Forum:Best Years/Decades

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Hi David. I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this query. I just happened to be reading a thread on the Digital Spy Soap Forum regarding the best years from each decade of a soap. I saw your posting,and was interested to hear a little more about the years that you chose. I'm not a contributor to the Digital Spy forums- just an occasional reader- so thought I'd ask you on here. I hope that's okay. 70s Fan (talk) 10:16, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

Incidentally,I thought I was posting this in the watercooler section of the forum,but it doesn't seem to be there. I must have done something wrong. You may wish to move it there,if you feel it's appropriate.70s Fan (talk) 10:22, March 8, 2016 (UTC) 

No problem! I have to confess it wasn't something I gave a lot of thought to and most of them are not firmly held opinions.

1960s - From what I've seen, the writing in 1960-4 was a bit sharper than the later years of the decade and by 1962 thanks to the equity strike the actors had really got the hang of their characters. Plus the 1962 DVD has the Ena, Minnie and Martha launderette scene which might be my favourite Corrie scene of all time. 1969 doesn't have Dennis, Jerry or Irma (Christmas excepted) and the Elsie and Len saga was starting to outstay its welcome by this point.

1970s - I've spoken about 1972 before so I'll focus on 1978. Much as I've come to love 1973-5, I still believe the quality went up with Podmore and 1978 has a bit more ongoing drama than 1977 or 1979 such as Ernie's death, the factory strike, Len in court and the yard nearly going out of business.

1980s - In 1985 we were left with the 'B' cast after the troubles of 1983 and 1984 and it took a few years for everything to gel again. 1989 is my highlight because of the revamp plus the excellent Alan Bradley saga but the plots running alongside it such as Ken's affair, Mike losing all his money and Alf and Audrey's house troubles were also excellent. I haven't got round to seeing all of 1980-84 yet but from what I have seen the old cast were a bit long in the tooth by then and I prefer the earlier Podmore material from the late 1970s.

1990s - My choice of 1991 comes from the same place as 1989 as they had the same producers. Just a time when the formula was really working. I had to choose either 1990, 1991 or 1992 as I love Alec and Bet. 1997 was my low point not because of a Brian Park-bias as I love what he did in 1998 but his tenure didn't really get going until early 1998 with Deirdre's troubles, Emily up the tree and the arrivals of Spider and Hayley. In 1997, the Battersbys were portrayed too broadly and storylines such as Kevin and Natalie's affair and Jim sleeping with Fiona were stupid and out of character.

2000s - 2003 was when everything that had been building up through 2002 paid off. Mostly Richard Hillman but everything around it was excellent as well. In 2009 I was never a fan of Tony Gordon, John Stape or Kevin's affair with Molly and they dominated the year.

2010s - I had to pick a year when we had a lot of Tim and Sally storylines and the first that came to mind was the sofa one from December 2014. But that also had the Tina murder which was one of the better murder plots of recent years. 2011 was chosen by process of elimination and, again, I wasn't a fan of John Stape so seeing the long pay-off to his storyline wasn't of much interest to me.

I'm always happy to talk about old Corrie but sadly the DS mob are more into EastEnders! David (talk) 13:56, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

Thanks David. Interesting to hear you reasoning,although I realise that these aren't firmly held opinions.

I agree that 1960-64 are probably the best years of the 60s. If I had to choose one year to see complete the it would be 1961. It's all new,energetic and realistic. There are more characters(prior to the strike) and the characters are probably closer to how they were originally envisaged before the actors got into a more comfortable groove. I think that it's probably less insular than it had to become during,and to a lesser extent,after the strike. Having said that,I like all the strike period episodes that I 've seen. It's probably harder for me to choose a least favourite year from that decade,as I've seen fewer ones from the 60s than any other period. Ditto the early 70s. You've seen much more of the pre 76 period to be able to make a more informed decision.

But,I think I would almost certainly choose 1977 as the best year of the decade,and maybe ever. There are just so many outstanding episodes as can be judged from the quality and variety that they've released on VHS and DVD(including the Soap Box volume). But,all of that 1976-84 period is consistently excellent. 

I think that you will be pleasantly surprised by what you'll see in the 1980-84 period. Even with all the backstage dramas,I think that 1983 may be the high point of that decade.  As with 1977,there are so many great episodes. 

I would concur that 1985,particularly the latter half of the year,is the weakest year of that decade- although 1986 and 87 have more of the tedious,unconvincing and contrived Baldwin-Barlow marriage(my least favourite story up until that point!)than 85. However,that aside,those years are actually better than now sometimes remembered.

1989-95 seem to be of a similar standard,so it's hard to pick a best year. Likewise,it's hard to pick a least favourite year from the 1990s,as I could pick any year from 1996 onwards. I dislike all the Park stuff and beyond. But,even 1996,seems very wishy washy.

This low point( for me,anyway) extended into the first couple of years of the next decade. Under Jane McNaught,I felt the show seemed to even lose it's famed humour. It's a toss up between 2000 and 2001 for the worst year. I'd probably pick 2004 as the best year. The Todd coming out story,and the Karen-Steve stuff were particularly good.

I'm afraid after that it all merges into one for me. On the plus side,the show never again sunk to the lows of the 2000-01 era. The writing's also remained better than it was during the 1997-2001 period. There've also been some great additions to the cast during those 10 years including Becky,Sylvia,Tina ,Julie- all now gone,alas- Tim,Beth,Eva,Carla,Mary(controversial!). However on the minus side there've been way too many mediocre actors and characters who seem to have jobs for life,far too much sensationalism and too many one dimensional villains- including the eternally tedious Tracy.              

But,one always hopes that better times are just around the corner. I think that there is now an accepted wisdom that "soaps" now mean highly melodramatic stories. But,even allowing for that,I think that the show can be better. It just needs a tighter,stronger cast. More realistic and humorous stories. Fewer pointless baddies. 

Sorry,for going off a tangent towards the end. I suppose that's what happens when one starts discussing 

the Street. Always great to hear your thoughts and opinions David.70s Fan (talk) 15:40, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

I really enjoyed Corrie in 2000 but wasn't a "fan" then, dipping in and out depending on storylines, so I had no expectations about the amount of humour (I first watched in 1998). It will be interesting revisiting it later when I get around to writing up the characters from those years and see if it holds up. Strangely, I don't have such vivid memories from 1999 or 2001. But Richard Hillman was a massive deal. It was the only time Corrie was ever a talking point in school. David (talk) 16:12, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

So,was it the Hillman story that made you a serious fan? And when did you start delving into the history of the programme?70s Fan (talk) 17:01, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

Hard to say - if a serious fan is one who buys merchandise and is interested in the history of the programme, then I wasn't one until I bought the 60s set in late 2007. If that isn't a requirement, then I would opt for 1998. David (talk) 17:33, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

2007! Wow. So,it was the 60s DVDs that got you interested in the history of the programme?70s Fan (talk) 18:50, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

Definitely. It started a chain of events that led to the creation of this site in May 2008! David (talk) 21:09, March 8, 2016 (UTC)

That's fantastic- that those eps inpired all of this. Very glad that you picked up those DVDs when you did.70s Fan (talk) 12:37, March 9, 2016 (UTC)

What about you, 70s Fan? Does your user name give away the length of time that you've been a fan of the programme or is the story not as simple as that?--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 13:21, March 9, 2016 (UTC)

Hi John. Yes. My earliest memories of watching the show are as a child from around 1972,I think. I recall that period when Rita was looking after Terry Bates,so it must have been then. But,I was more of a casual viewer for the first few years. I do remember watching some specific episodes during those first few years such as Hilda's 49th birthday party and the Majorca episodes,as well as certain scenes from other eps. But there must have been occasional periods where I didn't watch for a couple of months- as I remember being surprised to tune in one night to discover Deirdre was newly married to Ray when last time I'd seen it she was planning her wedding to Billy.

However,I think began to take more of a serious interest from around the time of the 15th Anniversary. I recall reading all the stuff in the TVTimes and for the first time started to learn a little about the history of the programme. This,and all the publicity in early 1976 tied in with Pat Phoenix' return,seemed to draw me in to become more of a regular viewer. It was also around this period that our family got a second TV set,so it made it a lot easier to see more episodes. I was pretty much a dedicated viewer from then on.

I grew up in Ireland,but we were able to receive all the British TV channels. However,there were some parts of the country that only received the Irish broadcaster RTE. 

When RTE launched a second channel in November 1978,one of their big attractions was bringing Coronation Street to the whole of Ireland. However,they started from 1976( I think it was the return of Elsie ep from April,if I'm not mistaken) and initially they played the episodes at the same day and time as ITV were running the new(1978) eps. However,after a short period,they moved the Street to Tuesday and Fridays- so from that point on I got to see an ep. 4 nights a week. I'd seen most of the repeat ones already,but in those days getting a second chance to see these episodes a second time was a treat. At the start of 1982,the RTE repeats extended to five nights a week,and for the next eighteen months or more,there were 7 eps to catch every week- until they caught up with the ITV broadcasts. 

For me that golden age period of the Street probably ended in 1984,following the loss of so many of the really iconic characters- and the Street slowly starting to change,with the arrival of Eastenders.

I've remained a regular viewer for the most part,but with declining enthusiasm. But,I'm still hugely interested in those first 24 years. It was disappointing that Granada Plus began their run at pretty much the period at which I'd actually started watching it religiously,and at the exact point of the RTE repeats.. But,it was a great treat to see all those episodes again. Ditto the DVDs. And,of course,Corriepedia is a wondrous resource for finding out all about those pre 76 episodes. Thanks again to yourself,David and Karen for all the time and effort you put into making it such an amazing resource.

How did your own interest in the show develop? 70s Fan (talk) 16:48, March 9, 2016 (UTC) 

Thanks for your history! My earliest concrete memory of the show that I can place with certainty is the second Woburn Abbey episode so you slightly predate me. I was 8 at the time so the programme was something that adults watched and children were in the same room when it was on - no more than that. I was born and brought up in Manchester so Corrie was a constant in our lives, especially as the Manchester Evening News always had massive amounts of publicity. Although I never lived on a terraced street in my childhood, my parents were born in typical Coronation Streets and until I was 6/7, my grandad lived in one until the council moved him out and demolished it. Corrie's culture was pretty much in our DNA then.

My distance from the programme at that time is best illustrated by the fact that when Pat Phoenix's return was announced in 1976, I had no idea who she was and people at school had to fill me in (the return was pront-page headline news in the local paper). I watched her first episodes and was very struck by the actress, particularly for some reason, her voice.

Anyway, as the 1970s rolled out, I was no more than a casual viewer, being struck much more by Doctor Who of which I was an avid fan - and there is an important link there, more of which later. Just as the 15th anniversary made you aware of the programme's history, the 18th did the same for me, particularly the fact that at that time it still had five actors who had been with the show since episode 1, four years before I was born! I started to watch with more interest and came to love two things in the programme - scenes in the Rovers between Annie and her staff and scenes in No.13, both superb to watch! I became a regular viewer from the start of 1979 and stayed that way through most of the 1980s, paying a few visits to Granada and looking at the old Grape Street Set, once sneeking into the railway yard and looking down on it from on top of the viaduct!! Like you, I found 1983/4 difficult to watch with the loss of so many of the key characters, including the wonderful Annie, and the mistaken way in which the writers treated Billy Walker and Hilda Ogden, post-Stan. 1985 is something of a nadir for the programme for me, with the awful Claytons, the pre-charming Duckworths and the concentration on the younger, less established characters such as Terry, Kevin and Curly. 1985 is also the year that EastEnders started and although I'd been an avid viewer of Brookside and liked its contrast to Corrie, I gave EE a chance in its first episode and hated it. It was about conflict, sensation and poor melodrama and had no charm whatsoever. I've never understood why it took off, nor people's liking for it. I dislike the effect it had on "soaps" and on British television overall with a passion, though I do admire the skill with which the writers create their own peculiar brand of storylines, even though they do nothing to attract me.

Although huge improvements came in 1986 with the Bradleys and Alec's return, I started a new job that year which I liked and which suited me but asked for a lot of hours from me if I wanted promotion and advancement. I gladly gave those hours and so there are many periods - short and long - after that when I sometimes barely saw the programme. 1995/6 is a good example when I was doing 15 hour days and didn't even have time for a video catch-up! I tuned in when I could and mostly enjoyed what I saw, pleased that the all-important step of continuing without most of the early characters had been achieved.

A crucial moment for me had been in May 1981 when Granada repeated six classic 1960s episodes, including the very first episode. I was blown away by those, having an avid interest in any old television, and dusty old B&W shows were not shown that often on television then. There was a real sense of history in watching them. The second crucial moment on the road to Corriepedia was when Daran Little published his 40th anniversary book - still for my money the best book overall on the programme's history, despite its few obvious errors. This made me want to find out more about the programme's past. I mentioned earlier my being a fan of Doctor Who - as part of this I joined a fan forum called (then) Outpost Gallifrey and it had a Coronation Street thread. In another thread one day, someone mentioned ITN Source and I visited that site, and saw all the synopsis there, copying them into an excel spreadsheet back in 2004 in the event that that site was discontinued. I also bought the Network sets as they came out and revelled in finally seeing some seminal episodes, such as Anne Reid's final one. The next turning point, again on Outpost Gallifrey, was when David, who I had not then met, advertised the fact that a day or two earlier he had started this site and would anyone like to contribute. I did so and started adding in episode pages. Contact with Doctor Who fans also made me aware of two crucial sources - the British Newspaper Library with their back issues of TV Times with all those cast and production credits; and that the BFI had large stocks of old television shows which you could pay to watch. An enquiry there ascertained the fact that they had almost every episode from 1969 to 1983/4 and they would allow us to view them under their terms and conditions. I made my first trip in August 2009 and since then have been there about 35 times, slowly but surely getting more info all the time. 2009 is also the year that David and I first met, (it was 2013(?) before we met Karen face-to-face) and we made contact with people so important to the advancement of this site, such as Sylvesterfan and ITV themselves who have been incredibly supportive of what we do.--Jtomlin1uk (talk) 21:03, March 9, 2016 (UTC)

 Thanks John. We're a similar age,so it's interesting to compare your history with the programme with mine. I'm really pleased to read that ITV are supportive,as I wasn't even sure if they aware of the site.

I loved reading about your thoughts on the programme,although was intrigued by your comment on Hilda's treatment post Stan! Like you,my first encounter with the 60s episodes was in 1981- although in my region(UTV)only 194 was screened,along with the Len/Rita wedding. I forgot to mention that I read the first novelization Early Days in 1977,which was a fascinating- and at that time the only way to - look into the show's earliest days. During the 80s,I also bought the VHS releases- although it was the 1990 30th Anniversary collection of 40 episodes that was the first substantial release for avid fans. I suppose you didn't have time to get to see the Granada Plus repeats in the 90s?- they were the best thing that ever happened for fans of the classic era,although I was very disappointed that they didn't start at an earlier point.

I agree with you about the 40th Anniversary book,although the 25th Anniversary book was amazing to read when first published- containing summaries of every month from all those years. And then of course there's Corriepedia. I'd resigned myself to never having more detailed informations on the pre 1976 episodes- I didn't know about the ITN source. I couldn't believe what I was seeing the first time I came on here. Even though it wasn't as detailed then as it is now,it was the site I'd been waiting for since I first went online in the mid 90s! It's tremendous,and keeps getting better. The BFI visits have yielded a lot more too,obviously. I do so appreciate the fact that you and David are always happy to elaborate on these visits. Anyway,thanks again John. Always great chatting with you and David.70s Fan (talk) 23:15, March 9, 2016 (UTC)

And it's good to chat with you, too! --Jtomlin1uk (talk) 15:48, March 10, 2016 (UTC)