The quality is dreadful. Just dreadful. What happened to the brilliant start it had to the year? Leanne and Nick's wedding averaged 11.0 and 11.9 million viewers. They're focusing on the wrong characters. Xin, Graeme, Becky, Tracy and Steve are all terrible characters.

Just awful.

Yeah there is a good few threads about this tonight. I am close to switching off for the summer months like I did last year

I agree that they are focusing a lot on certain characters but they have to make sure they include all the characters in the show because it wouldn't be fair. Phil Collinson is doing his best, it can't be easy trying to think up a load of storylines

Well it should be I bet Granada ITV Studios have more people behind the scenes than lets say Hollyoaks and Eastenders

Yep totally agree there, the only laugh I got tonight was seeing Jason, Tommy and Tyrone - I think they have good chemistry, I really hope they explore some interesting storylines with Tommy (not have him as just the 2D pretty boy), and same with Tyrone - after Molly.

But as you say Steve and Becky is DIRE, I actually cant watch her any more, she is so so unlikeable, its the same storyline with Karen-Steve-Tracey rehashed expect Becky is so much harder to watch.

And Graham and Xin, its like someone has sucked the life out of the tv when they are on screen, please let them go now, and give Tina an interesting storyline!

Would like to see Gail in a good storyline too.

Agreed - written a lot here: http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1473785

Corrie is not great at the moment and I agree that they're focusing way too much on the same small group of characters (do Becky and Steve need to be in every single episode? :sleep. Yet it's still more watchable than the borefest it became under Kim Crowther, IMO.

I think Steve, Becky & Graeme are good characters but are being ruined by rubbish storylines, bad writing and too much screen time

The first thing Collinson should've done is split Becky and Steve up; they're great characters but drag each other down and become unbearable (especially Becky) in the process. Once he missed that opportunity and instead went down the stealing money route he was always going to struggle.

Tracey's return was badly plotted and subsequently written. She's provided nothing that was needed to the show IMO.

Xin should've been introduced slowly - the whole affair has been dull and stupid without capturing the imagination simply because Xin is so dull and we don't know anything about her other than the immigration storyline.

It would've been better for the Frank and Maria storyline to remain ambigious in regards to the 'rape' allegation (as in, never aired that scene) as the resulting fumble the two of them had didn't reveal anything other than confusion, which I don't think was the intention.

But deep down the issue is the show is currently plot led rather than character led. Turn that around, and think about how characters would truely act and they'd suddenly find themselves with a stronger programme on their hands.

It isn't at its best, but I would hardly say the quality is dreadful. I agree that Xin, Graeme and Becky are all becoming tedious to watch :sleep: but Tracy and Steve are really good characters and are great to watch.

its rank now

Leanne and Nick's wedding? Did I miss something?

Oh, sorry! Leanne and Peter. I was thinking of Nick because he cheated with Leanne.

The show has hardly declined under Phil, he's the one who made the so good last year/earlier this year, it's gone into a bit of a downtime, but I reckon it'll pick up properly in July/August

You had me thinking there!

Yeah, him, a team of writers, an executive producer. Them story conferences they have, yes it must be very hard.

Come off it. Coronation Street is a legend in it's own right, and I think perhaps the time has come for a bit of clearout on the cobbles. It happens to all the soaps at one time or another, it gets stale. And there is something very wrong at Corrie at the moment.

The storylines are just dreadful. Far too much of some characters, Becky, Graeme, Xin, Tina, Mary. Whilst all the others are just in the background with hardly any storylines at all.

The John Stape storyline has gone on too long, and its now gone beyond a farce. Mind you, with the other storylines not setting the telly on fire, its no wonder they've dragged this out as much as they have.

Phil Collinson promised a more hard hitting Corrie. Well apart from the Tram, theres been nowt much hard hitting from what I can see. Tram Week whilst spectacular, was a bit of a letdown in terms of story. No big surprise deaths, just characters who were going anyway. The laughable fourth victim being someone we didn't even know or see on screen.

The stories since then have been extremly patchy to say the least.

The quality at the moment just isn't there. And I think the way things are going, the axe is goiing to come down hard on Coronation Street, with some familar faces being shown the door, It happened in the late 90s, and it could happen again.

I really hope Phil isn't putting all his eggs in one basket with Michelle Collins's arrival.

I had myself thinking, too!

LOL.

Gail has become the Pauline Fowler of Coronation Street. I'd like to see her brought back to life a bit more.

I reckon she's more Carol Jackson.

There was more to the tram crash than the deaths, it was the community pulling together, a strong aspect for Coronation Street. And dont kid yourself that there would be shock deaths, if they where to kill off characters like Ken, Rita, Peter etc, that would already of been leaked. Although I was fine with the deaths that occured, it all lead to other plots.

The problem for me with Corrie at the moment is all the stuff with Steve and Becky, in my opinion it feels like it has all gone in a loop. Something happens between Tracy and Steve, Becky kicks of, gets drunk, have to put up with her cringeworthy shouting and babbling at Steve, he has a go at her, then they make up, only for it to repeat a couple of weeks later. I couldnt give a damn about her wanting Max, if he gets taken away, I dont care. Sounds cruel of me, but this storyline just bores me to tears.

I am enjoying John Stape stuff and glad it is nearing its conclusion in the next few weeks (although I will miss John). This story couldnt drag on forever I guess, unless the writers wrote it somehow that we just put behind all the murders and fraud and move on.

I am looking forward to Dennis Tanner's return next week, hopefully this will include a lot of oldies like Ken, Emily and Rita and Norris, and maybe mentions about Elsie and Linda and (hopefully) find out what has become of them. I love seeing old faces from the past.

It certainly lost it's sparkle in 2011.

Not as much as EastEnders!

Hes introducded Sylvia-hes developing Mary and Claudia -wheres the decline?

I think theres some good slowburn storylines like Owens menace, Franks sinister side and Sallys new romance

Tbh, EastEnders lost it's sparkle in 2010.