Coronation Street - A brilliant live episode

CURRENT: The cast have had their lives change this week

CORONATION Street is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this week, and it is doing so in spectacular fashion, with a horrific tram crash – that has turned the lives of the residents of Weatherfield on its head.  The catalyst of the birthday was the live episode, transmitted at 8pm last night on ITV1.  Fifteen million viewers tuned in and despite crazy threats of a possible terrorist attack, the show went through without any obvious hitches and mistakes made, so many congratulations to the cast and crew of the show.  It was certainly an emotional rollercoaster to watch.

MARRY ME: Leanne weds Peter, but he will pull through?

The hour began with the conformation of Ashley Peacock’s tragic demise.  Ashley (Steven Arnold) had died a hero, bravely getting a critically injured Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) out of the rubble in The Joinery, before the roof caved in.  Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) got out of the rubble barely without a scratch, but his concern seemed to be more over the whereabouts of his love interest, Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson).  Eventually, Nick managed to track down Leanne at the hospital, where Leanne told him of her intention to marry Peter in the hospital.  Nick reluctantly agreed to let Leanne go.  Peter came around from his state and despite Leanne’s initial reluctance at his idea, agreed to go along with the rushed ceremony, especially as she had been warned that Peter needed emergency surgery to treat his injuries.  Infront of Ken Barlow (William Roache), Janice Battersby (Vicky Entwhistle) and an emotional Carla Connor (Alison King), Peter and Leanne exchanged their vows.  It was clear that Peter was struggling through the ceremony, but the quick actions of the vicar – by speeding through his final speech allowed the pair to tie the knot.  Seconds later, Peter flat lined and needed critical help from the nurses, much to Leanne’s agony.  Is he going to make it?

Whilst Peter’s fate remains unclear, Mollie Dobbs (Vicky Binns) became the second casualty of the disaster.  Baby Jack had already been freed from the remains of The Corner Shop, but Mollie was in grave danger.  Having criticised the paramedics’ lack of response, Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) braved herself to enter the scene, and try to keep Mollie’s spirits up.  Meanwhile, at the hospital, Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) urged Mollie’s estranged partner, Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) to head back to the cobbles to be with Mollie, as her condition didn’t seem to be improving.  Jack needed a blood transfusion and Kevin agreed to it; after all, unbeknown to Tyrone, he is the child’s dad.  As Mollie began to slip away, she revealed the devastating truth to Sally about her sordid affair with Kevin and that he was Jack’s father.  A stunned Sally let Mollie’s hand go, as she passed away from her internal injuries.  Can Tyrone pick up the pieces of his shattered life, and how will Sally deal with this latest shattering revelation for her marriage?

Fiz Stape (Jenny McAlpine) had gone into labour, three months premature.  The amount of screaming she was making would be enough to bring a church down.  With deceitful John (Graeme Hawley) by her side, Fiz gave birth to a baby girl, but she was rushed into intensive care straightaway.  While the fate of Fiz’s new baby remains unclear, clueless John rushed back to the cobbles, hoping to cover the tracks that motionless Charlotte Hoyle (Becky Hindley) was still in their house.  Somehow, he managed to drag Charlotte down an alleyway, but was horrified to learn that paramedics found she had a weak pulse.  Is John about to be exposed for the conman he really is?

Elsewhere, and Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) was also covering up her tracks, stealing money from the open safe of the corner shop.  She won’t get away with these actions, if the CCTV cameras survived the crash.  No-one seems to know the whereabouts of Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox), who is still buried in The Kabin underneath a pile of chocolates!  Having rescued Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) from the inferno in the Peacock house, Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) received a standing ovation in the Rovers for his brave actions, though clearly he wasn’t in the mood for celebrating and a heartbroken Claire (Julia Haworth) struggled to cope with Ashley’s passing.  She played Ashley’s final voicemail message before his death to stunned locals at the Rovers, something that would have made anyone get the tissues out.

CARNAGE: Life will never be the same again!

Coronation Street has been a gripping and intense watch all week.  The live episode was so good, that some would forget it was actually live.  No slip-ups made, this was the perfect television production, for a week of unforgettable drama.  I hope they get the recognition it deserves in the round of TV awards next spring.

Here’s to the next 50 years!

Corrie celebrates 50 years not out

FOR some people, it may not be their favourite show – but Coronation Street is a national treasure all the same.  This week, it reaches the staggering achievement of its 50^th anniversary.  It might be a celebratory week, with behind-the-scenes footage, a countdown of classic Corrie moments and a special celebrity quiz on ITV.  However, it will be far from celebrations in the Street itself, as a devastating tram crash changes the lives of those on the cobbles forever.

BURNS: The Joinery fire starts a nightmare chain of events

The action begins on the stag do of Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne).  Peter is getting married to Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson), unaware that she has been having a sizzling affair behind Peter’s back, with her former lover Nick Tilsley (Ben Price).  Just as Nick is about to reveal all to Peter, an explosion rips through the Joinery bar, trapping Peter, Nick and Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) in the rubble.  This sets off a chain of events that puts the lives of many in danger.

TRAPPED: Mollie and baby Jack are flattened in the rubble

The Joinery explosion sends debris flying to the ground, and leaves Leanne, Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in anguish, as they are blown off their feet by the blast.  Also caught in the Joinery blast is Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns) and her baby Jack, along with Sunita Alahan (Shobna Gulati), as Dev Alahan’s corner shop is devastated by the carnage.  Seconds later, a tram from the viaduct above Weatherfield crashes off the track and smashes down onto the Street, leaving The Kabin collapses around beloved newsagent Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox) and Fiz Stape (Jenny McAlpine).  With Fiz six months pregnant, how much damage will it do to her unborn child? 

The crash also sees flames rip through the Peacock household, with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) braving his life to try rescuing the Peacock children and Simon Barlow (Alex Bain) from the blast.  Corrie producers are keeping tight lipped about who dies on this fateful night, but there will be at least four of our favourites who will not survive.  The aftermath will continue throughout the week, with Thursday night at 8pm, seeing the show have a one hour live episode to celebrate the anniversary.  Can they outdo EastEnders outstanding job of their live episode back in February.

ICONIC: The Corrie Cat

Coronation Street is the world’s longest-running soap and has gone from strength to strength as the years have gone on.  Despite healthy competition from the likes of EastEnders and Emmerdale, the Street has always remained in the hearts of many worldwide, as it is broadcasted in over sixty countries.  Whether it be the historic Rovers Return, the classic theme tune or the iconic Corrie cat, that has featured on the opening titles ever since 1976, all of us probably have a memory from its fifty years that we will never forget.

Some of its storylines are amongst the best to have ever graced the popular serial drama genre.  First,  there was the Ken/Mike/Deirdre love triangle in 1983 which captivated the nation.  Vile Alan Bradley meeting his maker in 1989, being hit in Blackpool by a tram!  How ironic is that!  Katy Harris killing her dad Tommy with a spanner in 2004!  Sarah Platt ending up pregnant in the year 2000 at the tender age of 13, and of course, Richard Hillman (a.k.a Tricky Dickie) and his killing spree in 2002/03 that had the nation gripped.  He killed three people, tried and failed to murder Emily Bishop, then drove a car into the canal, with wife Gail and her kids into the water.  We now know why David Platt turned out so evil then!

FREE: The 'campaign in 1998, even the PM was involved!

It’s not just the tense, gripping plots – but the crazy characters and storylines that the Manchester soap has manage to achieve.  Deidre’s crazy specs, two deaths via a fridge freezer and hairdryer, Gail’s constant moaning, Blanche Hunt’s statements, Sally Webster’s pushiness towards her kids, believable villains, Ken Barlow still around, as he was in episode one on December 8, 1960 and the free Deirdre campaign in 1998, that even had Prime Minister Tony Blair calling for her release, after being wrongly imprisoned for fraud.

After the first episode of Corrie was broadcast, the Daily Mirror ran a scathing review, claiming it was ‘doomed’ and would only run for three weeks!  How wrong were they, as it is still going strong 49 years and 49 weeks later. 

Happy birthday Coronation Street, here’s to the next 50 years!

CORONATION STREET IS ON ALL WEEK ON ITV1, WITH two episodes on Monday (7.30pm and 8.30pm), Tuesday (8.00pm), Wednesday (7pm), Thursday (8pm – The One Hour Live Episode) and two episodes on Friday (7.30pm and 8.30pm)