I love Coronation Street but unfortunately I am beginning to see some cracks forming and if their not fixed pronto then I fear it will cause severe long-term problems. Firstly I know Tina has been made unlikable for quite some time (even during Collinson's reign) and although she has handed the baby back the storyline still caused the character a lot of criticism.

We also have Leanne who has been morphing back into a really unlikable woman again, the way she spoke to Kylie the other week felt very unrealistic as she has been very pleasant and likable.

The upcoming Paul/Steve/Lloyd storyline feels like a very contrived and unrealistic attempt to write out Paul's character. Eileen has also been completely and utterly ruined beyond repair (perhaps she can be redeemed when Todd returns but even so).

Then we have Peter/Tracey and Rob who are all painful to watch!

Finally we have Anna, Faye, Tim, Katy and Gary who are just vile and Anna has really been made to be an ultimate bitch as of late!

Then we have the departures of;

Hayley I personally can't see Roy working without her!
Tina I don't like her but she is still a big loss to the show.
Karl I don't like him either but he has been sort of entertaining to watch.
Dr.Carter I feel he did have potential

This might only be my opinion but I am beginning to notice some subtle changes in characters personalities and they're not good changes either!

I agree. I say have a plane crash on the cobbles which gets rid of Anna, Owen, Gary, Leanne, Eileen, Mandy, Tracey and, for a good storyline after, David.

this x

And I'm sorry and I will probably get a lot of hate for this but could the show grow a pair and kill Rita off. Yet again a long-serving character has been destroyed and her constant opening her purse to help Tina and constant interfering is just declining her character!

David Pratt is also becoming a chore to watch!

Oh and how could I forget Maria, Sean and Marcus??
A cast cull is needed badly!

The only good thing about the show at the moment is the referencing of past characters.

In fairness a lot of it is a matter of opinion. I don't think Rita has been destroyed. Personally I don't find Leeanne and Tina unlikeable either.

Perhaps, although the way Leanne talked in fact pretty much demanded Kylie to work especially given that Kylie is heavily pregnant was very rude.

Rita is too involved, Tina isn't a 14 year-old girl, she's old enough now to make her own decisions and shouldn't rely on other people to sort out her mistakes. I know they have a close bond but it's ruining both characters and the storyline.

I don't really agree with any of these tbh :

Hayley - it's a devastating departure, but Roy was Roy before she showed up and now he has his mother, (the totally brilliant Sylvia), to support him and help him.

Tina - I don't like her either, along with many others, and frankly I don't think she will be missed for more than a week or two.

Karl - sooner or later, all Corrie villains must (quite rightly) get their comeuppance. Sooner or later another villain will come along to replace him, just as all soaps bring on new soap villains to replace departing ones.

Dr Carter - I don't know why he was never developed as a character, but for whatever reason, he wasn't and was so invisible that few will miss him now.

I'm very happy with Corrie at the moment. I absolutely love Demon David and can't wait to see how far he will go and how many lives he will damage.

I love Roy, Hayles and Sylvia and (much as I hate the idea), Hayley's cancer sl will undoubtedly be gripping television.

Whilst I can't wait to be rid of TinyFireman, I think this is a great way to not only get rid of him, (which can only massively benefit Eileen's character), but it is also going to cause huge divisions within the Street. Again, hugely entertaining for me.

I think the David/Kylie/Nick story and Hayley's exit will be the saving grace for Corrie over the next 12 months. There aint much else im interested in to be honest.

BIB. Ah yes, the latent ageism, prevalent on DS, rearing its ugly head again.

Boring old rubbish and they no longer talk with a Lancashire accent. The street has gone posh for some reason.

How has her character 'been destroyed'? Without children of her own, she has always, for decades, been shown to be kind and loving towards problem youngsters.

Is it wrong for her to use her money to help others? It's not like she uses it as some form of blackmail to control others, Tina included. She genuinely likes to help young people with their problems. What on earth could possibly be wrong with that?

I can't say I agree at all really. The cracks you are referring to are all a matter of opinion, mainly yours.

I do agree with Dr Carter, it is a shame he wasn't developed more but then that is soap for you. There are loads of characters currently on Albert Square who have neither taken off or have come to a complete halt. For the most part, Corrie has a cast which is pretty balanced and all feature quite prominently.

I love Rita and I don't see that because she is old she has to be axed. How unfair is that. The older characters are vital to Coronation Street, because its sense of history balanced with younger cast is why it works so well.

Demon David has been wanted for a while now, and I think the viewers overall are delighted he is back. The Nick/David/Kylie storyline will be one to keep watching for. He is going to make Nick and Gail pay, and I love when the Platts are at war. They are great.

Anna hasn't been made a bitch at all. She was reacting to a situation where her grandson was being taken from her by the surrogate mum, Tina. I don't think Tina has been ruined at all either. I hate when a character is in the wrong or does something controversial, straight away people say oh they're ruined now. They aren't. It is all part of the character journey. If everyone is nice all the time and nothing happens, where is the drama in that?

I think Corrie is great right now. Beyond this year who knows. There is loads on the horizon to look forward to including the return of Todd. It will be interesting to see how that works out. Also Stuart Blackburn's vision for bringing Corrie back to its roots of reflecting Northern working class people and real issues, shall be interesting to see what he comes up with there.

Hayley's departure is of course devastating. But such is the nature of soap. Everyone will leave at some point or other. Tina will leave but I think a very dramatic storyline will ensure the door is left open and that she will be welcomed back in the future.

Stuart Blackburn is bound to be pleased with the reaction to the surrogacy story line and the debate it created. He managed to get people interested in it which is something Phil Collinson failed to do.

I agree that Tracyluv and Rob are painful to watch and definitely when they are together.

As for Leanne, she is dreadful but all soaps have unlikable characters like her. Someone who is miserable a lot of the time, hypocritical, looks down her nose at everyone and judges other people while expecting no one to judge her. There are too many ghastly people like that in the real world and Kylie is worth 10 of her.

Maria and Marcus are boring but at least Todd's return (however predictable it is) might make it more interesting and watchable.

The David story line is contrived but at least evil David is back. He has been too nice for far too long.

The Paul plot looks pretty bad but maybe it gets better and better although I accept that is probably asking for too much.

I agree about Anna. It's a shame because I used to like her.

Katy and Chesney are pathetic:yawn:

Does anyone else think that things could only get better if the constant spoilers and direction that the characters are heading in wasn't constantly being force fed to the viewers day and night? It's got so bad now that they almost give you the lines the characters are going to say six weeks from now. what the hell is going on? I think the writers have so little confidence in what they're doing that they feel the need to run everything by the public first to test the waters. I can't sometimes tell if I'm watching the show or a trailer for the show instead. Also what is the point of watching at all if you can't build up a inside knowledge and appreciation for your favourite characters? and a love to hate sentiment for the ones you don't like of course too. This is what we watch for after all isn't it? to feel like we 'know' them and in doing so can learn to believe in them as though they were real people. How can you do this when you are having to question yourself about the characters over and over again as what you thought was someone's personality changes from one episode to the next to suit the circumstances? This is really imo what is bringing the show down the most. Also why do the actors all seem to want their character to be liked so badly? There have to be baddies, so why aren't there any actors who actually enjoy their role as such any longer? It's like no one can overcome their state of fear of rejection enough to not care or something. I do like Tina a lot and it will be to the shows detriment to lose her for a fact. She is one of the strongest yet understated characters. Anna Windass is just awful, a real pathetic and unpleasant smarmy old trout and she seems to be getting more and more screen time for some assinine reason. Leanne is a really engaging actress who does well with comedy and tragedy alike but they have removed her to a situation where we can't see her flourish. It's time Corrie had a real heart to heart with itself and realised that somethings going badly wrong. Also before I forget, there's also a severe shortage of strong male figures, who can be tough and no nonsense but not feel the need to morph into the obligatory serial killer type. I'm starting to wonder if they even have the capacity to do this at all. Some things for corrie to think about i hope

I meant to say the writing for Leanne has bothered me for such a long time. She is so high and mighty all the time. Ex druggie prostitute, and she spends most of her time looking down her nose at the likes of Kylie and Carla. Getting on Karl's case over an affair which happened two years ago.

I agree about the writing for Leanne. I don't understand why they have made her so grumpy, snippy and generally unlikeable recently, (not because of her history - all soap characters have histories, but they move on). Personally I found Leanne immensely likeable and even admirable when she was with Peter and Simon and almost made them a good family, even when Peter was doing his damndest to pee it all up against the wall with his alcoholism).

Re Karl - his affair with Sunita wasn't two years ago. Fact is, Karl is a weak and feckless character and good on Leanne for recognising that. We all know she will be proved right quite soon. She will soon also have her own heartbreak when the Nick/Kylie business comes out.

I just wish the writers weren't making her such an unsympathetic character in the meantime.

You forgot Izzy, jeez I can't stand her.

Excellent analysis. A two bit brass for whom the end of the line cannot be far away.

I hate Tracy as a "person" but as a character she adds to the street. She allows other characters to develop. Loved Sylvia defending Roy and throwing the tea over her.

I've actually worked with bitches like Tracy, and a few who would have loved to throw tea over her but never had the opportunity - or courage.

Leanne - well she is grumpy and snippy....but so is my daughter! Hope I'm not like Gail (except she does have a great figure and skin for her age)

Leanne is a quality woman who has turned out well considering she was raised by the Battersby's.

Nope, I'm still loving it.

Blimey is he off again!

I think they ought to get rid of Mandy and Jenna, who are both so completely rubbish and unnecessary that it's utterly depressing to watch them.

What do you expect? Her biological mother is the queen of being high and mighty, getting involved in everyone else's business constantly and always trying to be the voice of reason. I wish someone would remind St. Ella that she abandoned her own baby and doesn't have the moral high ground over anyone. I liked her character to begin with but she really grates on me now.

Also, am I the only one not excited about Todd's return? I thought he was a dreary character the first time around, even the gay thing didn't make him more interesting. The only good thing about his return would be the revival of the Gail/Eileen feud.

If you axe a tonne of Corrie characters then you will alienate the audience and Corrie will become unrecognisable. Look at EE, its lost many big characters/well known faces and now has to introduce a load new, who then turn out to be flops and don't last.

The 'deadwood' as you put it are there to fill in between the larger characters/storylines and create some light relief.

Tommy is another one I'd add to the list of pointless characters, I think Chris Fountain is a competent actor but isn't given anything to do other than follow Tina around. God knows what they'll do with him when she leaves next year.