Conversation Street

On our latest podcast, we chat about the episodes of Corrie airing on Monday 24th and Friday 28th June (Episodes #11,297 - 11,300). Overall this was a pretty good week, we thought, which isn't always the case when the Winter-Browns are headlining! However, some excellent performances by Dolly-Rose Campbell and the addition of Kit as he saves her from prison really helped us to enjoy this week's A-story, plus we're always suckers for a bit of location shooting too! Elsewhere on the Street, we're finally introduced to DS Swain's daughter Betsy, who looks set to be a real troublemaker; Glenda and George's spat is too much for Michael to bear; and Tim has a big decision to make when it comes to how he's going to be spending Steve's birthday - we sense a bust-up at the bust unveiling is imminent!  Next on the podcast, it's time for The Kabin - it's good new for Corrie as they triumph at the TRIC Awards, plus the announcement of an official 'Audience With Claire King' event for Emmerdale fans has us speculating whether something similar could be on the cards for Corrie fans in the future.. We round off the show with a great selection of feedback from listeners including a voicemail and a new iTunes review! Street Talk - 00:12:38 The Kabin - 01:53:18  Feedback - 02:15:15

We're back for the third round of Corrieliminator! This month, the 30 randomly selected characters from Corrie's past are fairly easy to whittle down to the Top 3, but how did we rank the rest of them? Quite a few names this month that we didn't really have strong opinions on one way or another, so it'd be interesting to know just how much our final ranking aligned with what you would say! As always, you have your chance to vote in the listener poll and pick three characters you want to go through to the listeners' Grand Finale - follow the link below to make your selection! https://forms.gle/qFcxu4EnCSRrzRCZ9 For the video version of the podcast, where you can see us sorting the characters live, head over to our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/YdzlURRZYfY

On this episode of the podcast, we chat about what went on in Corrie between the 18th and the 21st June (Episodes #11,291 - 11,296). A real mixed bag of a week, we thought, with Wednesday's trip to Weatherfield definitely being the highlight thanks to its cosy, heartwarming scenes like movie night at No. 5 and what we're hoping is the beginning of a redemption arc for Cassie as she she bonds with Ken following his fall. Either side of that episode, though, there was one that made us angry (Toyah and Nick... No!!) and anther whose main story of Kevin and Stefan going head to head just didn't make that big of an impression on us. Still, at least we got a random reappearance of Sabrina, who looks set to be involved in dastardly Joel's plot in some way... Up next on the podcast it's The Kabin, where we give our impressions of a new Corrie-themed tram that's going to be making its way around Manchester for the next 12 months, and we finish things off with more of your feedback. Street Talk - 00:10:13 The Kabin - 02:13:53 Feedback - 02:27:14

Last Wednesday marked the first time that Iain MacLeod was not listed as Corrie's producer since he took over the reins from Kate Oates in late 2018. With the episodes going forward now bearing wife Verity's name, soon to be replaced by that of incoming producer Kate Brooks, Iain's time at the top on Corrie is finally at an end. Well, unless you count his promotion to Executive Producer, but that's another story... For this week's bonus podcast, we reflect on the five and a half years that Iain was in charge of steering the Good Ship Corrie, chatting about the highs and lows when it comes to stories, characters and general production. How will his time as producer be remembered? What are some hallmarks of the MacLeod era? What were his biggest hits and most disappointing misses? We discuss all this and more in this bumper of a bonus podcast!

On this week's podcast, we cover the episodes of Coronation Street shown on the 10th and the 12th June (Episodes #11,287 - 11,290). Only a couple of Corries to chat about this week, and not too many big developments to discuss either, we thought, so a relatively short podcast to balance out the bumper eps from the past few weeks! We'd all seen it coming a mile off, but this week, Toyah and Nick finally kissed - was it just a one-off, or will this blossom into something bigger? We've certainly got our own views where that's concerned! Also this week, Summer's back from Boston, and she's not alone - but is Felix just a bit too much of a geek even for her? Meanwhile, Abi's pleased to hear that Corey's documentary has been taken down, Glenda and George are still at loggerheads (despite Debbie's best efforts...) and Ken has a bit of a tumble - but will he accept his family's support? Up next on the podcast it's The Kabin, where we finally have a name and release month for Charlie Lawson's autobiography, and we finish things off with a bit of feedback. Street Talk - 00:08:26 The Kabin - 01:27:52 Feedback - 01:37:02

This week, we run down the life story of Simon Barlow, picking up from where we left off when we last profiled him in Episode #70 of the podcast eleven years ago! Ah, what high hopes we had for the little cherub back then, as he was just about to enter his teenage years! In this episode, we chat about his biggest stories from the past decade, reflect on why a member of the Barlow clan was allowed to become so underused and ponder whether now was the right time for his exit from the show.

In our latest podcast, we chat about the episodes of Coronation Street shown between the 3rd and the 7th June 2024 (Episodes #11,281 - 11,286). After last week's reveal that Joel was responsible for Lauren's disappearance, he was in full-on skulky villain mode this week - and of course, we were loving it! But with Dee-Dee accepting his marriage proposal on Wednesday, will she discover the truth about her new fiancé before he gets her up the aisle? Meanwhile, we said bye bye Si on Monday as the third member of the Barlow clan in six months headed off to the Med to start a new life - and Leanne has a VERY unusual way of coping with the grief of losing another another son! Also this week, things are hotting up between Glenda and Michael, Roy continues to distance himself from his friends, and Kevin and Abi discover just how much it would cost to suppress her A.I. videos online - does anyone want to club together and pay the same so that we never have to see that freaky Oli monstrosity again too...? Up next on the podcast it's The Kabin, where we talk about Shelley King's recent autism diagnosis, the fab new Women of Weatherfield photoshoot and a bizarre story about Jimmi Harkishin getting into a spot of bother in a B&Q - but of course, the spoilery nature of Corrie's biggest news story of the week means there's also a meaty Kabin Extra segment at the end of the show too after we've read out some listener feedback!  Street Talk - 00:15:29 The Kabin - 02:38:37 Feedback - 02:56:32 Kabin Extra - 03:22:08

In this episode, we chat to Corrie expert Mark Llewellin, who has just this week published his memoirs, entitled With Friends Like These. In the book, he shares stories from over the years about getting to know some of Corrie's biggest names, including Julie Goodyear, Jill Summers and Roy Barraclough, Mark's partner for over 25 years. He really is a fascinating guy, and here, he shares some of the brilliant anecdotes from the book, talking lovingly about many of his Weatherfield pals and sharing some of the many priceless trinkets and treasures from Coronation Street that he's been given over the years. If you're interested in picking up a copy of the book yourself, you can order it from Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D45HSSDL?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_DVN6QNTWXNRF1JEP375X

Britain's Got Talent week is here again! Well, it WAS here. So let's crank up The Lark Ascending, hit that rewind button and recap the week in Weatherfield between the 27th and the 31st May (Episodes #11,276 - 11,280). Everyone watching this week's Corrie most likely went into Monday's episode with their theories about what was going to happen - and if you were anything like us, you were probably right with a lot of it. The identity of Lauren's so-called killer, the outcome of Roy's confrontation with Griff that was teased when we were shown his makeshift blade last week, the budding romantic tension between Carla and Swain... but despite the week still being relatively low on shocks, we really did quite enjoy it - for the most part. The 'different perspectives' schtick wasn't necessarily needed, but it was fun for the three days it lasted, and the flashbacks on Thursday - especially the one with Joel looking at himself in the mirror - were especially effective. There was a lot to unpack this week and it actually turned out to be one our longest ever Street Talk segments, so after recapping some of the week's big news stories in The Kabin, we decided to end the podcast there. We will get to that feedback eventually, though, we promise!

We know we said we wouldn't be doing Round 2 of this until June, but we just couldn't wait any longer to randomly select our next batch of thirty characters to rank and Corrieliminate... And if you thought we had difficulty deciding which three would make it through to the next round last time, well, this round is even harder!  You can vote for your own top three characters from this round's selection at the link below, and the three characters with the most votes will be joining the top picked characters from last round in the online grand finale next year! Make your pick here! https://forms.gle/LWSm6QPfjvQKPvLz5

On our latest edition of the podcast, we chat about what went on in Corrie between the 20th and the 24th May 2024 (Episodes #11,270 - 11,275). Those returning villains just keep on coming, with both Dean and Griff making a reappearance this week, and Corey, though admittedly not on screen, being a big focus of Monday's episode. Were any of them behind Lauren's murder? Is Lauren actually even dead? Like most viewers, we definitely have our doubts, but we guess it won't be too long until we find out now... It's been a tough old week for Abi too - not only does she discover a documentary has been made about Seb's 'rising star' killer, but then she finds out a sex tape is doing the rounds online that seems to contain footage of her! Meanwhile, Bernie tries in vain to convince Kit to be part of the family, Bethany makes a surprise new BFF and Simon prepares to head out to sea with his dad - but will Leanne be back from the retreat in time before he ups anchor and sets sail? Not a whole lot of Corrie related news this week, but we do at least get the NTA nominations to chat about in The Kabin, and we finish things off with more of your feedback, including some great suggestions for Corrie/Simpsons crossover characters following this week's Listener Questions episode! Street Talk - 00:09:36 The Kabin - 02:11:19 Feedback - 02:19:16

For this week's bonus podcast, it's time for some Listener Questions! First off, we answer Breaunte's question, who wants to know how we'd make the Community Centre a bigger part of the show. Considering that this is a place that you're lucky to see the inside of more than ten times a year, there's certainly scope for it to be used a heck of a lot more, but what exactly would we do with it? We hope you're listening, Kate Brooks, cos we've got plenty of ideas! Next up, the chance to be a bit sillier and more imaginative as Frankie asks us which Simpsons characters would play which Weatherfield residents if the long-running animated sitcom were to do a crossover with the even longer-running soap. Would Homer play Steve or Tim? Which classic Corrie villain would Sideshow Bob suit best? Are there any couples of families who can be directly transposed? Hopefully if you're a Simpsons fan you like some of our ideas, and we'd love to hear yours too!

In our latest podcast, we share our thoughts on what went on in Corrie between the 13th and the 17th May 2024 (Episodes #11,264 - 11,269). There were a few nice little mysteries this week that keep us guessing, with the question of the identity of Nathan's attacker on Wednesday being the most intriguing - even if we didn't think Corrie quite stuck the landing once the mystery assailant was revealed. Bernie's search for her long-lost son also proved quite interesting, and with Christopher / Kit / Zodiac / Zac now working under the iron-fisted DS Swain, it looks like we may be seeing a whole lot more of him in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the always entertaining Sally provided the laughs on Friday as she sucked up to Demi, the garage takes one step closer to coming out of the dark ages thanks to a new website and Leanne heads off on an Institute retreat - but just how brainwashed will she be on her return? After a brief news section we delve into the mailbag with some of your feedback, including one listener's ponderings on modern Corrie lacking main characters like Les Battersby with clearly bigoted views - and how he thought the Max story should have ended differently. Street Talk - 00:11:31 The Kabin - 02:43:45 Feedback - 02:50:04

For this week's bonus podcast, we chat about the Crusher himself, Duggie Ferguson. Despite coming into the show as the intolerant father of salon stylist Tom and spending pretty much all his time on the show trying to get one over his business rivals by fair means or (more usually) foul, we reckon Duggie's generally looked back on with fondness from those who watched Corrie back at the turn of the millennium, and in this episode, we try to figure out why. From his disastrous year at the helm of the Rovers to his demise at the hands of Richard Hillman, we cover all of Duggie's best bits here - enjoy!

On our latest episode of the podcast, we have a natter about what went on in Corrie between the 6th and the 10th May 2024 (Episodes #11,258 - 11,263). A mixed bag of opinions on this week's episodes, to be honest. Though we were both in agreement that the return of Nathan Curtis to the show left us feeling slightly underwhelmed - but still hopeful that be getting a bit more sinister in the coming weeks - while Gemma's still very much engaged in the Lauren story, Michael's patience for how long it's dragging out is wearing a little thin... A lot of characters getting angry at each other this week too - while Maria's annoyance at Gary after catching him with Sarah is somewhat understandable, George and Glenda at war just doesn't sit right with us! Also this week, Bernie organises a 24-hour karaokethon (that we only got to see snippets of two songs of), Alya heads off to Ireland and Liam becomes the third character in a week to be found collapsed on the floor - honestly, we just think everyone's trying to get in on Summer's bit while she's off in the US... In The Kabin, we discuss the new details on the Radio Times Soap Awards, which we now have a date and a location for - will they be a fitting replacement for the BSAs? We round things off with more of your feedback. Street Talk - 00:12:46 The Kabin - 02:02:50 Feedback - 02:21:02

In the first part of an ongoing series of podcasts, we pit thirty randomly selected Corrie characters against each other, ranking them from 1 to 30.  Who will make it into the Top 3, avoiding Corrielimination and earning a place in the Grand Final? Tune in and find out! We're planning to do a round of this roughly once a month, so we'll be back in June for Round 2! Don't agree with our list? Or maybe you do! Whatever the case, you can choose your own Top 3 in our Google poll at https://forms.gle/dB7DSqhYkeRYSBj28 , and once all ten rounds are complete, the Top 30 will be pitted against each other in a final online vote!

On our latest podcast, we chat about the episodes of Coronation Street shown between the 29th April and the 3rd May (Episodes #11,252 - 11,257). It's been quite a while since the Paul story has been at the forefront of the show, but it returned to the spotlight this week, bringing a new character into the mix in the form of Paul and Gemma's dad Denny. Sounds like he's got a bit of a secret about our Bernadette too - but does this story need any extra bells and whistles at this stage? We were also introduced to some new characters in Steve's dating adventures this week too, with Aurora and Demi both making quite the impression. Meanwhile, Roy takes a step towards solving the mystery of Lauren's disappearance, and Alya and Adam finally admit their feelings for each other. Well, maybe 'finally' isn't the right word considering how they seemed to have been conjured out of nowhere to facilitate Sair Khan's maternity leave story, but you get the picture. Not an especially big week for news this week, but there are a few small stories to cover before we head into the feedback section to hear some of your reactions to Toyah's big revelation, plus in a refreshing change to what seems to be a growing majority of online discourse at the moment, a thoroughly positive email about the state of the show at the moment - fancy that! Street Talk - 00:09:04 The Kabin - 02:00:18 Feedback - 02:06:50

In our latest podcast, we chat about what went on in the show between the 22nd and the 26th April (Episodes #11,246 - 11,251). Well this week's action certainly stirred up some strong opinions online, didn't it? And we're not talking about the will-they-won't-they relationship status of Asha and Nina either.. No, it seems that with Toyah's new story, which kicked off on Monday, Corrie is asking its viewers to suspend quite a bit of disbelief and accept the fact that for six months or so of 2001, Toyah was pregnant with Phil Simmonds' baby. You know, despite there being no evidence on screen at the time that that could have possibly been the case. Since rumours of this story started doing the rounds about a month or so ago, we've been whipping ourselves into a frenzy about the unlikelihood of this turn of events, and now it's been shown on screen... we really do have mixed opinions. Elsewhere this week, the little projectionist living inside Roy's head treats us to another thrilling instalment of what's going on in his inner psyche, Amy struggles to find interview guests for her new radio show (we've all been there, Amy!) and Todd makes a scandalous discovery tucked amongst Archie's files at the undertaker's... Up next on the podcast, we take a trip to the Kabin, where the new sponsor taking over the Co-op unit on Victoria Street has been revealed, and Sue Cleaver's got a new book coming out later in the year! We've got plenty of listener emails to get through at the end of the episode, so we round things of with a bit of a bumper feedback section. Street Talk - 00:07:22 The Kabin - 02:24:26 Feedback - 02:40:24

For our latest bonus podcast, we take a look at the times that Coronation Street has been a bit free with its own canonicity, delving into the past of its characters and tweaking or adding to what we'd previously believed to be true in order to serve a new storyline. From changing names and dates to characters who popped in and out of existence despite it not really holding up to scrutiny of the show's lore, Corrie's had a surprising number of retcons and revisions over the years, and here we discuss which ones, in our eyes at least, are acceptable, and which ones we think should never have made it past the story conference!

On our latest podcast, we chat about the goings on in Weatherfield between the 15th and the 19th April (Episodes #11240 - 11245). Apologies on the delay on this one, folks, but as you may be aware, we were out on the Isle of Wight on Friday night, seeing Mikey North and Ryan Prescott in a brilliant live event! We start off the podcast by giving you all our glowing impressions of the event - let's hope there's plenty more where that came from! Partly because of our lateness and partly because Michael's under the weather and losing his voice yet again, we make this episode of the podcast a Street Talk only affair once we get past the Ryan and Mikey chat - and with Roy now behind bars on remand, there's certainly a lot to chat about! As much as we quite enjoyed the court scenes on Monday, things did go off the boil (for one of us, at least!) come Wednesday when Bobby attempted to throw the police off the scent by inadvertently making up that he saw Lauren's assailant wearing an exact replica of Daniel's jacket - are we to believe he reality coded it into existence, perhaps? Speaking of which, Leanne's going further down the Institute's rabbit hole this week - but at least her newfound outlook on life seems to have got her to freshen up her wardrobe. Also this week, Sean ends his twenty year stay at Number 11, Alya quits Barlows' Legal Services (seemingly throwing them into technological chaos as she was the only one who knew how to close down pop up ads) and Eliza Didlittle heads off to pastures new on the continent.