Should Corrie return to the Ogden days?
Bring warmth and humour back to the cobbles, says Ian Hyland WHAT PATH WILL BEST-LOVED SOAP TAKE?
Viewers will only take being preached at for so long. I’m glad ITV took stock
I’M not saying Coronation Street has been a little too obsessed with issues lately.
However, when the announcement was made about Kate Oates I was halfexpecting to hear ITV had set up a helpline for “anyone affected by this news”.
Don’t get me wrong, Corrie has clearly performed a service by highlighting issues such as stillbirth, male rape and teenage grooming over the past year.
I will always defend any soap’s right to tackle difficult topics.
I just think they got carried away with the campaigning.
It was almost as if the producers had a list of issues they thought might push all the right buttons on social media, and were in the process of arbitrarily assigning those issues to individual cast members.
This week, steroid abuse. Next week, OCD. The week after that, gender reassignment in OAPs?
It might bring big headlines and new fans in the short term, but as a longterm policy it is clearly unsustainable.
At times it felt like people behind the scenes were seeing an increase in calls to a charity as more of a marker of success than viewer satisfaction. That’s no way to run a popular TV show.
Viewers will only take being preached at for so long. I’m glad ITV has taken stock before the greatest TV show in history was allowed to become a laughing stock.
I’m delighted the new producer is considering giving more action to older cast members such as Norris, Rita and Audrey – and not-quite-as-old ones such as Liz, Eileen, Sally, Gail and Mary.
Hopefully that will mean the warmth and humour so synonymous with Corrie will return. Some people will argue soaps need shocking plots to attract a younger audience – and prolong their shelf life. I’m not sure I agree. I watched Corrie when I was a kid, a teenager, a cool (in my head) twentysomething and a partygoing thirtysomething.
The characters I’ve enjoyed the most are the older ones from Stan and Hilda, through Alec and Bet, up to Norris and Rita. The storylines I remember best are the broader ones such as the Mike/Deirdre/Ken triangle.
Of course, more shocking scenes such as Ernie Bishop’s shooting, Brian Tilsley’s stabbing, Maxine Peacock’s murder and Hilda Ogden sobbing over her Stan’s personal effects also stick in the mind.
Their rarity added to their immediate – and lasting – impact. The dash of sex and violence is all very well, but I’m sure
millions of fans would prefer comedy, romance and warm storylines.
That wouldn’t have to mean an end to controversial issues. It’s not as if Corrie didn’t tackle those before Kate Oates came along.
One of the most memorable issue-based storylines was Peter Barlow’s alcoholism.
What made it so unforgettable? Corrie’s ability to see humour in the darkest moments, that’s what.
I can still hear Blanche Hunt stunning the rest of the Barlow family at Peter’s AA meeting in 2009 with outbursts like, “Is there some sort of correlation between how boring you are and how much you drink?”
You couldn’t imagine a line like that making the cut in this climate.
Twitter would be up in arms and ITV would be issuing an apology.
That’s one battle Corrie faces. In its quest to portray what real people think, the nation’s favourite soap should not be hamstrung by how a few do-gooders might react.
Look at what po-faced preaching has done to EastEnders. Ironically it appears to be making an effort to cast off that reputation.
The truth is it has been a lot funnier than Corrie this year.
If that statement alone doesn’t convince you now was the right time to for change in Weatherfield then nothing will. JUST because Corrie is nearly 60 years old, that doesn’t mean it should be slowing down and preparing to collect its bus pass. Of course we all love the gentle charm of the older characters, not to mention the humour that has been at the heart of Weatherfield. But this is not The Darling Buds Of May. Coronation Street has always confronted the big issues, ever since its first episode in 1960, and has never shied away from hardhitting storylines. It’s what soaps do, and our soaps must fight for their future. As Britain’s favourite soap looks towards a fresh start, it should continue to move with the times. It must deliver modern messages that matter to new generations of fans, not pander to traditionalists who don’t like change. Outgoing boss Kate Oates moved the show out of the dark ages when she arrived two years ago, with everyone talking about its tough storylines. When viewers saw the ordeal of David Platt’s rape last month, rape crisis charities received a spike in calls and it got the nation talking about male mental health. Kate said: “A lot of men who are victims of sexual assault take in excess of 25 years to speak out about it. We’re telling a lot of stories about male mental health. Stories like this are designed to hold up a mirror to people and give people a voice.” Kate oversaw its transition to six weekly episodes, as well as the introduction of a new street, and powerful stories that have won Corrie the best viewing figures in years.
Not everyone has been happy with the changes, with storylines such as the dark deeds of serial killer Pat Phelan (played by Connor McIntyre) upsetting some viewers, including Sir Michael Parkinson, who ranted that the gruesome scenes made him “recoil”.
Controversy will always attract complaints, and violence is not new.
Over the decades we’ve seen death by bus, lorry, fire, freezer, train, gunshot and knife as well as rape, divorce, depression, suicide – and Ken Barlow’s wife Valerie met her maker after being electrocuted by a hairdryer. Why shy away from all that?
As Kate leaves Corrie to front prime-time drama, new boss Iain MacLeod, who moves from Emmerdale, must continue to break new ground.
Producers cannot be afraid to tackle tough, sometimes controversial, subjects. Yes, sometimes they can make for difficult viewing, but soaps need to reflect real life in Britain.
The Bethany Platt grooming storyline made for harrowing scenes, but it is a subject that deserved attention. The shake-up this week has kick-started reports that long-serving cast members were unhappy younger stars were being handed the gritty stories.
With rumours that new boss Iain plans to prioritise veterans, there is a fear the younger stars’ jobs will be in danger.
While we’d welcome gripping stories for favourites such as Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), Michael Le Vell (Kevin Webster), Sally Dynevor (Sally Webster), Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald) and Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor), it would be a mistake to axe younger stars like Katie McGlynn (Sinead Tinker), Colson Smith (Craig Tinker) or Harry Visinoni (Seb Franklin).
The multigenerational nature of soaps keeps viewers glued to their sets.
It will be a tall order to keep everyone happy, but with the show regularly pulling in seven million viewers, the future is looking bright.
Explosive scenes on Good Friday, as Pat Phelan confessed his crimes to Eileen, pulled in 9.4 million viewers – the soap’s highest ratings in three years.
Whatever the boss’s big plans may be, I for one will be hoping Corrie stays on its current course. You know what they say – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Deliver the modern messages that matter, says Sara Wallis It must move with times, not pander to audiences who don’t like change