View Full Version : DS corrie interview on 50th anniversay and aftermath
As Coronation Street's 50th anniversary week continues, Fiz Stape is among the many characters facing a traumatic time following the shock disaster on the cobbles. In the aftermath of the tram crash tragedy, Fiz is currently in premature labour and needs urgent medical attention. Additionally, unbeknown to Fiz, her husband John has just furiously attacked his tormentor Charlotte Hoyle with a hammer - adding one more sinister secret to a long list which could blow their marriage apart. wE recently caught up with Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz, to hear her take on this week's episodes and Corrie's birthday.
What's it been like to take such a central role in this massive milestone for Corrie?
"Honestly, it's so special. I love Corrie and I'm a massive soap fan. Corrie's my favourite and to be part of this as the show turns 50 years old is just brilliant - really brilliant!"
What have you made of the John and Charlotte storyline?
"It's terrible to laugh at it, but it really is funny! I think it's because you're incredulous - you just can't believe that it's happening and I think that's what makes people laugh. What's lovely is that I haven't really been involved in much of the John and Charlotte storyline, because obviously Fiz doesn't know what's been going on. So when I watch their scenes, it's really good and I'm thinking, 'I can't believe she's saying that about me!'"
Is there any particular scene of theirs that you've enjoyed?
"I loved it the other day when Charlotte said that Fiz was as thick as a plank. She said, 'Why do you want to be with her? She's as thick as a plank!' I loved that!"
Fiz and Charlotte haven't really shared any scenes since their confrontation at Charlotte's house a while ago - would you have liked those two to have interacted more?
"Oh, I really would have! Becky Hindley is ace - really ace. She's a really great girl and plays a brilliant character. I think she didn't know that the character would be so big. I don't know whether anyone did, really - well, they probably did, but they didn't tell us! I would have really loved to have done more with her, because that scene with Fiz and Charlotte at the house was the last time that I really did any big scenes with her. Then I'd only ever really see her in the green room!"
If Charlotte really is dead, it looks like a lot of fans will be sad to see her go…
"We'll have to wait and see what happens, but it's always the way! When you have big characters who leave, they very often have a sad demise. Our favourite characters are often the baddies, but those characters usually end up going!"
How's everything going with the rehearsals for the live episode?
"It's going alright, I think! We started out rehearsing individually - everyone rehearsing their individual scenes - but now we're moving on to all of us running through the whole thing. We just have to carry on regardless - no matter what happens! Even if the whole building falls down, we've just got to keep saying the lines and carry on!"
Do you know exactly what's happening with the live episode, or could there be some surprises that even the cast don't know about yet?
"I actually don't know! I keep hearing that there's going to be new drafts of scripts, so I don't know! Maybe there's going to be a big surprise! But I honestly don't know."
Fiz and John are certainly at the centre of drama this week - where do they go from here?
"I really can't say anything at this point! But I don't think it's going to end happily, put it that way…"
Have you enjoyed working with Phil Collinson since he took over as producer?
"Phil really has brought the best of his skills to Corrie. I think that's clear when you see the episodes on screen - especially this week's episodes. Also, not only is he really skilled, but he's a lovely man, so it's been a really nice atmosphere on set. The results have just been brilliant - he's been fabulous. And he loves Corrie too, which you can really see!"
Finally, can you name any highlights from your time at Coronation Street so far?
"I think it probably has to be this - the 50th anniversary! This week is definitely up there as the stuff we've filmed has been brilliant. I think the live episode will also probably be the highlight - although we've not done it yet, so ask me on Friday! But this tram crash storyline has been so spectacular and because it's 50 years, I know I'm never going to be in this position again, so it's really special."
Coronation Street's Sean Tully has been among the characters at the thick of the action this week following the devastating Joinery bar explosion and tram crash disaster on the cobbles. Fans have seen Sean taking charge at The Rovers as it gets transformed into a makeshift hospital and shelter amid the carnage on the street, and his involvement is expected to continue tonight as the soap airs a live episode to mark its 50th anniversary. Antony Cotton, who plays Sean, recently chatted to DS about Corrie's massive week.
How have you found being at the centre of such an important milestone for Corrie?
"Well, I'm a fan of Corrie, so that makes me very excited to be a part of it all. My only disappointment about us doing a live episode is that I'm not going to be sat at home watching it, because if I wasn't in it, that's what I'd be doing! But it's so exciting to be a part of it - it's such a landmark event for Corrie. It's epic, it's huge and it doesn't get any bigger."
What will be the live episode be like?
"The live pulls no punches. It's epic and massive, so that makes it all slightly terrifying as a performer - especially as I have the first line, which makes it even more terrifying! But I can't wait to do it. Corrie's 50th anniversary will be remembered forever, but especially this live episode. I'm honoured to be in it, delighted to be a part of it - and thrilled to be in the show. I think the live episode really will deliver. And for the week in general, I defy anyone to watch it and say that it wasn't very good! They're extraordinary episodes."
Are you enjoying working with the show's new producer Phil Collinson?
"Yes, we've got the cleverest man in the world as our boss. It's all very well having trams and death and fire, but actually, if the stories aren't strong then there's no point doing it. What's brilliant is that Phil has collected all these different elements, put them together and stuck the characters that the audience love and care about right into the middle of a disaster. It rips the street apart, but it also brings everyone together."
Are you happy with the role that Sean has taken this week?
"I love that he does what you wouldn't expect him to. In one episode leading up to this, we saw Sean say, 'Oh, I'm great in a crisis!' and everyone laughed because they thought he wouldn't be great in a crisis. But actually, Sean is brilliant in the crisis - he's taking a totally different turn than what you'd expect him to do. He's pulling the team together as The Rovers has become a makeshift hospital. I loved the line where, in all the chaos, he said, 'Get everybody brandies - and make them large ones!' It's such a Coronation Street line. Our writers come up with beautiful, amazing words for us to say."
It must be good to show another side of Sean after so long in Corrie.
"Yeah, and everybody here gets to do that in some ways. If something happens that changes the course of your life - even if it's just for 12 hours - you behave in different ways. You're forced into acting differently. I get a lot of stick for Sean being a stereotype - but I actually think he's an archetype because there's no other character on television like him. Nobody else is putting a character like that on the screen now - because it's been done in every episode in Corrie. Sean's not a stereotype - if you throw a stick down Canal Street on a Saturday night, you'll find 5,000 Seans. It upsets me when people try to make out that camp isn't relevant, because it is. There's so many people who write to me because they're bullied at school for being camp. It saddens me that people are allowed to get away with that. Camp entertains, so what's wrong with being camp?"
What do you think the fans will make of this week as they look back?
"Well, I think that for the fans of the show, this is their present. They've stuck with us and cared about us for all this time. And even if you've only watched for six months, the fact that people are watching means that they want to be part of this incredible time. This is a gift to them and it's a gift to Tony Warren. Who would have thought that such a young writer could come up with something like this? Imagine the people who have been employed or had a career because of him. And imagine the amount of people who have laughed and cried with the show, because it's taken them away from their own lives for half an hour. We're a family at Corrie and the audience are part of that family."
Do you still watch Corrie yourself?
"Yes, I still watch it as it happens at 7.30pm. It's like a community watching Corrie, where you can ring someone up afterwards and say, 'Did you see what Fiz said to John Stape?' I enjoy watching it with everyone else at 7.30pm and feel part of that. I can if I'm not in work - I like watching it as a viewer. When I was growing up, in our house if somebody phoned at 7.30pm, my mum would scream and say, 'Who the bleeding hell's phoning at half seven?!'"
What do you think the future holds for Corrie?
"Well, at the moment we've got a lot of questions. Who's going to find Rita and look after her? What's going to happen with Molly and the baby? Has Peter found out about Nick and Leanne? All these things are only just beginning. They'll continue after the live episode and will go on into next year. Plus, Graeme Hawley who plays John Stape is just a genius!"
How are the rehearsals going for the live episode?
"They're going well! They're painstakingly accurate because you have to be on the right mark - you can't be in the wrong place, or then everything else will go wrong. Every mark has had to be planned - the floor is covered in marks that nobody else would be able to decipher, but we know them. I'm quite lucky with the live episode, as I haven't got masses of dialogue."
Is there anything else you can tell us about the live?
"Well, what you haven't seen yet is that the beginning of the live episode is the start of another disaster - something else happens and so it's ongoing. There's more explosions and that's how the live episode begins - with everybody out on the street as it goes up in flames!"
Do you think you could be surprised yourself by anything in the live?
"Well, I've said that if Phil Collinson suddenly tells me that Sean dies, I'll say, 'Oh no he doesn't!' [laughs] But it's all been exciting - the rehearsals have been a joy, because we never normally get to rehearse. We've just got to say the lines in the right order and try not to bump into the furniture! There's some strategic things in place in case things do go wrong. Extra scenes are being rehearsed that won't be in the show, so if something goes down, or a camera fails, or if somebody's not well, or there's a technical hitch, an extra standalone scene will be there that you can cut to for three minutes - hoping that it will get back to normal. Hopefully we won't need to use any of that!"
Finally, after 50 years of the show, how would you sum up Corrie?
"I think for Northerners, it's our voice. It's not just for Northerners as it's shown all over the world, but it's the North's voice. It's exquisite, it should be treasured, it's beautiful and it's perfectly packaged. It's clever, it's funny, it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, makes you frightened, makes you annoyed and sometimes makes you rant at the television! It did that 50 years ago, and it's still doing it today. I love this television programme - it's glorious. And this week is the gift for the people who've stuck with it for 50 years."
As Coronation Street's 50th anniversary week continues, Kevin Webster's ongoing storyline with former lover Molly Dobbs is among the many which appear to be reaching a climax on a night of terror for Weatherfield. With Kevin's baby son Jack at the hospital and Molly still trapped under rubble in the Corner Shop, more twists and turns look possible as the ITV1 soap broadcasts a live episode tonight. Michael Le Vell - who plays Kevin - recently chatted to DS about Corrie's birthday and more.
How have you felt about being one of the characters who's at centre stage in Corrie's 50th anniversary week?
"I feel very proud - it's been a privilege. I'm really excited by it all!"
Will you be involved in the live episode?
"Yeah, I am involved - I think most of the cast are and it'll be about 65 of us. I don't think people have too much to worry about - there shouldn't be too much that's going to give people a nervous breakdown on the night!"
Are there any particular characters who are involved in the live ep more than others?
"We've tried to spread the load quite evenly across the cast, because it's an hour-long slot - so it's an hour's high drama. And it really is going to be high drama!"
Are the cast looking forward to relaxing after the live episode?
"Well, the cast have another week at work after the live episode before breaking up for Christmas, so we're not quite there yet. We get the live episode out of the way, and it's pretty much business as usual then until Christmas."
Have you enjoyed the Molly and Kevin storyline and all its twists and turns?
"I enjoy all my storylines - it's always nice to have a storyline and it doesn't matter what they are. This one has been a great storyline and a long-running one. I think a lot of the storylines are coming to a head in the live episode, so it's going to be tremendous television!"
Sally still doesn't know about Kevin's affair, which could wreck their marriage if the truth ever comes out. Do you hope they stick together?
"Yeah, I am hoping that they see things through and stick together. Hopefully, if the truth ever did come out, Tyrone would also understand and still be Kevin's mate. But who knows what will happen?"
Rosie and Sophie have become such strong characters over the past few years - do you enjoy working with Helen Flanagan and Brooke Vincent?
"Yes, definitely. And also Sacha Parkinson, who's one of the Webster family now. I think that all three of them are tremendous - they're great young girls and great young actresses."
We know that Vicky Binns is leaving - will it be sad to see her go?
"It'll be sad to see Vicky leave, and it was also sad to see Stevie Arnold go. It's always sad when cast members leave, but I wish them luck for the future and I'm sure they'll do well. They're fantastic actors."
Have you enjoyed working with Phil Collinson since he's taken over as Corrie's producer?
"Yeah, he's great. He's brought a fantastic enthusiasm to the show and that's brilliant - it's rubbed off on everyone."
After such a long history with Corrie, can you name any particular highlights from your time on the show?
"Moving in with Hilda Ogden when I first joined the show was a big highlight. I also really enjoyed saving Bet Lynch from The Rovers. Those are iconic things. I obviously enjoyed the Alison storyline where baby Jake died, as it was a brilliant story to be involved in. There's been loads - and they're just the ones that I've been involved with! As a viewer, I loved watching the Ken, Deirdre and Mike Baldwin love triangle. Corrie has always had great big spectacular stories - and it's fantastic to be a part of them."
Finally, where does Kevin go from here?
"I've got a rough idea of what happens but I'm not sure I can tell you that just yet! But after this week, I think people will have a much better idea of where Kevin's going!"
Coronation Street has continued to go from strength to strength in its 50th anniversary year, culminating in this week's dramatic tram crash disaster. As the Weatherfield soap officially reaches its milestone this evening, it broadcasts an hour-long live episode which is expected to feature explosive scenes as the situation on the cobbles remains at crisis point. Corrie's producer Phil Collinson recently chatted to DS about the drama's 50th birthday and more.
What changes do you hope Corrie fans have noticed since you took over as producer earlier this year?
"I don't really know about changes, because my brief to myself was to just deliver the very best Coronation Street - and that doesn't involve changing anything actually! It's just involved telling really brilliant stories well, and making sure this 50th anniversary worked."
How did your plans for the anniversary all come about?
"Well, the 50th could have just been one big flashy stunt and showing how marvellous we are, but it's not. Yes, there's been a big stunt at the beginning of the week, but the focus has just been brilliant drama which reminds you of how much you care about the characters and how much you don't want them to go through this - but you'll watch it anyway! That was what we wanted to do."
Was the tram crash solely your idea, or was it something you came up with as a team?
"I don't think you could say that it was any one person's idea. Coronation Street is a senate - there's a whole bunch of writers, a whole bunch of storyliners and we all meet every three weeks. We all knew that there had to be a cataclysmic event for the 50th - and the tram is buried in Coronation Street folklore as it's in our opening titles and sails across the end of the street. It just seemed like the right thing to do. In the end, it's just a device to put all of the characters under massive pressure and intense stress. In many ways, the disaster could have been anything!"
Can we expect any big surprises in tonight's live episode?
"Oh yeah, the live episode is brilliant and astonishing. It's a real tour de force of acting and the whole week has really channelled towards that live episode. There's lots of big, significant events that will happen in it."
Is there a possibility that you could spring a surprise on the cast for the live episode?
"Well, I think the purpose of the live is to surprise the audience rather than the cast. I think that we've crafted a brilliant script that will very deliberately showcase what this cast can do, and also what we can do technically. It's going to be live like you've never seen it before. We're even hoping to do live CGI at the very beginning, which has never been done before. We've been trying to technically fine-tune it - and if we can do it, we will!"
Where will you be when the live episode is being performed?
"I'll be in the scanner - that's a great big caravan on set that's like a transformer, and basically it's a live broadcast mobile facility. It has 27 screens in it, as we'll have 27 cameras for the live episode. That's more than ever before, on any live broadcast. It's astonishing, and I'll be sat there with the director and the people queuing up the shots - right in the nerve centre of it!"
Many people on our forum have been praising your stint at Corrie so far - is that something you've been aware of?
"I am aware of the forum and I've looked at it sometimes - of course I have. I'd be fibbing to you if I pretended that I didn't! It's a real pleasure to be able to look at that and to see how much people are appreciating the way the show is going. We've worked very hard over the past six months, and I was very fortunate to turn up when I did, really. The show has always been brilliant, but the last six months has given us this huge, dramatic event to work towards. That makes you work even harder and think even harder about where you want to get those characters to. Focusing on getting them to this night where everything changes has given us so many brilliant stories and brilliant drama. I feel like I've struck lucky by arriving at this time - I'm so glad that I did and I've loved working on the show so far."
You've confirmed in the past that you extended the Molly and Kevin story when you joined the show - do you enjoy crafting that kind of long-running plotline?
"I do! The best stories are the ones that you can tell over a longer period of time. As a producer, you always have to trust your instinct in picking what those stories are and wringing as much as you can out of them. I hope I've got a good instinct for that, and it's very much what I'm about. I like finding a story and knowing that it's one that you can run for a year. I think that you then make the audience care about the characters involved in those stories in a way that they wouldn't do if it was over in four or five weeks. For example, with Nick and Leanne's storyline, we had to make sure that the audience really believed Leanne's dilemma and explore her and Nick revisiting their teenage feelings. That's been a beautiful story to tell. It's just been about trying to wring every little last bit out of a story - I'm a great believer of that. But hopefully we don't drag stories on either!"
What was your thought process as you extended Molly and Kevin's story?
"We had to make sure that Sally and Molly were really good friends when this tram crash happened - there was a huge chunk of story to tell in making them friends. We also had to make sure that Molly really wanted Kevin back, and that he might toy with doing that - again, in order for the night of the tram crash to have the significance and the impact that it does."
Corrie will be getting a mention on EastEnders tonight as Dot professes her love for the show - what do you make of that?
"I've heard that! That's really brilliant, funny and touching. I think it's a really nice thing for them to have done."
Looking to the future, the return of Tracy Barlow looks like the next big story for Corrie - what will she be getting up to over the next few months?
"Tracy is a brilliant character - she's one of the only characters who could start a fight in an empty room! That's the joy of having her back. But she's also funny - a very funny character. She's brilliantly cutting and very definitely Blanche's granddaughter in that sense. She arrives back on Christmas Eve and just causes mayhem for everybody. The lives of the Barlows and the McDonalds are not going to be the same again. She's back and she's back for a good while."
You've extended the Armstrong family by bringing in Katy - what's next for her, Izzy and Owen?
"We're going to see a lot more of Owen and the others next year. Owen's two daughters are both going to be involved with men who are in very significant families on the street. That's the secret with a new family when you bring them in - just chuck them in with other people who can move them along with their story. That's what this year has been about for Owen, Izzy and Katy - it's been about positioning them properly in the show, and that's what we've done. We'll see a lot more of them next year."
She may or may not be dead now - but Charlotte Hoyle has become quite a popular character, hasn't she?
"I think that Becky Hindley has done an amazing job. They're always great parts to play, the bunny boilers, and Becky has really embraced that. I think she's just played it brilliantly. I think what she's done so brilliantly is make us feel Charlotte's pain. She isn't just a bunny boiler - she's a really lonely, heartbroken person. Colin Fishwick dying in front of her eyes was probably the most perversely exciting thing that's ever happened to her! She became desperate to hang onto the drama that came from that night. I think it's been great telly: you take people like John and Fiz - who are really loved characters - and then you do something this extraordinary to them. I think you just want to watch it!"
In more general terms, after such a big event, where does Corrie go from here?
"The tram crash is very deliberately not the end of the story. It's the beginning of a lot more stories - the live episode marks the 50th anniversary, and then the double bill on Friday marks the beginning of the 51st year. The stunt very deliberately sets up Coronation Street's 51st year, as well as celebrating its 50th. So there's all sorts of great stories that you'll tune in on Friday and see. Friday is sort of the aftermath - people will be dealing with the death and the loss that they've had to come to terms with. All of those stories begin and shoot off into all sorts of different directions on Friday - they're going to take us right the way through 2011 and beyond…"
Surely all these could go in the thread named - Controversial Storyline for Corries 50th - Contains Spoilers instead of making another thread
Surely all these could go in the thread named - Controversial Storyline for Corries 50th - Contains Spoilers instead of making another thread
They were all individual threads so I just put them together.. I am sure there will be many more.. kim Marsh hasn't had her say yet
They were all individual threads so I just put them together.. I am sure there will be many more.. kim Marsh hasn't had her say yet
Kym needs her own forum
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