Coronation Street Episode Review; Weds 15 May 7.30pm

Welcome to this weeks edition of the Coronation Street blog!. Here is Wednesdays part one, wrapped up in handy blog review.

Cornered by Roy’s intervention, a paranoid Carla is finally in care of the hospital and Roy is by her side. At The Rovers, the Connor family are in turmoil, only Kate lacks in sympathy.

Also at the pub, Michelle admits to Ken that she's text Peter to tell him about Carla, only for Ken to chastise her stupidity. Admitting that Peter needs little distractions whilst in rehab,  Ken storms off in dismay.

Abi breaks the news to Tim that Steve has sacked her from streetcars. Tim offers to speak to Steve, only for Steve to finally admit that 'go lucky' are stealing streetcars staff and customers with their trendy app. Tim has a rare brain wave and introduces Steve to a tech geek he knows. Over a pint at The Rovers, the luddite lads are told it will cost £20k to get streetcars a booking app. Steve has the cash, however, it's a deposit for a house with Tracy. What will the cabbie do?.

Meanwhile, Kirk has a lunchtime meeting with the talent scout. Beth worries about what he's getting himself into before Kirk announces that the agent wants him for a 6-week comedy gig at Pontins.

During visiting hours, Johnny goes to see his daughter and Carla's psychosis is apparent. The doctor explains that although her kidneys will be fine, the strain on her mental health is obvious and that she needs close people around her. Desperately pining for Peter, Carla threatens to leave the hospital unless he pays her a visit. At N0.1, Roy fails to persuade Ken to release Peter from rehab.

At the barbers, Natalie winds up David by reading him his star sign, before she coyly admits that it's her birthday. Deliberately devious, Natalie begs David for more hairdresser training and skives off on an early lunch break.

Visiting Seb, Alina has taken the day off to spend time with the handyman. At 'Speed Dall' the young couple share lunch before being spied by Abi. Seb acknowledges his Mum but hides her away from his new girlfriend.

Back at the hospital, Johnny lies to Carla and says that Peter is due to visit. Roy, having completely ignored Ken, manages to track down Peter anyway and he's soon arrived ready to help his partner- much to Ken's disgust.

Can Peter save Carla from her mental anguish?.

I'll be back soon with a review of the 8.30pm episode and we can find out!.

Speak in a bit!.

You can follow me @rybazoxo over on Twitter, your self-styled 'Cobbles Connoisseur'.

TA-RA!

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Corrie confirm quad squad for Gemma

It's been rumoured that pregnant Gemma will give birth to four babies - and now Inside Soap magazine confirm that this is true.

In this week's Inside Soap magazine, they say that Coronation Street's first ever set of quadruplets will arrive when Gemma gives birth. This might explain why her mum Bernie turns up too. 

Find out more about Bernie here.

A Corrie insider tells Inside Soap: "We're going to see a more vulnerable side to Gemma - looking after all those newborns at the same time isn't going to be easy. However, what this story promises to be is hilarious. Typically, Gemma and Chesney have very different ideas on parenting, so how will the pair cope with the new four arrivals?

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Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

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Preview of tonight's Coronation Street - Weds 15 May

Wednesday 15th May 2019

ROY MAKES A CALL Carla wakes to find Johnny and Roy at her hospital bedside and freaks out. The doctor tells Roy that she seems keen to see her partner Peter. Roy tells Ken who refuses to call Peter saying that nothing should get in the way of his recovery. Will Roy accept Ken’s advice?
STEVE FEARS TRACY WON’T BE ‘APPY’ Tim introduces Steve to a young lad called Jay, a computer whizz who can design them an App that’ll knock GoLucky off the top spot but it’ll cost £20k.  Steve reveals that he’s got £20k but it was supposed to be for the deposit on a new house.
ALINA MEETS THE FAMILY Alina calls at No.11 and after explaining that the electricity is out at the salon, suggests they spend the day together.  Seb’s chuffed.
ELSEWHERE When Kirk confirms he’s meeting the talent scout for lunch, Beth’s suspicious of her motives. When an excited Kirk tells Beth that the talent scout wants to sign him up for a 6 weeks tour, Beth studies the business card and realises they’re looking for comedy acts. In the barber’s, Natalie nags David to give her some proper training and reveals it’s her birthday.  David sends her on an early lunch.

Wednesday 15th May 2019

PETER FEELS PUSHED OUT IN THE COLD BY KEN When the doctor tells Peter that Carla is being ut on antipsychotic medication and being sent home. Peter tells Ken he is moving Carla in to number 1. Ken tells him they are not welcome as Peter is not well enough to look after himself let alone Carla and is furious when he discovers Roy is letting them move into the flat.
TRACY URGES STEVE TO DO WHAT IT TAKES Unimpressed by Steve’s plans to spend the house deposit on an app for Streetcars Tracy tells Steve to get out instead and do illegal street picks us to make some more money.
SEB AND ALINA TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL When Seb refuses to introduce Abi to Alina, admitting he’s embarrassed to be seen with her, Abi’s cut to the quick. Seb takes Alina back to No.11. When he suggests she stays the night, Alina agrees but tells him she’s one or two things to sort out first and she’ll be back about 10.30pm.
ELSEWHERE  Beth tentatively breaks the news to Kirk that Jasmine is a comedy scout and the reason people enjoy his songs is because they find them funny.  Kirk’s hurt. After a chat with Abi, Kirk tells Beth he’s going ahead with his tour as his songs put a smile on people’s faces and that’s all that matters. David finds Natalie in the pub, knocking back birthday drinks.  He steers her back to work. In the barber’s, drunken Natalie annoys Nick by making snide digs about his dodgy dealings.

Glenda Young
Author: Belle of the Back Streets

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Rita-tinted spectacles

One of the real joys about being a Corrie fan at the moment, slim pickings I know, is the fact that we get watch the torrent of episodes being flung at us by ITV3. Plus of course, there's also the opportunity to sit back and enjoy mid-afternoon adverts for hearing aids, walk-in baths and those 'final' expenses.

Of course, some of us are of a certain vintage which means that we all too clearly recall watching these episodes first time around. 1992 may seem like a far-off planet but it's amazing how quickly you can find yourself back there. Most of the storylines are familiar but what has changed (in some cases) is my reaction to both them and the characters.

It wasn't often, back in the day, that Corrie misfired with a story. Today, with more episodes, it seems to be more prevalent. In 1992 though I do recall being bored rigid by the tumbleweed episodes dominated by Rita's romance. Even then, it had the feel of the team sitting down and saying "we need to give Barbara Knox something. Anything." Enter Ted(ious), some dreary old man who apparently had been a Kabin regular for twenty years, just that we'd never seen him. Despite this though, viewers were expected to believe that Rio Rita was suddenly and inexplicably in love with the old drear. This is the same Rita that liked her men . . . well, manly. Ok, they were all mainly rotten to the core but Reet did a real 'volte face' and decided that her future happiness lay with an effete toffee seller. Her questionable behaviour may also explain why, overnight, she stopped patrolling the Kabin in hideous knitwear and instead, dished out wine gums dressed as Mrs Thatcher attending a summit conference.

Something that was quite lovely way back when though was the ability of the writers to let kids be kids. The teenagers had typically teenage stories. Steve and Andy were fun, Vicky fussed on about her horse, Tracy had her tapes. None of them became pregnant, morosely stared at their phones all day, had to support parents on smack  or trudge up and down t'cobbles like young fogies.

There were some admirable characters too. Liz come across as principled and caring, although the skirts were creeping up and the indoor smoking was taking hold. Gail was a relatively cheerful businesswoman, not the village idiot we know and love today. Bring her back! Bet and Alec - every scene a joy. Slightly alarming though were the close-up shots of Bet and Vicky. Bet's wig and face would often cast a shadow over the elfin Victoria.

Not everything basks in the cosy glow of memory though. I'd never really liked Mike Baldwin and revisiting now has made me positively loathe him. Ditto Ken. A couple of old dinosaurs even then. Audrey is unlikeable at times too. Not the giddy slattern of the early 1980s but not yet the Audrey we're used to. Reg Holdsworth, who I laughed at back then, now seems a bit irritating as does Curly, the latter forever darting into Bettabuys from stage left, face like a smacked bum. The 'lovely' list includes deluded Alma, lonely Phyllis, Betty Hotpot (love the new industrial size kitchen at the Rovers - presumably Liz MacDonald had it ripped out and replaced with a teeny tiny one), dear old Emily, donning leather gloves to pop two doors down to the Rovers, Deirdre as watchable as ever - bless them all.

Not travelling down the years so well though, Don or DON! as Ivy bellowed. Creepy, odd and with

the hint of a serial killer, DON! made my skin crawl. Also leaving much to be desired was Des Barnes, possibly seen as a bit of a catch back then but now coming across as a bore with a selection of terrifying trousers. Mavis and Derek, a ridiculously blinkered, shrieking duo with little gasp on reality and often displaying an unedifying selfish streak. Jim MacDonald, another of the 'borderline murderers', skulking around telling people to 'catch themselves on'. Our 1992 selves couldn't have imagined what a grim piece of work he was going to evolve into.

It's easy to peer at Corrie of yesteryear through Rita-tinted spectacles, warming to the cosiness of a bygone age. While the show certainly had a cheerier, possibly more unrealistic feel, it could still serve up a tepid hotpot of a storyline and with the benefit of hindsight, we know that this downwards trajectory would continue until Brian Park's 1997 reboot. For now though, spare a thought for Rita. In the coming years, the Widow Sullivan would attempt relationships with the man who guest starred in Terry & June,  but who was still married to someone from Carry on Camping. She spent a period with Alec's after shave on her dressing table before, in a storyline that was beyond belief, getting engaged to a paedophile. Then in 2012, another effete man took her up the aisle, namely the woefully underused Dennis Tanner. By 2020 she'll be hitched to Yawn, sorry, Sean in some awful re-imagining of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. You read it here first.

By Clinkers to Riddle.

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Georgia Taylor interview: Toyah and Imran split

What does Toyah mean when she tells Leanne she is having relationship problems? 
Imran and Toyah’s relationship is still very new and they were still having loads of fun but suddenly this awful tragedy happens and his sister dies and it throws everything out of balance for everybody.  It’s a huge test for them as a couple and it’s not something that you think you are going to go through with someone when you’ve just started dating them. In a way, it has advanced their relationship.

What is Toyah finding the most difficult to deal with?
Toyah is finding it difficult because by his own admission Imran is furious, angry, hurt, grieving and taking a lot of it out on her. She has been very understanding and forgiving but there have been a couple of moments where she does bite back. Toyah thinks it’s not her fault and it’s awful that his sister has died but she is only trying to support him and he is making it really difficult.

Does Toyah love Imran?
Yes I think she does. I don’t know if they have had a moment where they have looked into each other’s eyes and said it but she does feel that way.

What is the dynamic between Toyah and Nick when she moves in with him and Leanne?
There’s no love lost between Nick and Toyah and there hasn’t been for some time. To have Toyah move back in, is his worst nightmare because he knows that she won’t stop with the sarcastic comments. Leanne is oblivious, she thinks it’s great.

Do you think Toyah is a match for Nick?
In some ways. They are both smart but the difference is that Nick is naturally more cunning than Toyah is so that could be where he trumps her. Toyah is bright but she is not a mastermind, criminal genius. Nick is notoriously sneaky and devious and certainly we have seen that since Ben Price has come back in the show, we have seen a darker side to Nick.

How has Nick’s darker side had an impact on Toyah?
It’s interesting because I feel like when I have scenes with Ben Price, Toyah reverts back to that boisterous teenager because a lot of what she is saying to Nick is quite snide. Toyah hasn't trusted Nick even since they were teenagers and the way he was with Leanne when they ran off and got married, it goes way back.  She is still a Battersby so she still has that Battersby spirit that comes out now and again.

Why is Toyah suspicious of Nick this time around?
For a while Toyah has been questioning Nick’s finances, where he suddenly has got all this money from and how he could invest in the factory. Leanne has been suspicious about that as well because he has always been quite vague about it so Leanne, Toyah and Sarah are all equally suspicious and they come together and join forces. It’s Charlie’s Angels meet Scoobie Doo!

When Leanne and Toyah break in to Rick’s office, what are they expecting to achieve?
They want to find evidence that Nick has used Rick as a means of getting money. Toyah wants to find the evidence because she wants to have this big reveal with Leanne where she can say that she was right all along and that Nick is dodgy. Leanne is hoping for the opposite; she doesn’t want them to find anything that could prove that Nick has gone to Rick.

How much of this plan have they thought through?
They are totally running of adrenaline and if they stopped and thought about it too much then they would talk each other out of it because it is ridiculous; they are breaking and entering, particularly a premises that belongs to a really dangerous man. It all happens really fast, when they get in there they fling cupboards open and it’s all crazy and then they hear someone is potentially coming back into the office.

How much danger do you think the sisters are in?
Rick is someone not to be messed with. It’s risky and there is every chance that they could be caught either by Rick or the police so they are definitely putting themselves in danger.

What were this week’s scenes like to film?
It was lovely to work with Tina because I don’t usually get to do much with her and I think she is fab and it’s always great when I get to work with Jane.

What will you miss about working with Charlie De Melo if Imran and Toyah split for good?
I love working with Charlie, it’s really mixed things up for me. I adored working with Chris Gascoyne because he is just so brilliant but I knew that was always going to end badly because of how the storyline went and Peter is so perfect with Carla. Charlie and I have a really strong friendship and we really make each other laugh.

What do you like about Toyah?
Even when she is ever slightly deceitful, there is good at the heart of it. Some of her decisions are so ill-judged but having said that, it is a soap! If we all behaved impeccably it would be such a boring show.

What advice would you give Toyah in this situation?
The rational side of me says, “Take a step back, this can’t end well, if you are right then the truth will find its way out.” But the viewer in me is going, “Keep on hounding him,” because it’s more interesting. I love the dynamic between Nick and Toyah, it’s really fun to play because Toyah and Nick are so sparky with each other.

Glenda Young
Author: Belle of the Back Streets

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