It’s always a nervous time for the established casts of soaps when a new producer rocks up on the backlot, full of fresh ideas, new visions, story ideas and inevitably clutching an axe with feverish steel in their eyes.
It seems that this may not be the case with the arrival of incoming Coronation Street producer Kim Crowther, who it seems has gone out of her way to reassure the show’s cast, including many of the veteran old guard cast, that they still have a future on the show.
This pleases me and it points to the nation’s favourite soap being in safe hands. I’ve argued before that one of the most valuable assets to a soap are the veteran characters - your Ken Barlows, Rita Sullivans and Emily Bishops. These characters are absolutely steeped in the history of Coronation Street - they are a touchstone and keep the show relevant to those members of the audience that have been there since year dot. To axe these characters would do a disservice to the fabric of the show, and I’m pleased that Crowther has clearly recognised this crucial aspect of her new charge.
TV Today will be watching developments on Coronation Street under the new broom with a sharp eye.
Is she married to the Coronation Street writer Simon Crowther? Enquiring minds want to know. Well, I do anyway!