CORRIE'S NEW VERA
Lipman will bring drama and giggles
CORRIE bosses are taking the soap back to the good old days by signing TV legend Maureen Lipman to play The Street’s new battleaxe. Maureen, left, was unveiled yesterday after fans called for more of the humour made famous by characters such as Vera Duckworth.
CORRIE bosses are taking the soap back to its good old days by signing up telly legend Maureen Lipman to play The Street’s new battleaxe.
The 72-year-old will inject some much-needed humour into the show, which has been dogged with complaints about its gloomy plotlines.
It is a sign that producers have finally listened to fans’ pleas to stop the misery and add more comic characters.
Last night Corrie legend Julie Goodyear, who played no-nonsense Rovers Return landlady Bet Lynch, saluted the decision.
The actress, who was on the show from 1970 to 1995 and then made a brief return in 2003, said: “This sounds great news. I agree with the fans that the show needed some lighter moments.
“All drama needs comedy. And Coronation Street was always good at that.
“From what fans tell me, more and more people are actually watching the old classic episodes of Coronation Street which are on ITV3 every day.”
Veteran star Maureen has been hired to play Tyrone Dobbs’ interfering and domineering gran Evelyn Plummer.
She will cause dramatic clashes and provide some hilarious comedy banter, just like meddling Street characters of old including Blanche Hunt (Maggie Jones), Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn).
Tyrone uncovers his “long-lost granny” when his mum Jackie dies.
Her arrival will be a breath of fresh air for the ITV soap which has been under fire for the past 12 months for its storylines of sex grooming, male rape, serial killings and suicide.
Maureen has been on our television screens since 1971 and is a household comedy name.
She is most famous for starring as Beattie in the 1980s BT Adverts but she has appeared in many TV shows such as Agony, Doctor Who, Jonathan Creek and Loose Women plus movies including The Pianist and Carry On Colombus.
Corrie producer Iain MacLeod said: “I am beyond thrilled that we are introducing such a great new character, played by someone of Maureen’s pedigree.”
Maureen will make her debut on the cobbles in September.