Coventry Telegraph - Pass the Remote

All-Change For Corrie And Emmerdale

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:43:19 +0000

CORONATION Street is to move from Wednesday nights, in a break with almost 50 years of broadcasting tradition.

Episodes will be shifted from 7.30pm on that day to a new time slot of 8.30pm on Thursdays, as part of ITV1's popular drama overhaul.

Corrie has been broadcast on Wednesdays since the soap's launch in 1960.

Scheduling changes will also see Emmerdale screening two half-hour episodes instead of one on Thursdays and cutting its hour-long episode on Tuesdays in half to 30 minutes.

The volume of soaps will remain the same and the changes will not clash with EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on Thursdays.

It's A Sad Affair On Corrie And EastEnders

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:39:22 +0000

WHY are they bothering?

Coronation Street's Kevin and Molly affair is dead in the water and going to bring nothing but tears.

Poor old Molly, she was perfectly happy with boring old Tyrone until boring old Kevin whisked her off her feet with that seductive line bound to win the heart of any girl - "I want to jump on yer bones!"

As for Kevin, once he's had his wicked way with her - on Friday, so I understand, he decides he wants rid of her and persuades Tyrone to take her away on holiday - the love rat!

I suppose the next thrilling installment will be Sally finding out. Good job they don't work for MI5.

What's coming up in EastEnders....

Is Corrie Becoming A Cast Of Caricatures?

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:31:57 +0000

POOR old Kevin Webster - he's been lusting after flirty Molly - oh, for at least a week. And now he's got her he doesn't quite know what to do with her.

Sally is too engrossed with Rosie's posh new car to notice her husband is thinking of straying - and as for Tyrone - well it must have been one heck of a film for him to have sat there smiling to himself in Monday's episode of Coronation Street while his wife nips out with the boss for a spot of 'book keeping'.

Is it me, or have the Corrie scriptwriters lost the plot slightly when it comes to their storylines? Subtlety seems to have gone by the board, with everything totally over-acted so that characters are becoming more like caricatures

It was great to see actor John Thompson joining the programme as children's entertainer, Jesse Chadwick, but almost instantly they've turned him into a bit of a joke too.

For one thing - I don't know what the going rate is for a children's entertainer, but would Jesse really take on Kirk as another half of the act - and have to shell out half the fee?

Come on writers, credit us Corrie watchers with a bit of intelligence.

Seeing Double on Coronation Street

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:11:13 +0000

WHILE all eyes are on the blossoming affair between boring, grumpy Kevin Webster and flirty Molly - heaven knows how the script writers came up with that unlikely twosome - possibly they put all the characters into a hat and picked two out, but meanwhile has anyone noticed how alike Deridre Barlow and Claire Peacock are?

I'm sure the Corrie casting team picked on actress Julia Haworth for the role of equally boring Ashley Peacock's wife, because she looks just like a young Deridre (Anne Kirkbride).

But back to the plot and I can't help wondering how long before Sally Webster finds out what's going on right under her nose. No doubt it will take Tyrone a little longer to figure it out - and then the spark plugs will fly.

Why My Family Hate Coronation Street

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:15:01 +0000

MY grandson Jake wanted his Wii Sport on while daughter Debbie buried her head in the laptop and Facebook until it was all over - Coronation Street - Monday's double episode.

"If you actually like the programme, we wouldn't mind!" was the general feeling in the Evans' houshold.

And actually they were right. Corrie is one of those programmes that we watch out of habit, even though we (or at least me) moan about the often ridiculous story lines and mad antics of its characters.

I hate to say it, I'm a bit of a Corrie fan so be prepared for all my moans and groans about ITV's soap.

Lee Ross And Kate Williams To Return To EastEnders

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:30:36 +0000

LEE Ross and Kate Williams are set to rock the Fox family when they return to Albert Square in EastEnders on BBC 1.

Lee Ross (The Catherine Tate Show, Press Gang, Secrets & Lies) will be reprising his role as Libby's estranged father, Owen Turner.

He's been in prison for the last three years - jailed for his attempt to kill Libby. But with his sentence nearly completed, Owen wants to renew contact with Libby and with the woman who was the love of his life, ex-wife Denise.

He says he's changed, but the last time Libby and Denise saw him he was a violent alcoholic. His reappearance is set to turn Libby's world upside down at a time when she's hoping to head off to Oxford University and her relationship with Darren Miller is stronger than ever.

Kate Williams (Love Thy Neighbour, Only Fools And Horses, May To December) also returns to E20 playing Liz Turner, Owen's larger-than-life mother who has been living in Spain for a number of years.

With Owen's release imminent, he convinces Liz that she needs to settle in Walford so that he can re-establish his relationship with Libby and Denise.

Teen To Be Sentenced For Corrie Star Attack

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:53:18 +0000

A TEENAGER will be sentenced today for carrying out an attack on a Coronation Street star which left him with a broken jaw.

Stuart Stocks, aged 19, of Elm Grove, Sherburn, North Yorkshire, punched Mikey North in the face, breaking his jaw in two places.

He admitted grievous bodily harm when he appeared at Scarborough Magistrates Court last month.

The attack happened in Scarborough on April 11 when North was returning home after a night out with his girlfriend.

The 22-year-old actor, who plays bad boy Gary Windass in the ITV soap, needed emergency surgery for his injuries.

North, originally from Cayton, near Scarborough, joined the Coronation Street cast last year and scenes he was due to film in the weeks following the attack had to be re-written.

Ross Kemp To Host Great British Menu For Troops

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:58:44 +0000

EX-EASTENDERS star Ross Kemp is to host of the banquet for this year's finale of Great British Menu.

The special one-hour documentary, on BBC Two on Tuesday follows the remaining four chefs, after eight weeks of intense national and regional rounds, as they cook and serve their winning dishes to the troops returning from Afghanistan.

Ross says: "I'm honoured to be hosting such a prestigious and rewarding event for the BBC's Great British Menu. It is fantastic that some of the UK's top chefs are cooking the best British food for our deserving troops heading home from active service.

"I've been to Afghanistan myself and seen the unbelievable work that they do out there - they really are worthy of an amazing meal and to see such a collaboration should make us all very proud to be British."

Ross's last appearance on BBC 1 was in his role as Grant Mitchell in EastEnders in 2005, and he has since appeared in the popular BBC Two comedy series Extras as an actor obsessed with the SAS.

Disabled Actor To Join EastEnders

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:51:20 +0000

DISABLED actor David Proud is to join the cast of EastEnders.

The 26-year-old, who uses a wheelchair, will play Adam Best, an Oxford University student who comes to Walford to stay with his mother, Manda, during the holidays.

Albert Square has seen a number of disabled characters over the years, but the BBC said this will be the first time a regular disabled part will be played by a disabled actor.

EastEnders' executive producer Diederick Santer said: "I'm delighted to welcome David to EastEnders.

"He's a fine young actor with a wonderfully dry comic delivery, playing an interesting - and possibly rather irritating - character.

"I'm sure he, and his character Adam, will be strong additions to EastEnders."

Baby On The Way For Emmerdale's Charlotte Bellamy

Thu, 28 May 2009 14:30:01 +0000

EMMERDALE actress Charlotte Bellamy has announced she is expecting her third child with partner Mungo Denison.

Charlotte says: "We are all really looking forward to welcoming our new addition to the family, due to arrive in October"

Charlotte has played vicar's wife Laurel Thomas in Emmerdale for almost seven years. Her most recent storyline has seen Laurel undertaking community service and being befriended by the mischievous Lizzie Lakely (Kitty McGeever), soapland's first blind character.

Kym Marsh's Coronation Street Life

Fri, 15 May 2009 13:49:10 +0000

WHEN Kym Marsh arrived in Coronation Street three years ago some soap fans thought she would fall at the first hurdle and mess up that crucial transition from singer to actress.

But the former Hear'Say member was only too happy to prove them wrong. "A lot of people were expecting me to fall on my a***," she says with a laugh.

"I don't blame them for thinking that. You know, you've got to be cynical about it, because nobody knew me to be an actress."

Anna Friel Follows In Audrey Hepburn's Footsteps

Fri, 15 May 2009 12:25:38 +0000

FORMER Brookside soap star Anna Frielis to Holly Golightly in a West End stage version of Breakfast At Tiffany's.

The show will run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from September.

Audrey Hepburn famously played Golightly, a vivacious good-time girl, in a movie version of Truman Capote's classic book.

Pushing Daisies star Friel, aged 32, has carved out a career in the United States in recent years.

She said: "Truman Capote's Breakfast At Tiffany's has always been one of my favourite novels and I am delighted to have been given both the opportunity to play one of my all-time favourite heroines, Holly Golightly, and to be returning home to the London stage."

EastEnders' Stacey Faces Bipolar Disorder

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:44:20 +0000

ONE of Walford's most loved characters, Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner), is set to face her toughest challenge yet ... coming to terms with the prospect that she suffers from bipolar disorder.

It is the same condition that her mother Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) has had for many years.

EastEnders on BBC 1 has worked closely with various charities including Mind and MDF The BiPolar Organisation (Manic Depression Fellowship), on researching this storyline to accurately reflect the issue.

Beeb Launches Teen Soap

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:35:17 +0000

BBC Switch today announces that it has gone into production with a brand new soap for its teen audience.

In five-minute episodes on bbc.co.uk/switch and a weekly TV omnibus on BBC 2 launching later in the year, The Cut will offer fast-paced storylines packed with plenty of drama for soap-loving teens.

The Cut has been developed by BBC Switch and EastEnders writer Al Smith in collaboration with KateModern producer Pete Gibbons and director Sarah Walker, whose credits include Hollyoaks.

Geoffrey Goodwin, Head of BBC Switch, says: "This series reflects the way many young people want to consume content. We've united top British writing talent with the freshest and newest interactive ideas to make appointment to view content for soap loving British teens.

"The story is fast paced and relevant to young audiences, with secret crushes, family dramas and plenty of intrigue. The writing is quick, witty, and knowing, rich with pop culture references and with storylines suggested by teens themselves."

Coventry Actor A Soap Winner

Mon, 11 May 2009 15:03:20 +0000

COVENTRY actor Nitin Ganatra and Nina Wadia were voted top soap couple in the British Soap Awards.

They play Masood Ahmed and Zainab in EastEnders and the BBC soap scooped several awards including the top honour by being named best soap for the second year running.

The long-running TV favourite, which was first screened in 1985, saw off competition from Coronation Street, Doctors, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks at the award ceremony in central London.

The BBC1 soap took seven awards, one more than its closest rival Coronation Street, as 25-year-old Robert Kazinsky, who plays Sean Slater, won best actor and 37-year-old Scott Maslen, who plays Jack Branning, won the sexiest male award.

Sexiest female went to Michelle Keegan, 21, Coronation Street's Tina McIntyre, while Katherine Kelly, 19, who plays Becky Granger, picked up best actress.