Johnny Briggs in Echo Beach

As we mentioned way back in July, Johnny Briggs isn't taking his "retirement" from Coronation Street at all seriously. He's been in panto with Tina O'Brien in Manchester, turned up in Holby City, and is currently appearing in the new ITV soap, Echo Beach.

Echo Beach is the soap that's shown in tandem with Moving Wallpaper - a programme about the making of Echo Beach, which is itself fictional. Confused? Best have a look at TV Scoop's review of it here.

Johnny Briggs plays Fin Morgan, the owner of a caravan park which is central to the action. "It's great to see that sprightly Johnny Briggs has lost none of his legendary thespian skills," the Sunday Mirror said, sarcastically. "He plays old-fashioned caravan park boss Fin Morgan (Mike Baldwin in overalls and a baseball cap), whose horrid holiday camp is threatened by developers. But timberland Johnny isn't the only abysmal actor by the sea." Oh dear. Both Moving Wallpaper and Echo Beach have had a critical slagging-off for being a great concept - that just didn't work.