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Derek's Demise
12 April 1997
CORONATION Street's dopey Derek Wilton told for the first time yesterday of his sadness at being dumped from the show.

Peter Baldwin, who played Derek in the ITV soap, said: "It was hard. This was 21 years of a life and I have always thought Derek was part of me. I don't understand why Derek was chosen to go and go in this fashion. Not just written out but wiped out."

The actor was speaking days after Derek was seen having a heart attack in a road rage incident. He found the death scene upsetting because his own father died of a heart attack at 64. Peter said: "I will be 64 this year and my doctor has been telling me to be careful. All that went through my mind." He added: "I wish people would stop saying 'As one door closes another one opens'. I would rather the old door stayed open."

Peter was told he would have to go in January when he thought he might be in line for a pay rise. "I was very cheerful and said to a floor manager, 'I expect the boss is going to sack me. He said 'You, never, you.'"

Amanda's 'Amazing Life Story'
13 April 1997

Amanda Barrie is one of Coronation Street's biggest stars. Over the past two weeks we have revealed her amazing life story; how she was asked to teach Prince Charles the art of love; and how she became the target of a killer stalker.

Here in the final part of our exclusive series Amanda known to millions as the Street's cafe owner Alma Baldwin takes Anne Barrowclough through her favourite family snaps.

My mother and I were on holiday in Babbacombe, Devon, in 1959, when this photograph was taken. I was 23. My mother's bust was huge and I always used to pray that I would not end up as large as she was. I think God listened too well because I ended up with no bust at all. By this time my mother was living with me. Her second husband, with whom she had another daughter, had died and she and my little sister were sleeping in my tiny flat in Covent Garden.

There were times I felt like Saffi in Absolutely Fabulous. Like Saffi, I was the old, wise one dragging my mother out of lunatic situations. She was, however, a great beauty and I always felt that I couldn't measure up to her on the looks stakes. Whenever my father introduced me to friends he would say, 'This is my daughter, she's never going to be a great beauty like her mother' and I ended up believing that I was monstrously plain.

Sweet success at three

I was only three when I won my first competition at a seaside show, singing I'm Just A Little Girl Looking For A Little Boy To Love. The prize was a box of chocolates. Whenever we went on holiday my mother would pack my tap shoes and music sheets in with the bucket and spade and if there wasn't enough room, the bucket and spade would have to go.

She entered me in every competition going. Once when we were on holiday she realised she'd forgotten my sheet music so she barged into a rehearsal of the Welsh National Opera, put me on the piano and told me to sing I'm Just a Little Girl to the pianist so he could write it down for me. She was absolutely incorrigible. She was determined that she was going to have a successful dancer as a daughter. My stage debut was in 1939 as a Christmas tree fairy.

My mother came to all my performances, and would always strike a match so I'd know where she was sitting. Years later, during the IRA bomb scares, she lit a match during an Ayckbourn play I was in and security dragged her out.

Pals in The Street

Sue Nicholls, who plays Audrey Roberts, is one of my best friends in the Street. We're all so close that we instinctively know how each other is feeling on any given day and we even know how the others will play each scene. If I'm reading a script I can actually hear Sue's voice saying her part, and what expression she will use.

When I told everyone about my eye they were marvellous to me. They knew when I wanted to talk and when I wanted to be quiet and no one would press me about my eye if I didn't want to discuss it. I've always believed that Coronation Street is a living animal and if certain actors don't fit in, it chews them up and spits them out. It is not the producers or the directors who sack an actor, it's the Street. Some characters become annoying to the audience, however good the actual actors are. Or the actors let their own personalities take over too much.

I know that the first time I appeared in the Street I was no good because I didn't understand how the animal worked. There is no hierarchy in it as there used to be. Having said that I personally look up to people like Bill Roache who has been there for years. Then of course there was Pat Phoenix. To me she was Elsie Tanner. Coronation Street is like a garden which every so often grows one special flower that overshadows everything else. And Pat was like that. She was larger than life, a woman of huge charisma which never disappeared even when the cameras stopped rolling. She was a one-off.

The younger actors still come to the rest of us for advice particularly about their careers. It's difficult for them, joining something like Coronation Street at the beginning of their acting lives because if they are offered a role in another programme it's a hard choice to make leaving a steady job for the less reliable world of acting outside it. Personally, I'm glad I did it this way round. And if my eye gets so bad that I have to leave the Street, I'm still confident that I will be offered other roles. My acting life is by no means over.

Man-eater Denise just loves being Superbitch
14 April 1997 by Amanda Ward
Sexy Denise Welch is about to become the most hated woman in Britain. The blonde temptress is set to wreck the marriage of Coronation Street's most down-to-earth and lovable couple, Sally and Kevin Webster. Until now, the Websters have had the most secure relationship in Weatherfield. But Denise, who plays garage boss Tony Horrocks's stunning mum Natalie, can't resist getting her claws into mechanic Kevin. She seduces him into a steamy affair, prompting his devastated wife Sally to file for divorce.

The story, set to be a massive ratings booster, has been designed to explain the disappearance of actress Sally Whittaker, 33, who is taking leave to look after her new baby Samuel. Denise, 38, who was a big hit as officer's wife Marsha Stubbs in Soldier Soldier, is unperturbed by the fact that she may soon become Public Enemy Number One. In fact, she's rather looking forward to becoming a Joan Collins-style superbitch. "I want to be the Alexis Colby of Weatherfield," she says. "I've even got the shoulder pads!"

Sitting in the Street's Manchester HQ, her petite frame clad in jeans, casual jacket and famed blonde crop hidden by a baseball cap, she looks more like a sassy teenager than her glamorous character on screen. It seems hard to believe that a few years ago the bubbly actress was plunged into crippling post-natal depression, following the birth of her son Matthew, now seven. It lasted the best part of two and a half years and the black clouds still sometimes descend to this day. She says quietly: "I couldn't wash, I couldn't eat. I lost 2st. I just wanted to sit in my dressing gown and have somebody make everyone go away."

But Denise refuses to let it get her down. She wants to look forward, not back. And the sizzling Street plot will certainly help her to do that. Although Granada bosses are keeping tight- lipped about the affair, Denise hopes that she won't be seen in the same light as EastEnders' marriage- wrecker Frankie. She says: "I'm scared that people will come up and swing handbags at me but I don't think Natalie's as devious as Frankie. She doesn't set out to steal people's husbands. "I hope I can bring a certain charm, affection and sense of humour into the role, so that people can't help but like her."

Denise, who's married to Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star Tim Healy, 45, says there's a strong element of herself in her new part. She adds swiftly: "Not from a husband stealing point of view - I'd never go after anybody else's husband. But I do think we share the same sense of humour and confidence."

Her character is a "man's woman", 40ish, working class made good. She says: "She's quite feisty, but not in a Liz McDonald tight top, mini skirt way, more in a sort of a high street designer way." Denise admits she was chuffed at landing a part in the soap - it's been an ambition since she left drama school. She says: "When I heard I'd got the part, it was brilliant. I was driving when I found out and nearly crashed." She admits feeling like a star-struck fan during her first day on set. IT WAS really daunting. I walked in, saw Liz Dawn and thought: 'My God! I feel like a punter!'

Appearing in her favourite programme was the icing on the cake for Denise. Her successful career has included parts in teen series Byker Grove, Spender and, of course, her three-year stint as Marsha in Soldier Solider. Ironically, her character in the Army drama was the victim when her officer hubby had an affair. Such was the viewers' sympathy that they bought her version of the Dusty Springfield classic You Don't Have To Say You Love Me by the thousand, giving her a Top 40 hit. Denise lights a cigarette and chuckles: "I had an absolute ball doing that storyline and I jumped at the chance to be a pop star for a few weeks."

But mention her two-year first marriage to former Brookside pin-up David Easter and her full-lipped mouth loses its smile. He claimed in an interview that Denise had an affair and two abortions. "I thought it was more dignified not to respond," says Denise quietly. Mention present hubby Tim, whose stars in ITV's new series The Grand, and the smile comes back to 100- megawatt force. "I met Tim in the first audition I ever had, but we only got together nine years ago at a friend's dinner party." She grins: "I always thought he was quite guarded and a bit grumpy, but I realised that night I'd got him wrong." It was only when he drove her to her parent's afterwards that she really fell for him. She says: 'It was a bit daunting for Tim because when we got there my father was dressed as Shirley Bassey! My dad did a drag act at the time. Tim wasn't fazed at all. He just said, 'Is this my future father-in-law?' That really made me warm to him."

The couple married in 1988 and their son Matthew was born a year later. The post-natal depression that followed was a "huge shock". Denise says: "I'd had a wonderful pregnancy and Matthew was the perfect baby. "I had him on the Saturday, started breastfeeding and everything was going fine. Then five days later I had a panic attack. My heart was racing, I couldn't calm down." Within a week, Denise had sunk into a huge depression. Her mum, a nurse, recognised the symptoms and insisted she went back to hospital. Denise says: "I was severely clinically depressed. They gave me anti- depressants, which helped me through." Tim and her family were "brilliant" in the weeks that it took Denise to recover. Thankfully, she is virtually over it now. "It still does come back, but you learn to deal with it," she says. "You learn what the triggers are and find your own way of fighting an attack. It was a big part of my life, but it's onwards and upwards."

Denise has a message for anyone suffering from post-natal depression. She says: "To any woman who's got it, I just want to say that it will go away. I didn't believe I'd get well, but you do. "It's important that they meet people who have had it or get in touch with the Association for Post-Natal Illness. That's what started my recovery." She also believes that there should be more information on the subject available before the birth. She says: "All the books had reams on every physical thing that could happen,then one line about the 'baby blues'. But the baby blues and post- natal depression are very different. "They don't need to frighten people. But there is a need to say there's a possibility that you might get this and that if you do, you're not going mad, and where you can go for help."

Luckily, Denise's depression didn't affect son Matthew. She says proudly: "He's gorgeous. a great kid, very bright, great fun, great company." She proves it by recounting how he's just dragged her onto a virtual reality ride. Suddenly her big sensual smile is back - and she can't resist telling me about another time when she had all the fun of the fair. "I remember having this snog in a disused amusement arcade, up against a pinball machine," she laughs. The big, sex siren smile is back - and suddenly you feel for poor Kevin in the Street. You can bet this lady is going to put more than a spanner in the works.

If you're suffering depression after a birth, contact the Association For Post-Natal Illness on 0171 386 0868

Tarmac on The Street ?
15 April 1997
IT'S enough to make Ena Sharples turn in her grave. After 36 years, soap bosses are considering the unthinkable covering Coronation Street's famous cobblestones in TARMAC.

Last night a Street insider said: "Let's face it, one of Coronation Street's major trademarks right from the start have been the cobblestones which have given the show a truly Northern feel. "But now executives want to bring the set more up-to-date and it looks as if a few tons of the black stuff will be on the cards in the not too distant future." The plans even give a choice of tarmac colour for the set...grey, black, or a mix.

They are the latest in a wave of changes for the show, which is determined to get back to the top of the TV ratings. A new producer, Brian Park, has been brought in and sources say he wants the soap to have a fresher, younger feel. In one shock move it has already been decided to kill off dopey Derek Wilton (Peter Baldwin) and last week other established Street stars were demanding to know what the future holds for them. At least two cast members one in their 60s and the other in their late 50s have already had meetings with their new boss to "clear the air".

The insider said: "There are certainly changing times ahead. But there are those who are wondering whether too many changes will be bad for the Street. "OK it's fair to say that cobblestones have become a thing of the past, but Coronation Street has always prided itself on being a dreamy type of soap. "The sight of vehicles bobbing up and down the uneven cobblestoned Street isn't a problem with the viewers so why cover them with tarmac? "If the decision gets the final go-ahead it will be the end of an era".

Tracy walks away from Street fights
17 April 1997 by John Highfield; from the Sheffield Star
PREGNANT Coronation Street star Tracy Brabin has confirmed that she is quitting the top TV Soap.

Her chararacter, feisty single mother Tricia Armstrong gave birth to villain Terry Duckworth's illegitimate son Brad only a few week's ago. But in real life, actress Tracy is expecting her own second child in three months time and has now told the programme's bosses that she win not be returning to Weatherfield after maternity leave.

Tracy, who is 35, filmed her final scenes at Granada Studios a few days ago, bringing to an end three years of dramas and crises in British television's longest-running serial. Battling Tricia has been seen strugling to raise tearaway son Jamie, constantly rowing with landlord and boss Mike Baldwin, going to prison for failure to pay her TV licence, being beaten up by her violent ex-husband and then faIling for the dubious charms of smooth-talking Terry Duckworth.

Tracy was initially signed up to appear in just six epiodes and now she thinks the time is right for Tricia to bow out. With Terry Duckworth back on the scene next week, scriptwriters have given Tracy one last meaty storyline. He will throw a spanner into the works as Tricia plans to leave proud grandparents Jack and Vera Duckworth and move in with new love Ray Thorpe, played by South Yorkshire actor Chris Walker.

Tracy is already looking for new roles but will also be spending more time with her actor partner Richard Platt and their four-year old daughter, Lois.

Tina Baker's Soap Diary
3 May 1997
Great news for fans - lovable Raquel, the dizzy barmaid may return
Sarah Lancashire, currently starring as nice district nurse Ruth Goddard in Where The Heart Is, says that if producers asked her to return it'd be 'even money' that she'd say yes. This would be fantastic news for Curly and a godsend for writers who I feel have struggled to keep up the feelgood factor with the current heavy storylines. Raquel can make us laugh as well as cry.

Desperate Don stalks Mike
Geoff [Hinsliff] let the cat out the bag at a recent celebrity golf tournament when he revealed that Desperate Don will escape from a mental hospital and stalk Mike Baldwin in the climax to the bitter feud between the men. The leak won't amuse producers who kept a tight lid on future storylines and swear journalists like me to secrecy about forthcoming plots. But their wrath won't worry Geoff because he's already been axed as Corries cabbie from hell.

Tina's Man troubles
Tina Hobley, who plays Samantha who is about to date Jim McDonald, is having man problems off screen too. Her boyfriend, who works in London, would like to see more of her but she is so busy on the Coronation Street set that she only gets to spend a few nights a week down South. But Tina thinks being apart keeps the romance alive in the relationship - "We still make the effort. For instance, I put on matching underwear', she reveals.

"It's not real any more" says Nat's mum
Denise Welch's mum Annie is a huge fan of Corrie and is proud of her daughter's performance as Natalie Horrocks, the femme fatale who's been homing in on Kevin Webster. But Annie reckons seeing Denise in her favourite soap has ruined it for her because it now doesn't seem real. Street fans have already written to me to say they're shocked by Natalie's behaviour - I'm expecting more complaints after this week's performance.

Tina Baker's Soap Diary
10 May 1997
Natalie and the postman...
Hate mail has already started arriving for man-eater Natalie Horrocks and cheating Kevin Webster. I was as surprised as viewers when the usual high-fidelity Kev gave in to Natalie's advances. Only a few months ago Corrie writers denied that he would be having an affair. Now, thanks to Derek's demise and the split of the battling McDonalds, there are no happily married couples on the Street. Judy and Gary Mallett are as close as it gets.

Sally's as shocked as Sally will be
The actress Sally Whittaker, who plays Kevin's wife, was shocked when she learned about Kevin's affair. "I was devastated. It felt like it was MY husband because Kevin and Sally have been married 12 years." Actress Sally has just had a baby and will be returning to the Street in a few weeks to film Sally's reaction to the betrayal. Sally's husband, Emmerdale writer Tim Dynevor, will look after the baby.

But has she got Builder's Bum now ?
Julie Goodyear has just finished her most exhausting project: she's spent nine months renovating a farmhouse. The former Coronation Street star says she turned down offers of work to concentrate on supervising the building work, which included turning one of the six bedrooms into a walk- in wardrobe. "I'm now ready for a new challenge," she says. "In TV, radio or perhaps even the theatre."

What a dirty little boy...
Sexy Matthew Marsden has lots of female fans as hunky mechanic Chris Collins, but his old mates back in the Midlands give him a hard time about his role. "They keep ribbing me, saying they'll club together to buy me a razor; or they ask me if I want a bath." Matthew's scruffy on-screen image is a million miles from his first soap role as posh Danny Weir in Emmerdale. As Corrie's bit of rough, he's set break a few hearts.

Bev fights back the tears
21 May 1997

CORONATION Street star Bev Callard fought back tears last night as she told how she has kept her marriage split secret for EIGHT MONTHS.

Mirror fitness columnist Bev, 38, broke up with her manager- husband Steve, 31, last September just days after they returned from a Spanish holiday. And yesterday she tearfully admitted that their marriage had never recovered from Steve's affair with a shop girl five years ago. Speaking about the break-up for the first time, Bev - the Street's Liz McDonald and mother of seven-year-old Josh - said: "Once the marriage is flawed like that you never really get over it. "There was a lot more to it than meets the eye. But our relationship never recovered from Steve's betrayal. "When we finally agreed he should move out there were a lot of tears and a lot of hugs, but we knew we couldn't carry on. "We decided not to tell anyone apart from closest friends. I suppose we were living a lie. But it was easier, especially for Josh."

After Steve left, Bev went to the Granada studios and told Annie Kirkbride - Deirdre Rachid in the hit soap - what had happened. She said: "She just sat and listened, she was brilliant. Annie has been a tower of strength throughout for me and Steve." So has actor Charlie Lawson, Bev's screen husband Jim McDonald. She said: "Charlie gave me a big hug when I told him, and said 'If you need me, I'm here for you.' Both of them promised not to tell a soul, and they didn't."

Bev said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what went wrong between her and Steve. She said: "We've been married for nine years and have had some brilliant times. We've been on Caribbean Cruises, to the Mediterranean and had such a laugh. "But last year things were getting more and more tense. I'd be getting up as early as 5.30am, working late and fitting in teaching three fitness classes a week as well as doing the Mirror column, videos and books. "It was tough. I was hardly seeing my little boy and I felt guilty. Josh was in bed when I left and in bed when I returned home. It made me sad, so I'd be quiet and moody. "Often, I'd come home from a 13-hour day shattered and not want to talk. Steve would have been at home all day working as my manager and he obviously wanted to chat. But I just hadn't got any more chat to give. "Neither of us have been seeing anyone else. I still love Steve and I'd be devastated if he found another girlfriend at the moment. "Sometimes I just think 'Where did we go wrong?' The truth is I can't find the answer."

Bev met Steve ten years ago when she was teaching aerobics at a fitness centre in Manchester and he was playing snooker with some mates. Steve couldn't take his eyes off Bev's stunning, toned figure and made sure he was always around at the time of her classes. Bev chuckled at the memory. She said: "He was a cheeky devil, always chatting me up and flirting. He badgered me for months to go out, but I wouldn't." The actress was still emotionally bruised from two failed marriages when she was young. The first - when she was 17 - produced a beautiful daughter Rebecca, now the 21-year-old star of TV's The Grand and Plotlands. The second was equally short-lived. Bev said: "I wouldn't go out with Steve. I hadn't had a boyfriend for a long time after my second marriage split and didn't think it was fair on Rebecca. Eventually, Steve took me out for dinner and I thought he's actually a nice bloke. After that, we sat up through many a night chatting about life."

After a year, the couple moved in together and Bev accidentally fell pregnant with the son they now both dote on. She said: "Steve had wanted to marry from the beginning, but I had wanted to take it slowly. I was scared. One divorce is bad, two is a disaster and you don't want a third. But he kept proposing, and eventually I said 'yes.' For years, we were very happy."

The happiness was shattered five years ago when Bev discovered Steve had been having a secret affair with a shop assistant. The star, who never talks about her private life and only agreed to speak to The Mirror to end badgering from other newspapers, said: "I don't want to go into this. It was a horrible time. "It hurt a lot and things were not the same afterwards. Steve regretted it bitterly, wanted to get back together and we did." Steve quit his job in furniture sales to manage Bev's expanding career. But as Bev took on more projects and threw herself into fitness writing and videos the relationship became more strained. She said: "Last summer, I realised we were happier when we were apart than together. We were making each other miserable and it wasn't fair on Josh. "So we went on holiday to Spain with some friends last August and, quietly in the sun away from the stresses of work, had some very long heart-to-hearts. "It was an emotional time. Basically, we were admitting to each other that our marriage wasn't working. "We just weren't making each other happy. Steve hated the limelight, he didn't like the showbiz intrusion. He would have liked some privacy when he was on holiday with his family. "We didn't fight. Steve didn't go out boozing, and he's a great dad to Josh and Rebecca. But the more we talked, the more I knew it wasn't working . We couldn't live together."

A few days later sitting at the kitchen table of their luxury five-bedroom home near Bolton, Lancs, Bev said she couldn't carry on and Steve agreed to go. Bev revealed: "We cried and hugged, and I went out while Steve packed his bags. "When I got back, he loaded them in the car and I watched with a lump in my throat as he disappeared down the drive and out through the gates. It was a sad, sad day." Steve moved in with friends but has since found his own flat. Yesterday, he left to go on holiday to the Mediterranean. Bev said: "We still speak every day and, yes, we finish each conversation with 'I love you' because it's true. I do love him, and always will. For months we talked about getting back together. Steve more than me. He's besotted with me and I am with him. "He comes round several times a week to see me and Josh. When we see each other, we kiss and cuddle. But I know in my heart it is over for good and I think now he has accepted that too. There's no going back. "I can't see us ever getting back together. But we haven't discussed divorce either. Right now, I'm not interested in meeting anyone else." Struggling through tears Bev added: "Steve is the closest person in the world to me. I'm sorry it hasn't worked out, but we had some great times and a beautiful son. I don't regret a minute of it."

Mavis leaves after 26 years...
22 May 1997
Dithering Mavis Wilton is to leave Coronation Street after 26 years - and her departure is expected to yield another ratings-grabbing storyline as she is given the send-off she deserves. Actress Thelma Barlow's announcement that she had decided to quit a month after the death of her on-screen husband Derek hit national headlines and bulletins today. "I feel I must follow my desire to do more varied work," she said in a statement through television company Granada. "It will be a huge wrench. I have made good friends and enjoyed the work immensely, but I feel excited about the future." In accordance with her wishes, Mavis will not be killed off but the way will be left open for her return.

Coronation Street, dubbed Queen of the Soaps and still after many years Britain's top-rating programme, has undergone a revolution of sorts in recent times. It has extended to four network episodes a week and introduced a raft of younger characters under new producer Brian Parks. Some critics have charged that the old Coronation Street humour is being lost amid racy storylines. But insiders are confident the soap will weather the loss of another long-standing character, and that Mavis's departure, as yet unwritten, will keep viewers gripped.

Miss Barlow said she had been thinking of moving for two years. "I now think the time is right to move on," said the 67-year-old actress - who already has another string to her bow, as a presenter for a gardening programme on GSkyB's satellite lifestyle channel. Mr Parks said: "We understand Thelma's reasons for wanting to test pastures new. She takes our best wishes with her."

Three are sacked
22 May 1997
Three more cast members are to leave Coronation Street, the latest in a long line of actors to either quit or be axed from the soap opera in the past couple of years. Sherrie Hewson, who plays Maureen Holdsworth, Nicholas Cochrane (Andy McDonald) and Peter Armitage (Bill Webster) were asked to leave at the end of their current contracts in October.

In other departures:

Thelma Barlow, alias dithering Mavis Wilton, yesterday announced she was quitting the soap after 26 years to "do more varied work"

Last month, Tracy Brabin - feisty single mother Tricia Armstrong - said she would not be returning after maternity leave. She said she wanted to see more of her boyfriend, actor Richard Platt, and four-year-old daughter Lois

Also last month, Peter Baldwin was bitter when he was "killed off" after 21 years as Derek Wilton, Mavis's husband. His character had a fatal heart attack after falling victim to road rage

Don Brennan, played by Geoff Hinsliff, is leaving after being jailed following storylines in which he has set fire to arch rival Mike Baldwin's factory and kidnapped his wife Alma before driving over a quay into water

Some fans argue the soap has never recovered momentum after losing a trio of famous stars: Sarah Lancashire, who played barmaid Raquel, Julie Goodyear (landlady Bet Gilroy) and Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth). Behind some of stars' recent decisions to leave is believed to be the change to a four-episode week, which is said to give little time for rehearsal

On-screen couple Steve and Vicky McDonald (Simon Gregson and Chloe Newsome) both left last year, as did Des Barnes, played by Phil Middlemiss.

The most recent departures this year coincided with the arrival of producer Brian Park, who has been tasked with halting the show's fall in ratings.

Tina Baker's Soap Diary
24 May 1997
Sam gets her kit off...
There's a treat in store for Matthew Marsden fans watching next Wednesday's Coronation Street. Mechanic Chris is about to embark on a change of career that will require him to strip off his clothing - modelling underwear for designer, Angie. It's not just for the girls - Tina Hobley will also be stripping in her character as Samantha in a few scenes designed to give spice to Corrie!

Chloe gets her kit off too...
It was certainly a shock to see Chloe Newsome last week - not because she was in an episode of cult series Sharpe but because of the new image! Gone were the trademark ginger curls and demure dresses - this was grown-up Chloe in a cascading blonde wig and revealing a lot of cleavage. Chloe got the role of the bed-hopping vixen weeks after leaving the Street, her regret being that she didn't get to entice Sean Bean himself.

Granada gets its' wrists slapped
Complaints are flooding in about Natalie and Kevin's affair. Fans think Kev is acting out of character. But that's not the only reason The Street's viewers are unhappy. The TV watchdog body, the ITC, has been dismissing complaints that the McDonald seige was too violent. And there's more. Complaints caused Granada and distributors to be fined for that Curly and Raquel honeymoon video which was later shown on TV.

Sue warms to Audreh
Audrey Roberts is famed as being one of The Street's biggest gossips, but actress Sue Nicholls says she's started to stick up for her. She feels the other characters get at her for no reason. "People find her irritating and tease her, but she's ready to look after the kids or cafe" Sue also fancies the idea of an old flame returning to heat things up. "Audrey wouldn't leave Alf - unless someone knocked her off her feet."

Corrie stars in strike threat
27 May 1997 by Tony Brooks

CORONATION Street's top stars have threatened to go on strike over sackings. Morale is at rock-bottom after producer Brian Park's ruthless axing of some of the soap's big names. Coronation Street stars last night warned bosses: "If you sack any more of us, we'll walk out." Surviving stars fear they are being set up for the chop and they want veteran Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, to replace Park as boss.

There's trouble down at t'Rovers following the axing of Sherrie Hewson (Maureen Holdsworth), Nicholas Cochrane (Andy McDonald) and Peter Armitage (Bill Webster). A strike is being planned because of producer Brian Park's ruthless culling of the cast. Some Street people want veteran actor Bill Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, to take over from the axe-wielding Park. They believe he is the man to put Coronation Street back on the rails and reclaim the top ratings spot from EastEnders. There is a militant atmosphere at Granada TV's Manchester HQ. Park is being accused of failing to stop the slide with his package of sackings.

Pent-up anger on the set finally surfaced at the weekend after Sherrie, Nicholas and Peter got the boot - only 24 hours after Thelma Barlow announced she was throwing in the towel after 26 years as dithering Mavis Wilton. Surviving stars were horrified at Park's outspoken explanation that they were leaving "to keep the show fresh at the top of the ratings". Neither did they get any comfort from his warning that that "these decisions are always tough but I have to think of the show's future." Several members of the cast got together and discussed a plan, with Roache's name getting tremendous support as the man who should step in "to clean up the mess

Several stars are unhappy over their lack of involvement in the show and are wondering if they are being set up for "Brian's Axe". Bill Waddington (Percy Sugden), Eileen Darbyshire (Emily Bishop) and Betty Driver (Betty Turpin) have not had a worthwhile storyline for a year. Newsagent Rita Sullivan, played by Barbara Knox, has only recently found herself back in the limelight after a lean spell.

Sue Nicholls makes only fleeting appearances in the Rovers Return as scatty Audrey Roberts because Bryan Mosley, her screen hubby Aif, is still recovering from a real-life heart attack. Helen Worth and Sean Wilson (Gail and Martin Platt) are also struggling. Last night a senior Granada source said: "There's a really unpleasant atmosphere behind the scenes on the Street, with morale at rock bottom. "Brian Park has set his stall out and people are not liking what they see on it. He is not popular, to say the least.

Many of the cast feel the axe is falling on the wrong people. Their characters are only as good as the writers make them - and the scripts at the moment are considered duff. "There is a Him or Us mentality about the place with support building up by the day for BilI Roache to be handed the reins. "He is no way involved in promoting himself for the job. "But he's been there since the first day 36 years ago and knows more about Corrie than anyone else."

Tina Baker's Soap Diary
31 May 1997
I'm still in shock from the news of the latest Corrie cull - Maureen, Bill and Andy - the latest in a long line of characters leaving The Street including Don, Mavis, Derek and Joyce It's easier to axe than create. So who are the fresh new faces who'll attempt to replace the irreplaceable? Naughty Natalie is a two-dimensional plot device to upset Kev and Sal, Ice Maiden Sam is too cold for my liking and even hunky Chris lacks depth. Give us some rounded characters fast.

Tina Hobley - Miss World ?
Tina Hobley has an army of male admirers as Corrie's latest babe in t'Rovers, but she was destined for great things from a tender age. Tina, who modelled sexy undies on and off screen, was once Miss World - she was only 10-years-old at the time. Her grandparents used to take Tina and her brother to holiday camps when they were little and they entered her in all the competitions, including the Easter Bonnet Parade and a version of Miss World Beauty contest.

The "Curse of Corrie" ?
The 'Curse of Corrie' has struck again with Angela Griffin (Fiona) the latest actress to split with her man. She's called off her romance with childhood sweetheart Keith Lamport, following in the footsteps of Bev Callard (Liz), who's just announced her marriage has broken down, and Sarah Lancashire (Raquel). Has fame, or the Corrie filming schedule, played a part in these partings I wonder ?

Police thought I was The Beast says Bruce
June 1997

NEW Coronation Street star Bruce Jones is haunted by a secret nightmare - his shocking memories of stumbling upon a mutilated victim of the Yorkshire Ripper. Bruce, 44, found prostitute Jean Jordan's body dumped on an allotment. She had been battered to death, stabbed repeatedly and slashed with glass.

Bruce is now set to become one of the most famous faces on TV, starring as father-of-two Les Battersby in the top soap. But he can't forget the horror that confronted him as a young dairy worker. Detectives questioned him for five hours before ruling him out of the hunt that finally trapped Ripper Peter Sutcliffe. The actor recalls: "It was purgatory. I was guilty. You were guilty if you found the body then." Bruce believes Sutcliffe, serving life for 13 murders, should have been hanged. "I go to pieces when I read about do-gooders who want to free him - hang him I say," said Bruce.

After killing Jean, Sutcliffe returned to search the corpse for a new £5 note he had given her from his weekly wage packet. He thought the money might be traced back to him. When he failed to find it, the enraged Ripper slashed Jean's face before fleeing. Bruce still trembles when he remembers the gruesome death scene in Manchester 20 years ago. At the inquest, he broke down in tears when he was shown photographs of the victim. "It was hell," he recalled.

Bruce, married with two children,will make his first Coronation Street appearance next month. He met the rest of the cast yesterday. TV bosses hope the Street newcomers, described as "the neighbours from hell," will be a huge hit.

Why I had to change the Street
10 June 1997 by Matt Finnegan

THE new man behind Coronation Street is emphatic. "We are not going to have a mad axe man running amok through the streets of Weatherfield," says Brian Park.

Of course, he is talking about the new storylines be is planning - and the ones he has rejected - for Britain's best-loved soap opera. But he could just as easily be rejecting the charge made by critics of his six-month tenure as the Street's new producer. For there has been talk of a St Valentine's Day massacre down at the Rovers Return since Brian Park took charge of the show. The headlines screamed about blood on the cobblestones of Corrie.

First there was the sudden killing off of dithering Derek Wilton - actor Peter Baldwin - after 21 years on the Street. Then the surprise departure of his still-grieving widow Mavis - actress Thelma Barlow, who is quitting after 26 years to do "more varied work". And there have been other casualties. Regulars Maureen Holdsworth, Bill Webster and Andy McDonald will all be written out in the autumn.

Brian Park has been portrayed as the axe man. But there is no blood on the walls of his third floor office at Granada TV in Quay Street, Manchester, overlooking stage one of the Coronation Street set. There is a composite picture of the characters who have earned their place in the Street's Hall of Fame. Elsie, Len, Annie, Stan and Hilda. And Brian Park shows all the affection and enthusiasm of a true fan when he rushes from behind his desk to point out the famous characters and re-live the stories which have helped make television history.

He was born a long way from Weatherfield - in Fife 42 years ago and was raised in Aberdeen, joining Granada after graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in psychology and history. He began in Granada's promotions department, rose through the ranks and after leaving for a two-year spell with Tyne Tees, returned in 1992 as head of entertainment. He quickly made his mark in drama, producing the award-winning Prime Suspect, with Helen Mirren, the critically acclaimed September Song and the pilot for My Wonderful Life with Emma Wray.

Then six months ago came one of the biggest jobs in British television - producer of Coronation Street. Park's job is to supervise the scripts, storylines and characters - and keep the soap at the top, in the face of mounting competition.

"When I took over this job, I had to decide whether to radically overhaul everything and totally change the nature of Coronation Street - or whether something else was required. I felt that 90-95 per cent of the elements which make the Street a success were already in place. I just needed to make those elements work better."

That meant stronger storylines, which allowed characters to develop - or die. So Don Brennan went bonkers, burned down Mike Bladwin's factory, kidnapped Alma and drove his taxi into the canal (for an hour-long special). Poor Derek had a heart attack and expired. And dull Kevin Webster found a sleeping partner in Natalie, while his loyal wife Sally was at her mum's.

The pace of life on the Street - sometimes criticised for being too cosy and safe - began to pick up. So too did the ratings. "These were big dramatic storylines," says Park, "but they were all within the traditions of the Street. You create great characters by giving them great storylines. I wouldn't characterise stories as grittier - the Street is never going to be awash with violence. "But they are stronger, fuller storylines And we have balanced the drama with some cracking comedy."

High drama and comforting comedy. Good characters and great storylines. Delicate balancing acts for Park. He flatly rejects the approach of some soaps, with their unremitting gloom or fondness for inserting "issues" into storylines. He chuckles "We will not dive in and suddenly say 'let's have a one-legged, lesbian single mother buried under the patio, because that's topical'. The vast majority of our audience wouldn't recognise that as natural Coronation Street territory."

But drama is. And it allows characters to change and grow. So the childless Gary and Judy Mallett, the lovelorn Deirdre Rashid and the eternal triangle of Kevin, Sally and Natalie will be at the centre of the action in the coming months. So, too, will Ken Barlow - "a walking sexual revolution" says Park, after his 23 girifriends and countless wives. There will be a surprise in store for long serving William Roache's Ken, "of a romantic nature, but a different nature," Park teasingly reveals. (Don't worry, they're not going to make him gay). Senior members of the cast will be given a new lease of life. And there will be space for younger characters to develop - like the naive Ashley played by Steven Arnold.

"I'm heartened that we can aiready see in place the next generation of Coronation Street characters like Ashley," says Park "Steven is a tremendously exciting actor and he has not been brought in so that he sticks out like a sore thumb, but he fits in very well with the culture of the Street". Culture will stake a bit of a knock with the introduction of the Battersbys, a family from hell set to ruffle feathers down the Rovers "I suspect some people will say they don't want them in the Street and that we are dragging it downmarket - they didn't like the Malletts when they first came in either.

"People don't like innovation and change and they have selective memories - they thought the Ogdens were pretty rough at first - but the Battersbys follow in the Ogden's great tradition. After a whlle, familiarity breeds content."

He compares the Street to a stately home - any alterations must be sensitive to its great history. And visitors must still come flocking to "a national treasure". But Park is insistent. "The Street will change, actors will come and go. People said it would never be the same when Hilda Ogden or Annie Walker left, but the viewing figures weren't affected. No character is ever bigger than the Street."

Does that go for producers too? "Of course - Coronation Street is far bigger than a mere producer."

New Kid on the Street
11 June 1997
Coronation Street has been Britain's favourite TV show for nearly 40 years. But Ena Sharples and her kind have had their day, and with ratings under threat from brash newcomers it is spicing up its act; Maggie Brown meets the man taking an axe to the soap's cosy characters and storylines

Ever since Brian Park, the new producer of Coronation Street, arrived in January with a mission to drag Britain's oldest TV soap into the 1990s and knock EastEnders from the top ratings spot, there has been nothing but trouble. "It's a conservative show, it's just human nature; he shrugs stoically.

The tabloids have been in a froth, depicting Park as the "mad axeman" ' running amok, plotting to tarmac over the sacred cobbles, where Ena Sharples and Minnie Caldwell (and her cat) once used to walk.

Meanwhile the Street's own publicity machine has gone into overdrive, pumping out propaganda via the Sun and Star about the youngest, good-looking stars, like sexy crimper Fiona (actress Angela Griffin), who just happens to be having a real-life relationship with a hunky star in the youth soap Hollyoaks. This week another "Street shocker" emerged exclusively in the Star: childless Judy and Gary Mallett are set to star in "an explosive baby-for-cash" surrogacy story, involving a pregnant teenager. Phew!

Park has not wasted any time. The day he took over news leaked out that actor Peter Baldwin; who played Mavis's gnome-crazed husband Derek, was to be given his marching orders after 21 years. He was later dispatched in an unconvincing road rage incident with a heart attack.

But at least that won the grudging approval of Roy Hattersley, a Coronation Street addict who delivered an official lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival - attended by Julie Goodyear (barmaid Bet Lynch, no longer with the soap, who dressed like a meringue for the occasion) when it notched up 30 years in 1990. Hattersley sanctified the soap forever by comparing it to Dickens, but Derek's gnome lines, in his view, were "ludicrous".

Yet Hattersley's seal of approval was in another way the kiss of death. Who, after all, wants to own up to watching the same soap as an old buffer like him?

In the past two years British television has gone soap mad, and with good reason. They are seen as a relatively cost-effective way of getting viewers to switch to your channel regularly. Channel 5, for example, has allocated the single largest chunk of its programme production budget to the first five-night-a-week soap, Family Affairs. And although its current audience of around 550,000 per episode is hardly making a dent, it is being watched by the under-thirties - the age group Coronation Street would dearly love to attract. Its appeal, in part, is the Hart family's four teenage and twenty-something children (one is the obligatory Spice Girl lookalike) with friends to match.

Then there is Hollyoaks, Channel 4's twice-a week (sic) soap launched nearly two years ago and aimed at teenagers, which gains around 2.4 million youngish viewers. Channel 4 has also decided to screen another new Granada-backed soap, called Springhill, based on a large Liverpool working-class family.

In addition, ITV's Yorkshire Television (now likely to be taken over by Granada) has managed to turn the once ailing Emmerdale into a formidable hit, attracting between 11 and 13 million viewers at 7pm for some highly sensational storylines. It is little wonder Coronation Street was provoked into retaliation.

Park's axe did not stop at Derek. Last month Thelma Barlow, who plays his dithering wife (sic) Mavis, confirmed she too was leaving, at the age of 68. A string of six sackings from the cast of 40 - the last bunch reported on News at Ten - followed. At the same time, Park introduced a number of racy new storylines, with adulterous affairs and a cast of new characters including "the family from hell" - the Battersbys - who move in with their two surly teenage "Spice" girls.

I watched the first dramatic clashes between the new, rude Battersbys and gentle old Coronation Street being filmed this week. Dreadful Leanne and her sister Toyah snatched a library book from frail pensioner Percy Sugden and tossed it across the street after he told them to clear off with their ghetto blaster.

Park, 42, a small man in a black suit, looked on happily as this was played out. It is all part of a master-plan - he is acting on a brief drawn up by the ITV Network Centre and will serve a minimum of two years. "There has always been a hard edge to the Street, and then characters get softer the longer they stay," he observed. "They [the Battersby girls] will divide the Street."

Born in Aberdeen, Park joined Granada from Edinburgh University as a trainee making short programme promotional tapes. Apart from one short break, he has been one of its trusted entertainment and drama producer/executives ever since, although he has never been near Coronation Street before. "Granada have always been very careful who produces the Street. You have to be cognisant of its traditional culture. You have to understand the Granada way. They give it to their own kind."

Park sits in his corner office, looking straight down into the backyards of the famous terrace, just like a Victorian factory owner. He laughs a lot, even about the way he has been demonised in the press, and explains that he is having to accelerate the changes in the Street more than he'd ideally like, because competition for ratings is so fierce: "I'm on a mission to secure the programme's future. It was thought that a fresh eye would instil a vision, a way forward to the future."

But it is a delicate balance. Coronation Street's position as a national icon, he says, is both a blessing and a curse. "I'm going to fight tooth and nail not to become the TV equivalent of the heritage trail. I suppose the stately home analogy is correct. We have to keep it going into the next millennium, adapt it and attract younger viewers without losing the old ones and destroying what makes it singular."

He is adding younger writers from Springhill, the Channel 4 soap, and The Ward, the children's drama, to the writing team. "Peter Baldwin's departure may have been my first public act on arriving but it was not a personal decision. The writing team is the engine room, and there comes a point when the writers decide they can't write for someone any more."

Park says Coronation Street would not switch from its current mix of character and comedy, most notably shaped by Bill Podmore, its most influential producer during the 1980s, by concentrating on social issues as Brookside does. "But one of the things to get right is cracking storylines. There is a danger, if you rely too heavily on characters, that it can lapse into an excuse for lazy writing. The day when Coronation Street was about two characters sitting in the Rovers talking about the price of fish has gone.

"Take surrogacy. It is not the time for us to do lesbian single motherhood. That would be an inversion of the Street's values. But it can spring from the Malletts' plight.

But the bigger truth is that Coronation Street, ITV's flagship programme is also the embodiment of ITV's problems. Both have an ageing audience in overall decline. And in what some critics view as a blind alley, ITV is making more and more of its most popular shows, running the risk of exhausting the idea and the stars in the process. Coronation Street's cast are still struggling to come to terms with the fourth, Sunday night episode, introduced last October (the lowest rated of all the week's episodes). It means they are caught in a six-day-a-week production cycle, Sunday to Friday. And they have to fit around the public: the set is open to the public as part of a hugely popular tour for most of the week.

Last month the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising complained that in peak time the commercial network attracted 44 per cent of the over-55s watching - compared with 34 per cent for BBC1 and 8 per cent for Channel 4. Research shows that 40 per cent of the Street's regular viewers are aged 55 and over, compared with 30 per cent for EastEnders. It is a soap opera spurned by younger viewers, and those in the affluent South, in favour of the more fashionable London-set soap.

Indeed a further part of ITV's battle plan lies in targeting EastEnders directly. There is talk that it will make three weekly one-hour programmes of Emmerdale, its 7pm sex-and-farming soap, and by running them through to 8pm try to destroy the BBC's audience.

So although Coronation Street has now nosed ahead once more of EastEnders, with around 15.8 million viewers for its most popular episode, it is far from winning the battle. It attracts too few 16-35-year-olds, who make up only 20 per cent of its audience, compared with 30 per cent for EastEnders. Coronation Street is watched by the mums while their more style-conscious daughters opt for EastEnders.

Perhaps it is not all bad news: Coronation Street,s sponsor, chocolate makers Cadbury, yesterday renewed its £10 million annual sponsorship, saying the response had been "fantastic". But the new advertisers, promoting computers, leisure goods and cars, want the younger spenders. Park will have to work wonders with two Spice girls and a surrogate mum to persuade the under-35s that cobbles are sexy and that Coronation Street is /the one/ to watch.

No return to the Rovers

Out with the old . . .
DEREK WILTON, actor Peter Baldwin, was killed off with a heart attack provoked by road rage in February. His obsession with garden gnomes became one of the Street's sillier storylines. The actor has complained bitterly about being written out.

Dithery MAVIS RILEY, actress Thelma Barlow, shorn of her screen husband Derek, has announced her decision to quit after 26 years. Producer Brian Park says she is not going to be killed off: scriptwriters are currently cooking up an exit which will allow her to return - if she wants.

Other cast members to be written out over the summer are MAUREEN HOLDSWORTH (Sherrie Hewson), who used (sic) to run the corner shop; ANDY McDONALD (Nicholas Cochrane), and BILL WEBSTER (Peter Armitage), the builder turned Rovers cellarman (sic), father of KEVIN (see below). Taxi driver DON BRENNAN, played by Geoff Hinsliff, is leaving after being jailed for storylines including setting fire to rival MIKE BALDWIN's factory and driving his taxi with Mike's wife, ALMA, in the back into a canal.

Some fans say the soap never recovered from losing a trio of famous stars in the last two years: Julie Goodyear (barmaid BET LYNCH), Sarah Lancashire, who played dizzy barmaid RACQEL, and Ken Morley, (REG HOLDSWORTH) who tried to reclaim his youth by purchasing a wig.

In with the new . . .
The BATTERSBYS, the "family from hell" make their screen debut on July 4. They move into number 5, Don Brennan's old house (it has been bought by the council for problem families) with a clapped-out trailer, ghetto blasters and dodgy merchandise. Father is blond conman LES, played by Bruce Jones who starred in the BBC-1 oil-rig series, Roughnecks. Les has served time in Strangeways. Loudmouthed wife JANICE, is played by Vicky Entwhistle. Daughters, TOYAH (14) and LEANNE (16), actresses Georgia Taylor and Jane Danson, play truant, steal and run wild. But they do have a passing physical similarity to the Spice Girls.

Meanwhile . . .
Existing characters are being given souped-up storylines which may not please older viewers. JUDY and GARY MALLETT, in an echo of the real-life story of Dutch couple Sonja and Clemens Peters, pay a teenager to have a baby for them.

JACK and VERA DUCKWORTH who now run the Rovers Return have run into money trouble: they owe the VATman £17,000 in back tax, and have to find a way of wriggling off the hook.

KEVIN WEBSTER, a garage mechanic (sic), is cheating on his loyal wife, SALLY with his boss (sic) NATALIE. This steamy storyline is credited by rival EastEnders with jacking up the ratings.

DEIRDRE (Ken Barlow's ex-wife) is about to have an affair with a pilot she's met at a singles bar.

Taxi driver DON BRENNAN, played by Geoff Hinsliff, is leaving after being jailed for storylines including setting fire to rival MIKE BALDWIN'S factory.

Percy goes too...
11 June 1997
One of Coronation Street's best-known faces quit last night in a rebellion against its racy new storylines.

Bill Waddington, who has played Percy Sugden for 14 years, said: 'It's not the show it was. Sex seems to have totally taken over. Viewers should feel happy watching as a family. Sometimes when I switch on Coronation Street I'm not sure I've got the right channel because things have changed so dramatically.'Mr Waddington, who was 81 yesterday, added: We never used to have bedroom scenes. I think all that stuff is best left to the imagination.'

The resignation comes as new producer Brian Park is preparing to introduce the first Asian family to the Street, the Mail can exclusively reveal. Speaking before Mr Waddington's announcement, Mr Park also promised that no further stars would be axed for at least a year following his cull of roles including Derek Wilton (played by Peter Baldwin), Don Brennan (Geoff Hinsliff) and Maureen Holdsworth (Sherrie Hewson). The Asian family will cover at least three generations, Mr Park said. 'It will be an extended family, extended across all age ranges. They will not be mere tokens.'

'Cliched storylines' such as racist attacks - as seen in rival EastEnders - will be avoided, he added. The producer admitted he had been brought in to be a hard man. 'My bosses do not want someone who is a wishy-washy rubber stamp' Mr Park said. 'It is difficult to tell people that you are not renewing their contract,but it is not personal. 'Hand on heart, there will be no more axings for at least a year.' Last week Mr Park announced he was introducing a 'famly from hell' called the Battersbys.

Speaking last night, Mr Waddington said: 'I don't want to leave on a sour note , the Street is still Britain's Number One show and always will be. I hope they don't kill Percy off. I'd rather let him win the lottery and be a millionaire.' Storylines being considered by Mr Park include surprising new direction for William Roache's Ken Barlow 'of a romantic but a different nature', Mr Park said. He added cryptically that fans should not worry about Ken's sexuality. He also revealed that the love triangle involving Kevin Webster, wife Sally and his business partner Natalie will run at least until Christmas.

The Street Massacre Is Over
11 June 1997

The slaughter on Coronation Street is over - and that's official. Soap assassin Brian park vowed yesterday that he had reached the bottom of his hit-list.

And he revealed that for the first time in the soap's 37-year old history there will be a black family on the Street. "hand on heart there will be no more axings for at least a year,' he grinned. "From now on it will be a quiet revolution on The Street not so noisy hopefully. Nobody gets axed if I don't want them axed. I don't care if the writers can't write for these new characters - this is what I want. A few writers have left under my tenure...." Since park, 42, took over the Street six months ago Weatherfields's cobblestones have been awash with blood.

Derek and Mavis Wilton , Don Brennan, Bill webster, Maurren Holdsworth and andy McDonald are among the victims. Minor townsfolk like Joyce Smedley, Tony Horrocks and Clair Palmer have also been caught in the crossfire. But the scots-born producer has no regrets. he said:"It is difficult to tell people that we are not renewing their contract, but it's not personal. Sometimes decision making is tough. My bosses do not want someone who is a wishy-washy rubber stamp. I wanted to do things and I've done them. I have no regrets.

The Mirror paints me as Freddy Krueger, but it's a tribute to The Street that it arouses such passions." Park shrugged off charges that The Street was being beaten by arch-BBC rivals Eastenders. "I didn't inherit a sick, lame duck. I inherited very healthy viewing figures and we are, after all, Britain's No 1 soap." he said. "i was brought in to take the show into the next millennium and to secure our staus as No 1. I'm more like the captain of an oli tanker who is gradually changing course." He said that racier storylines , like Kevin Webster's affair with man eating Natalie Horrocks and domestic violence involving The McDonalds have always been part of The Street.

"When The Ogden's joined, Stan regualarly slapped Hilda around," he added."It's too big a jump for our audience suddenly to have storylines involving drugs or riots." In the next year park will introduce an extendeed Asian family."There has been criticism that we haven't had more regular ethnic faces on The Street," he said. "The new family won't be a mere token and will be an extended family so we can introduce new characters across the age ranges to attract younger audiences."

Park admitted that the Street had too many characters. "I inherited an over-large cast. Sometimes you have to say certain characters have performed a function and now they can't perform that function anymore." He rejected charges that he had single handedly hijacked The street to bring in more sensational storylines. "emily Bishop will not be shooting up smack," he said. "There IS more drama in the Street, but also a lot more comedy. We haven't had a decline in viewship since I took over. People can argue that I am not doing things right, but we don't seem to be doing things wrong."

Park admitted he will ape Eastenders more by introducing slow-burning story lines like Albert Square's long running affair between David Wicks and Cindy Beale. "We have been guilty of closing storylines down too early," he said. "Kevin and Natalie's assignations will run up to Christmas. They have have the safest marriage on the Street and it's about to crumble spectacularly. the Street has been in statis for too long. Eastenders changes it's characters around more quickly, but that's a double edged sword, because Kevin and Sally have been the supposed ideal couple for ten years, so the current storyline has much more impact. Everyone can remember thinking The Street would never be the same when Annie Walker or Hilda Ogden or Bet Lynch left, but the viewing figures weren't affected. The Street is ultimately the thing, not individual characters. "

Park vowed that in the next six months there will be a new love interest for Ken barlow and ex-wife Deidre. "But not together - and there's a tear jerker involving The Mallets." The new 'family from hell' the Battersbys, are set to cause uproar in Weatherfield, but Park insists they are within Street traditions. "We have seen families like this before with The Ogdens and The Mallets so it's not too radical." But what if he had the chance to poach a character from EastEnders? "It would have to be Dot Cotton - but I wouldn't want to take Albert's Square's only vaguely comic character."

Tina Baker's Soap Diary
21 June 1997

Denise says send them my way...
Denise Welch says that some of the letters she gets are a "bit naughty" She also says that she has had a lot of criticism of her affair with Kevin, but "I've had quite a few viewers telling me that if Kevin turns me down, I know where they live!"

Sherrie Hewson (Maureen) says:
"Coronation Street is a national treasure and the studio has my full loyalty," she says. "I'd never say or do anything that would change that."

Percy gets the chop
27 June 1997
ANGRY Coronation Street bosses are to kill off Percy Sugden - for moaning about the show's sex scenes. They were furious when actor Bill Waddington, 81, said he was quitting the soap because there were too many raunchy storylines. Percy will be found dead from a heart attack by Emily Bishop.

But Bill, who has played the grumpy pensioner for 14 years, is so upset, he is unwilling to film the death-bed scenes. He had hoped to keep Percy alive and make occasional appearances on the show. The actor spoke out over the programme's sexy scenes just hours after new producer Brian Park vowed that the Street bloodbath was over. A Granada TV insider said: "Bill was hoping to leave on good terms. He is so upset about the way he's been written out, he's very reluctant to film his final death scenes." But because he kept Granada in the dark about his plans to quit, they were determined to have their revenge and bump Percy off.

Among the sizzling storylines that have upset Bill are Kevin Webster having a fling with older woman Natalie while his wife Sally was away and hairdresser Fiona Middleton bedding cop Alan McKenna. Bill moaned: "I don't think it needs bedroom scenes. Viewers should feel happy watching as a family. "Sometimes when I switch on Coronation Street, I am not sure I've got the right channel because things have changed so dramatically. "Viewers don't want all the seedier side of the world. That's not entertainment. "I'm not too old to not know it happens in life and I know all the other soaps depend on it. "But Coronation Street was always different. That sort of stuff is best left to the imagination."

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