Is Coronation Street really in crisis or can it be saved? | Soap

This isn’t the first cry of crisis to hit British institution Coronation Street and it won’t be the last.

Due to the beloved show being Britain’s most-watched soap opera and its legendary status, Coronation Street is more scrutinized than many other TV shows, with some unstable eras leading to speculation of its fate.

Of course, there is very little chance that Corrie will be sacked by ITV, nor is there any reason for us to think about the outcome rate.

However, that doesn’t mean the show doesn’t have its annoying moments. Hitting the headlines for many negative reasons, including the sudden departure of returning star Sean Wilson – throwing one of the most important TV departures of all time in Helen Worth’s Gail Platt into chaos – and the focus on alleged harsh budget cuts, adding obsession with dark storylines. and reduce the number of views.

As a Soap Editor, it will come as no surprise that Coronation Street is one of my favorite shows, just like millions of other people. I want nothing more than success, but there is no hiding the significant problems and the deeper frustration of fans.

After 50 years, Helen Worth took a well-deserved retirement and she and the fans who have adored her alter-ego for half a century got the perfect ending for Gail.

It’s never been more important to get the storyline right, and Helen is said to be thrilled to know that Martin is being brought back to help create a happy ending for the character.

But actor Sean had only been filming for a few weeks when he left the show, for mysterious reasons. This has left Gail who is out in the air, with apparently quickly re-write, bringing back a minor character from the past, played by John Thomson, instead.

Gail is not related to the character, Jesse Chadwick, and she was the love interest of Eileen Grimshaw for a short time between 2008 and 2010.

Many struggle to remember Jesse, who is used almost exclusively as a bumbling comedy character, and I dread that the comeback has been brought to artificially recreate the rivalry between Gail and Eileen, which feels like it belongs in the past.

However, the negative response from fans has long preceded this difficult situation. Many of the issues driving the storyline, almost all dark and depressing, have been running together and exhausting for years.

With many arcs told at the same time, we have experienced plots that focus on acid attacks, dead babies, bullying, rape, murder, missing teenagers, wrongful imprisonment, pedophiles, revenge porn, motor neuron disease, cancer, far . right terrorism and drug pushing gangsters.

While the acting and writing have been solid in many of these, and individually, many storylines have been involved, it has been too much together, generally at the expense of the humor and community-based storytelling that Coronation Street does best. , and has been known for all longevity.

Cait Fitton and Calum Lill’s performances in the new special episode that wraps up Lauren’s story are nothing short of extraordinary, and Paul Foreman’s journey in the format-shattering episode packs an emotional punch that’s winning critical praise left, right and center.

But Coronation Street needs to urgently reconnect with its roots, focusing on organically developing characters, rather than being a vehicle for plotlines, many of which are quickly resolved without consequence.

Storylines such as the retcon of Toyah getting pregnant after being raped in 2000 and then burying her dead baby sparked national outrage.

Trying to reproduce the classic repeatedly making Roy Cropper the latest in a long line of wrongly accused icons thrown in jail, or using Stephen Reid as yet another male serial killer who could not live up to Richard Hillman, is not the right way to go.

As much as the attempt to revive Gail and Eileen spat will fall with me, the risk of re-running the idea is that it can clearly highlight that they cannot match their previous incarnations, which can only be used to paint others. target for criticism.

And then there is the whole street name as a whole. The cast is very large and thus many disappear for weeks or even months at a time and, while there are many characters, Rovers often seem pretty dead. Whether this is the result of cost-cutting measures – location filming seems to be absent – is anyone’s guess, but community-based drama is what defines Corrie and sets it apart from the rest.

For me, the answer is relatively straightforward in logic – tone down the darkness, interlink the characters to each other, focus on relationships and comedy and bring back the sparkle. Oh, and give Gail the outing she deserves – what she really is need someone to end her time on the Street?

Crisis is a very dramatic word and this is one of the soaps associated with all the soap operas at any time during the less popular era.

Corrie’s resilience is unmatched and will rise again – while viewing figures are not what they used to be, this is the story across all of mainstream TV in terms of overnight ratings. Viewing habits have changed and the competition from streaming platforms and online viewing is creating an inevitable setback.

However, Corrie has not been questioned – it is still the most watched soap opera and one of the most watched programs in all of British TV.

There is heaps of talent on the show, both on and behind the scenes. The fans are loyal and really rooting for the shows they love, just like me.

I have faith that there will be a return to war after this troubled period and another soap opera will be labeled ‘crisis’.

There’s just something to fix first.

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