Soaps are meant to be a bit of escapism whilst throwing a magnifying glass on our on world and making the viewer questioning prejudices and injustice. Entertainment though is meant to be the main driving force.
Without going into specifics, Coronation street was only meant to be a short term drama of a dying working class world in the 1960s. It was certainly not meant to be the world’s longest running television soap. Likewise, Emmerdale (or Emmerdale farm to give it its original title) was just a daytime soap opera and although later moved to the seven pm slot was never envisaged as a long running drama.
As societies tastes change so do TV shows to keep up with demands. Ratings always dictate this if the show is to stay alive. Emmerdale had a major facelift and change in direction after ratings were low in the early 1990s.
A plane crash got rid of the weak characters and a move away from the problems of Jack Sugden’s sheep to a more flamboyant, tongue in cheek soap that notched up the romance, affairs, and back biting.
Just as importantly, it had a sense of humour as it wasn’t afraid of sending itself up. The Dingles with their schemes and scams was a break away from any fighting or arguments down the Woolpack. As was their dealings with the devious Eric Pollard.
Coronation street at the moment is abysmal. The actors can only work with what they’ve got and the writers are directed by what it is expected. That Halloween special of David Platt’s sink hole in his garden causing a huge hole that killed Johnny was truly awful.
You can tell the writer got carried away as if they were writing a horror movie as Seb’s Ma walked around with her hood up in the midst of a power shortage thanks to David Platt’s massive black hole sun in his back garden. Throw in a bit of rain, Seb’s Ma nearly killing his killer Cory and it was the equivalent of someone lacing Roy’s tea urn and causing Steve McDonald and the rest to be tripping off their tits.
Naturally, a week later it had all been forgotten about as they continue to get smashed at the Rovers return.
Another thing is the amount of drinking that goes on. A couple of bevies at dinnertime followed by a skinful at night. Most of the back street pubs have gone to the wall but not the Rovers return. Despite not having Sky sports and only serving Betty’s hotpot it still draws the punters. So much so, that it has more staff than a city centre Wetherspoons.
Quite why the writers think its okay for the two car mechanics Kevin and Tyrone to have a couple of beers at dinnertime is beyond me. Would you let a mechanic loose on your car if you smelt booze? How they haven’t been pulled over for one of the infrequent times they get a call out is beyond me.
Then there are the hairdressers and barbers who enjoy a skinful. Not being funny but a tanked up Audrey or David Platt being loose on your hair means that you risk the chance of coming out with a dodgy haircut.
What made me laugh was when one of the writers decided to go all green with Maria taking up the mantle. Considering that Coronation street is probably the greenest street in the country in the sense that everyone lives and works in the street, it didn’t really hit the spot as Maria bashed in a car window.
For the soap that gave us the dramatic scenes of Alan Bradley being knocked over by a Blackpool tram as he chased a fleeing Rita, Coronation street has provided some far out stories.
There is Pat Phelan who fell into the icy sea and ended up in a B&B in Ireland, Billy smashing his back and making a comeback that Jesus would have been proud of. Tyrone and Alina getting together was daft as well as anything that David Platt is currently involved.
No one expects a soap to be realistic as everyone works, lives, and don’t venture out of Coronation street. Even the Ginger headed copper Craig’s beat is Coronation street and if there is anything major is kicking off there he is faster than a speeding bullet. Forget about being put in a position that might affect your integrity and safety, Weatherfield police put him in Corrie.
The stories though are just silly and completely off the scale. Some of it is just sensationalist nonsense and off kilter to the character. Would Alya leave her brother’s father-in-law for dead when having an heart attack? Just total bollocks.
Predictable as a Jack Grealish step over was the fact that Imran got Abi pregnant after Cory walked and Kelly got sent down. Putting aside the plausibility of the two characters getting together it was obvious that a pregnancy was going to happen. Now that saga will drag out in a paint by numbers story.
Now we have ‘I know what you did last summer,’ after Emma and Faye knock down a old man. Why they made a big deal of Emma being hungover considering everybody is at least half pissed in Corrie, God knows.
Anyhow despite getting up and appearing to be okay, Emma and Faye go over to check up on Tony. Upon entering the flat after no answer they find him dead in his armchair believing that it might have been them that killed him.
Naturally for Corrie there is a lot of humming and rring on whether to do the right thing and call or an ambulance or risk prison, especially as Faye has just got out of clink.
They decide as you do, to leave Tony there but for some weird reason decide to clean his flat. Someone of course knocks and they take the parcel.
Of course they bump into the Ginger cop Craig who is dating Faye despite being a convicted criminal. He suspects something and once this long drawn boring saga will be drawn out, Super Cop Craig will have the dilemma of either covering for the pair or doing his duty.
As for Emmerdale that needs a restart. What used to be a mix of drama, humour, and the usual touch of soap action is in a rut. Now the storylines just consist of arguing, someone having an affair, conniving behind someone’s back and then repeat.
The misery storyline with Meena holding her injured sister Manpreet is just crap. Will Meena get Manpreet a typewriter and get her to write a decent script, who knows?
To keep up with the recycling theme, Emmerdale did this five years ago as another nurse Emma Barton did the same to her estranged husband James Barton.
I know Stephen King’s misery is a brilliant novel but he has written loads of great books. Maybe Marlon could walk the green mile or a mysterious clown shows up offering balloons with kids disappearing. Perhaps they could have a shining theme in the B&B with Eric Pollard smashing through the door with a axe and going here’s Eric!’
The script writer’s should look up Stephen King’s bibliography on Wikipedia if you want something different.
Once again the Woolpack has been blown up that it’s surprising that it has any insurance. Nothing is memorable in that soap anymore or has a good mix of characters.
Twenty years ago you would have had Jack Sugden, Rev. Ashley, Edna, Seth, Betty mixed with Trisha, Kelly, Terry, Viv, and the Dingles. Now who have you got? Paddy the vet was a lightweight back then, whilst Zak is past his best that it’s probably Diane and like the other three has been there for twenty odd years.
Maybe it’s time to reduce the amount of episodes of both soaps with Coronation street to start being more realistic. I.E. getting characters who actually work outside of the street would be a new start.
Emmerdale needs to stop having the affair, arguing, and backstabbing on repeat and realise you have to mix it up.
Whether either will is debatable but it will come to a point when an audience won’t be watching it religiously no matter what and will have to stop being so lazy.
Graffiti 