Inside Gossip
New Corrie boss Iain Macleod lifts the lid on his plans for the Street…
It’s been all change at the top for the ITV soaps recently, with former Emmerdale chief Iain Macleod hopping across the Pennines to take charge of Corrie. Iain’s work will be seen on screen from December, and he gives Inside Soap a sneaky peek into the future…
Hi, Iain! What are your plans for Corrie for the months ahead?
Corrie always needs to have big material in it, and it’s at its best when there’s comedy, too. My background in Corrie
[Iain was story producer from 2009 to 2013] is that I like the funny stuff – but equally, I’ve worked on the tram crash, Tyrone and Kirsty’s domestic violence, Carla’s rape and Peter’s alcoholism.
The key is to achieve a balance.
Did you agree with some of the criticism that Corrie has become too dark in recent times?
Kate [Oates, Corrie’s previous boss] is a friend of mine and during her time on this show, told some massively socially important stories that changed people’s lives. That’s not perhaps the reason people tune into Coronation Street, but it shouldn’t be sniffed at and the viewing figures speak for themselves. There’s a risk that we have this nostalgic view that Corrie has traditionally been people wittering over the fence when, actually, it’s always been quite challenging.
Who can we expect to see at the heart of the drama? We hear that the Barlows have quite a lot coming up…
Our story conferences have been brimming with ideas for a whole range of characters and age ranges. In the New Year we have a massive story that plays to some of our older cast, but equally we have huge new chapters for Daniel and Sinead, at the younger end of the spectrum. We have a big story for Amy Barlow, and some funny stuff for Ken!
What can you tease about Christmas?
I want it to be a ‘Christmassy’ Christmas, as opposed to acrimony, divorce papers and vitriol. When you’re trying to digest your sprouts, you need the stories to be warm and light-hearted, and you need it to reek of Christmas. So, it’ll have some heartbreaking plots, a big shock at the end and hopefully a surprising pay-off to stories you’re seeing on screen now.
Is there a friendly rivalry between you and Kate Oates now that she’s joining Eastenders?
I’ve already sent her a message, jokingly saying, “The gloves are off”! There’s a healthy rivalry between Eastenders and
Corrie – but we plough our own furrow. There’s room in people’s lives for both!