Corrie: The Connors - Yea or Nay

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More carry-on... these pics are from Friday's shows.

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Murderers, hoodies, arson, fraud, paedos... what's happened to Coronation Street?
By Jim Shelley
19/10/2008

God knows what’s happened to Coronation Street. For years, it’s managed to steer clear of the crazy crime-waves that have blighted both Walford and Emmerdale where murderers, thieves and pestilence roam the streets. Not any more though.

In recent months, we’ve had to endure: Sinbad’s poisonous wife Teresa (Gordon Strachan); Shameless-reject Auntie Pam; a gang of teenage hoodies who reeked havoc for a week then left; Leanne and Paul committing arson; Leanne and Janice committing lottery fraud; Becky going on t’rampage; and mild-mannered cab-driver/paedophile John abducting Rosie. Eeeh bah gum. Ena Sharples must be spitting into her stout.

I know Richard Hillman and Tracey killing Charlie were big ratings winners but this sort of stuff is not what Corrie is all about – or very good at. Now we’ve lost Liam (the most handsome, charming, likeable character in the series – or as he would call it, “the sheriesh”). Instead, we’re stuck with smarmy, charmless, boggle-eyed capitalist Tony Gordon. Damn.

The so-called ‘love triangle’ between Liam, Carla, and Tony has, frankly, been farcical. Carla has never loved Tony. A few months ago, she hounded Liam all the way to the altar to stop him from marrying Ave Maria. Now, having spent months resisting her ‘charms’ and mind games, suddenly Liam has started padding around after Carla like Ozzy the labrador. Then, when she’d finally got him, Carla (inexplicably) rejected him (Liam – not Ozzy).

Carla and Tony’s wedding presented the scriptwriters with a minor problem when it came to the hen night/stag party. Carla is a professional witch with not a single girl-friend outside the street (or in) while no-one likes Tony – not even Carla.

There was so much wrong with the murder on Tony’s stag night meanwhile, it’s hard to know where to start. Not one of Tony’s friends from Glasgow or contacts from his so-called business empire materialized – or any of his relatives, unless you count Kirk who will be the brother of Tony’s wife’s ex-husband’s brother’s wife.

Lloyd, Steve, Dev etc magically became his mates for the evening. (Lloyd had even just taken his business away back to Kev’s garage having found out what a devious, manipulating swine Tony had been.) The build-up was such we were entitled to expect something spectacular. Tony had already threatened to push Liam down the grotto during the weird weekend he had treated him and Maria to. He spent the stag night ‘locking horns’ with Liam – indulging in plenty of glaring and staring and twiddling his pantomime villain’s moustache.

The idea of filming three versions of the murder and putting the other two on ITV’s website seemed pretty pointless even before you realised the other two (Tony shooting Liam during the paint-balling and pushing him off the balcony of his luxury apartment block) were both better than the one they actually chose.

This was the one in which Tony didn’t actually kill Liam AT ALL. Liam died in a good old-fashioned hit-and-run – albeit one presumably organized by Tony. Maria then arrived to tell Liam the good news about her pregnancy. “Liam! What are you doing?!” she cried, nagging him literally to the death. She stuck her husband’s dead hand on her stomach and told the baby, “this is your daddy. Remember this.”

Nice! What with Charlie Stubbs, Carla, an abortion, losing her baby, and now her husband, you can only hope lovely Maria and her lovely hair has suffered enough. It was all a bit of a damp squib – not remotely traumatic as being subjected to Kevin Webster working his way through a bottle of scotch singing to Drive by The Cars.

“Who’s gonna drive you home?” Probably John the cab driver. “I’m just nipping back to me gran’s,” he keeps saying. “To feed the cat.” I’ve never heard it called that before.

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I thought Friday's episodes were great - the menacing image of evil Tony behind the mask of his own face was a cracking touch... it was like those evil faces from Dr Who haha

[misslisalynn]

I liked Fridays episodes, I just don't think they had to make Liam act like a crazed stalker beforehand.

[pirtybirdy]

Yeah, it was all good stuff. I'd rather of Liam and Maria broke up after a row and Liam moving away rather than Corrie killing him off. That was evil leaving Maria pregnant and alone.

[Kezza]

I thought that Tony's final words to Liam ("roadkill") were just a wee bit over the top. Still, great telly!

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Corrie villain Gray O'Brien kilts up for small screen wedding
Oct 26 2008
By Fiona Young

SOAP baddie Gray O'Brien gets his plaid-rags on to tie the knot - but this handsome Highlander is hiding a very guilty secret. The actor was spotted in traditional tartan while filming his killer Corrie character Tony Gordon's wedding. Gray was caught on camera enjoying a fly puff between takes of the dramatic scenes.

Tony finally gets fiancee Carla Connor up the aisle after arranging the hit-and-run murder of her lover Liam. Broken-hearted Carla (Alison King) called off their big day on Friday but our pictures prove smooth-talking Tony soon talks her round - although the big day will be far from plain sailing. Liam's pregnant widow Maria (Samia Smith) accuses the Scot of arranging his murder at the reception. She lets rip after learning of Carla's affair with her beloved hubby.

A Corrie insider said: "It has been very much a case of will she, won't she in terms of whether Carla goes down the aisle. She does but that's when the fun starts. The reception is lively to say the least and there are a few twists and turns. Gray plays Tony brilliantly as he has done since the start of the storyline."

Former River City star Gray has admitted he loves playing Corrie's latest baddie - but says his on-screen exploits could cause real-life problems. He said: "I'm sure there'll be plenty of heckles after next week. It's the end of the game if he gets caught but I think he will try his best to cover his tracks."

[pirtybirdy]

I am really enjoying the baddie Tony Gordon. He's also quite handsome and easy on the eyes, which makes his evilness seem even more heightened. His thick Scottish accent drives me nuts though, because sometimes I have trouble understanding what he says or maybe certain words. I've sometimes had to replay it to finally understand something he's said. Still, it's quite entertaining. He's quite charming also. You'd never know he's got a murderous streak deep in his bones. By the way, the kilt is a turn off. At least with the jacket he's wearing. It looks like he forgot the other half of his suit.

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Ah, it's getting even better now - and he would have got away with moider last night if it wasn't for that pesky Fizz... haha

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TONY'S DEAD DRUNK
26th December 2008

KILLER Tony Gordon goes on a booze bender when wife Carla finally admits she will never love him as much as Liam Connor. After confessing all about her fling with Liam and how no man will ever measure up to him, Carla packs her bags and walks out. And she even refuses to tell Tony – played by Gray O’Brien, 40 – where she is going or whether she will ever return.

Tony was behind the hit-and-run killing of Liam (Rob James-Collier, 31) and is devastated when the plan to rid himself of his love rival and have Carla all to himself spectacularly backfires. He now realises that he may never see her again.

After drowning his sorrows in whisky in the Rovers, drunken Tony tells anyone who will listen: “How can I compete with a corpse? Liam’s like James Dean and Kurt Cobain. If you want a woman’s love you’ve obviously got to die young while you’re still idolised” Then, sarcastically raising his glass to Liam, Tony says: “Blessed be the name of Liam – the love of my wife’s life.”

But after days locked away in a booze-drenched depression, Tony comes out fighting. Marching into the office they once shared and referring to Carla’s desk and belongings, Tony barks: “Box up all that junk and bin everything in this place to do with Carla.”

Carla’s disappearing trick will explain the absence of actress Alison King, 35, who quits in January to start her maternity leave.

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I've really enjoyed this whole story - the scenes with old Jed when he nearly killed him were great tv.

[misslisalynn]

I've missed a lot due to rotten puter but can't wait until Tony is caught. Not sure if I remember correctly but isn't Carla the majority owner of Underworld? Imagine the terror they would cause if they paired Tony and Rosie together as a couple.

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Alison King on leaving the Street

Coronation Street's Alison King has spoken about her final scenes in the long-running soap. The 35-year-old soap star - who plays Carla Connor - is going on maternity leave to have her first child, and has just filmed her exit scenes, to be show in February. Carla has a huge showdown with husband Tony when she learns he killed her lover Liam.

Alison said: "I don't know how much I can tell you. I can talk about it but not the very end. There's such a load I wouldn't know where to begin! She starts to unravel the truth. She hears Tony has done killed Jed Stone this old guy, turfed him out of his house without anybody knowing.

"Just some things about Tony that she didn't know had happened and she starts slowly to put two and two together. Then she confronts Tony and he makes a huge confession in the factory to her and the truth is all unravelled. She's going to get it out of him whatever way possible, whatever it takes. She needs to know. You can't carry on living with somebody when you don't know what he's about, she wouldn't do that."

Alison will return to the Street but she is not sure how or when. She said: "I don't know. Obviously it depends how long I take off, but the way it's been left open is just brilliant. Only Carla knows for sure what Tony's done so that leaves it open for anything to happen while she's away."

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I'm not sure about the ownership misslisa - but it definitely rings a bell

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[pirtybirdy]

I don't think Maria ever thinks. Does she have a brain? She never thinks to record Tony when she accuses him in private, she lashes out at him in public with nothing for proof buy her gut instinct, and she's mad that people don't believe her? Actually, this storyline with Maria is getting annoying because I don't think someone can be this dumb, can they? I hope they end this storyline soon. It started out good, but now is getting quite boring IMO.

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Corrie killer Tony will bed Maria
Coronation Street insiders have revealed that Tony Gordon will bed the widow of the man he murdered in a sensational new storyline.
26 January 2009

Coronation Street insiders have revealed that Tony Gordon will bed the widow of the man he murdered in a sensational new storyline. A Weatherfield insider told the Sun: "The writers held secret talks last week to discuss how to go about it -- because they know it could come across as far-fetched. But all the hints of a budding relationship will be put in place over the next months."

The new twist will see Maria Connor (Samia Smith) and Tony (Gray O'Brien) become lovers after the widow starts to doubt that he was responsible for Liam's death. This will result in the escalation of the feud between Maria and Tony's wife Carla. The relationship will start when Carla (Alison King) leaves Weatherfield for several months and mum-to-be Maria begins to doubt her own campaign to prove Tony ordered Liam's hit-and-run.

The insider added: "Maria strikes up an unlikely friendship with Tony. With Carla missing from his life he thinks it is a chance to make amends for what he did to Liam." Tony and Maria will be together by the time her baby is born in the summer and Corrie insiders say that this will cause fireworks when Carla returns in the autumn.

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haha, come on the Corrie!