Cobbles Couples: Possible, Present and Petering Out - Part 1

Anna, 48 and Kevin, 50 are the first of the possible couples to be placed under Weatherfield’s microscope. My sense about these two is that a relationship could work. There definitely seems to be a spark – not giant flames but a spark,  nevertheless. Both are single, both are hard workers, Anna has Faye to bring up, who has yet to pass through the often difficult teenage stage, but that is perhaps her only complication. Kevin has Jack. Anna adores children and as Faye is Kevin’s best friend’s daughter, he may know Faye quite well. Neither Kevin nor Anna are going to set the world alight with their intellect. Yes, they should give it a go.

As for Dev and Erica, another possible couple, I’m less sure. It is clear that Dev is rather enamoured of  Erica. Mary has noticed this and in the best interests of Dev’s twins, she has had a word with Dev. As regards Erica, it is not easy to read her. It seems, at the moment that she is not attracted to Dev. After the trauma of losing the baby and of breaking up with Nick, she may be wary of beginning a new relationship. My hope is that Erica, 50 and Dev, 51, do get together. Though Dev is quite a strong character, I think Erica will be a match for him. She is tough, independent, kind and level–headed. It will be important to Dev that Erica gets on with his children. Not wanting Mary to feel redundant or irrelevant, Erica would surely leave the day to day running of Asha and Aadi’s lives to Mary. It was touching in a recent episode to witness Erica’s kindness towards Mary. That it was noticeable is a condemnation of those who treat Mary as the cobbles’ joke: Norris and Tracy in particular. Mary is a litmus test, which Erica passed with flying colours.

Until last night’s episodes, I hadn’t really considered the possibility of Liz and Johnny becoming a couple, but it is looking quite likely, now. They seem at ease with each other, are on the same wavelength, and they’ve been round the block a few times. We’ve been with Liz as she has been round her block, but Johnny’s block is only just opening up for us. He must be about the same age as Liz too, perhaps a little older. (I can’t find his age anywhere!)

Sally would like her daughter Sophie to be in a relationship with Kate Connor.  The problem is that despite the fact that Sophie and Kate seem to get on, and there is a bit of a twinkle in both girls’ eyes, Kate is engaged and due to be married. My prediction would be a break up with her fiancée and the slow start of a relationship with Sophie. Both girls would have an amount of guilt to deal with though: Kate for hurting her fiancée and Sophie for moving on after Maddie. Perhaps she should have a word with Ken.

As for Aidan, I would guess that Eva will be the chosen one, especially now Sarah is pregnant, but there could be some interruptions on the way. Is Eva over Jason? Is Jason over Eva? My guess would be no, but as Ryan Thomas who plays Jason is leaving, at least for a while, he won’t be around. Perhaps Eva’s new relationship will be the cause of his departure.

All this is of course speculation, and I am just as happy to proved wrong as I am right.  All we can do is sit back and wait.

More to follow, when next, some present couples will be placed under Weatherfield’s microscope.                                                                             

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.

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Aidan Connor - Corrie's new fashion icon

Much was made on twitter when Shayne Ward made his debut appearance on Coronation Street as Aidan Connor.  After the Sarah Harding debacle, the sheer sense of relief that Shayne could act was immense.  Once we got over that, the next thing we noticed was his shirt. It even made its own newspaper story.

Aidan's first shirt almost, but not quite, blended into the wallaper at the factory.

Since his first foray into fashion management, we've seen the two-tone white and blue shirt.

And the brown flowery shirt, seen here starring in the Bistro trying its best to blend in with the brickwork and the leather sofa.

Is there a subliminal message going on with Aidan's shirts? Maybe they're saying he's trying but failing to fit in with his surroundings. Or maybe because he works in fashion he's showing he's got style and a sense of design. Whatever it is, I like it and I'm looking forward to seeing what the Corrie wardrobe team come up for him next.

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The Corrie Roller-Coaster

The Coronation Street juggernaut powers on. This year we've had fires, destruction, deaths galore. The usual secrets and lies, extra episodes dropped in without so much as a warning, precious little Rita, far too much Platt and the campest villain known to man. 

Watching Corrie these days is a roller-coaster in quality control. Most of the time one scene featuring Eileen Derbyshire being majestic in The Kabin or the Community Centre is enough to wipe out the glaring holes created during the Jenny Bradley kidnap drama. I don't know why, but it's just very up and down these days. It's been a joy to see Beverley Callard take centre stage as Liz, the best Rovers Landlady we've had in eons. It's been much less pleasurable to see forty odd years of Helen Worth's hard work dribble away as Gail becomes a permanent twittery waste of space.

Alison King can do no wrong as Carla, but her recent storyline seeing Mrs Connor's descent into self pity and gambling addiction just hasn't worked. Neither has her newfound lust for Gail's oldest off-spring and the fruit of Brian's loins, the whimpering Nicholas T. These two briefly worked together when the Nick with this face joined five or so years ago. At the time people wondered if they'd stick them together and thankfully they didn't. So why now? Have the storyliners run out of options? As the only two residents of the posh flats, can they only mix with fellow characters with balcony and fancy window shutters? 

Also added to the mix is the arrival of yet another Connor nobody has ever mentioned before but everyone knows so well it's as if they only saw him last week. I was prepared to hate Aidan on sight. This was partly down to the casting, following as it did hot on the heels of Sarah Harding's brief stint. More importantly it just felt like the latest in a long line of flashy businessmen in nasty suits, driving shiny motors and ramming their male selves into the back office at Underworld. We've had Paul Connor, Liam Connor, Luke Strong, Tony Gordon...blah, blah, blah. Nobody has come close to equal the sublime Baldwin years as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, despite my worries, I've actually taken to Aidan Connor. I know it's early days but I rather like the character, I like his dynamic with Carla and I'm quite impressed with Shayne Ward's acting. It also helps that he's fairly easy on the eye. I guess time will tell but it's showing promise.

Sadly, I'm still struggling with another newcomer to the cobbles. I know our wonderful editor Flaming Nora is loving the Roy and Cathy story but it's just not clicking for me. I don't even think it's anything to do with Hayley or the memory of Roy and Hayley together. I just don't think the characters work. Melanie Hill is an excellent actress with a strong career but somehow Cathy Matthews is just leaving me cold. I don't care enough.

Unfortunately the Platt family are going to dominate the September live episode. Well, it makes sense given that they've dominated the entire year. I don't mind the individual members of the Platt family, it's just when they move as a pack I get concerned. We've had so many family meetings, threats from Callum and dewey moments when Gail has said the worst is over. You'd think the woman would learn by now. It's become so tedious I just wish Callum, Gemma and Max would be spirited away somewhere t'other side of the Pennines.

I loathe Callum. He's a laughable character, played in a bizarre fashion. All the stuff with Sarah was dire. I also loathe Gemma although I know she has her fans. I sincerely hope whatever happens to Callum happens to her too as I don't want her as a long-term Rovers regular. Weirdly, Bethany has grown on me. Putting the stroppy eye-rolling aside, the character has come on of late and is actually the best of the Platt bunch at the moment. I may live to eat my words...

I've also found myself sighing a lot whenever Fiz and Tyrone appear on screen together. Ok, they will never be as beige as Sinead and Chesney (a traditional old before their time Corrie couple), but since they settled into domestic bliss they've become irritating and smug. Tyrone I'll always love but Fiz has morphed into a character I love to hate. She's become domineering, self-righteous and over-bearing. Vera Duckworth could be all of these things but we always forgave her. I struggle with the forgiveness when it comes to Fiz. 

I live in hope that Audrey and Rita may emerge from the Corrie Cupboard soon, all Deansgate frocks and scarves, freshly coiffed and ready to camp. Whatever the writers do, please DO NOT put Aud with Kenneth Barlow. The return of the glorious Jenny Bradley must surely mean more screen time for Barbara Knox as Rita. She's been noticeably absent this year and there is so much they could do with these two wonderful Weatherfield women.

Apart from that I hope Lloyd leaves Andrea-free, Craig's lovely girlfriend pays him a visit, Anna takes Faye on a long trip...somewhere else, Kevin shaves off his scraggly beard, Gary finds someone better than that Alya (me), Steph and Luke get a proper storyline as siblings and Zeedan finds himself in an episode where all his shirts are in the wash (hint).

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Shayne Ward joins Corrie as Aidan Connor tonight

X Factor winner Shayne Ward turns up tonight in Coronation Street as new character Aidan Connor. 

Aidan is a distant cousin of Michelle Connor. He grew up on the same estate as Michelle and Carla when they were younger.

He arrives in Weatherfield after hearing that Carla is having some problems at Underworld.

Shayne Ward has signed a one-year contract with Coronation Street to play Aidan Connor.

Aidan's father and sister will arrive in the coming months - find out more about them here.

 

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