http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coro...odes-per-week/

He is still pretty active in the industry. If he returned he could shake things up with Ken & Audrey, and also, his daughter could shake things up for Steve.

I agree it's overkill and quality will be the chief casualty

He is 100% right, a stupid decision taken by ITV. Production is one thing, quality is another. Corrie will decline in the long term and I fear we'll be subjected to something inferior than Blackburn's regime.

As for Alec Gilroy returning, please no. If the actor has any sense he'd stay well away. Him and Julie Goodyear should be left alone.

Can't argue with him - he's right.

ITV just need it to fill the schedules.

He won't return as he ruled it out a couple of years back. I did like Alec Gilroy though.

Would love to see him.

I did too, but it should be said that Roy Barraclough is 81 now so I think we can safely say a return for Alec - especially to a six-episode workload - is right off the cards.

It is better off that way anyway.

Roy is right.

i doubt that he would return to Corrie. Just as well, as I never liked Alec Gilroy that much.

Roy doesn't need to worry, saint kate is in charge now she probably wishes it was stretched to 12 a week.

Alec was unquestionably one of the greats, but his time has passed.

In retrospect, Roy Barraclough's original departure in 1992 was one of the exits that most damaged the show. Without him around Bet became the OTT caricature she was until she left, and for a long time the Rovers lacked a strong male presence (Jack was too feckless to fit the bill).

He's right, although it was predictable when they kept adding extra episodes.

So disagree with the first post, so agree with the second. Alec Gilroy, without a doubt, is my all time favourite character in CS.

I was only 6 when he left but I actually remember Bet not being anywhere near as a great a character on her own. It was strange that almost straight after Alec left she started wearing that hideous beehive.

Yes Alec and Bet were just brilliant together; great scenes of them having their breakfast 'in the back'. Shame he didn't stay for longer in that stint as they were a classic couple (he obvs came back later that decade, but Bet had gone)

I always imagined you to be older Helicase due to your love for early 90s Corrie! I'm a year older than you but didn't start watching Corrie until the late 90s.

I started watching some time in the late 80s when Curly was living with the Duckworths (probably about the age of 3). I rewatched this era recently and was surprised by how much I remembered! I did actually stop watching during the mid 90s decline - went and played out instead!.

Late 90s was when Corrie started trying to be EastEnders. Have seen many episodes prior to this?

As much as I can lay my hands on!

I'm not sure you should mention Roy and Julie Goodyear in the same sentence. RB was one of the best actors and comedians of the latter half of the 20th century. It would be fantastic to have return for a couple of episodes.

JG just ... wasn't.

They need to create another strong landlord character. Steve just ain't cutting it.

Corrie just need fresh blood in the Rovers. They had a strong character in Tony, but had no clue what to do with him.

Bet, Alec, Raquel, Jack, Liz/Sandra and Betty was probably the best line up in my lifetime. You knew what everyone's roles were. Today it's a total mess.


I'm not Mrs Goodyear's biggest fan but she moulded a brilliant character in Bet. She simply wasn't the same when Alec left, it all became a bit too caricature, and her various 'comebacks' were the fault of ITV.

I don't want either to return because they were of their time and god forbid what plans the writers have for them.

Totally agree with what you say about RB, an underrated superstar!