Why so serious? Corrie fans call for more laughs
DEMAND FOR MORE LIGHTHEARTED STORYLINES AND CHARACTERS IN THE MOULD OF JACK AND VERA, FRED ELLIOTT AND HILDA OGDEN
CORRIE fans are calling for an overhaul on the famous cobbles as the show approaches its 60th anniversary.
Coronation Street viewers have bemoaned ‘dreary’ storylines and called for more humour in the world’s longest running soap opera.
Speaking out on the M.E.N. Facebook page, fans say they’re resorting to watching classic Coronation Street episodes screened on sister channel ITV3 instead of the regular episodes.
Sue Aspden told us that the show ‘needs the humour back to counteract all the depressing story lines.’
Linda Davies also thinks Weatherfield is lacking laughs.
She said: “Need a new Fred or Hilda or Jack and Vera. Too serious now.”
And Tracy Yates commented: “Stopped watching it a while ago. Boring. Same old stuff all the time.”
This year Corrie’s slow burner of a storyline featuring Geoff Metcalfe’s abuse of his wife Yasmeen, to reflect the true nature of coercive control in a relationship, has been central to the drama.
Other awareness-raising stories have included mum of quadruplets Gemma
Corrie villains Pat Phelan, left, and Geoff Metcalfe, right, have been at the centre of key storylines in recent years
Winter battling postnatal depression, three-year-old Oliver Battersby being diagnosed with incurable mitochondrial disease and Corrie worked with the NSPCC on an online abuse plot when 14-year-old Asha Alahan shared a nude video with her crush Corey Brent and images were shared online.
Susan Wild says the show, which turns 60 in December, needs to take inspiration from the classic episodes which are currently transporting fans back in time to old episodes from the 90s.
“I watch the classic Corrie on ITV3 its brilliant,” she said.
“There’s the serious storylines but a lot of humour, love it.
“Corrie needs to get back to something similar.”
Karen Tait says the soap needs ‘more witty banter’ and more from Maureen Lipman who has been hailed ‘the new Blanche.’
And Desmond Farry agrees the soap is lacking fun and comedy characters.
He said: “It’s too dreary, too politically correct, full of ‘issues,’ lacks the fun and characters which made it the most popular soap on TV. Bring back characters like Fred and Reg and give people a laugh.”
Corrie producer Iain MacLeod took over from previous boss Kate Oates in 2018.
During Kate’s tenure there were complaints from fans over the soap’s ‘darker’ direction with the villainous Pat Phelan.
Speaking shortly after his arrival, Iain said: “I know there’s been a lot of talk about the tone of the show.
“I think the show always needs to have big material in it but the show is at it’s best when it has comedy in it.
“It’s got the low-key, poignant stuff like the Daniel and Sinead stuff and some high drama and action-packed sequences. It’s all about balance.”
He added: “You can’t please all the people all the time but Corrie has been very, very good since it was first conceived of pleasing most of the people most of the time.
“So I hope we can give everybody under my tenure a little bit of what they like – well, a lot of what they like.”
Last year Sinead Osbourne’s death from cervical cancer saw some of the programme’s most harrowing scenes as it documented the journey of the young mum and newlywed, and actress Katie McGlynn won best serial drama performance at the National Television Awards 2020 for the role – as well as high praise from fans.
The addition of Roy Cropper’s niece Nina Lucas, played by Mollie Gallagher, to the street has also been a huge hit.
“I want more Nina scenes please,” said one fan on Twitter.
“I just love Nina she’s a brilliant character,” said another.