Gavin Blyth Assistant Producer Corrie Interview - Spoilers
Now in his third year with the Manchester-based soap, Gavin Blyth - assistant producer to Corrie's new leading lady Kim Crowther - has been involved in some of the show's most iconic storylines such as Tracy and Charlie's rocky romance, David Platt's reign of terror and the introduction of the Connors. Here, Gavin chats to DS about what's on the horizon for the residents of Weatherfield in the coming weeks.
Can you give us any clues as to how the Mortons will develop before they go?
"Jerry and his family certainly won't just slink away quietly. Everything that they stand for as a family will be tested when he faces a major health scare that marks the return of ex-wife Teresa. We saw her in the early days when the family first arrived and she's about to turn life upside down for everyone. She's not backwards in coming forwards and spies an opportunity to further her own gain at every turn. Suffice to say that not everybody will be pleased to see her, including her own daughter Mel and a certain other regular on the Street..."
David's dominated Corrie for the good part of six months. Where will we see him go from here?
"Fresh from his release from the Young Offenders' Institute, we'll see David making a real go of life. He's back in Tina's arms and knows that he can't afford to risk losing her again. We've already seen that she's the one woman who can make a real difference in his life, though we have yet to see if he can keep his jealousy under control. But his time inside has changed him too. His determination to be put away demonstrated just how much he wanted to be helped. But he knew his mother couldn't be the one to do it because, at that time, she was part of the problem. Now he sees that he can't simply blame others and has to take some responsibility for what happens in his life.
"Furthermore he's now got his granddad (Ted, Gail's dad) to look up to. A stable male influence has long been missing in David's life and Ted very much treats David as a man - not a boy. It won't all be plain sailing, though. Audrey's not quite as forgiving as Gail, and David's place at the salon may yet be one he has to earn."
There's only so much bad one character can do, though, isn't there?
"David is what he is - which in soap terms is quite unique. Rarely does a soap villain grow in front of your eyes as he has, allowing the audience to understand why he does what he does. He's been on the outside of his family looking in, and that has been difficult for him. His misplaced actions have always been about control and trying to prove he matters to those he loves and can have an effect on them. That all changed when he pushed Gail down the stairs. For the first time, David wasn't in control and was actually in danger of losing his mother and her love forever. We'll see that's shaped David for a potentially different future. For now at least, he's a reformed character. But we are talking about David Platt and he'll never be an angel."
Tina has to be one of the best Corrie additions of recent years. What do you have planned for her?
"We're thrilled that Tina has made such an impact and Michelle Keegan's performance has quickly bedded Tina in as a firm Coronation Street favourite. She is such a contemporary character but with all the hallmarks of the traditional feisty females that have clipped the cobbles across the years. Her relationship with David is still in its infancy but they have a very exciting future together as they develop as a couple. What's great about Tina, though, is that she won't be reliant on David to grow as a character. As she starts to work on the street, we'll see her making new friends - and enemies - at every turn. Bigger storylines beckon."
How many members of her family will we meet?
"Tina's mum and dad have separated, but one of them is due to land on the Street, taking an immediate shine to another Corrie favourite. But the course of true love won't run smooth; how could it when your teenage daughter is watching your every move?"
Sue Cleaver is a fantastic actress and a lot of fans think she's quite underused and hasn't had the storylines she deserves. Do you have any big plans for Eileen?
"We couldn't agree more; Sue is a fantastic actress and a big favourite with fans. The great thing about Eileen is that she can have such a big effect with even the smallest of stories. Her relationship with Steve and Lloyd in the taxi office is so rich that it can take only one line of dialogue to make it memorable. Likewise, a clip round Jason's ear or a scathing remark about his latest tryst with Becky is a joy to watch. But fans can rest assured that Eileen's next big storyline isn't far away and come the Autumn they'll be seeing even more of her."
It's common knowledge that Liam's leaving at the end of the year, so what direction will we see him heading over the coming months?
"Suffice to say that his exit is closely guarded, but we will be building to a dramatic departure for Liam later in the year. He's determined to keep his relationship with Maria on an even keel after recent events... but with a spurned Carla on his doorstep, anger and passion is never far away. But how it manifests itself will be all telling and there are plenty more twists and turns left in this story yet. There's also the return of cousin Tom, who we last saw at Liam and Maria's wedding. He'll be turning a few heads and leading Liam off in different directions over the coming months."
What's the latest on Corrie's set move?
"Discussions are still ongoing. But stay or move, Corrie's quality will remain."
Are you filming in HD yet?
"We aren't shooting HD at this time, but the shift in technology means it isn't something that we can ignore. It's not a change that can be made overnight but we are continuing to explore the options."ulia Haworth's about to take a break for maternity leave. How will we see Claire leave the Street?
"It would be all too easy to contrive a storyline to split Ashley and Claire up - but that isn't the case. After the trying time of last year, they are stronger than ever. But a disastrous house swap with Sally and Kevin could see them seeking sanctuary in the coming months... It's a very traditional, fun Coronation Street story with families and friends soon turning foes."
Where will this leave Ashley?
"Ashley will continue to figure in his own stories in Claire's absence and has a good framework of friends in other characters to ensure that he'll never be far away."
With Vernon and Harry leaving, where will this leave Liz on the 'man front'?
"I think the best way to describe her would be down, but not out. Where men are concerned, Liz has an uncanny knack of bouncing back. If she's not pulling pints, she's pulling men - so I doubt she'll be on her own for very long. But that isn't to say that she is just going to bounce into the arms of the next man that comes along."
Will we see Harry and Liz get it on before he goes?
"There's still plenty of time before Harry goes anywhere, so anything could happen. Though the spectre of Clarissa - Harry's ex - is looming large so it may not be straight forward for Liz. It's fair to say that Clarissa isn't necessarily finished with Harry yet and the idea of another woman trying to snare him won't go down well. Liz may just find herself an arch enemy before she finds herself another man!"
Carla's an absolutely fantastic character. Will we learn anything more about her background? Maybe her brother will emerge from prison?
"We may get a glimpse into Carla's background and the possibility of her brother popping up some time is always there. But her present is set to prove just as interesting as her past. Her desire for Liam and life with Tony has set her on a dangerous course and she'll have to be at her best to avoid a collision. But Carla's sharp and more than capable of sidestepping trouble should she need to. But as always with Carla - if a few people get hurt en route... then so be it.
"What Carla probably hasn't realised just yet, is that her bedfellow plays a similar game. But she'll get a wake-up call as life with Tony continues at a pace. She - and a few others - will start to learn what the viewers already know; Tony isn't a man to be crossed. The ripples of his actions will be felt far and wide as Tony starts to impact on the lives of Street stalwarts."
Can you tell us a little more about your plans for the Victoria Court Apartments? You must have some interesting new additions on the horizon for such a major development on the Street...
"The apartments bring an exciting new visual dimension to the Street. Like our characters, it allows us to mix contemporary Coronation Street with the traditional. Life may not change much for the residents of Coronation Street but life around them does.
"Victoria Court reminds us that Coronation Street exists within a bigger world, and of course allows us to home new characters as, when and if we need to. But in story terms, it offers us an insight into the workings of Tony Gordon. It will peel back another layer of that character and what we find underneath won't necessarily be sweetness and light."
Jackie Dobbs and John Stape are returning - what can you tell us about their motives for coming back?
"Jackie's return is only a brief one at this stage and will feed into a story that is underway for Tyrone and Molly. One great thing about Coronation Street is that it doesn't shy away from delving into its history and this is a perfect example. Tyrone will have need to be reunited with his mum, but where, how and when he finds her will tell us as much about Molly as it will Tyrone.
"John Stape's return will prove a very notable one. After loving Fiz, lusting after Rosie and being beaten up by Kevin, washed-up teacher John has unfinished business. Only time will tell if he is coming back as a lover or a fighter."
Are you going to be turning Tyrone and Molly into the next Jack and Vera?
"I don't think that you can ever set out with the aim of turning any two characters into the next Jack and Vera. They have iconic status. I can imagine, though, that Molly isn't unlike a young Vera and Tyrone could be a Jack in the making. But they are great characters in their own right and should they ever be likened to Jack and Vera in the years to come, I know that we and they would be very proud of a job well done.
Can you tell us anything about Molly's Auntie Pam?
"She's a lot of fun and a pretty shrewd cookie when it comes to making a fast buck. But she's big hearted too and it's obvious from the outset that she thinks the world of Molly and Tyrone; doing anything she can for them in their time of need. And of course Jack is never far away, so it'll be interesting to see what he makes of the larger-than-life new arrival. She certainly won't be replacing Vera - nobody could - but she may prove to be an equally worthy adversary."
