And I dunno if it was just me, but Bruno looked awkward with this bloke in the scene. They're first in the car as it parks outside the house, and they're just talking (as I said, there was no sound on) but when they're outside the door and eileen is there and jason and rosie are walking up, he gives jools a sort of half hug with one arm and it looked so awkward when he did it, the thought actually jumped through my mind that, as corrie are cowards with gay couples, he'd have no worries anyway, but only being back for a very very brief appearance means he won't have to kiss this bloke cos he looks awkward enough trying to look like he was giving him a loving little half hug, he'd be mortified if he had to actually kiss him on the lips! lol
But that could just me me!
Isn't that the point of the scene though? he's meant to be awkward. He's bringing his rich boyfriend home to meet the family and has turned into a bit of a snob so he's a bit embarrassed about what Jools is going to think of where he's come from.
Also, Bruno has no problems with playing a gay character, kissing another man - that was just press talk
I'm looking forward to the episode tomorrow, although don't know how they're going to fit it all into half an hour! They shouldn't have bothered with the Sean storyline to be honest, does anyone actually care about him meeting up with Dylan and Marcus? Will be good to see Violet again though!
I personally don't think Bruno will ever want to go back for longer than short visits. I mean he left half way through Todd's coming out storyline originally cos he didn't want to play a gay character and he seems to prefer to be doing other things. He said in his interview he did that one episode over 5 days when he was on tour with Calendar Girls. It was originally gonna be done in London, apparently, but obviously it wasn't. He's happy to go back for cameo appearance, but, as I say, I can't imagine he'd want to go back for 6 months or something like that.
When this return was mentioned I thought he was actually gonna be back for a month or so, I thought it was only Jamie and Violet back for one episode, but obviously not. (I saw pics of Jamie and Violet on the Virgin home page. I didn't recognise Violet she looked so different!)
So, for that reason, I'd be happy even to see Todd and Karl together in ONE episode, cos it would be seeing them together again, and nearly 7 years after that last happened, I'd be content with that!
And I dunno if it was just me, but Bruno looked awkward with this bloke in the scene. They're first in the car as it parks outside the house, and they're just talking (as I said, there was no sound on) but when they're outside the door and eileen is there and jason and rosie are walking up, he gives jools a sort of half hug with one arm and it looked so awkward when he did it, the thought actually jumped through my mind that, as corrie are cowards with gay couples, he'd have no worries anyway, but only being back for a very very brief appearance means he won't have to kiss this bloke cos he looks awkward enough trying to look like he was giving him a loving little half hug, he'd be mortified if he had to actually kiss him on the lips! lol
But that could just me me!
I think his opinion has shifted Flukie.
When my friend Patsy and I saw him at a DW convention just after he'd been in Season One he said that he was happy with his Corrie exit but wouldn't be going back.
Obviously this is the second occasion he's been back since then so his opinion on Corrie has shifted!
From what he's said they have asked him back before before he's always been busy with other stuff.
We all know the acting profession is notoriously unpredictable so if Bruno were ever out of a job for some time and Corrie asked him to go back he may well end up doing something for a longer period.
As I said, I haven't seen the scene in question and probably won't see it tomorrow night so it will be some time next week before I can see whether or not I agree about any awkwardness between him and Jools.
Agreed 100%... And Sean and Marcus have about as much chemistry as Emmerdale's Aaron & Jackson...just Collinson keeping one of his favourites sweet..
There's someone who is DEFINITELY awkward playing gay!
I loved the comment someone made on the Aaron thread in response to someone saying saying get Jackson killed off for goodness sake (it's dragging on forever leading up to the suicide plot) and give Aaron a new boyfriend ... and someone said they've already used up the excuse he's not comfortable with shows off affection, to explain away the fact he and Jackson never used to kiss or hold hands or whatever (before his accident of course) and Jackson puts up with it cos he's understanding and he's his first boyfriend, etc. but no new bloke would put up with it.
Danny Miller loves being the Star of Emmerdale but he clearly is as awkward as hell playing a gay character.
Bruno, it's true, would never be as bad as that! lol
But of course, Corrie never dare show kissing and hand holding with two men anyway, so all he'd be called on to do was probably give a peck on the cheek once in the blue moon and I'm sure he'd have no trouble with that.
Having gotten so used to JP and Craig in HO forever kissing, holding hands and being shown in bed, the chasteness of Corrie and Emmerdale is weird now! lol:)
I've never watched EE so I dunno what that gay couple do.
I've never watched EE so I dunno what that gay couple do.
They're better than Coronation Street and Emmerdale, but not as good as Hollyoaks; which is the best soap for showing m/m sexuality by a mile. The current Brendan/Ste storyline has been choc full of kisses...and not pecks either.
There's someone who is DEFINITELY awkward playing gay!
I loved the comment someone made on the Aaron thread in response to someone saying saying get Jackson killed off for goodness sake (it's dragging on forever leading up to the suicide plot) and give Aaron a new boyfriend ... and someone said they've already used up the excuse he's not comfortable with shows off affection, to explain away the fact he and Jackson never used to kiss or hold hands or whatever (before his accident of course) and Jackson puts up with it cos he's understanding and he's his first boyfriend, etc. but no new bloke would put up with it.
Danny Miller loves being the Star of Emmerdale but he clearly is as awkward as hell playing a gay character.
Bruno, it's true, would never be as bad as that! lol
But of course, Corrie never dare show kissing and hand holding with two men anyway, so all he'd be called on to do was probably give a peck on the cheek once in the blue moon and I'm sure he'd have no trouble with that.
Having gotten so used to JP and Craig in HO forever kissing, holding hands and being shown in bed, the chasteness of Corrie and Emmerdale is weird now! lol:)
I've never watched EE so I dunno what that gay couple do.
Yes, it's all a bit lame.
All relationships should be treated the same way regardless of the gender of the people involved. I find it really odd that Corrie has a gay producer who is seemingly happy to let this sort of inequality persist.
I'm not advocating having Sawfie and Sian or Sean and Marcus shoving their tongues down each others throats every episode but they should at least try to act as if they're in some sort of relationship.
Sawfie and Sian don't do too badly on this count but all the Sean stuff has been as chaste as a virgin. There was that ridiculous scenario where him and Michelle were meant to be seeing the same bloke (I forget the characters name) and there was a scene with him and Sean supposedly kissing in the doorway. It was so badly filmed that it was blatantly obvious that Ms. Cotton and Ace Bhatti (now starring in DeadEnders) were even touching lips.
Collinson should really make more of an effort to put Corrie's treatment of gay relationships on a more equal footing and if Ms. Cotton / whoever else aren't comfortable with that I'm sure that there are hundreds of actors out that that would quite happily "go gay" for the chance of a permanent role in Corrie.
All relationships should be treated the same way regardless of the gender of the people involved. I find it really odd that Corrie has a gay producer who is seemingly happy to let this sort of inequality persist.
I'm not advocating having Sawfie and Sian or Sean and Marcus shoving their tongues down each others throats every episode but they should at least try to act as if they're in some sort of relationship.
Sawfie and Sian don't do too badly on this count but all the Sean stuff has been as chaste as a virgin. There was that ridiculous scenario where him and Michelle were meant to be seeing the same bloke (I forget the characters name) and there was a scene with him and Sean supposedly kissing in the doorway. It was so badly filmed that it was blatantly obvious that Ms. Cotton and Ace Bhatti (now starring in DeadEnders) were even touching lips.
Collinson should really make more of an effort to put Corrie's treatment of gay relationships on a more equal footing and if Ms. Cotton / whoever else aren't comfortable with that I'm sure that there are hundreds of actors out that that would quite happily "go gay" for the chance of a permanent role in Corrie.
BIB: the character you're talking about was called Sonny and was played by Pal
Aron not the fabulous Ace Bhatti:)
I used to watch Corrie back then and I remember that scene very clearly, it was so ridiculous I actually remember laughing out loud:rolleyes: Then again, Antony Cotton's acting usually has that effect on me, it's one of the reasons I stopped watching Corrie:sleep:
Having gotten so used to JP and Craig in HO forever kissing, holding hands and being shown in bed, the chasteness of Corrie and Emmerdale is weird now! lol:)
I've never watched EE so I dunno what that gay couple do.
I think EE are doing a good job of portraying their gay couple Christian and Syed, although I think a lot of that is down to the obvious on screen chemistry between the two actors and the fact that they get on so well in real life. I think it's quite difficult for EE to portray a gay couple on primetime BBC1 as there are certain rules they need to adhere to, but they're doing a good job so far within the restraints of what they can do. I love how physically affectionate Christian and Syed are towards each other. They're always touching, whether that be by cuddling, kissing or holding hands etc. It's disappointing though that they're still not treated equally with the straight couple's in the show but they are certainly heading in the right direction and there's a real normality about their scene's, which I love.
They have the most genuine relationship in the whole show IMO and they don't need to be constantly shoving their tongues down each other's throat to show this (although it would be nice, lol! )
Sawfie and Sian don't do too badly on this count but all the Sean stuff has been as chaste as a virgin. There was that ridiculous scenario where him and Michelle were meant to be seeing the same bloke (I forget the characters name) and there was a scene with him and Sean supposedly kissing in the doorway. It was so badly filmed that it was blatantly obvious that Ms. Cotton and Ace Bhatti (now starring in DeadEnders) were even touching lips.
Ugh, that was beyond ridiculous. It was just laughable and so obvious that their lips weren't even anywhere near each other :rolleyes:
They're better than Coronation Street and Emmerdale, but not as good as Hollyoaks; which is the best soap for showing m/m sexuality by a mile. The current Brendan/Ste storyline has been choc full of kisses...and not pecks either.
So I've heard. I stopped watching when JP and Craig left so that's the only gay experience I've had on HO - so to speak!
But I've read that Brendan really goes for it. Emmett is clearly a class actor not caring that he's snogging a gay bloke! lol
God, can you imagine Corrie ever having the balls to do a JP and Craig or a Brendan and Ste couple in a storyline?
They obviously think they're doing their brave bit for gay storylines having two nubile teenage girls playing gay to titillate the men watching - who of course never complain about two females snogging but would say two men doing it is disgusting. :rolleyes:
Anyway, that's why I say Bruno wouldn't need to worry about such things if he ever DID return for longer than an episode.
I'll never ever forget the lie spouted by the producer about Todd and Karl BEFORE THE STORYLINE HAD ACTUALLY GOT DOING (I think he said it about 2 months before Karl appeared) when he said 'Todd kissing Karl will be treated no different to Todd kissing Sarah'
Load of bollocks. He was still kissing Sarah even when he wanted to be with Karl who he didn't touch with a barge pole - and we all know what we got in total of Todd and Karl 'kissing' The 2 second kiss on Canal Street (Corrie again probably thinking they deserved an award for being 'brave' and actually filming in Canal Street! :rolleyes: ) and the little peck in the hospital corridor.
Wow. Hot stuff - not.
All relationships should be treated the same way regardless of the gender of the people involved. I find it really odd that Corrie has a gay producer who is seemingly happy to let this sort of inequality persist.
I'm not advocating having Sawfie and Sian or Sean and Marcus shoving their tongues down each others throats every episode but they should at least try to act as if they're in some sort of relationship.
Sawfie and Sian don't do too badly on this count but all the Sean stuff has been as chaste as a virgin. There was that ridiculous scenario where him and Michelle were meant to be seeing the same bloke (I forget the characters name) and there was a scene with him and Sean supposedly kissing in the doorway. It was so badly filmed that it was blatantly obvious that Ms. Cotton and Ace Bhatti (now starring in DeadEnders) were even touching lips.
Collinson should really make more of an effort to put Corrie's treatment of gay relationships on a more equal footing and if Ms. Cotton / whoever else aren't comfortable with that I'm sure that there are hundreds of actors out that that would quite happily "go gay" for the chance of a permanent role in Corrie.
Sonny. Who can forget the hilarious fake kiss in the doorway? lol
And as I've just said in a post, two nubile schoolgirls being allowed the occasional kiss is nothing but a safe way of not getting any complaints.
After all, even straight girls kiss each other - straight men don't - and a lot of straight 'celebs' like to snog for a camera for the laugh it gives them. Madonna and Britney Spears started it off, I believe.
The fact the producer is gay is a strange one cos I remember the accusation was levelled at him that he wanted to have half the cast being gay cos HE was gay, which again is all well and good, but when they're all chaste, never kissing or holding hands (the men of course) - what's the point. As I keep saying, do they think they're doing their bit for the gay world :rolleyes: just cos they have gay characters?
I'm not even gonna comment about Lettuce! There are no words, anyway!
I used to watch Corrie back then and I remember that scene very clearly, it was so ridiculous I actually remember laughing out loud:rolleyes: Then again, Antony Cotton's acting usually has that effect on me, it's one of the reasons I stopped watching Corrie:sleep:
Ms. Cotton can't act his way out of a wet paper bag but that was dire even by his, admittedly, very low standards.
Sonny. Who can forget the hilarious fake kiss in the doorway? lol
And as I've just said in a post, two nubile schoolgirls being allowed the occasional kiss is nothing but a safe way of not getting any complaints.
After all, even straight girls kiss each other - straight men don't - and a lot of straight 'celebs' like to snog for a camera for the laugh it gives them. Madonna and Britney Spears started it off, I believe.
!
Loads of straight men do, it's becoming way more common.
Loads of straight men do, it's becoming way more common.
Sadly I've never seen a telly programme where such a thing happens and two straight men greet each other with a kiss on the cheek!
So what was Todd like tonight? I saw a thread where people were saying he was being a snob. Is Bruno using his real voice, then? I always thought Bruno sounded very middle class in real life and he made himself sound commoner for Todd! lol
Someone also said Jools was only on screen for about 30 seconds. Surely not!
If Todd was only on screen for a few minutes, he must be in more than one episode if he was filming for 5 days, surely... ?
Well all I can say is thank God for recording and the FF button so I could avoid The Lettuce. Even his blurry image offends.
I'd say 3 minutes screen time was all they gave Toddo - I refuse to use that daft new moniker the walking pullover of a boyfriend is trying to use on him.
What happened to Todd's character? He's become a spineless snob, so desperate to hold on to a boyfriend down (up?) the Smoke he has committed his own character assassination. I think Gail got it right 1st time! What the hell happened to him?
He needs a good nurse, and soon, to stiffen his resolve and sort him out (Sorry Matron, just watched Carry On Camping! )
It almost looks like they are building a plot where Toddo can run back to his mummy in a few months with his tail between his legs - characters successful after they leave Weatherfield never come back do they! No career, no boyfriend - and no character it seems. Bring back the original Toddo.
That said, Bruno scrubs up better than ever as he matures :cool:
Well all I can say is thank God for recording and the FF button so I could avoid The Lettuce. Even his blurry image offends.
I'd say 3 minutes screen time was all they gave Toddo - I refuse to use that daft new moniker the walking pullover of a boyfriend is trying to use on him.
What happened to Todd's character? He's become a spineless snob, so desperate to hold on to a boyfriend down (up?) the Smoke he has committed his own character assassination. I think Gail got it right 1st time! What the hell happened to him?
He needs a good nurse, and soon, to stiffen his resolve and sort him out (Sorry Matron, just watched Carry On Camping! )
It almost looks like they are building a plot where Toddo can run back to his mummy in a few months with his tail between his legs - characters successful after they leave Weatherfield never come back do they! No career, no boyfriend - and no character it seems. Bring back the original Toddo.
That said, Bruno scrubs up better than ever as he matures :cool:
I asked on various threads dedictated to last nights ep, what Todd did and said generally (in other words, the reason for him being back) and when someone eventually answered they said what I expected them to say - why not watch it yourself.
Well, for a few reasons. I don't watch Corrie now and I know that Lettuce dominated the episode and I'd rather walk through burning coals than watch him ... but also I saw a few people say Todd was now a snob and I didn't want to see the character I remember being massacred like that, so I certainly didn't miss him, not seeing him.
And they way you paint him sounds even worse than others have said about him, though all they basically said was that he was a snob and now considered himself ashamed of where he came from.
I'm curious about one thing, though. In the 3 minutes he was on screen, was it explained how he came to meet someone rich and posh? And indeed, what IS Todd doing now?
Are they living together in the posh one's mansion, or something? And what name does he call Todd by? He doesn't call him Toddles, or something equally stupid, does he? If Todd puts up with a stupid cringy name, that probably tells a lot about what he's turned into.
Anyway, I'm glad I didn't miss anything. Now had he turned up with Karl .... well, of course, he wouldn't be a stuck up snob, and that was obviously what they wanted to turn Todd into.
He sounds very unpleasant now, anyway. So I'm glad I didn't watch. He looked nice in the pic of him I saw - and better than last time 4 years ago, when they overdid the 'gay' look with him, but that's the best I can say, I think! At least he was a normal common person last time! lol
Apparently only 20% of the viewing public bothered to watch last nights Corrie. As someone said, it's not just that people weren't watching TV cos of the weather or whatever, they just didn't bother watching this programme. Maybe everyone knew it would mostly be featuring lettuce and that put them off! lol
I mean, it's been well plugged as a special Easter Sunday episode for at least a month.
I see Jonathan Harvey was the writer, presumably chosen becasue both of the episode threads involved gay characters and it was felt he would be the best writer for them.
The main problems with the episode were the fact that everything was so rushed and that some of the dialogue was so leaden that the people concerned struggled to bring it to life.
Lettuce's plot thread was rushed with him turning up to find Violet and Jamie on the verge of breaking up along with ex-lover Marcus keeping an eye on Dylan in the kitchen.
Then after a whirlwind montage of various London landmarks it was back to Violet's to find out she and Jamie had broken up. Lettuce suggests taking Dylan back to Waetherfield whereupon Violet accuses him of being a leach and tells him how he was only ever meant to be a sperm donor.
That, of course, gave Lettuce a chance to storm out which allowed him and Marcus to have some alone time and for Lettuce to tell Marcus how he wanted a man to make a big romantic gesture.
Everything seemed so forced and rushed. The Lettuce / Violet row came out of nowhere and we're also meant to believe that Marcus is still attracted to Lettuce enough to turn up at the bus station with a huge bunch of red roses. If he was that bothered why didn't he get in touch with Lettuce before?
The other main plot thread concerned Todd of course ~ or Toddley as Jools calls him. Please pass the sick bucket.
I'm in two minds about Todd's plot thread. On one hand I can understand that he might be worried about Jools' reaction to Coronation Street, the house etc, particularly as Jools comes "from money".
But I find it difficult to believe that Todd wouldn't have explained what sort of place Coronation Street was like before the trip North from London.
Eileen's attempt at a "nice lunch" was cringeworthy. She's always been presented as a down to earth women full of common sense and had obviously spent a lot of time tidying the house.
Given that, you have to ask why she made some dog's breakfast of a meal if she was so keen to make a good impression on Jools. Perhaps it was just a plot device for Todd to illustrate how ashamed he was meant to be of the place he had come from.
I can't say I took to Jools at all with his overuse of the "Toddley" nickname. I suppose you have to give him some credit for talking some sense into Todd and making him sort out his relationship with Eileen but, as with the Lettuce thread the whole thing was rushed and full of some cringeworthy dialogue.
Characterwise, Todd being so desperate to keep hold of Jools that he was prepared to cause a rift with Eileen and Jason felt wrong on every single level.
I do hope that, at some point in the future, if Bruno agrees to come back for a longer term we discover that Todd has been living with Jools and hasn't been working. The relationship has broken down and Todd's come back to Weatherfield because he has nowhere to live and no job.
I see Jonathan Harvey was the writer, presumably chosen becasue both of the episode threads involved gay characters and it was felt he would be the best writer for them.
The main problems with the episode were the fact that everything was so rushed and that some of the dialogue was so leaden that the people concerned struggled to bring it to life.
Lettuce's plot thread was rushed with him turning up to find Violet and Jamie on the verge of breaking up along with ex-lover Marcus keeping an eye on Dylan in the kitchen.
Then after a whirlwind montage of various London landmarks it was back to Violet's to find out she and Jamie had broken up. Lettuce suggests taking Dylan back to Waetherfield whereupon Violet accuses him of being a leach and tells him how he was only ever meant to be a sperm donor.
That, of course, gave Lettuce a chance to storm out which allowed him and Marcus to have some alone time and for Lettuce to tell Marcus how he wanted a man to make a big romantic gesture.
Everything seemed so forced and rushed. The Lettuce / Violet row came out of nowhere and we're also meant to believe that Marcus is still attracted to Lettuce enough to turn up at the bus station with a huge bunch of red roses. If he was that bothered why didn't he get in touch with Lettuce before?
The other main plot thread concerned Todd of course ~ or Toddley as Jools calls him. Please pass the sick bucket.
I'm in two minds about Todd's plot thread. On one hand I can understand that he might be worried about Jools' reaction to Coronation Street, the house etc, particularly as Jools comes "from money".
But I find it difficult to believe that Todd wouldn't have explained what sort of place Coronation Street was like before the trip North from London.
Eileen's attempt at a "nice lunch" was cringeworthy. She's always been presented as a down to earth women full of common sense and had obviously spent a lot of time tidying the house.
Given that, you have to ask why she made some dog's breakfast of a meal if she was so keen to make a good impression on Jools. Perhaps it was just a plot device for Todd to illustrate how ashamed he was meant to be of the place he had come from.
I can't say I took to Jools at all with his overuse of the "Toddley" nickname. I suppose you have to give him some credit for talking some sense into Todd and making him sort out his relationship with Eileen but, as with the Lettuce thread the whole thing was rushed and full of some cringeworthy dialogue.
Characterwise, Todd being so desperate to keep hold of Jools that he was prepared to cause a rift with Eileen and Jason felt wrong on every single level.
I do hope that, at some point in the future, if Bruno agrees to come back for a longer term we discover that Todd has been living with Jools and hasn't been working. The relationship has broken down and Todd's come back to Weatherfield because he has nowhere to live and no job.
Overall then, rather a letdown.
3 out of 10.
Pretty much my thoughts exactly - what a complete let-down and misfire on so many levels.
Todd has had a complete change of character - how would he (or anyone!) put up with such a caricature posho as a bf -Toddley - i mean ffs!!
The whole ep was so badly contrived and rushed The Violet/Jamie argument was so unconvincing and the acting left a lot to be desired - probably because of the dreadful dialogue.
And you think Gail would've got over herself by now - the confrontation was so predictable. If they're trying to kill off chances for Todd to make another return they've done a good job.
I know there's already a separate thread concerning this news but I thought I'd record it for posterity on here....
Coronation Street’s Eileen Grimshaw will have a full house this autumn when prodigal son Todd returns to Weatherfield.
Todd, played by Bruno Langley, will move back home from London and his arrival will cause problems for a few of the Street’s residents.
Corrie bosses are staying tight lipped about why Todd has chosen to return, but it’s clear that whilst Eileen is thrilled to have him back, others are going to struggle with him being around.
And his presence on the street is going to mean heartache for more than one Corrie resident.
Todd arrived in Weatherfield in 2001 with brother Jason and their single mum Eileen. He left in 2004 returning briefly in 2007.
'...his presence on the street is going to mean heartache for more than one Corrie resident.'
He was last seen in April 2011 when he visited Eileen bringing his partner Jools with him. But it soon became clear that Todd was embarrassed of his family and the street where he once lived. He left but apologised to Eileen for his behaviour.
During his time in Weatherfield Todd set tongues wagging when he came out as gay - trying it on with a sleeping Nick Tilsley whilst dating Nick’s sister Sarah Platt.
The feud between the two families continued and to this day the antagonism between Eileen and Gail rears its head with the slightest provocation.
Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn said: "I'm really happy to welcome Bruno back to Weatherfield. Todd is a much loved character who has real history on the show and his return will leave Eileen with some impossible choices."
Bruno Langley said: "Having worked extensively in the theatre for the past few years, I am very happy to be coming back to Corrie, getting back on screen, and working with my old cast mates again. Since I left in 2004 I have met many wonderful people, and done some amazing jobs, but best of all I now have a beautiful son Freddie Langley."
"Right now seems to be a great time to return to The Street, as I have just moved back to Manchester myself, and it's going to be interesting to see if Todd has changed after being in London for so long, as I have changed as a person too."
"I would like to thank our producer Stuart for inviting me back, and it's definitely going to make me smile when the Grimshaw family are finally back together again!”
Since leaving Coronation Street Bruno has appeared in Doctor Who and had a successful theatre career including Romeo and Juliet, A Taste of Honey, Calendar Girls and more recently the 60th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap.
This is wonderful news and especially for those of us who have kept the faith.
Langley is a compelling actor. He was so ten years ago and he is still today. I have seen him in all of his theatre vehicles and he has grown in stature, culminating in his recent role in the Mousetrap where he really stole several scenes.
Returns like this can be disappointing. But I suspect this will just add to the strength that Corrie has been showing recently, carried by excellent younger actors like Chris Fountain and Michelle Keegan to go with the older stars.
It will never be 2004 again, but 2013 onwards has been brightened up considerably by this wonderful news..:)
Comments
Isn't that the point of the scene though? he's meant to be awkward. He's bringing his rich boyfriend home to meet the family and has turned into a bit of a snob so he's a bit embarrassed about what Jools is going to think of where he's come from.
Also, Bruno has no problems with playing a gay character, kissing another man - that was just press talk
I'm looking forward to the episode tomorrow, although don't know how they're going to fit it all into half an hour! They shouldn't have bothered with the Sean storyline to be honest, does anyone actually care about him meeting up with Dylan and Marcus?
I think his opinion has shifted Flukie.
When my friend Patsy and I saw him at a DW convention just after he'd been in Season One he said that he was happy with his Corrie exit but wouldn't be going back.
Obviously this is the second occasion he's been back since then so his opinion on Corrie has shifted!
From what he's said they have asked him back before before he's always been busy with other stuff.
We all know the acting profession is notoriously unpredictable so if Bruno were ever out of a job for some time and Corrie asked him to go back he may well end up doing something for a longer period.
As I said, I haven't seen the scene in question and probably won't see it tomorrow night so it will be some time next week before I can see whether or not I agree about any awkwardness between him and Jools.
Nay, nay and thrice nay! :mad::mad::mad::mad:
It sounds like absolute garbage and Sean having a civil partnership with Marcus as soon as he's reintroduced just seems rushed and forced.
Agreed 100%... And Sean and Marcus have about as much chemistry as Emmerdale's Aaron & Jackson...just Collinson keeping one of his favourites sweet..
At least Sean and Marcus don't go round calling each other "mate" constantly like Aaron and Jackson. That was beyond pathetic!
I'm pleased Todd's back though and had no problem with Jools...except that jumper round his shoulders, what the hell was that all about?!
There's someone who is DEFINITELY awkward playing gay!
I loved the comment someone made on the Aaron thread in response to someone saying saying get Jackson killed off for goodness sake (it's dragging on forever leading up to the suicide plot) and give Aaron a new boyfriend ... and someone said they've already used up the excuse he's not comfortable with shows off affection, to explain away the fact he and Jackson never used to kiss or hold hands or whatever (before his accident of course) and Jackson puts up with it cos he's understanding and he's his first boyfriend, etc. but no new bloke would put up with it.
Danny Miller loves being the Star of Emmerdale but he clearly is as awkward as hell playing a gay character.
Bruno, it's true, would never be as bad as that! lol
But of course, Corrie never dare show kissing and hand holding with two men anyway, so all he'd be called on to do was probably give a peck on the cheek once in the blue moon and I'm sure he'd have no trouble with that.
Having gotten so used to JP and Craig in HO forever kissing, holding hands and being shown in bed, the chasteness of Corrie and Emmerdale is weird now! lol:)
I've never watched EE so I dunno what that gay couple do.
They're better than Coronation Street and Emmerdale, but not as good as Hollyoaks; which is the best soap for showing m/m sexuality by a mile. The current Brendan/Ste storyline has been choc full of kisses...and not pecks either.
Yes, it's all a bit lame.
All relationships should be treated the same way regardless of the gender of the people involved. I find it really odd that Corrie has a gay producer who is seemingly happy to let this sort of inequality persist.
I'm not advocating having Sawfie and Sian or Sean and Marcus shoving their tongues down each others throats every episode but they should at least try to act as if they're in some sort of relationship.
Sawfie and Sian don't do too badly on this count but all the Sean stuff has been as chaste as a virgin. There was that ridiculous scenario where him and Michelle were meant to be seeing the same bloke (I forget the characters name) and there was a scene with him and Sean supposedly kissing in the doorway. It was so badly filmed that it was blatantly obvious that Ms. Cotton and Ace Bhatti (now starring in DeadEnders) were even touching lips.
Collinson should really make more of an effort to put Corrie's treatment of gay relationships on a more equal footing and if Ms. Cotton / whoever else aren't comfortable with that I'm sure that there are hundreds of actors out that that would quite happily "go gay" for the chance of a permanent role in Corrie.
Aron not the fabulous Ace Bhatti:)
I used to watch Corrie back then and I remember that scene very clearly, it was so ridiculous I actually remember laughing out loud:rolleyes: Then again, Antony Cotton's acting usually has that effect on me, it's one of the reasons I stopped watching Corrie:sleep:
I think EE are doing a good job of portraying their gay couple Christian and Syed, although I think a lot of that is down to the obvious on screen chemistry between the two actors and the fact that they get on so well in real life. I think it's quite difficult for EE to portray a gay couple on primetime BBC1 as there are certain rules they need to adhere to, but they're doing a good job so far within the restraints of what they can do. I love how physically affectionate Christian and Syed are towards each other. They're always touching, whether that be by cuddling, kissing or holding hands etc. It's disappointing though that they're still not treated equally with the straight couple's in the show but they are certainly heading in the right direction and there's a real normality about their scene's, which I love.
They have the most genuine relationship in the whole show IMO and they don't need to be constantly shoving their tongues down each other's throat to show this (although it would be nice, lol!
Ugh, that was beyond ridiculous. It was just laughable and so obvious that their lips weren't even anywhere near each other :rolleyes:
So I've heard. I stopped watching when JP and Craig left so that's the only gay experience I've had on HO - so to speak!
But I've read that Brendan really goes for it. Emmett is clearly a class actor not caring that he's snogging a gay bloke! lol
God, can you imagine Corrie ever having the balls to do a JP and Craig or a Brendan and Ste couple in a storyline?
They obviously think they're doing their brave bit for gay storylines having two nubile teenage girls playing gay to titillate the men watching - who of course never complain about two females snogging but would say two men doing it is disgusting. :rolleyes:
Anyway, that's why I say Bruno wouldn't need to worry about such things if he ever DID return for longer than an episode.
I'll never ever forget the lie spouted by the producer about Todd and Karl BEFORE THE STORYLINE HAD ACTUALLY GOT DOING (I think he said it about 2 months before Karl appeared) when he said 'Todd kissing Karl will be treated no different to Todd kissing Sarah'
Load of bollocks. He was still kissing Sarah even when he wanted to be with Karl who he didn't touch with a barge pole - and we all know what we got in total of Todd and Karl 'kissing' The 2 second kiss on Canal Street (Corrie again probably thinking they deserved an award for being 'brave' and actually filming in Canal Street! :rolleyes: ) and the little peck in the hospital corridor.
Wow. Hot stuff - not.
Sonny. Who can forget the hilarious fake kiss in the doorway? lol
And as I've just said in a post, two nubile schoolgirls being allowed the occasional kiss is nothing but a safe way of not getting any complaints.
After all, even straight girls kiss each other - straight men don't - and a lot of straight 'celebs' like to snog for a camera for the laugh it gives them. Madonna and Britney Spears started it off, I believe.
The fact the producer is gay is a strange one cos I remember the accusation was levelled at him that he wanted to have half the cast being gay cos HE was gay, which again is all well and good, but when they're all chaste, never kissing or holding hands (the men of course) - what's the point. As I keep saying, do they think they're doing their bit for the gay world :rolleyes: just cos they have gay characters?
I'm not even gonna comment about Lettuce! There are no words, anyway!
Sorry, yes. Ace Bhatti played Sunita's brother.
Ms. Cotton can't act his way out of a wet paper bag but that was dire even by his, admittedly, very low standards.
Does he still do the same thing to let everyone know he's acting out something serious? Crossed arms, not smiling, looking at the floor..?
It was embarrassing watching it when I DID watch - to see he did that everytime he was doing something that was supposed to be 'dramatic'
Loads of straight men do, it's becoming way more common.
Sadly I've never seen a telly programme where such a thing happens and two straight men greet each other with a kiss on the cheek!
So what was Todd like tonight? I saw a thread where people were saying he was being a snob. Is Bruno using his real voice, then? I always thought Bruno sounded very middle class in real life and he made himself sound commoner for Todd! lol
Someone also said Jools was only on screen for about 30 seconds. Surely not!
If Todd was only on screen for a few minutes, he must be in more than one episode if he was filming for 5 days, surely... ?
I'd say 3 minutes screen time was all they gave Toddo - I refuse to use that daft new moniker the walking pullover of a boyfriend is trying to use on him.
What happened to Todd's character? He's become a spineless snob, so desperate to hold on to a boyfriend down (up?) the Smoke he has committed his own character assassination. I think Gail got it right 1st time! What the hell happened to him?
He needs a good nurse, and soon, to stiffen his resolve and sort him out
It almost looks like they are building a plot where Toddo can run back to his mummy in a few months with his tail between his legs - characters successful after they leave Weatherfield never come back do they! No career, no boyfriend - and no character it seems. Bring back the original Toddo.
That said, Bruno scrubs up better than ever as he matures :cool:
I asked on various threads dedictated to last nights ep, what Todd did and said generally (in other words, the reason for him being back) and when someone eventually answered they said what I expected them to say - why not watch it yourself.
Well, for a few reasons. I don't watch Corrie now and I know that Lettuce dominated the episode and I'd rather walk through burning coals than watch him ... but also I saw a few people say Todd was now a snob and I didn't want to see the character I remember being massacred like that, so I certainly didn't miss him, not seeing him.
And they way you paint him sounds even worse than others have said about him, though all they basically said was that he was a snob and now considered himself ashamed of where he came from.
I'm curious about one thing, though. In the 3 minutes he was on screen, was it explained how he came to meet someone rich and posh? And indeed, what IS Todd doing now?
Are they living together in the posh one's mansion, or something? And what name does he call Todd by? He doesn't call him Toddles, or something equally stupid, does he? If Todd puts up with a stupid cringy name, that probably tells a lot about what he's turned into.
Anyway, I'm glad I didn't miss anything. Now had he turned up with Karl .... well, of course, he wouldn't be a stuck up snob, and that was obviously what they wanted to turn Todd into.
He sounds very unpleasant now, anyway. So I'm glad I didn't watch. He looked nice in the pic of him I saw - and better than last time 4 years ago, when they overdid the 'gay' look with him, but that's the best I can say, I think!
I mean, it's been well plugged as a special Easter Sunday episode for at least a month.
I see Jonathan Harvey was the writer, presumably chosen becasue both of the episode threads involved gay characters and it was felt he would be the best writer for them.
The main problems with the episode were the fact that everything was so rushed and that some of the dialogue was so leaden that the people concerned struggled to bring it to life.
Lettuce's plot thread was rushed with him turning up to find Violet and Jamie on the verge of breaking up along with ex-lover Marcus keeping an eye on Dylan in the kitchen.
Then after a whirlwind montage of various London landmarks it was back to Violet's to find out she and Jamie had broken up. Lettuce suggests taking Dylan back to Waetherfield whereupon Violet accuses him of being a leach and tells him how he was only ever meant to be a sperm donor.
That, of course, gave Lettuce a chance to storm out which allowed him and Marcus to have some alone time and for Lettuce to tell Marcus how he wanted a man to make a big romantic gesture.
Everything seemed so forced and rushed. The Lettuce / Violet row came out of nowhere and we're also meant to believe that Marcus is still attracted to Lettuce enough to turn up at the bus station with a huge bunch of red roses. If he was that bothered why didn't he get in touch with Lettuce before?
The other main plot thread concerned Todd of course ~ or Toddley as Jools calls him. Please pass the sick bucket.
I'm in two minds about Todd's plot thread. On one hand I can understand that he might be worried about Jools' reaction to Coronation Street, the house etc, particularly as Jools comes "from money".
But I find it difficult to believe that Todd wouldn't have explained what sort of place Coronation Street was like before the trip North from London.
Eileen's attempt at a "nice lunch" was cringeworthy. She's always been presented as a down to earth women full of common sense and had obviously spent a lot of time tidying the house.
Given that, you have to ask why she made some dog's breakfast of a meal if she was so keen to make a good impression on Jools. Perhaps it was just a plot device for Todd to illustrate how ashamed he was meant to be of the place he had come from.
I can't say I took to Jools at all with his overuse of the "Toddley" nickname. I suppose you have to give him some credit for talking some sense into Todd and making him sort out his relationship with Eileen but, as with the Lettuce thread the whole thing was rushed and full of some cringeworthy dialogue.
Characterwise, Todd being so desperate to keep hold of Jools that he was prepared to cause a rift with Eileen and Jason felt wrong on every single level.
I do hope that, at some point in the future, if Bruno agrees to come back for a longer term we discover that Todd has been living with Jools and hasn't been working. The relationship has broken down and Todd's come back to Weatherfield because he has nowhere to live and no job.
Overall then, rather a letdown.
3 out of 10.
Pretty much my thoughts exactly - what a complete let-down and misfire on so many levels.
Todd has had a complete change of character - how would he (or anyone!) put up with such a caricature posho as a bf -Toddley - i mean ffs!!
The whole ep was so badly contrived and rushed The Violet/Jamie argument was so unconvincing and the acting left a lot to be desired - probably because of the dreadful dialogue.
And you think Gail would've got over herself by now - the confrontation was so predictable. If they're trying to kill off chances for Todd to make another return they've done a good job.
It was kind of weird actually...bringing back all those memories from my teenage-hood !!
Glad to see that the thread is still alive and that some old posters are still around...!
Carl from France
Coronation Street’s Eileen Grimshaw will have a full house this autumn when prodigal son Todd returns to Weatherfield.
Todd, played by Bruno Langley, will move back home from London and his arrival will cause problems for a few of the Street’s residents.
Corrie bosses are staying tight lipped about why Todd has chosen to return, but it’s clear that whilst Eileen is thrilled to have him back, others are going to struggle with him being around.
And his presence on the street is going to mean heartache for more than one Corrie resident.
Todd arrived in Weatherfield in 2001 with brother Jason and their single mum Eileen. He left in 2004 returning briefly in 2007.
'...his presence on the street is going to mean heartache for more than one Corrie resident.'
He was last seen in April 2011 when he visited Eileen bringing his partner Jools with him. But it soon became clear that Todd was embarrassed of his family and the street where he once lived. He left but apologised to Eileen for his behaviour.
During his time in Weatherfield Todd set tongues wagging when he came out as gay - trying it on with a sleeping Nick Tilsley whilst dating Nick’s sister Sarah Platt.
The feud between the two families continued and to this day the antagonism between Eileen and Gail rears its head with the slightest provocation.
Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn said: "I'm really happy to welcome Bruno back to Weatherfield. Todd is a much loved character who has real history on the show and his return will leave Eileen with some impossible choices."
Bruno Langley said: "Having worked extensively in the theatre for the past few years, I am very happy to be coming back to Corrie, getting back on screen, and working with my old cast mates again. Since I left in 2004 I have met many wonderful people, and done some amazing jobs, but best of all I now have a beautiful son Freddie Langley."
"Right now seems to be a great time to return to The Street, as I have just moved back to Manchester myself, and it's going to be interesting to see if Todd has changed after being in London for so long, as I have changed as a person too."
"I would like to thank our producer Stuart for inviting me back, and it's definitely going to make me smile when the Grimshaw family are finally back together again!”
Since leaving Coronation Street Bruno has appeared in Doctor Who and had a successful theatre career including Romeo and Juliet, A Taste of Honey, Calendar Girls and more recently the 60th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap.
Langley is a compelling actor. He was so ten years ago and he is still today. I have seen him in all of his theatre vehicles and he has grown in stature, culminating in his recent role in the Mousetrap where he really stole several scenes.
Returns like this can be disappointing. But I suspect this will just add to the strength that Corrie has been showing recently, carried by excellent younger actors like Chris Fountain and Michelle Keegan to go with the older stars.
It will never be 2004 again, but 2013 onwards has been brightened up considerably by this wonderful news..:)