Showbiz 5 Special: Coronation Street

The reaction to the latest Coronation Street murder plot may not quite be what producers had hoped for…

It’s fair to say the reaction from many viewers to Friday night‘s Coronation Street isn’t quite how ITV envisioned it would go. With big budget stunts, dramatic plot and a cast of murder suspects it should have competed with anything EastEnders could offer up, but it appears to have turned off many long-term fans and left others wondering if anyone in ITV top management actually care what Corrie is pumping out anymore.

In the ITVX soap special on the murder of Joel ‘Coronation Street – Live’ soapy expert Sharon Marshall mention that on social media viewers had expected the killer to be Kit, clearly she’s not looked at the Digital Spy soap forum where many, most in fact, thought the ‘predicable Lauren’ outcome would be served up. After all it was her character that had suffered the most at the hands of Joel.

The Street tries to be EastEnders, but for whatever reason just never quite pulls it off plot after plot. At Christmas 2023 through dialogue and clever storylining ‘Enders gave ‘the six’ a gripping and unpredictable episode climax. No expense spent on stunts or gimmicks – it was a wine bottle, meat thermometer and six great actresses with a script that brought gripping moments to screen.

Coronation Street Suspects

Here are some of the Word on the Web that viewers have been posting about the Corrie story that seems to have lost the plot…

“Get a grip writers & storyliners at ITV Corrie & please listen to the vast majority of loyal fans who are really concerned about the show’s future. It’s not a crime show, it’s a serial drama, please get back to the roots& stop all these flashbacks, dream/ghost sequences.” – Distinct Nostalgia on Twitter/X

“The producer and head of continuing drama need sending off to make a new version of The Bill, whoever they are ITV need to get rid ASAP before they murder Corrie” – Kerry B on Facebook

“Let’s hope there is another twist, and not a predicable one. After all Joel was chucked off the bridge, but found in a bag which he wasn’t in when thrown. If there isn’t a twist this was pretty diabolical even by recent Corrie standards.” – Jackie Owens on Facebook

“I’m so glad the 22 years I worked on Corrie were with the best… sensational actors who knew drama and comedy who went hand in hand… and now I proudly say the same, after 14 years, of the EastEnders actors, writers and producers I work with.” – writer Daran Little on Twitter/X

“If you can’t write a storyline, without flashbacks, then your writers don’t have any imagination and are very lazy, it is clear enough to anybody, get rid of them and find better” – gffcontwitch on Twitter/X

“From the ITVX Coronation Street live show they think they’ve made a masterpiece, it was actually charity shop junk. How the once mighty show has fallen.” – Owen on Facebook

“I see Coronation Street is trending. I finally stopped watching it earlier this year because the storylines had far too much criminality & conniving goings-on. Reading recent tweets, I do hope that ITV takes note of viewer criticism before Corrie goes the same way as Brookside.” – Linda Winstanley on Twiter/X

“The problem with this ‘big’ storyline in Coronation Street is nobody cares about these characters! Plus it’s not like a soap between the flashbacks and the weird music…” – WeeGreenGiant on Twitter/X

“I can’t stand episodes like this—especially when they feel pointless and don’t engage us. Let’s bring back the relatable, everyday storylines we love.” – thomasoxley on Twitter/X

“Who wrote this shite?” – Little__louise on Twitter/X

“This plot has more holes in it than my underpants. Unless we’re going to get answers next week? Who put Joel in a body bag, because it obvs wasn’t Max and Lauren? Also who was Ronnie talking to and what did they end up doing? And where did Kit go with the notes about Nathan?” – Simon Shaw on Facebook

“Hi ITV Corrie, I’ve watched all my life and have been a rabid fan since about 2005. For the first time ever I’m thinking about giving up. I don’t recognise the programme recently. Just endless crime and poor directorial decisions.” – Christopher Anstey on Twitter/X

“If I’m being honest I was disappointed. It was too predictable. I really wanted it to be kit. There was so much more they could have done with the storyline but felt like a cop out if you ask me” – JerseyJames999 on Twitter/X

“I’m really depressed at how terrible this storyline, least of all the ‘reveal’, has been. Everything about tonight’s episode was utterly dire. Tinpot crime drama drivel. What’s even the point of all this?” – ivancheveski on Twitter/X

“The problem is Corrie has lived on its glory years, the loyalty and legacy of those great earlier times. But that’s diminishing now with every year that passes that the show gets shitter and shitter with long past-it characters. It is a great shame.” – Tony Laine on Facebook

“It can only be arrogance that they think they’re producing something amazing that its managed to become so bad. Is no one in ITV management watching their own output? Even Hollyoaks is better than Coronation St. at the moment.” – Sandra Lowrie on Facebook

“Didn’t make any sense… A) Why was Mason a suspect B) Who on earth was Ronnie talking to C) Joel’s body was legit in a bag D) Is Lauren just going to prison after this making the whole storyline pointless. This makes me so mad since I’ve been one of the few defending this story.” – Vin on Twitter/X

It wasn’t all bad though, we did manage to find a few positive Tweets…

“It was the correct outcome because of the hell he put her through. It meant it was a story about grooming and abuse coming full circle rather than a whodunnit with some random like f***ing Ronnie killing him” – RecklessIntent on Twitter/x

“There was some really gripping moments. I particularly liked Joel and Dee Dee’s showdown and the twist of her pregnancy. But overall I thought it was a bit flat after such a big build up. I was waiting for a final twist” – Jo Townsend

“Fantastic acting from the cast in particular Calum, Cait and Paddy but found the episode underwhelming tbh especially the killer being revealed half way through the episode without another twist.” – Jason Hurley

“Loved tonights ep brilliant performances by all the cast involved” – Amy Lou on Twitter/X

Viewers suggest the show is stunts and misery social plots rather than good storytelling kitchen sink drama