NI
Yes, Corrie has been really good tonight, with the "dirty" tape of Tracy! The Baldwin scenes were poor, I have to say. I don't fancy the idea of cockneys taking over a Northern soap.
BTW if Ena Sharples was still in the Street, she's a 104 on 14 November this year. It'd be nice to have her back, although it'll never happen. Her death was never mention, at least can't the writers have Ken read a postcard of Ena's passing or something...
BTW if Ena Sharples was still in the Street, she's a 104 on 14 November this year. It'd be nice to have her back, although it'll never happen. Her death was never mention, at least can't the writers have Ken read a postcard of Ena's passing or something...
NI
Hi, I'm surprised that I'm still up tonight and have been typing up this Coronation Street script since 12 midnight. I'm only pasting the episode descriptions here, it is concerning the Platts (yes, another tragedy!) and involves a fire (yes, I know, you'll all go yawn...) but is quite exciting. PLEASE let me know what you think of it?
Here it is:
DESCRIPTION
"FIRE AT THE PLATTS"
Episode 1 - Sunday
Gail and David are wrapping presents for Audrey’s forthcoming birthday, upstairs. Sarah, meanwhile, is cooking chips for her and Bethany in the kitchen. She sees Candice through the window, talking to Audrey in the Street. She makes excuses to Bethany and takes the opportunity for a showdown. She shouts to Audrey and marches up to Candice and rows at her, because of the salon job. Meanwhile in the Platts, Bethany tugs at the handle of the pan. The pan falls, spilling the chips and scalds Bethany and at the same time, hits and knocks her out. A nearby cloth is set alight, and the flames catch hold of a cereal box and the wooden cupboard doors. The oil from the pan leaks across the work surface the electrical plug socket and makes the fire increase over the worktop and lower cupboards. Bethany is just over a metre away from the cupboard. Martin and Katy are walking past the Salon and ask what all the fuss is about. Candice sees thick, black smoke in the air and Martin shouts to the smoke’s domain – the Platts house.
Episode 2 – Monday, Episode 1
Kevin also sees and shouting is heard, causing Blanche, Ken, Norris, Emily, Katy, Vera and Eileen to open their doors and are shocked at what’s happening. Kevin grabs the extinguisher from the garage and Sarah is hysterical, shouting that Bethany, David and Gail are inside. Katy, Candice and Audrey try to hold her back from running into the flamed up house. Inside, Gail and David walk down the stairs to see what all the commotion is about, and immediately walk into the black flames. Bethany is nowhere to be seen, as the fire is blocking most of the view of the kitchen, and has spread to the lounge, onto the sofa and is edging towards the TV. The fire gets hold of the curtains and they are trapped. Kevin blasts the water from the extinguisher through the open window, not knowing that the fire is partly caused by the plug socket in the kitchen. Although not visible through Gail and David’s vision, Bethany is lying near the kitchen floor, and the fire has not taken hold of her. The flames grow larger and the ceiling is its victim as the water hits the fire. Kevin and the residents move / run back towards the terrace as the flames have got a hold of the TV and burst through the windows, smashing them. The front of the house is in flames, the doorway is still free however. Martin and Kevin, along with Tommy, who has come out, try to get themselves in the house, covering themselves with their jackets. Gail and David cannot escape, with the flames having taken hold of the first step and the first part of the staircase. They cannot see, the thick smoke is covering/blocking their view. They are coughing uncontrollably, and can hear Tommy/Kevin/Martin shout for them and Bethany. Gail and David try to shout back, and Martin, Kevin and Tommy try to reach them. Audrey shouts to Ken to ring the fire brigade – send for an ambulance.
Episode 3 – Monday, Episode 2
Gail and David manage to walk down the side of the stairs, and Bethany regains unconsciousness in the kitchen, and crawls onto the backdoor step, where she screams for help. Gail hears and shouts Bethany’s name. Sarah is also screaming to be free, with neighbours/Audrey, Katy and Candice shouting encouragement to Martin/Tommy/Kevin. Rita, Norris, Mike, Dev, Sunita, Sally, Deirdre, Fred, Shelley, Angela, Craig, Ashley, Claire, Maria, Nick, Les, Tracy, Kirk, Cilla, Chesney, Betty, Todd, Jason, Rosie, Sophie, Fiz, Roy and Hayley all come out, and see the fire. Ken says the ambulance and fire brigade are on their way. Sarah is distraught, and shouts above the commotion that they could be dead by then. She continues to shout her family. Ken and neighbours encourage Tommy, Martin and Kevin. Gail and David are now unconscious from the smoke, and David is dragged out by Tommy and laid on the floor. The residents surge forward, Ken, Dev, Fred and Nick rush forward to David and to shout to Kevin and Martin to bring Bethany and Gail out. No reply is heard and the flames burst through the window frames onto the fencing on the front garden. More glass shatters, leaving Katy and Sally to shout for Martin and Kevin’s name. Again, no reply, but scuffling is heard and the front door is caught. It falls off its hinges, on fire. The door frame is also caught on fire, with the door window smashing as it hits the ground. Sarah screams. Ken and neighbours shout their names, but no reply is heard. The heavy smoke fills the street, and blocks the view. Vera exclaims, and is shocked, Emily looks on worriedly and Blanche questions Ken, also worriedly, when the fire brigade is coming. Distant sirens are heard, but Sarah is crying and cannot be sedated, with on-lookers exclaiming. Meanwhile, Bethany (at the backdoor) tries to run as the flames have got a hold of the back door. Whilst running, she trips over the back step and falls, hurting her knee. Her knee is bleeding, but her cries aren’t heard. She is conscious but manages to crawl to the fence near Underworld. But she cannot move anymore and her leg is trapped between the fence and the wall and she shouts “Mummy!”. Sarah hears and screams that she can hear Bethany but is held back. The ambulance and fire engines finally arrive, and the fire fighters run out. They call for powder hoses and spray at the fire. David regains consciousness, with the ambulance women/men putting masks over his mouth. The flames near the doorway die down and the firefighters move forward. The hallway is now visible, but there is no sign of Gail, Martin or Kevin.
Episode 4 – Monday, Episode 3
Katy, Sally and Sarah are still screaming and finally the firefighters are able to get into the hallway to the living room and spray the hoses. Unbeknownst to the residents, Martin and Kevin are conscious, at the top of the stairs with an unconscious Gail. The flames have got hold of the stairs, completely on fire now, and Kevin, Gail and Martin are in the landing – but Martin and Kevin are dizzy from the smoke. The firefighters have reached the living room, are spray the powder through the hose with the sofa burnt out, and the TV wrecked. They notice the open back door and spray the kitchen out. The plug is burnt as well, and the house is now free of fire albeit burnt, but the stairs and part of the ceiling is still on fire and the flames are licking through the ceiling, and Martin, Kevin and still unconscious Gail are trapped between the flames on the upper landing and the stairs. They shout for help, woozily and the firefighters try all they can to put out the flames. Outside, Sunita and the women hope for the three to be alive. Sarah and Audrey along with Sally, Katy and Candice are shouting to them ambulance men and firefighters to help more, as the front bedroom windows smash and the residents move back. The fire has reached the bedrooms, and the stairs are completely burnt out. The firefighters are adamant and the stair flames are put out. Martin and Kevin have passed out, and the ambulance men/women come in and reach for them. They are carried to safety outside the house, and the commotion gets louder as the residents move towards the house. The roof is ablaze and falls through. Screams are heard as slates fall and smash against the ground, still burning. The garage, however, is not alight. Gail cannot come awake, but Kevin and Martin do. Sally rushes to Kevin, Katy shouts encouragement to Martin, still helping to keep Sarah back. Sarah finally escapes and runs to the firefighters to ask for Bethany. She shouts, and the firefighter explains that she is nowhere to be seen. Sarah becomes hysterical, and runs into the burnt house, with the other firefighters shouting for her to get out as the roof could fall in at any minute. She doesn’t listen, and can’t find Bethany in the kitchen. She screams a variety of phrases and ramblings (“She was here a minute ago!” etc, etc.) and she has a coughing fit, caused by the smoke. She screams as the ceiling in the lounge falls in, with various pillows, wooden parts (of the bed), still alight, falling through. Sarah runs outside, and sees blood (from Bethany’s knee) and is shocked. She runs into the garden, and sees Bethany’s head. “Bethany!!” she exclaims and kicks the fence hard as she can to free her from it. She finally frees her and picks her up. She runs round to the front and the residents sigh with relief, and Emily comes forward with Audrey to comfort them. Audrey, Sarah and the residents see Gail coughing and rush to her. She soon stops, however, and passes out. The ambulance men put Gail and David into the ambulance, and Gail and Bethany (and Audrey) go inside. The ambulance men assure her that they will be alright. Katy and Sally go with Martin and Kevin in the ambulance and the ambulances drive on up Victoria Street, and go. The fire has spread to every bedroom, and the firefighters manage to clear Gail and Sarah’s room. David’s room is the most burnt out, but surprisingly most of the items are still there, but the basic things in Sarah’s room (Bethany’s things) are gone. There is now a gaping hole in ceiling of the lounge and kitchen. The residents slowly go into the Rovers, with the fire engines driving away. The other firefighters inspect the house. One asks the other whether the house will be “redoable” again. The other replies “It’s unlikely”, etc. The episode ends with a full shot of the Street, with the residents moving slowly into the Rovers, and a view of the Platt’s burnt out house.
Well, what do you think? It'd give something else to talk about or show rather than the blooming annoying cockney Baldwins.
Please give me any feedback, good or bad. Me, myself, I think it is quite good.
Nicky
Here it is:
DESCRIPTION
"FIRE AT THE PLATTS"
Episode 1 - Sunday
Gail and David are wrapping presents for Audrey’s forthcoming birthday, upstairs. Sarah, meanwhile, is cooking chips for her and Bethany in the kitchen. She sees Candice through the window, talking to Audrey in the Street. She makes excuses to Bethany and takes the opportunity for a showdown. She shouts to Audrey and marches up to Candice and rows at her, because of the salon job. Meanwhile in the Platts, Bethany tugs at the handle of the pan. The pan falls, spilling the chips and scalds Bethany and at the same time, hits and knocks her out. A nearby cloth is set alight, and the flames catch hold of a cereal box and the wooden cupboard doors. The oil from the pan leaks across the work surface the electrical plug socket and makes the fire increase over the worktop and lower cupboards. Bethany is just over a metre away from the cupboard. Martin and Katy are walking past the Salon and ask what all the fuss is about. Candice sees thick, black smoke in the air and Martin shouts to the smoke’s domain – the Platts house.
Episode 2 – Monday, Episode 1
Kevin also sees and shouting is heard, causing Blanche, Ken, Norris, Emily, Katy, Vera and Eileen to open their doors and are shocked at what’s happening. Kevin grabs the extinguisher from the garage and Sarah is hysterical, shouting that Bethany, David and Gail are inside. Katy, Candice and Audrey try to hold her back from running into the flamed up house. Inside, Gail and David walk down the stairs to see what all the commotion is about, and immediately walk into the black flames. Bethany is nowhere to be seen, as the fire is blocking most of the view of the kitchen, and has spread to the lounge, onto the sofa and is edging towards the TV. The fire gets hold of the curtains and they are trapped. Kevin blasts the water from the extinguisher through the open window, not knowing that the fire is partly caused by the plug socket in the kitchen. Although not visible through Gail and David’s vision, Bethany is lying near the kitchen floor, and the fire has not taken hold of her. The flames grow larger and the ceiling is its victim as the water hits the fire. Kevin and the residents move / run back towards the terrace as the flames have got a hold of the TV and burst through the windows, smashing them. The front of the house is in flames, the doorway is still free however. Martin and Kevin, along with Tommy, who has come out, try to get themselves in the house, covering themselves with their jackets. Gail and David cannot escape, with the flames having taken hold of the first step and the first part of the staircase. They cannot see, the thick smoke is covering/blocking their view. They are coughing uncontrollably, and can hear Tommy/Kevin/Martin shout for them and Bethany. Gail and David try to shout back, and Martin, Kevin and Tommy try to reach them. Audrey shouts to Ken to ring the fire brigade – send for an ambulance.
Episode 3 – Monday, Episode 2
Gail and David manage to walk down the side of the stairs, and Bethany regains unconsciousness in the kitchen, and crawls onto the backdoor step, where she screams for help. Gail hears and shouts Bethany’s name. Sarah is also screaming to be free, with neighbours/Audrey, Katy and Candice shouting encouragement to Martin/Tommy/Kevin. Rita, Norris, Mike, Dev, Sunita, Sally, Deirdre, Fred, Shelley, Angela, Craig, Ashley, Claire, Maria, Nick, Les, Tracy, Kirk, Cilla, Chesney, Betty, Todd, Jason, Rosie, Sophie, Fiz, Roy and Hayley all come out, and see the fire. Ken says the ambulance and fire brigade are on their way. Sarah is distraught, and shouts above the commotion that they could be dead by then. She continues to shout her family. Ken and neighbours encourage Tommy, Martin and Kevin. Gail and David are now unconscious from the smoke, and David is dragged out by Tommy and laid on the floor. The residents surge forward, Ken, Dev, Fred and Nick rush forward to David and to shout to Kevin and Martin to bring Bethany and Gail out. No reply is heard and the flames burst through the window frames onto the fencing on the front garden. More glass shatters, leaving Katy and Sally to shout for Martin and Kevin’s name. Again, no reply, but scuffling is heard and the front door is caught. It falls off its hinges, on fire. The door frame is also caught on fire, with the door window smashing as it hits the ground. Sarah screams. Ken and neighbours shout their names, but no reply is heard. The heavy smoke fills the street, and blocks the view. Vera exclaims, and is shocked, Emily looks on worriedly and Blanche questions Ken, also worriedly, when the fire brigade is coming. Distant sirens are heard, but Sarah is crying and cannot be sedated, with on-lookers exclaiming. Meanwhile, Bethany (at the backdoor) tries to run as the flames have got a hold of the back door. Whilst running, she trips over the back step and falls, hurting her knee. Her knee is bleeding, but her cries aren’t heard. She is conscious but manages to crawl to the fence near Underworld. But she cannot move anymore and her leg is trapped between the fence and the wall and she shouts “Mummy!”. Sarah hears and screams that she can hear Bethany but is held back. The ambulance and fire engines finally arrive, and the fire fighters run out. They call for powder hoses and spray at the fire. David regains consciousness, with the ambulance women/men putting masks over his mouth. The flames near the doorway die down and the firefighters move forward. The hallway is now visible, but there is no sign of Gail, Martin or Kevin.
Episode 4 – Monday, Episode 3
Katy, Sally and Sarah are still screaming and finally the firefighters are able to get into the hallway to the living room and spray the hoses. Unbeknownst to the residents, Martin and Kevin are conscious, at the top of the stairs with an unconscious Gail. The flames have got hold of the stairs, completely on fire now, and Kevin, Gail and Martin are in the landing – but Martin and Kevin are dizzy from the smoke. The firefighters have reached the living room, are spray the powder through the hose with the sofa burnt out, and the TV wrecked. They notice the open back door and spray the kitchen out. The plug is burnt as well, and the house is now free of fire albeit burnt, but the stairs and part of the ceiling is still on fire and the flames are licking through the ceiling, and Martin, Kevin and still unconscious Gail are trapped between the flames on the upper landing and the stairs. They shout for help, woozily and the firefighters try all they can to put out the flames. Outside, Sunita and the women hope for the three to be alive. Sarah and Audrey along with Sally, Katy and Candice are shouting to them ambulance men and firefighters to help more, as the front bedroom windows smash and the residents move back. The fire has reached the bedrooms, and the stairs are completely burnt out. The firefighters are adamant and the stair flames are put out. Martin and Kevin have passed out, and the ambulance men/women come in and reach for them. They are carried to safety outside the house, and the commotion gets louder as the residents move towards the house. The roof is ablaze and falls through. Screams are heard as slates fall and smash against the ground, still burning. The garage, however, is not alight. Gail cannot come awake, but Kevin and Martin do. Sally rushes to Kevin, Katy shouts encouragement to Martin, still helping to keep Sarah back. Sarah finally escapes and runs to the firefighters to ask for Bethany. She shouts, and the firefighter explains that she is nowhere to be seen. Sarah becomes hysterical, and runs into the burnt house, with the other firefighters shouting for her to get out as the roof could fall in at any minute. She doesn’t listen, and can’t find Bethany in the kitchen. She screams a variety of phrases and ramblings (“She was here a minute ago!” etc, etc.) and she has a coughing fit, caused by the smoke. She screams as the ceiling in the lounge falls in, with various pillows, wooden parts (of the bed), still alight, falling through. Sarah runs outside, and sees blood (from Bethany’s knee) and is shocked. She runs into the garden, and sees Bethany’s head. “Bethany!!” she exclaims and kicks the fence hard as she can to free her from it. She finally frees her and picks her up. She runs round to the front and the residents sigh with relief, and Emily comes forward with Audrey to comfort them. Audrey, Sarah and the residents see Gail coughing and rush to her. She soon stops, however, and passes out. The ambulance men put Gail and David into the ambulance, and Gail and Bethany (and Audrey) go inside. The ambulance men assure her that they will be alright. Katy and Sally go with Martin and Kevin in the ambulance and the ambulances drive on up Victoria Street, and go. The fire has spread to every bedroom, and the firefighters manage to clear Gail and Sarah’s room. David’s room is the most burnt out, but surprisingly most of the items are still there, but the basic things in Sarah’s room (Bethany’s things) are gone. There is now a gaping hole in ceiling of the lounge and kitchen. The residents slowly go into the Rovers, with the fire engines driving away. The other firefighters inspect the house. One asks the other whether the house will be “redoable” again. The other replies “It’s unlikely”, etc. The episode ends with a full shot of the Street, with the residents moving slowly into the Rovers, and a view of the Platt’s burnt out house.
Well, what do you think? It'd give something else to talk about or show rather than the blooming annoying cockney Baldwins.
Please give me any feedback, good or bad. Me, myself, I think it is quite good.
Nicky
OH
ohwhatanight
Founding member
Deidre's mother Blanche, just mentioned in Alf 's minimart that "every little helps"
Is this subliminal advertising? Or has it been accepted in UK life as a common phrase?
Is this subliminal advertising? Or has it been accepted in UK life as a common phrase?
GS
Gavin Scott
Founding member
"Every little helps" moved from popular expression into being an advertiser tagline I would have thought, rather than the other way round. Its the type of thing you often hear in Scotland. "Mony a mickle mak's a muckle" probably didn't have the same impact at the agencies.
And Nicky - your plot outlines dont have nearly enough in them to stretch to a weeks worth - not even if you did them in "real time".
And Nicky - your plot outlines dont have nearly enough in them to stretch to a weeks worth - not even if you did them in "real time".
GS
Credit where its due, there is a strong narrative to the event in your piece.
It would benefit from having another story happening (to cut to) and compress the fire into one episode. Corrie has used things like a sing-song or party at the Rovers as a counterpoint to the heavier or more shocking story happening at the same time. Doing this also allows you to 'cheat' the passage of time much more easily. That would be essential. The blaze itself would probably be on screen for 15 minutes MAX. Think how dull it woud be to see the same house burn night after night. On the other hand, the aftermath could run for days.
Gavin Scott
Founding member
BBCNicky@Yorks posted:
Well, that's nice. 
It's just that I didn't want to put too much info in just one or two episodes.
It's just that I didn't want to put too much info in just one or two episodes.
Credit where its due, there is a strong narrative to the event in your piece.
It would benefit from having another story happening (to cut to) and compress the fire into one episode. Corrie has used things like a sing-song or party at the Rovers as a counterpoint to the heavier or more shocking story happening at the same time. Doing this also allows you to 'cheat' the passage of time much more easily. That would be essential. The blaze itself would probably be on screen for 15 minutes MAX. Think how dull it woud be to see the same house burn night after night. On the other hand, the aftermath could run for days.
TVF
TV Forum Team
What about Blanche's classic line tonight (about Emily's potential stretch in prison): "... (she'll) be sewing mailbags and dealing snout..."
