The writing is so lazy. They shoehorn storylines in then drop them suddenly, they change the personalities of established characters to fit storylines and throw in the odd bit of lame comedy as a gesture. And you can't have all these storylines going on at once. In the same episode you have illnesses, accidents, deaths, affairs, pregnancies, crimes and comedy. It's just stupid. It's not been the same since Tony Warren died. The whole team should be fired.
I just watched it for the first time in well over 15 years to see Gail's departure and was genuinely taken aback by how bland and poor it was compared to I'd say pre-2010. The timing was clunky, the jokes weren't funny and the acting felt wooden. I don't know how it devolved so badly. Are writers/directors not as good as they used to be?
Virtually EVERY soap is in a terrible state, whether it is Emmerdale with it's never ending kidnappings, petty crime , cheap gangsters (Ross) and monthly "who's the daddy?" stories, Hollyoaks, which should have been put out of it's misery years ago, is like a Grimms fairy story, Eastenders with a one-trick pony producer who keeps bringing back characters from decades ago, just so he can say he has done it, and seems as talentless as he is predictable, and Coronation Street with a constant diet of police and hospital stories. The truth is that all of them suffer from too many episodes each week, with no rehearsal time and writing on a conveyor belt. Also some of the actors are abysmal - the lad who plays P C Tinker in CS is the most unconvincing policeman ever to grace the screen, the two "gay" lads in ED Aaron and John look like two uncomfortable straight men dreading their scenes, which they clearly are. The best straight "gay" character is Callum in EE and with Clenshaw axing Ben he is now sidelined. Scrawny Cain is the terror of men half his age (ditto Phil in EE). Now in ED we have wimpy Joe back again just redoing the story he did 7 years ago - as always hiding behind somebody else Peter is the new Graham. Many of the actors are unconvincing (as if that scrubber Cindy in EE would still be regarded as God's gift to men, and dropping her drawers - she is over 60 for heaven's sake!), and each soap has more boring scenes than good ones. You can't just single out CS, they all need pruning,. Though Carla suddenly becoming lesbian seems pure titillation.
People are waking up and realising that none of this is healthy all this violence, toxic relationships. We can't continue to absorb this shit drama and chaos
@@leejones8582 But God help us, ALL Clenshaw does is drag back old characters, for very little reason other than they are otherwise unemployed - the latest one to crawl back is Ross Kemp - obviously the Channel 5 documentaries have dried up. The only thing to look forward to is the past in Clenshaw's book. Yet viewers treat him as some sort of God - (some of the compliments to him on Digital Spy are so obsequious they make you want to vomit). Some of his stories are ludicrous. Bianca must have been waiting weeks to use the lavatory - she would probably be dead by now. The less said about the AmDram of Reiss the better, What annoys me is they bring back old has-beens (Nigel, Cindy etc etc), yet good younger actors are virtually ignored (i.e. Tony Clay). Emmerdale has also dragged back some old characters, Christ knows why they need Ross AND Aaron back - two cheeks of the same arse, (if Aaron and John are "in love", then I am in love with Keir Starmer) some creepy old abusive father (the new "Gordon" doomed to die before too long) and last week CS even dragged back Brian Capron as serial killer Hillman). If soaps have a future they have to foster new young talent and forget the 1980s and 90s, and bring us new stories. They are doomed to failure if they don't. Might as well save money, axe the lot and just reshow their old episodes.
The show is a shadow of its former shelf normal characters and storylines are gone now its all sensationalist storylines and unlikeable characters it is sad to see.
Too many tedious pregnancy storylines, ludicrous Cheney Duel film rip off. Then there's Eileen, like a moaning cuckoo clock popping her head in and out of her front door every so often to throw a miserable barred comment. Still, now that Evelyn is leaving her corner shop job for a highly unrealistic law degree, maybe asha, who is seen once every 3 and a half months at the moment can get her job and air time instead!
The problem is that these soaps aren't written by people from the communities they are supposed to represent. Corrie was meant to be a light hearted look at the working class north. Now it has badly written storylines which only appeal to metropolitan middle class graduates and the humour has gone. It used to be great up until the tram crash.
One thing that I like about British soap operas is how diverse their audience is. While the majority of the audience is still women, a lot of heterosexual men watch them, along with some gay viewers. In contrast, with American soap operas, the vast majority of the audience is women, with a nearly exclusively gay (few) male audience.
Coronation street has simply lost its spark which we all loved, no more iconic characters like liz, jack & vera, Norris, Deidre etc left other than the odd member. The humour / banter seems to have faded away and replaced with murder after murder storylines, most of the cast now are teenagers whose acting is below average at best, it just feels like a mix between hollyoaks and an American murder programme.
Agreed, the show has lost it's identity and all the connective tissue between the different families on the street. New cast after the Josh storyline aren't memorable. The writing is sloppy. Mature characters who had their last major arc years ago aren't retired and are kept around to prop up the terrible post-Josh intake. There's far too much deadwood. The dislike for some older characters who have no story is palpable. Whoever comes in next needs to have the balls to cut the timetable and get rid of the cast that is disliked or completed their story years ago. Otherwise Corrie will be axed by 2030.
I'm glad Gayle, as a character, has left the show. Since Hillman she'd been let down by the writers with no decent scripts or storylines to speak of. I never understood why over the last 10 years she could only whisper, rather than actually speak properly, to anyone. It was just so irritating! ...& l won't miss that dreadful haircut she's had for the last 30 years either. The worst thing at the moment is the once again tiredly overused storyline of who is the father of my baby, yet again? The Daisy, Daniel & Kit pregnancy dilemma has been used so many times it just shows how weak the writing is. It is very frustrating to watch at the moment & l really hope it gets an injection of some realistic characters & better storylines. It's interesting to hear your thoughts here but it could have all been wrapped up in 10 minutes. Your yawning is very tiredsome too, literally. Less swearing & next time please be awake before you post. Good discussion though.
Corrie really needs a Brian Park-style producer to come in and make unpopular decisions like he did in 1997. Clenshaw sort of did it in 2022 as well (though recasting Peter Beale was a very easy choice to make). the thing about the Gail exit as well- they could have given a storyline that they are about to give (according to rumours) Debbie Webster and it would have been so much better. Letting Gail leave like this is beyond Daft and didn't make any sense. I highly doubt Helen would want to return so going all out on her exit story would have been cleaner and more fitting than what they gave her (with or without Martin)
For me the two major issues with Corrie are: 1. Characters whose arcs are complete aren't being retired. How many characters on the show completed their last major story years ago? It feels like mature characters who completed their story arcs a long time ago now are kept around to prop up a half-baked newer cast that just don't have the substance to bring the show to the next generation. David Platt is probably a prime example of this. Unpopular opinion but he should've left with Kylie in 2016. It was the perfect ending for the character. He'd gone through a troubled childhood, an extremely rebellious teen phase, did time in prison, made a lot of mistakes and then gradually started working his way to redemption. After fighting a drug dealer for his kids he was finally on the right track with the woman of his dreams. Don't get me wrong, I like the original Shona story as much as anyone else, but David really deserved the good ending. Instead parts of his development keep having to be deleted each time they want to do the next "David acts like he didn't learn anything from his arc 15 years ago when he obviously should have" story. It's frustrating to see this continually happen with once-loved characters who have earned their good ending. 2. The loss of the nattering oldies. This may seem like a weird one but a criticism commonly levied at the modern iteration of the show is the street feels very disconnected. The nattering oldies back in the day were generally the link between the different characters on the street. Think Norris and his pals. They've now all either retired or passed away for the most part, and there has been a massive difficulty in settling younger characters that are starting to age into the nattering oldie niche. The loss of these characters is tantamount to a loss of the connective tissue between the different families on the street, which is what is leading it to feel disjointed. Ultimately the problem is they are trying to make Corrie something it isn't. I think they're trying to appeal to a younger generation with all the action and gangs and police, but this is just fundamentally not what a soap opera is. I actually blame the success of the MCU for a lot of media going down this route of excessive action. Soap operas aren't supposed to be Marvel films. What needs to be done now is a reduction in the timetable, a downsize of the cast and the reorganising of some of the older cast into the nattering oldies niche. Get rid of the least popular characters that the majority of viewers want gone. Remove the subversive nonsense. If you constantly try to subvert expectations, eventually the expectation becomes subversion and it stops being interesting. That's another thing I blame on the MCU. They did it once and it worked so now everyone is trying to copy their success the best part of a decade later. It's just not been the same since the Nathan storyline. That is honestly the last great storyline for me, the shark jump if you will. The David rape storyline was good but I feel like the conclusion was rushed. Funnily enough the Nathan storyline was the last one before Infinity War released. It may seem like a tenuous connection to make but all the other soaps and media in general has seen the same trend of an increase in excessive action and subversion of expectations. I genuinely believe that in the future, the MCU will be blamed for shittifying the medium and turning every grounded story into an action adventure.
They should have brought back Kathy Jones who played Tricia her friend when she started, Kathy was willing to come back, would have been nice for Tricia to end it of.
Yes perhaps they were both diagnosed with a terminal illness and drove over the cliffs Thelma and Louise style wearing head scarfs and sticking two fingers up at the world
I agree with everything you've covered but plus its also filmed very oddly. It's like you say - they can't afford to shoot it pre-covid style. The last big good storyline was Geoff and Yasmin and Pat Phlean. These had hallmarks back to the Richard Hillman days. However since covid, they really have not gone back to how it was filmed say around 2004, where you'd actually have a decently shot fight sequence and fiery character confrontations. We had a slither of that on Christmas Day with Leanne and Toyah but its far and few between these days. They seem to have a shooting schedule that dictates what they write. Ken and Rita have block days where they film about 2 weeks in 2 days I think which is wrong. And every episode seems to be scheduled to suit specific actors when it was never shot like that 2002-2010 at all. That period made it feel like a street. Now it feels like a stage play where people come on and off and you can tell its done to save money. They need to sack at least anyone who doesn't have strong ties to the street and the deadwood. Shoot it back how it was shot and then start writing stories like they use to from the 1980s onwards. Also, they need seasoned actors like Connor McIntyre and Brian Capron. Eastenders has loads of them and Corrie only has Maureen Lipman in recent years and then Claire Sweeney recently. We need Jack/Vera, Blanche, Betty, Norris type people because that's what Corrie is. Ken, Rita and Audrey aren't gonna last forever.
The Phelan and Geoff storylines were good but for me the shark had already jumped by then. Phelan was a convincing big bad until he somehow washed up in Ireland and then did a generic villain shootout. The whole thing with Andy was stupid as well. Andy should've ended up killing Phelan and then becoming him as he was haunted from beyond the grave. That would've been the much better storyline. I can't speak for the Geoff storyline too much but it doesn't seem big enough a feat to be a truly great storyline. For me the last great storyline was the Nathan saga. That's the last one I can really sit down and watch for hours. It's just not ever been as good as that since.
Corrie has really tanked since the tram crash. I think with the change with television becoming more serious with the likes of breaking bad and stranger things really hurt Corrie and other soaps that it should be unrealistic. That’s why it’s now got effects, music and killings every week. I stopped watching it nearly four years ago and seeing clips where they using transitions and effects is so cringeworthy. The fact that Richard Hillman came back is literally the final straw for the show. It really needs to stop, maybe take a break for a few years and try stop been a cheap imitation of breaking bad and try to be Corrie again. The mid to late 2000s was very peak Corrie and needs to get back to there
I think they should start looking at a big exit storyline for the soap, honestly. Gail became a figure of ridicule, and her leaving plot was an insult to her legacy. You’ve got this weird sister vs. sister plot for dreary Toyah and boring withered Leanne, and in the same breath we’ve got one-too-many forgettable faces carrying one-too-many serious storylines. I’ve just heard they’re writing a cancer storyline for Kevin. Nobody wants to see it. I think Helen Worth realised it’s time to jump ship and retirement was an impeccable excuse. Tracy’s basically a tired, simpering shadow of her former self, and Ken’s just along for the ride. I also wish they would separate Shona and David; they obviously didn’t like how Shona was received so gave her a head injury and re-wrote her to be more argumentative and exciting. I’m just so done with it.
I'm going to be honest when I heard that Gail Platt was leaving, given she has been a key character on the show for years and has been the key to many big storylines, I genuinely thought they would pull out all of the stops for her final exit storyline. And what did we get? A goodbye that involved her finding love? Honestly for me (I know some people might say it was a fitting end to her story) but it was ridiculous. The thing is yes, maybe thematically she's wanted that but the thing was this was a story that literally rushed and therefore didn't seem like the right send off. Maybe yes, thematically, Gail's end was to find love but the thing was I truly didn't believe they were both besotted and in love with each other. Plus the thing that really wound me up was that this was a story involving all of the Platts. But how? Realistically yes the Platts had a lot of stories but it seemed to me that this was the story they cared the least about. Honestly I know Helen had discussions with the writers about this story but for an exit story, this was so disappointing and for me I think Corrie should just shut down now. If it can't serve decent stories for it's legacy characters then god help us when they do storylines in the future.
It would have been more fitting for Gail to leave the street a content, independent and happy woman especially after the Richard Hillman scene which could have been better done, I don't think Gail and Jesse suit eachother
Corries longest lasting legacy character is Ken Barlow and william Roche is 95. William doesn't want to leave. When he dies or goes off to the universe, the show will have to consider its future. Barlows family are all gone...anyway
Watching corrie now is like a chore. I keep watching in the hope it will improve, but sadly, I don't think it will. Maybe I'll decide to use those three hours a week doing something less boring instead, like housework.
I read that the new producer wants more ‘issue’ based stories, which I think is the biggest problem with it nowadays. She clearly doesn’t get what viewers want. People want the humour back and more character driven stories like you would’ve got in the 90s. Remember how good it was then. There’s so much wrong with Corrie now. The Rovers doesn’t have the same vibe anymore, the stories are depressing and the characters are shit. The show needs open heart surgery.
the Rovers has a serious vibe now...if i was in that pub now id expect someone to stab or attack me whereas if i was in it in the early 90s id expect something humourous to happen.
I think they should shuffle the characters between the shows. Like the Mitchels should find themselves in Weatherfield, and the McQueen's in Walford. Stick the Barlows in Emmerdale. We can even have the Robinsons from Neighbours come to Walford, and the Platts in Erinsborough.
I think Helen Worth went into semi retirement around 5 years ago leading up to her full retirement. When she went part time, for some daft reason, they made her character stupid; maybe to make her character less important so it wasn't as glaring that she was hardly ever in it
I havent watched Corrie for years but did watch Gaels departure as someone put it up on UA-cam - What a load of old sh*t and an insult to the actress - An actress who goes back to the days of Elsie Tanner , Annie Walker and Ena Sharples - Whoever arranged her exit needs sacked - though having said that i think Corrie is beyond saving - Should have been a must watch event and deserved to be something jaw dropping - Like bringing back Susie Birchill for a couple of one of episodes - ending with them driving off into the sunset Thelma and Louise style
corrie went downhill in my opinion after big characters like Deirdre Norris ect left no hate to any current cast members but its not worth watching anymore
The main reason why I don't find these shows real is because there is no swearing. If a character from this show goes to jail, the inmates will say things like I am going to hurt you. You are a loser and so on. In real life inmates will tell you to f off. These characters need to swear in real life but can't because it's on a family channel.
At least in the 70s and 80s they'd drop bloodys in left right and centre. Now the media would jump on that whilst being fine with f's everywhere else on tv
@@jessicaduncan49 Other than the Richard Hillman nightmare was underwhelming with several crappy plots interwined should have been about Gail and her history with the show.
For me there are two major problems at the heart of what is wrong with Corrie right now. Firstly there is a major disconnect between what those running the show think people want to see and what they actually want to see- certain story types that viewers are bored with or have no interest in repeated (multiple pregnancies, gangsters, etc). Characters that viewers are bored with or have no interest in constantly shoved to the forefront or characters viewers want to see more of constantly shoved to the sidelines. Yes storyliners and writers have a job to do but when there is so much negativity around then surely it makes sense to at least pay attention to what viewers are saying. Also, you hinted at this yourself but it feels like they have lost the essence of what makes Corrie, well, Corrie. Contrary to what seems to be believed, people do actually appreciate the normal, every day scenes like people drinking in the Rovers after a long day at work and things like that
Sorrynation St all the way now - crude but down to earth dialogue and the same old school spirit. Deeply upset by how middle class its become. No working class life, no strong charatcers, even the old guard are a pantomime version of themselves now. The new generation has blitzed it completely. Now its just consistent drug debt, promiscuity, wooden and obvious cliche writing, unpleasant characterswho are so hateful its unwatchable. Thank God we still have the mighty Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker etc on UA-cam
I would agree with this. But I think Gail’s exit was actually quite fitting. I mean how many times has she been leaving to move abroad permanently with a new husband and it’s blown up in her face. Lewis Archer anyone?…But yeah Helen Worth is such a good actress, the storylines of the late 90s to the 2010’s definitely her heyday. Sarah’s teen pregnancy and Martin’s affairs, Richard Hillman, the whole “Demon David” era of the mid to late 00’s is iconic and I’ll really miss that Gail.
@@jordanbooth3748 What does that have to do with anything? I said Eastenders got more viewing figures that Coronation street. Do you think if it was interesting or worth watching that people wouldn't just switch the channel? That's how it's always been
This was the first episode I've watched in over twenty years. And I found it dull and predictable I'm glad I no longer watch it regularly anymore. BORING 😔
Sadly it all seems to be about awareness etc etc. We know stuff happens but it isnt entertainment.I find it very boring now. More comedy is badly needed.Steve and Lloyd made a great team but where is the comedy now. As for the Jesse character words fail me.....Get a grip Corrie.New writers maybe 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
@rosemariemcgowan6388 You want to get away from the real life stuff but Corrie is shoving all these issue based storylines down your throat,I thought 2001 was bad but compared to now is classic.
Lisa Swain whatever her name is the most boring character ever, I thought she was the Argos Doll right from day one - and of course, she has to be gay - and can instantly transform Carla to lesbian as well.... yes very realistic. I wish Alison King who's a great actress had told them where to shove their ridiculous political storyline.
The acting is horrendous. EastEnders actors are a lot stronger . Corrie hangs onto veteran characters .its stale needs new families, all the platts should go , need a new strong landlady of rovers which bring in mystery and gritty storylines ,
Totally agree her peak was in the noughties. Growing up I loved watching the Richard Hilman stuff & David's coming of rage. Haven't watched it since 2017 I believe I got to Aidan's wedding when I stopped watching it.
All the hype and hoohaa - And Gale ends up getting wed to a big Jessie and driving off - Big deal - I do feel sorry for the actress she deserved so much more
I am not a fan of EE or Corrie now days, liked them both from the start days til the 2000s. After Richard, every soap started to get more over the top. I did watch Gail leaving, you'd have thought they'd make it at least night time with some nice Christmas lights and snow to make it look a bit more memorable, rather than just a bog standard weather day in the early afternoon. Gail's last line should have been when she said au revoir to Sally, not the mrs chadwick stuff in the cab.
i’m more excited for corrie now then mcleod i jus hate the characters in use, Max, Lauren, Lisa etc but i also like other stories, i enjoyed Corrie this year
I'd axe Matty Radcliffe Logan Radcliffe Betsy Swain Daisy Midgley Toyah Battersby Lauren Bolton Glenda Shuttleworth Jenny Connor Bernie Winter DS Swain Dee Dee Bailey Summer Spellman Cassie Plummer Alya Nazir I'd bring back Liz Mcdonald Anna Windass Sophie Webster Jason Grimshaw Terry Duckworth Peter Barlow Owen Armstrong Ik I cheated a bit listing 7 characters to bring back instead of But I genuinely think that with a roster of characters like that returning, it would bring back old viewers to corrie. I would also list Lloyd Mullaney and Emily Bishop as returns but those are highly unlikely
The writing is so lazy. They shoehorn storylines in then drop them suddenly, they change the personalities of established characters to fit storylines and throw in the odd bit of lame comedy as a gesture. And you can't have all these storylines going on at once. In the same episode you have illnesses, accidents, deaths, affairs, pregnancies, crimes and comedy. It's just stupid. It's not been the same since Tony Warren died. The whole team should be fired.
Isn’t that most soap operas tho?
@jackthereader Yes but they're getting worse and Coronation Street was always better than that.
Terrible abysmal actors and actresses too
Corrie and Eastenders are the worst British soaps ever in my opinion. My favourite was Crossroads.
I just watched it for the first time in well over 15 years to see Gail's departure and was genuinely taken aback by how bland and poor it was compared to I'd say pre-2010. The timing was clunky, the jokes weren't funny and the acting felt wooden. I don't know how it devolved so badly. Are writers/directors not as good as they used to be?
Virtually EVERY soap is in a terrible state, whether it is Emmerdale with it's never ending kidnappings, petty crime , cheap gangsters (Ross) and monthly "who's the daddy?" stories, Hollyoaks, which should have been put out of it's misery years ago, is like a Grimms fairy story, Eastenders with a one-trick pony producer who keeps bringing back characters from decades ago, just so he can say he has done it, and seems as talentless as he is predictable, and Coronation Street with a constant diet of police and hospital stories. The truth is that all of them suffer from too many episodes each week, with no rehearsal time and writing on a conveyor belt. Also some of the actors are abysmal - the lad who plays P C Tinker in CS is the most unconvincing policeman ever to grace the screen, the two "gay" lads in ED Aaron and John look like two uncomfortable straight men dreading their scenes, which they clearly are. The best straight "gay" character is Callum in EE and with Clenshaw axing Ben he is now sidelined. Scrawny Cain is the terror of men half his age (ditto Phil in EE). Now in ED we have wimpy Joe back again just redoing the story he did 7 years ago - as always hiding behind somebody else Peter is the new Graham. Many of the actors are unconvincing (as if that scrubber Cindy in EE would still be regarded as God's gift to men, and dropping her drawers - she is over 60 for heaven's sake!), and each soap has more boring scenes than good ones. You can't just single out CS, they all need pruning,. Though Carla suddenly becoming lesbian seems pure titillation.
People are waking up and realising that none of this is healthy all this violence, toxic relationships. We can't continue to absorb this shit drama and chaos
@@algiles881 Out of all the soaps atm I would say Eastenders is the best one mixes character moments with storylines perfectly
Wow Carla's a lesbian now haha. Agree pure titilation.
@@leejones8582 But God help us, ALL Clenshaw does is drag back old characters, for very little reason other than they are otherwise unemployed - the latest one to crawl back is Ross Kemp - obviously the Channel 5 documentaries have dried up. The only thing to look forward to is the past in Clenshaw's book. Yet viewers treat him as some sort of God - (some of the compliments to him on Digital Spy are so obsequious they make you want to vomit). Some of his stories are ludicrous. Bianca must have been waiting weeks to use the lavatory - she would probably be dead by now. The less said about the AmDram of Reiss the better, What annoys me is they bring back old has-beens (Nigel, Cindy etc etc), yet good younger actors are virtually ignored (i.e. Tony Clay). Emmerdale has also dragged back some old characters, Christ knows why they need Ross AND Aaron back - two cheeks of the same arse, (if Aaron and John are "in love", then I am in love with Keir Starmer) some creepy old abusive father (the new "Gordon" doomed to die before too long) and last week CS even dragged back Brian Capron as serial killer Hillman). If soaps have a future they have to foster new young talent and forget the 1980s and 90s, and bring us new stories. They are doomed to failure if they don't. Might as well save money, axe the lot and just reshow their old episodes.
@algiles881 He's bringing back these characters cause it's the 40th anniversary soon least Eastenders honours it's history unlike Corrie
The show is a shadow of its former shelf normal characters and storylines are gone now its all sensationalist storylines and unlikeable characters it is sad to see.
Even classic coronation street is much better than the current 1x
I'm currently bingeing on 90s Brookie and the characters and storylines are a trillion times better than Corry over the last few years.
Too many tedious pregnancy storylines, ludicrous Cheney Duel film rip off. Then there's Eileen, like a moaning cuckoo clock popping her head in and out of her front door every so often to throw a miserable barred comment. Still, now that Evelyn is leaving her corner shop job for a highly unrealistic law degree, maybe asha, who is seen once every 3 and a half months at the moment can get her job and air time instead!
The problem is that these soaps aren't written by people from the communities they are supposed to represent. Corrie was meant to be a light hearted look at the working class north. Now it has badly written storylines which only appeal to metropolitan middle class graduates and the humour has gone. It used to be great up until the tram crash.
Exactly this. Cannot agree more
Corrie is a shadow of it's former self ... Corrie lost the plot early in the 2000's and I finally gave up on it in 2011
One thing that I like about British soap operas is how diverse their audience is. While the majority of the audience is still women, a lot of heterosexual men watch them, along with some gay viewers.
In contrast, with American soap operas, the vast majority of the audience is women, with a nearly exclusively gay (few) male audience.
Coronation street has simply lost its spark which we all loved, no more iconic characters like liz, jack & vera, Norris, Deidre etc left other than the odd member. The humour / banter seems to have faded away and replaced with murder after murder storylines, most of the cast now are teenagers whose acting is below average at best, it just feels like a mix between hollyoaks and an American murder programme.
Go woke up broke
Agreed, the show has lost it's identity and all the connective tissue between the different families on the street. New cast after the Josh storyline aren't memorable. The writing is sloppy. Mature characters who had their last major arc years ago aren't retired and are kept around to prop up the terrible post-Josh intake. There's far too much deadwood. The dislike for some older characters who have no story is palpable.
Whoever comes in next needs to have the balls to cut the timetable and get rid of the cast that is disliked or completed their story years ago. Otherwise Corrie will be axed by 2030.
I'm glad Gayle, as a character, has left the show. Since Hillman she'd been let down by the writers with no decent scripts or storylines to speak of. I never understood why over the last 10 years she could only whisper, rather than actually speak properly, to anyone. It was just so irritating! ...& l won't miss that dreadful haircut she's had for the last 30 years either.
The worst thing at the moment is the once again tiredly overused storyline of who is the father of my baby, yet again? The Daisy, Daniel & Kit pregnancy dilemma has been used so many times it just shows how weak the writing is.
It is very frustrating to watch at the moment & l really hope it gets an injection of some realistic characters & better storylines.
It's interesting to hear your thoughts here but it could have all been wrapped up in 10 minutes. Your yawning is very tiredsome too, literally. Less swearing & next time please be awake before you post. Good discussion though.
Too many characters. We need a new cull. Get rid of ten plus characters.
All soaps not just corrie, have just gone down hill and become lazy.
Everything is just repeated just juggled around
Ash, keep in mind it was an intended Gail and Martin Platt exit. That's why it did not resonate. It appeared contrived as a result.
Posted before watching where you say exactly the same!.
Corrie really needs a Brian Park-style producer to come in and make unpopular decisions like he did in 1997. Clenshaw sort of did it in 2022 as well (though recasting Peter Beale was a very easy choice to make).
the thing about the Gail exit as well- they could have given a storyline that they are about to give (according to rumours) Debbie Webster and it would have been so much better. Letting Gail leave like this is beyond Daft and didn't make any sense. I highly doubt Helen would want to return so going all out on her exit story would have been cleaner and more fitting than what they gave her (with or without Martin)
@rachel7000rf We are losing Debbie why? She is a funny character with history I would axe Izzy,Kirk and Sean before her
I was hoping that Gail would have chosen "Gail" and left on her own, happy and self sufficient. Really thought it was heading in that direction.
For me the two major issues with Corrie are:
1. Characters whose arcs are complete aren't being retired. How many characters on the show completed their last major story years ago? It feels like mature characters who completed their story arcs a long time ago now are kept around to prop up a half-baked newer cast that just don't have the substance to bring the show to the next generation. David Platt is probably a prime example of this. Unpopular opinion but he should've left with Kylie in 2016. It was the perfect ending for the character. He'd gone through a troubled childhood, an extremely rebellious teen phase, did time in prison, made a lot of mistakes and then gradually started working his way to redemption. After fighting a drug dealer for his kids he was finally on the right track with the woman of his dreams. Don't get me wrong, I like the original Shona story as much as anyone else, but David really deserved the good ending. Instead parts of his development keep having to be deleted each time they want to do the next "David acts like he didn't learn anything from his arc 15 years ago when he obviously should have" story. It's frustrating to see this continually happen with once-loved characters who have earned their good ending.
2. The loss of the nattering oldies. This may seem like a weird one but a criticism commonly levied at the modern iteration of the show is the street feels very disconnected. The nattering oldies back in the day were generally the link between the different characters on the street. Think Norris and his pals. They've now all either retired or passed away for the most part, and there has been a massive difficulty in settling younger characters that are starting to age into the nattering oldie niche. The loss of these characters is tantamount to a loss of the connective tissue between the different families on the street, which is what is leading it to feel disjointed.
Ultimately the problem is they are trying to make Corrie something it isn't. I think they're trying to appeal to a younger generation with all the action and gangs and police, but this is just fundamentally not what a soap opera is. I actually blame the success of the MCU for a lot of media going down this route of excessive action. Soap operas aren't supposed to be Marvel films.
What needs to be done now is a reduction in the timetable, a downsize of the cast and the reorganising of some of the older cast into the nattering oldies niche. Get rid of the least popular characters that the majority of viewers want gone. Remove the subversive nonsense. If you constantly try to subvert expectations, eventually the expectation becomes subversion and it stops being interesting. That's another thing I blame on the MCU. They did it once and it worked so now everyone is trying to copy their success the best part of a decade later.
It's just not been the same since the Nathan storyline. That is honestly the last great storyline for me, the shark jump if you will. The David rape storyline was good but I feel like the conclusion was rushed. Funnily enough the Nathan storyline was the last one before Infinity War released. It may seem like a tenuous connection to make but all the other soaps and media in general has seen the same trend of an increase in excessive action and subversion of expectations. I genuinely believe that in the future, the MCU will be blamed for shittifying the medium and turning every grounded story into an action adventure.
They should have brought back Kathy Jones who played Tricia her friend when she started, Kathy was willing to come back, would have been nice for Tricia to end it of.
Yes perhaps they were both diagnosed with a terminal illness and drove over the cliffs Thelma and Louise style wearing head scarfs and sticking two fingers up at the world
I agree with everything you've covered but plus its also filmed very oddly. It's like you say - they can't afford to shoot it pre-covid style. The last big good storyline was Geoff and Yasmin and Pat Phlean. These had hallmarks back to the Richard Hillman days.
However since covid, they really have not gone back to how it was filmed say around 2004, where you'd actually have a decently shot fight sequence and fiery character confrontations. We had a slither of that on Christmas Day with Leanne and Toyah but its far and few between these days. They seem to have a shooting schedule that dictates what they write. Ken and Rita have block days where they film about 2 weeks in 2 days I think which is wrong. And every episode seems to be scheduled to suit specific actors when it was never shot like that 2002-2010 at all. That period made it feel like a street. Now it feels like a stage play where people come on and off and you can tell its done to save money.
They need to sack at least anyone who doesn't have strong ties to the street and the deadwood. Shoot it back how it was shot and then start writing stories like they use to from the 1980s onwards.
Also, they need seasoned actors like Connor McIntyre and Brian Capron. Eastenders has loads of them and Corrie only has Maureen Lipman in recent years and then Claire Sweeney recently. We need Jack/Vera, Blanche, Betty, Norris type people because that's what Corrie is. Ken, Rita and Audrey aren't gonna last forever.
The Phelan and Geoff storylines were good but for me the shark had already jumped by then. Phelan was a convincing big bad until he somehow washed up in Ireland and then did a generic villain shootout. The whole thing with Andy was stupid as well. Andy should've ended up killing Phelan and then becoming him as he was haunted from beyond the grave. That would've been the much better storyline. I can't speak for the Geoff storyline too much but it doesn't seem big enough a feat to be a truly great storyline.
For me the last great storyline was the Nathan saga. That's the last one I can really sit down and watch for hours. It's just not ever been as good as that since.
Corrie has really tanked since the tram crash. I think with the change with television becoming more serious with the likes of breaking bad and stranger things really hurt Corrie and other soaps that it should be unrealistic. That’s why it’s now got effects, music and killings every week. I stopped watching it nearly four years ago and seeing clips where they using transitions and effects is so cringeworthy.
The fact that Richard Hillman came back is literally the final straw for the show. It really needs to stop, maybe take a break for a few years and try stop been a cheap imitation of breaking bad and try to be Corrie again. The mid to late 2000s was very peak Corrie and needs to get back to there
@charltonhtfc5409 Corrie has not been good since 2014 I would say minus the awful Tina killing and making likeable Rob the Killer was a good year
I think they should start looking at a big exit storyline for the soap, honestly. Gail became a figure of ridicule, and her leaving plot was an insult to her legacy. You’ve got this weird sister vs. sister plot for dreary Toyah and boring withered Leanne, and in the same breath we’ve got one-too-many forgettable faces carrying one-too-many serious storylines. I’ve just heard they’re writing a cancer storyline for Kevin. Nobody wants to see it. I think Helen Worth realised it’s time to jump ship and retirement was an impeccable excuse. Tracy’s basically a tired, simpering shadow of her former self, and Ken’s just along for the ride. I also wish they would separate Shona and David; they obviously didn’t like how Shona was received so gave her a head injury and re-wrote her to be more argumentative and exciting. I’m just so done with it.
I'm going to be honest when I heard that Gail Platt was leaving, given she has been a key character on the show for years and has been the key to many big storylines, I genuinely thought they would pull out all of the stops for her final exit storyline. And what did we get? A goodbye that involved her finding love? Honestly for me (I know some people might say it was a fitting end to her story) but it was ridiculous. The thing is yes, maybe thematically she's wanted that but the thing was this was a story that literally rushed and therefore didn't seem like the right send off. Maybe yes, thematically, Gail's end was to find love but the thing was I truly didn't believe they were both besotted and in love with each other. Plus the thing that really wound me up was that this was a story involving all of the Platts. But how? Realistically yes the Platts had a lot of stories but it seemed to me that this was the story they cared the least about.
Honestly I know Helen had discussions with the writers about this story but for an exit story, this was so disappointing and for me I think Corrie should just shut down now. If it can't serve decent stories for it's legacy characters then god help us when they do storylines in the future.
It would have been more fitting for Gail to leave the street a content, independent and happy woman especially after the Richard Hillman scene which could have been better done, I don't think Gail and Jesse suit eachother
Corries longest lasting legacy character is Ken Barlow and william Roche is 95. William doesn't want to leave. When he dies or goes off to the universe, the show will have to consider its future. Barlows family are all gone...anyway
Watching corrie now is like a chore. I keep watching in the hope it will improve, but sadly, I don't think it will. Maybe I'll decide to use those three hours a week doing something less boring instead, like housework.
I read that the new producer wants more ‘issue’ based stories, which I think is the biggest problem with it nowadays. She clearly doesn’t get what viewers want. People want the humour back and more character driven stories like you would’ve got in the 90s. Remember how good it was then. There’s so much wrong with Corrie now. The Rovers doesn’t have the same vibe anymore, the stories are depressing and the characters are shit. The show needs open heart surgery.
@@teleaddict23 Just misery after misery and dull who dunnits
the Rovers has a serious vibe now...if i was in that pub now id expect someone to stab or attack me whereas if i was in it in the early 90s id expect something humourous to happen.
@PaulWillliams very true
I think they should shuffle the characters between the shows. Like the Mitchels should find themselves in Weatherfield, and the McQueen's in Walford. Stick the Barlows in Emmerdale. We can even have the Robinsons from Neighbours come to Walford, and the Platts in Erinsborough.
Who was Jesse anyway. Loved Les Battersby a great funny character. 😂😂😂😂
@@rosemariemcgowan6388 He was killed off cause he dared speak up against the producers
I think Helen Worth went into semi retirement around 5 years ago leading up to her full retirement. When she went part time, for some daft reason, they made her character stupid; maybe to make her character less important so it wasn't as glaring that she was hardly ever in it
Corrie has turned into Holby City x The Bill
I havent watched Corrie for years but did watch Gaels departure as someone put it up on UA-cam - What a load of old sh*t and an insult to the actress - An actress who goes back to the days of Elsie Tanner , Annie Walker and Ena Sharples - Whoever arranged her exit needs sacked - though having said that i think Corrie is beyond saving - Should have been a must watch event and deserved to be something jaw dropping - Like bringing back Susie Birchill for a couple of one of episodes - ending with them driving off into the sunset Thelma and Louise style
Corrie hasn’t got a Phil Ian or Sharon and soap is all about the characters not the stories
Whats interesting is a female accused the guy who played Martin and no one knows who it was. Coincidental timing for Helen Worth to go.
corrie went downhill in my opinion after big characters like Deirdre Norris ect left no hate to any current cast members but its not worth watching anymore
The main reason why I don't find these shows real is because there is no swearing. If a character from this show goes to jail, the inmates will say things like I am going to hurt you. You are a loser and so on. In real life inmates will tell you to f off. These characters need to swear in real life but can't because it's on a family channel.
No smoking anymore either. Just nonsense viewing now
At least in the 70s and 80s they'd drop bloodys in left right and centre. Now the media would jump on that whilst being fine with f's everywhere else on tv
Helen worth deserve a better exit than what she got
@@jessicaduncan49 Other than the Richard Hillman nightmare was underwhelming with several crappy plots interwined should have been about Gail and her history with the show.
For me there are two major problems at the heart of what is wrong with Corrie right now. Firstly there is a major disconnect between what those running the show think people want to see and what they actually want to see- certain story types that viewers are bored with or have no interest in repeated (multiple pregnancies, gangsters, etc). Characters that viewers are bored with or have no interest in constantly shoved to the forefront or characters viewers want to see more of constantly shoved to the sidelines. Yes storyliners and writers have a job to do but when there is so much negativity around then surely it makes sense to at least pay attention to what viewers are saying.
Also, you hinted at this yourself but it feels like they have lost the essence of what makes Corrie, well, Corrie. Contrary to what seems to be believed, people do actually appreciate the normal, every day scenes like people drinking in the Rovers after a long day at work and things like that
Sorrynation St all the way now - crude but down to earth dialogue and the same old school spirit.
Deeply upset by how middle class its become. No working class life, no strong charatcers, even the old guard are a pantomime version of themselves now. The new generation has blitzed it completely. Now its just consistent drug debt, promiscuity, wooden and obvious cliche writing, unpleasant characterswho are so hateful its unwatchable.
Thank God we still have the mighty Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker etc on UA-cam
Hilda and Stan,jack and Vera were the best.
It was a very underwhelming exit
All of this could have been said in under 10 minutes
without all the yawning as well.
Lol you was obviously tired 😆
Corrie is utter misery,all the actors look knackered,very dark show,boring murders,bleak, completely unwatchable,Gail's exit says it all
think you’re harsh on jesse, i thought he stood in well, got a storyline with david, martin would’ve been miles better but Jesse was ok
Corrie went downhill from 1984 onwards when a lot of the great characters left.
I would agree with this. But I think Gail’s exit was actually quite fitting. I mean how many times has she been leaving to move abroad permanently with a new husband and it’s blown up in her face. Lewis Archer anyone?…But yeah Helen Worth is such a good actress, the storylines of the late 90s to the 2010’s definitely her heyday. Sarah’s teen pregnancy and Martin’s affairs, Richard Hillman, the whole “Demon David” era of the mid to late 00’s is iconic and I’ll really miss that Gail.
Apparently Eastenders got more viewing figures than Corrie so that should tell you something
Yes it benefited from followong Gavin & Stacey, one of the most over-hyped shows ever, by contrast CS had to follow Emmerdale
Yeah because bbc had big shows on nothing to do with people watching eastenders
@@jordanbooth3748 What does that have to do with anything? I said Eastenders got more viewing figures that Coronation street. Do you think if it was interesting or worth watching that people wouldn't just switch the channel? That's how it's always been
This was the first episode I've watched in over twenty years. And I found it dull and predictable I'm glad I no longer watch it regularly anymore. BORING 😔
Bring back Ena Shaples Elsie Tanner Annie Walker. Fiery times and entertaining 😂😂😂
Sadly it all seems to be about awareness etc etc. We know stuff happens but it isnt entertainment.I find it very boring now. More comedy is badly needed.Steve and Lloyd made a great team but where is the comedy now. As for the Jesse character words fail me.....Get a grip Corrie.New writers maybe 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
@rosemariemcgowan6388 You want to get away from the real life stuff but Corrie is shoving all these issue based storylines down your throat,I thought 2001 was bad but compared to now is classic.
Lisa Swain whatever her name is the most boring character ever, I thought she was the Argos Doll right from day one - and of course, she has to be gay - and can instantly transform Carla to lesbian as well.... yes very realistic. I wish Alison King who's a great actress had told them where to shove their ridiculous political storyline.
The acting is horrendous. EastEnders actors are a lot stronger . Corrie hangs onto veteran characters .its stale needs new families, all the platts should go , need a new strong landlady of rovers which bring in mystery and gritty storylines ,
Totally agree her peak was in the noughties. Growing up I loved watching the Richard Hilman stuff & David's coming of rage.
Haven't watched it since 2017 I believe I got to Aidan's wedding when I stopped watching it.
@r4h4al The Richard Hillman stuff is still good 21 years later a good villain and story.
@@leejones8582 Yep. I watched it on ITV3.
@r4h4al It's on UA-cam the highlights the song You and Me always to another song must be a rights issue.
@@leejones8582 One thing I'm not sure they ever explained was when he killed his wife the body disappeared.
@r4h4al He buried it and was later found when Richard confessed to his crimes was buried in the housing development Richard was working on.
It's bloody awful
All the hype and hoohaa - And Gale ends up getting wed to a big Jessie and driving off - Big deal - I do feel sorry for the actress she deserved so much more
Too be honest coronation street has been going downhill since 2019 x
i genuinrly think it’s in a better place than start of 2024
Oh me too for sure. I 100% believe it's in a better place. There are some dodgy signs imo
@ u dhould do a video on 5 stories you’d likr
I am not a fan of EE or Corrie now days, liked them both from the start days til the 2000s. After Richard, every soap started to get more over the top. I did watch Gail leaving, you'd have thought they'd make it at least night time with some nice Christmas lights and snow to make it look a bit more memorable, rather than just a bog standard weather day in the early afternoon. Gail's last line should have been when she said au revoir to Sally, not the mrs chadwick stuff in the cab.
I disagree
Gail shouldn't have left x
i’m more excited for corrie now then mcleod i jus hate the characters in use, Max, Lauren, Lisa etc but i also like other stories, i enjoyed Corrie this year
But les wasn't killed off he moved in be with cilla x
Havent seen much of Gail....always in Thailand.x
another video idea, axe 15 characters from corrie n eastenders, bring 5, back
I'd axe
Matty Radcliffe
Logan Radcliffe
Betsy Swain
Daisy Midgley
Toyah Battersby
Lauren Bolton
Glenda Shuttleworth
Jenny Connor
Bernie Winter
DS Swain
Dee Dee Bailey
Summer Spellman
Cassie Plummer
Alya Nazir
I'd bring back
Liz Mcdonald
Anna Windass
Sophie Webster
Jason Grimshaw
Terry Duckworth
Peter Barlow
Owen Armstrong
Ik I cheated a bit listing 7 characters to bring back instead of But I genuinely think that with a roster of characters like that returning, it would bring back old viewers to corrie. I would also list Lloyd Mullaney and Emily Bishop as returns but those are highly unlikely
@ u can’t get rid of too many women
We know Rob is coming back, and it looks like Matty could be out but it's unclear if he survives yet..
Havent seen much of Gail....always in Thailand.xnr
I feel so sorry for you being your generation and actually watching soaps lif you need a hobby join drama, school or something