, it's television. I can't help think the gym won't last any longer than Kal and Leanne's relationship.

What I'd love to see is Steve discovering he actually enjoys the gym. Or Lloyd who is going because he needs to get his heart back in shape. That won't last long and that will probably be another issue that is dropped and forgotten. We'll see Lloyd back in the pub drinking and having a crafty cig out back before long, mark my words. 

Speculating on Tina's demise

Everyone that's been paying any attention at all to the spoilers knows Tina's going to be murdered. It's going to happen the week of May 26 amid a bit "murder week" of episodes. Yeah, I hear you sigh, all the over the top publicity and sensationalism is tedious, right? Well yes, it is but that's just the way it is with telly these days. Coronation Street isn't the only one guilty of that.

Let's look past the sensational trumpeting. A young woman is going to die. We don't know how, yet and we don't know who is going to be the one that dunnit. The Powers That Be are touting different endings to try to fool the public (and probably to put on their website) but you can be sure that they have known all along who the culprit is going to be and the cast know as well. The rest of us have to guess and speculate.

Now most soap veterans can usually spot the one that's going to be the offender. Most often it's a spare character that isn't really meant to be long term. Remember Frank Foster's mother? If it is a major character and we know someone is leaving, that's the next likely suspect. The person arrested for the murder is almost never the one that did it. That's another Soap Law. In this case, to date, we don't know if anyone will be arrested or will confess (sometimes to cover for someone else they think has done it). We do know Chris Gascoyne is going to be leaving the show, at least for awhile. Hmmm....

But I don't think Peter Barlow has murder in him, not even when drunk. If it's going to be him, and I repeat, IF, (because I really don't know for sure) then I think it will be accidental. Even accidental death can put you in jail for manslaughter, and that will give the actor the "out" he wants and a chance to return, if he wants.

The other three front runners are Carla, Rob and Tracy. Of the three, Carla has the most motive should she discover the affair in time. Rob and Tracy? I can't see Rob doing it to defend Carla and though Tracy has form, what would her real motive be? Jealousy? Can't see that and she wouldn't kill on Peter's behalf. Accidental death could cover any of the potential suspects. One news article I ready also threw Michelle in there. Can't see that either.

In my heart, though, I'd really love it to be Tracy because then she'd be back in jail where she belongs! I know convicted criminals sometimes do get out of their sentences due to technicalities like she did but we all know she committed premeditated murder in cold blood. If it can't be Tracy, can it please be Michelle because she's getting up my nose, too. I hate how she's treating Steve! He doesn't deserve it (most of the time).

Nah. I'm kidding.

It's going to be Simon. Look at all he's been through in his young life! One more heartbreak and he's gonna snap! He adores Tina and if he overhears that she and his father had an affair causing his dad to go off the wagon, who knows how he'd react?

State of the Street - April 2014

Peter's stuck between a rock and a hard place. Oh boy, is he ever. Carla's up the duff and Tina thought she was too but she wasn't. Tina's getting pushier with Peter and the bottle is beckoning. And now Steve knows the secret and that really puts him in the middle. Steve doesn't do well in the middle and he's horrible with secrets. He's also Tina's boss and he sure had attitude towards her, didn't he? He was able to cover, but for how long? He won't tell, he says, because Michelle would kill him. What does he think she's going to do when she finds out? She will, you know. I would love to see her dump him but now both of their names are on the business as licensees and it's going to be more difficult to split up.

Steve also found himself in the middle of Kal and Nick's issues even though he had no idea. Kal and Leanne fancy each other rotten but Nick wants Leanne back. Problem is, she didn't get the chance to tell Nick before he really started putting on the campaign to woo her and Kal took it out on Nick by pushing him hard at the gym, leading Nick to blow up and wallop poor Stevie Mack! All Steve wanted to do was get a little fitter to beat Lloyd in the upcoming fun run! I don't know. I kind of like Kal and Leanne but it's really not a good situation since Kal and Nick got to be good mates. Too close to home. I guess I just never liked Nick and Leanne together and always felt she only went to Nick because she couldn't have Peter.

Back to Peter, for a minute, I do like how Leanne is really sympathising with Carla over Peter's drinking. Enemies they might have been, and they'll never be friends but Leanne knows what Carla's up against more than anyone else. Simon's really paying the price. Again. And maybe one small good thing might come out of this, maybe Simon may end up not being so against Carla. There were some good scenes between the two of them, Simon so angry and wanting to blame everyone but his dad so he laid into Carla. It did seem that he realized that Carla wasn't to blame, not really, and he let her comfort him a couple of times. There's hope for the two of them yet.

I don't know about this baby, though. Carla seems insistent on getting rid if Peter can't stop drinking and he's really not having it easy.  He might be in rehab at the end of April but rehab and Peter have never really seen eye to eye in the past. It's only ever been really shocking things that have pulled him up, like nearly causing Simon's death in the fire in the flat or having Si run away from Grandad George in Blackpool. Carla really thinks that her getting pregnant was what pushed Peter over the edge. We know different. It was the pressure of the possibility of his wife *and* his mistress being pregnant! If Carla has an abortion or a miscarraige, that might be the tragedy that sobers him up again. Awful that it would have to come to that, though. I might have enjoyed seeing Carla struggle with motherhood. But  there's no way of knowing yet and not even any spoilers out about the future of any baby Barlow so we'll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Tina is waffling between trying to get Peter back and intent on keeping away. But Carla seems to be bonding with Tina as a new bestie mate. Funny that Tina doesn't look the least bit uncomfortable while Carla's pouring her heart out. And I notice that Carla hasn't confided that she's pregnant to Tina and when Tina finds that out, after Peter gave her the song and dance about not wanting more kids, Tina's going to hit the roof. Tina does seem to be taken aback at Peter's slip into drinking again and she blames herself. She's more to blame than Carla is, that's for sure. If she had stayed backed off after Peter dumped her, he probably could have stayed sober but she pushed and pushed again and helped open that door for him to stagger through.

Sophie and Maddie end the month living at Kevin's who reckons they're better off there than under Sally's upturned nose. I do like the actor playing Maddie, but I really don't like the storyline and can't figure out what on earth Sophie sees in Maddie. They have almost nothing in common except a gobby personality. I would rather have seen Sophie bend over backwards to help Maddie than fall in love with her. It would have made more sense. Then maybe once Maddie cleaned up, got a bit more confidence and blossomed, it could have happened then. It was just to out of the blue. It feels like Maddie's using Sophie and Sophie's looking for a cause.

Maria is spinning out of control and you can hardly blame her. She has gone through the wringer and has made yet another bad choice in a man. Well at least Marcus wasn't a murderer. That's something. Now she's rebounding hard and wishing she'd never let Tyrone go and she's taking advantage of Tyrone's good nature and his fear of Kirsty. She's already driving Tyrone and Fiz apart but I really hope they don't split up over Maria's machinations. Maria needs help, not a man. And isn't it ironic that David is the one that knows her secret and actually thinks she should tell the truth? David? He's not spilling any beans, mind you, but he could at any moment if Maria crosses the line. That's not the David we've grown to know and love is it? But maybe he's actually maturing a tad.

Phelan is just about the creepiest villain that Coronation Street's ever had, I think. I think he even surpasses Alan Bradley. I enjoyed Tony Gordon as a real baddie but he had charm on top of his controlling personality. Pat Phelan is slimy, creepy, manipulative and he makes your skin crawl. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of a top actor. He's one of the most watchable characters on Corrie these days because of it.

Now by the end of the month, after he's wrung Owen financially dry, reduced Gary to a gibbering wreck and made Anna give up her virtue, he's seemingly out of the picture but I don't think we've seen the last of him. We might be focusing on the Windasses trying to get back on their feet, with Anna's secret hovering over them like a Harry Potter Deatheater ready to suck the soul out of them all, but Phelan probably hasn't done his worst yet. And because he's such a baddie, I think he's going to end up dead. Likely Owen or Gary will be the accused or even Anna when it comes out. The real killer? Probably his wife. Unless Faye's cold, calculating, death stare means there's more than meets the eye with that troubled child.

Speaking of financially dry, Owen does have a few assets to sell if he has to, the house, the builder's yard and the flat. Now, luckily, there's another builder in the offing. Maybe Jason could buy the business back? There's a turn about. He could be Owen's boss! Jason's dodgey father might be a candidate, as well, though I'm not so sure the business would do any better with Tony running it. He'd probably be cutting so many corners he'd have to be building round houses. He's already doing dirty deals with Rob and Tracy and that's sure to bite Barlow's Buys on the bum before too long! 

Now that there's a gym open on the Street, everyone seems to be crowding into the impossibly small workout space to have a go. It really does feel like there's a room the size of the corner shop, two treadmills that then get substituted for two cross trainers that get pulled out of the way for the athletics and boxing and benches and whatever else someone might use to work out with. They all seem to be in more or less the same place on the set when we see each of the punters. It's kind of funny really.

And they're busy! Always a few extras floating back and forth in the camera view. Amazing for such a small place on a back street! And why is Sharif always there? He's a business man, investing his cash. Surely he has other businesses to take care of and clients to see? Maybe he's just a busybody intent on meddling in his son's life, like Sunita's aunties! He seems to have made a friend in Eva so far. And where's Dev? After his big push to get fit, we haven't seen him in the gym once after the opening day and he owns half of it!

Touring the Street

ITV has moved their production to a newn state of the art media centre over at Salford Quays and there was much speculation as to what would be done with the old studio and sets. Last year we discovered that a company that does tours, called Continuum, would be taking over the site and setting it up for tours for 6 months this summer. They opened last week and will close at the very beginning of October. They've sold out about 50% so far so I'm hoping if it really makes them money, they'll keep it open.

I was planning a visit to Manchester in April so I was really glad to find out that the tours would be open by the time I got here and I booked my tickets early! They cost 16.50 pounds which is a little high but not too bad comparing it to other UK attractions. They've got a good group of tour guides and you need to book your ticket for a date and time as well. They usher groups of about 30 through every 10 minutes.

You enter through the back of Granada on Great John Street, which is off Quay Street. That's the former staff entrance. Where the staff parking lot was is now where you wait to queue to go in to the tour. There's a little cafe to one side and some functional and accessible toilets there as well.

A quick run down of the tour: You enter through a doorway that was also used as the front entrance to Carla Connor Barlow's former flat and when you're through there, it's right next to the cast Green Room where they would be able to relax when not required on the set. You get an introduction there and there's some video showing on the wall. You are taken down a "corridor of stars", lined with portraits and photos of many of the famous faces from the 50+ years of the show and you can peek into a few of the old dressing rooms. They're so much smaller than you expect, little more than a closet.

You then come into the studio proper where you get to see a few of the old sets set up and "dressed". The first one is Carla's old flat, all reds and dark wood and pristine unused kitchen! Also on display is the living room and kitchen of Number 8, The Platt household. there's the Dobbs house, which used to be Jack and Vera Duckworth's house most famously.  You get a look at the large Underworld factory set, too, with some recorded voice from Mike Baldwin from his factory back in the day.

Of course, there's the Rovers. You really couldn't have a tour without that. Everyone gets to post for an official photo behind the bar. You can purchase them later in the gift shop for 7.50 pounds or two for 10. They print them about an 8x10 (A4) size with a nice souvenir folder for it. They will also put them on a usb stick for 8.50 I think. We managed to bag a seat in one of the famed booths while the guide chatted to us and group members took their turns behind the bar.

You then get a look at the production "nerve center" where the control panels and sound boards are, before waiting behind the door that's the entrance on the set into the Bistro. A few last minute words and they welcome you to Coronation Street and you are outside on the famed cobbles where you can spend as much time as you like wandering about and taking photos. You were not allowed to take them inside the studios because it slows down the process through the tour and there are other groups not long behind you.

Also inside the studio are displays that you can look at. That's a bit of a complaint for me. The displays are great. There are some costumes on display like Jack's jacket, Roy's jacket, some wedding dresses like Becky's pink frothy one. Hayley's flowered coffin is there as is one other one that has been used for quite a few funerals. Down further is Roy's train set complete with the hills and the little castle Hayley gave Roy. There's a glass case with iconic character trademarks like Hilda's rollers, Ena's hairnet and Deirdre's big 1970s glasses among other things. My complaint is that you really can't stop and have a good look. It's all pointed out as you walk by on to another set or room.

I think if the tours were every 20 minutes instead of every 10, you'd have that little bit of extra time to stop and look at the photos, displays and the award case. I've also been spoiled because the two times I have been fortunate to have backstage tours, they were private tours so there was no rush and we could stop and take photos  where we liked.

The guides are all very knowledgable and the one we had was very personable as well. He knew his stuff though I still could have told him a few bits and pieces. I didn't reallly get the chance but I've amassed a lot of interesting trivia over the years. One that occurred to me was when I saw the old red rotary dial telephone in the display case that was Elsie Tanner's phone. There has been a red telephone in the set of number 11 (now the Grimshaw residence) ever since. Watch for it.

I've been on the set before but it never gets old. I try to make sure I can get photos of things that have changed since the last time I was there. We walked around, explored down the ginnel, around on Victoria Street and had a peek into Sally's back garden. The medical centre at the Rosamund street end of the outdoor set has the gift shop in it and you can see from leftover signs that it was not just used as the medical centre waiting room, but also some hospital areas. In the shop are the two snowmen that were built for Roy and Hayley as well.

The gift shop itself doesn't really have a lot of merchandise and they've filled it out with some Manchester souvernirs. Perhaps as the summer moves on into high tourist season they'll be better stocked as it has only just opened less than a week ago. Much of the Corrie related items are Enesco products including the lovely Lilliput Lane miniature replicas of some of the houses and businesses.

For Corrie Fans, if you can get to Manchester this summer, it's definitely worth it. We were waiting in the cafe after the tour for the Conversation Street podcasters, Michael and Gemma, (See their tour photos here on Facebook) and one man was fairly bouncing he was so excited to get on the cobbles. I really love seeing people so excited and eager because I know what it feels like that first time, it really is magic. The cafe is inside the studio property but outside where you go into the studio. A bit pricey as you might expect and not very fancy but it's a good place to wait until your tour starts or have a cuppa and wind down after.


There are more tour reviews from others over on the Coronation Street Blog here.

 Gemma and Michael from Conversation Street

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster

More of my photos are here.

State of the Street - March 2014

Peter and Tina really are a car crash. She's so naive and she really thought that once they both said those three little words, everything would move forward without a hitch. He'd leave Carla. They would be together. Happy Families. Ha! You can tell she's not been around too many blocks. Liz knows, the true voice of experience. Steph knows and she's even less experienced than Tina. (I think). Peter was happy as Larry. Well, of course he was. He's got it all, a beautiful wife and a beautiful mistress. He's lying so much I'm surprised he keeps it all straight. But then he's good at it.

I don't think we were ever meant to support Tina and Peter as a couple. It's clear he was just infatuated by a pretty face and she's not the love of his life. It's clear they don't have the chemistry that he had with Leanne and Carla. Tina was always meant to be his bit on the side and he's rapidly tiring of her but he's backpedalling furiously trying to keep Tina on side so that Tina doesn't tell Carla. That's why he's hanging on, now, I think.

I wonder if Carla will suspect before it all comes out? After all, she was in Tina's shoes and heard all those lies when she was the mistress and Leanne was the wife. It really does all come around full circle. Ah, but she's distracted by the time it starts getting heavier. She's pregnant! Now what? She prevaricated for several weeks and was nearly determined to have a termination but backed out at the last minute and the month ends with her telling Peter who looked shocked as hell. Now he's got a mistress and a pregnant wife!

Kind of thought that would happen. She really doesn't think she could be a parent and I'm sure down deep she's still scared to bits and it will be a very uphill battle for her to get her head around motherhood. I hope they don't make her an instant Earth Mother when she sees that baby. I want her to have a difficult adjustment. I want to see her struggle and for it not to go away in a few months. I want to see her fiercely love that baby but despair of ever getting it right and scared that she'll damage her child the way her mother damaged her. I want to see her succeed against her fears and better judgement. I think Carla can do it.

I still don't trust Tony and neither does anyone else. Even Liz says he's got his measure but it doesn't put her off. Tony proved he does have a dodgy side still, by stealing the tools from the other builder that Kal's dad hired thereby allowing Jason to get the refit back. He's even getting help from Tony which makes sense, I guess, because I doubt very much Jason is a qualified electrician so he'd have to hire one anyway. It's amazing that the gym was nearly finished in a matter of weeks with a total renovation by just two guys, or so it seemed.

Steve likened Liz and Tony to a car crash as did a few others and Tony played the heavy and warned Steve off. I don't think Tony will do anything to Liz directly but I imagine she'll find out about him doing something dodgy, letting Jason down, and kick him to the curb. The actor is very good, though, and the storyline is interesting to watch.

After Gary nearly killed Phelan, or at least gave him a nasty bruise, Phelan has them just where he wants them. No profit for you! Pushing and winding up Gary and Owen both is not going to help matters. Gary will be pushed to the edge I reckon. This building deal is going to get very messy. I think Owen will get back the money he put into it by contract, but that's it and he might not even get that if he starts trying to rip off Phelan and gets caught at it. Gary didn't get caught breaking into the house but something's bound to give.

I speculate that Phelan is going to end up really dead the next time but though it will likely be Gary or Owen accused, I also speculate that the "expendable crew member", aka the real killer, will turn out to be his wife, Valerie. I'm still enjoying the storyline, too. Phelan is such a watchable villain that even though it's frustrating watching Anna, Gary and Owen blunder around like idiots, i don't mind!

Now a few short notes: I like Steph. A lot. She's a bit dim but she's turning into a loyal friend and can tell you some home truths when you need it. I wonder how she learned all that at such a tender age? Inquiring minds want to know. I like her bother Luke so far, too. He could be a good addition to the show depending on what they do with him. I'm not overly bothered that Kevin's back. I hope they keep Sally and Tim together and give Kevin a new direction. Sally and Kevin are so over. While the actress playing Maddie is very good, I really hate the pairing with Sophie. If Jenna and Sophie had nothing in common, Maddie and Sophie have even less. There's no chemistry and we've done the redemption of the down and out girl with Becky and even Kylie.

I could understand Todd keeping his relationship with Marcus a secret from Sean as a kindness since they used to be together, but only if Todd were serious about Marcus, which he isn't and only if Todd were a truly kind and thoughtful person. Which he's not. And now Todd has successfully proven his point, that he could get Marcus back to the "dark" side. He's making out that he really cares about Marcus but I don't buy it. Ok. To be fair, maybe he's developed a bit of a crush but it certainly wasn't that way to begin with and I'm glad Marcus figured out straight away that Todd was playing games with him. Will he still end up with Todd? I don't know, possibly, but not for long I shouldn't think.

Maria is in bits after yet another disastrous relationship and this one looked like it might actually work out. Marcus is certainly one of the nicest men she's ever been with, other than Tyrone. The rest have all be selfish, in love with someone else, or even, in Tony's case, murderous. Many of them had an agenda and probably Marcus did too, because he wanted the family but I believe he truly does love Maria. It was never meant to be.

And finally, it seems we're going to see the end of Stella, she who used to be the Mistress of Beighe and has turned into the Black Almost-Widow. Have you noticed? I wonder if the Powers That Be  have switched her wardrobe from mostly beige to mostly black for a reason. It seems to have happened after the Karl calamity. She's not been a favourite of most fans. I can't say I hated her as much as some but she never gelled for me. I, like many, resented the fact that she was pushed into every storyline in an attempt to get the viewers to like her and get used to her. Instead, it felt like she was intruding, especially when Betty died. Since Betty Driver had mostly been off screen, we never bought that Stella and Betty made friends because we never saw them on screen together. Logically, of course, they would have but nobody accepted it.

I wasn't a fan of the actress herself, her methods and acting style. I found her lacking in emotional scenes and that whispery little voice drove me nuts. Funny, though, when I think of that, Gail's voice doesn't bother me and it's fairly whispery most of the time, too, but Gail is a far more interesting character.  I also felt kind of bad for Janice Battersby who raised Leanne and never gets so much as a mention anymore. She may be off screen, but Leanne did used to speak her name now and then, or call her. Janice did all the hard work raising Leanne, not Stella.

I did like her and Gloria together as mother and daughter and I thought that worked, though that could have a lot to do with Sue Johnston who has chemistry in buckets. I enjoyed Gloria but she was very underused. I also love Eva and I hope she stays with the show. She's a great character.

But Stella?

I won't miss her.

Flavour of the Month

There's news over the weekend that Kym Marsh has signed on to Corrie for another year. No big deal, you would think, but the unnamed anonymous "inside" source spoke to the media saying that Michelle, Kym's character, is the very center of Coronation Street and everyone is pleased she's staying on. Um. I would beg to differ there but the thing is, sources like that are usually an agent or publicity spin doctor paid by the actor, at least, that's what I think. For nearly the entire time that Ms. Marsh has been on Coronation Street, we've seen her face plastered in the newspapers, photo shoots, on every red carpet and carpets of all colours. She's very good at getting her name and face out there.

Then you remember that Michelle has been the focus of a great many storylines in the past. For a year or two there, it really did feel like Michelle was the center of the show but it wasn't in a good way. It was overkill and Corrie seems to be doing a lot of that lately. They really over-use a character to the point where most of the fans are truly sick of them and it turns them off the character.

I never had a problem with Michelle at first, she wasn't an actor that would win major acting awards but she wasn't that bad either. But then it started. She was everywhere though not shoved into everyone else's storyline as well, like they did with Stella Price, at least. It culminated in the very ill-conceived (and yes, pun very much intended) storyline about her biological son being switched in the hospital with another. The Ryan/Alex storyline was awful and although it's been completely swept under the rug by the writers, fans remember and wonder why Michelle never contacts her biological son on his birthday and why a stroppy Ryan never screamed "You're not my real mother" back when he and she were feuding.

After that, Michelle took a back seat for awhile and it was All Becky All the Time. Again, overusing the character but for me, in this case, I liked Becky and Katherine Kelly a lot more so it didn't bother me. It was a bone of contention for a lot of fans, however, and Ms. Kelly's face wasn't plastered over the media nearly as much as Ms. Marsh's. This isn't a new phenomenon though.

If you think back to the 1990s, you may recall an actress called Tracy Shaw who played Maxine Heavy Peacock. She was the first media darling that I remember and she was all over the tabloids. There were rumours that she herself was the "anonymous" source for some of the stuff that got into the papers.

Another point that seems to crop up with these women is that, as an actor, their skills are not that strong. Some were/are better than others but most of them, when they decide to leave the show to persue other projects, don't really get very far. It's a testement to their ability, not their popularity, that they make a successful career outside Coronation Street, like Katherine Kelly, Sarah Lancashire (Raquel) and another former favourite of mine, Suranne Jones. The rest spend some time working the media then fade quietly away.

At the moment, Helen Flanagan, who played Rosie Webster, seems to be her own publicity machine and making sure her name, face and body are a staple of the salivating tabloids and social media. She wanted to be famous. She is, but it's for her face and figure, not for all those acting jobs that haven't really appeared yet. She, too, will eventually fade as the flavour of the month turns to a new face.

Some of the women realize their limits and stay with Coronation Street as long as they can. The security is good, whether or not they like to keep their name in the spotlights. Most of them, in fact, keep their private lives private though disappointingly, even the ones that seem the most sincere still end up selling their stories or their wedding/baby pics to one of the glossier magazines. It's that last bit that kind of makes me feel let down. Sometimes, they do have a message to tell, like when Sally Dynevor went through her cancer treatements. Seeing her story in Hello magazine got her message of hope and survival out to a lot of people and that is a good thing. Selling your wedding photos offsets the cost of your big day and that just feels cheap.

I guess I've got off track a bit I hate pandering to the media and the ones that do it the most deserve it the least. I certainly think a lot less of the actors that do it and when the Powers that Be shove a character down our throats in storyline after storyline, especially silly storylines that make no sense, only serve to make us sick of them, not love them more and it's moreso when it's an actor that isn't up to the workload nine times out of ten.