SIR MICHAEL PARKINSON
The gentle Corrie I loved is losing the plot with its brutal storylines
CORRIE fan Sir Michael Parkinson fears the soap he grew up loving has become so “brutal” it has lost touch with its roots.
The chat show veteran says the kidnapping and torture of Andy and Vinny in particular shocked him.
He is now so concerned about the ITV soap’s descent into violence that he has made his views plain.
Parky, 82, said: “I never imagined I would recoil from watching Coronation Street. But the kidnapping and torture of Andy and Vinny and their brutal murder by Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre), had little to do with that gentle, funny reminder of life in the North Country I so admired in the early 1960s when I joined Granada Television. In those days, Ena, Minnie and Martha dominated the snug, Elsie Tanner was everyone’s idea of the good-time girl with a heart of gold and, later, Hilda Ogden made three pot ducks flying up a wall a fashion statement,” Parky wrote in the Radio Times.
“In the 60s, Hilda and Stan formed an unforgettable comedy couple. Jack and Vera arrived in the 70s. Yet more comedy gold and a vivid and warm reminder of the people I once shared a life with.”
Parky also suggested Corrie was in danger of losing its northern identity.
He added: “I am affronted by what I see as a gem in danger of becoming just another formulaic soap.
“Those I offend by my opinions must understand how I feel and why. At Granada, I worked with a young trainee called Michael Apted whose career as a director of Hollywood movies was yet to happen.
“Summing up his career, he wrote, ‘Those pieces of Granada I carry with me through my daily life are invaluable signposts when I need to remind myself who I am and where I came from’. I know exactly what he means.”
Last week Phelan killed off both Andy Carver (Oliver Farnworth) and Vinny Ashford (Ian Kelsey).
Fans saw Phelan coerce Andy into shooting Vinny after convincing him he was responsible for the death of Michael Rodwell. But instead of letting Andy go free as he had promised, evil Phelan then turned the gun on his original captive. He then dumped both bodies in a nearby lake. The scenes prompted 390 complaints to Ofcom. In response, ITV said: “Phelan has already been established as a villain so his actions won’t have come as a surprise to viewers. “In addition the programme is always careful to limit the violence shown to a minimum to convey the drama and tell the story. One day, Phelan will get his comeuppance and justice will be done.”