I absolutely loved Corriedale but we need to talk about Becky with the bad hair
And don't get me started on the Yorkshire LazarusCorriedale finally aired on ITV tonight, marking both Coronation Street and Emmerdale beginning new chapters in the TV schedules. From Tuesday, Emmerdale will be airing for half an hour each weeknight at 8pm, and it will be followed by a 30-minute episode of Coronation Street each night.
Between 8pm and 9pm will henceforth be known as the soap super hour, if you like – with hopes that fans of one of the two soaps will fall for the other, if they don’t already tune in for both.
Corriedale mash-up triumph
And if tonight’s Corriedale didn’t whet the appetite, nothing will – the hour-long mash-up episode, which brought together characters from both soaps in a deadly road accident, was an absolute triumph. From start to finish.
The special had it all: heart; humour; death and shocking appearances (and I’m not even talking Becky’s hair yet).
It was always going to be event television, but for anyone who’s watched the EastEnders meets Coronation Street Children in Need skit or Cheryl Cole joining Corrie for Text Santa, you’ll know these specials can be hammier than a bacon barm in Roy’s Rolls.
No such concern here. Corriedale was pure class. Just a few things I’d like to address, though…
Corriedale questions
1. Is this the last we’ve seen of Becky with the bad hair? (And the bad coat – so glad Charity clocked that.) I hope so, at least until she’s grown out that mullet. But, while her presence on the Street has felt never-ending as well as most unwelcome, her arrest also felt rather abrupt. Surely there will be much more to come post-arrest.
2. Did they run out of budget for lighting? Of course it was set at night, but it was so dark! I’ve watched it three times and am still missing bits…
3. I refer back to my above question here, but what did Theo actually do to Billy – strap him back into his seat? It was too dark to make out what was happening on screen. And while on the subject of Billy, didn’t his death all feel a bit… rushed? His (ridiculous) fall off a cliff on Christmas Day, 2017 got way more screen time.
4. Can we have a new theme tune for both Emmerdale and Coronation Street, please? If ever the pair of them sounded out of step with the present day, it was after hearing the (Line of Duty-esque) Corriedale opening music. So on point. Much more dynamic. So much more in keeping with the modern drama in the Dales and on the cobbles. Loved Corriedale using Travis’ Side for the closing credits music, too.
5. Why no scene with Corrie old-timers doing a double take at John Sugden? It would’ve been a nice nod for fans who recall Oliver Farnworth as Andy Carver. (I know they did it with Jai/Vikram as Steve McDonald referenced thinking he’d seen someone he’d once worked with, but this would’ve been funnier.)
6. We’re all in agreement that Carla and Charity need to get together now, yes? Charity flung that possibility wide open, telling Carla where to look her up. The campaign for Charity to move to Weatherfield starts here! (She’ll need an escape from the sh*t storm she has brewing at home.)
Corriedale confusion
7. Graham, how? Just… HOW? We all watched Pierce Harris kill him with a torch in January 2020, and saw his ‘dead’ body… unless… was he an undercover cop… was he working with the police all this time… or was he working for a crime network that Becky with the bad hair (and coat) is wrapped up with? What exactly did he mean when he said: “She got away. I’m terminating the contract. I’ve got something else I need to do.” Is the ‘she’, the lady in the van who ran into the woods? Is she somehow connected to Celia and Ray? Hang on… did Graham kill Ray?! Or am I getting far too carried away here?
8. More of the lady from the van – her and Shona’s matching tattoos are clearly no coincidence, but what’s the connection. Who IS she?
9. Did Victoria actually kill John? Surely too obvious!
10. Will Liam grow a pencil moustache for real? Just when it looked like he couldn’t get any hotter…
11. Why was Debbie done so dirty? It was her wedding day and she wasn’t in enough scenes – we deserved to at least see her meet Belle after all that organisation for her big day and those crow-barred mentions of the planner! But did we watch Debbie almost divulge to Carl that she’s actually his muvva? (No proof here, just theory.)
… and a Brucie bonus question, which is surely what everyone is wondering:
12. Whyyyyyyy only one episode? ITV should have stripped it across the week! At the very least. I mean, I understand the old ‘keep ’em wanting more’ but… please may we have some more?
