Reporting the news of Rob James-Collier's decision to leave Coronation Street, Kris Green of Digital Spy listed all the people who have recently left/are about to leave Coronation Street - and it made depressing reading. Liz Dawn, Tina O'Brien, Wendi Peters, Bruce Jones, Samantha Seager and Zaraah Abrahams have already gone. Julie Hesmondhalgh is on extended leave, Julia Haworth will be going on maternity leave soon, and Jenny Platt and Rupert Hill's departure is imminent.
I know we sometimes complain about there being too many people on Corrie who don't get proper storylines, but there does seem to be a huge turnover in the cast. The producers need to be so careful in the way they handle it - the sense of community and continuity has always been one of Corrie's main strengths. One of the reasons why Vera Duckworth's death was such a huge news item was that a lot of people have "known" Vera their whole lives. Will there be anyone in Corrie in twenty years' time who is in it today?
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I, for one, will only regret the loss of Liz Dawn. I really liked Rupert Hill and Jenny Platt, but they won't leave holes for long. As for Wendi Peters, (and I'm probably in the minority) I'm glad to see the back of this actress, who over-played a heavy-handed caricature of an evil mother for far too long. Sure, I laughed now and again at Cilla, and we all know someone like her, but there wasn’t one ounce of subtlety to Peters’s character – EVER. Give me Jayne Bickerton’s Yana Lumb anytime over Cilla for true humour! Bruce Jones's character Les had nowhere to go because, other than truly loving his step-son (the brilliant young actor Sam Aston - now HIM I would miss a LOT) they never once allowed Len Battersby to develop beyond a two dimensional character. Tina O'Brien scenes to me were non-events lately. No, I don't think Corrie will suffer from the loss of most of these people. Seeing Liz Dawn go was heartbreaking, though. She made Vera everything that Wendi Peters could NOT make of her character - a truly three dimensional character of great depth. I’d be devastated if people like Sue Cleaver, Simon Gregson, David Neilson, Sean Tully and others like them left. I hope most of them will still be there in 20 years! Let others come and go – no problem.
Ashley will never leave
I hate to say it but i think corrie will be gone in 20 years. Most of it's best characters are leaving and have left. Bill Roache is 76 and there is not a chance of him staying in much more. (10 years). actors these days tend to be a bit more abitious so they stay for 3 years and leave. If you want to love a chacter, you have to know them, like vera stay on screen for a long time.
I'll have to agree on one thing, most of the recent and near future departures have not been around long enough, mostly, to really miss. Tina O'Brien has been on the show for 7 years so that's a fair bit of time but wasn't a really deep character. I do miss Cilla mainly because she *was* so awful and you never knew what she would come out with or do next. The cast of Coronation Street is really a bit too large, but unfortunately they end up bringing more new in to replace the old instead of giving the existing more storylines of better quality. Generally it seems that for every 6 new characters they bring in, maybe one will really *stick* with the viewers.
There are so many more opportunities for actors these days that it's understandable the younger ones want to get out there and try their chops at different things. Some of them are successful. Many of them realize that they never had it so good. (Tracy Shaw, anyone?)
One thing I wish they would do more is bring back old characters now and then. Wouldn't it be nice to see Mavis for a couple of weeks? How about Martin? Or Curly! When people leave they so rarely come back. Yes we've had a few (Bet, Bill, Denise) but I think it would be nice to have some more back.
My Monday moan was that the media put such a blatantly negative spin on anything when they can. This article is just one example of this.
I'm getting increasingly annoyed about Corrie characters arriving and then leaving quickly. I just get to know them and they're gone! For example, we've just met the Morton's in Canada, but I don't think I'll bother trying to remember who's who, as I'm sure most of them will be gone by the end of the year!
But I'm not sad at all about Paul and Liam Connor's leaving, I just wish Carla would go too! They've been pathetic as factory owners: just a couple of unpleasant, unauthoratative, nasty bosses, without Danny's humour and charm and Mike's (sometimes humourous) exasperation!
well than get rid of Carla already!
Oh yes! And Michelle as well.I am with you Debo and denise, I have been begging for the Connors to leave for a long time. And, seanie,I think you're on to something there :(
But at the end of the day corrie is still the best at the moment, otherwise us "fans" wouldn't be on this site. As for Corrie not being around in 20 years time, I hope you are proved wrong!
I agree with those who won’t miss the Connors. I also hope Carla goes. They reminded me of a murder of black crows who landed in Coronation street, strutted around, made a mess and then flew away. Michelle can stay though. As far as I can see she’s a decent cow – I mean, crow.
Twenty years down the road I see
Kevin and Sally - with girls grown and gone
Gail with grandchild Beth and possible new man
Steve McDonald (six women later) with possible more children plus Amy Barlow
Tyrone and Kirk - would like Molly and Fiz to still be there but doubt it
Find Ashley too bland to still be on the street but that never hurt Ken so who knows.
Maybe one or two others we know now, every one else new. Twenty years will bring a new crop of viewers too. Change is inevitable.
Oh Margaret, too funny! The Connor family a bunch of black crows! So apt, with their black hair! I'll always think of that now when I see them!