Coronation Street - General Discussion

[carld2]

The start of the clip has Eileen, Liz, and Vernon bantering a bit, then at 3:00, you see Violet and Sean at the hospital, Violet is in bed, resting, while Sean is holding the baby. Jamie races in, upset he's missed the birth, and clearly not happy that Sean is calling himself the dad. This goes up to about 4:30. At about 8:15-8:55, Sean and Jamie leave the room and talk to Marcus. Jamie thanks Marcus for what he did. Marcus and Sean question, semi-jokingly, where Jamie had been. Sean says anything's fine as long as Jamie isn't "two-timing the mother of my child." Marcus looks a bit uneasy.



3:22 to the closing credits, Jamie tells Violet they have to leave or they'll never really be a family. She isn't sure.

[devillies]

When is Ken's grandson gonna be back on

[carld2]

May.

[devillies]

WOW thats a long wait

[anthonyl]

www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a301018/corrie-confirms-todd-grimshaw-return.html

[carld2]

If Corrie wants a gay character viewers can identify with, then why is it only a short stint, and why does Corrie continue to treat gay men as asexual? Todd will probably come back like a nun and I don't even know if Sean and Marcus will be allowed to kiss on their wedding day.

[HQ75]

I really like Sean from Corrie so I'm excited to see his character get some happiness. Despite all the homophobic language a lot of viewers use to describe Sean, I think he represents a lot of real life gay man and he stands in contrast to a lot of the other gay male characters on UK daily soaps.

It's also exciting to see two real life gay actors portraying gay lovers on a daily soap because so often gay actors are afraid to portray a gay character for fear of being typecast.


www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1370854/Coronation-Street-First-look-Antony-Cotton-Charlie-Condou-soaps-gay-parents.html

SPOILER ALERT! Sneak peek at Corrie's Antony Cotton and Charlie Condou reunited as soap's first gay parents
By Jody Thompson
Last updated at 9:30 AM on 29th March 2011

He's been sadly missed since he left the cobbles - and these shots show the heartwarming return of Coronation Street's Marcus Dent playing happy families with his former boyfriend Sean Tully.

The scenes were filmed today in Primrose Hill, North London.

As previously reported, the pair will become the soap's first ever gay parents after 35-year-old Antony - who plays Corrie's Sean Tully - bumps into ex Marcus Dent, played by Charlie Condou.
Happy families: Charlie Condou, left, who plays Marcus Dent, returns to Coronation Street in scenes filmed today in London's Primrose Hill

Happy families: Charlie Condou, left, who plays Marcus Dent, returns to Coronation Street in scenes filmed today in London's Primrose Hill



Pivotal roles: Charlie and onscreen partner Sean Tully, played by Antony Cotton, will play the soap's first ever gay parents

The pair will then rekindle their relationship and decide to bring up Sean's long lost son Dylan.


A source on the show said: 'There's a chance older viewers will be shocked by the storyline, so we will handle things very sensitively.'

Sean became father to his friend Violet Wilson's baby after he donated his sperm, and hospital worker Marcus was Violet's midwife.

But Violet said she didn't want Sean to have an active role in Dylan's life and caused Sean heartbreak when she moved with their son to London.

In the scenes which were shot yesterday in the capital, Sean is seen going to visit Violet and little Dylan, who's now three - where he then bumps into Marcus.

In some shots, Antony is seen with a huge teddy bear ready to give the boy - and in other joyful shots, seen swinging the young lad down the street.
Between takes: Violet, played by Jenny Platt, left, will also be seen in the episode

Charlie, 38, joined the soap in September 2007, but left a year later in August 2008 when his character split with Sean.

Since then, Charlie has become a father in real life with his Canadian partner of six years, Dr Cameron Laux.

They have a beautiful 18-month-old daughter, Georgia Mae.

Charlie's return to Coronation Street meanwhile will be screened over Easter.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1370854/Coronation-Street-First-look-Antony-Cotton-Charlie-Condou-soaps-gay-parents.html#ixzz1I0uFE5fM

[carld2]

"Sensitivity" = air the story a few minutes a week, and have the gay men act like eunuchs.

[final81]

[HQ75]

For Sunday April 24
Spoilers
Todd, Marcus and Sean

www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/coronation-street/coming-next/seans-journey-south-is-full-of-surprises/9576

[HQ75]

Yay Marcus and Sean (and what's up with James hmmm...)

[harmonium]

James look cute. On a very shallow note, I will be more interested in following his storyline than Sean & Marcus' one (although theirs is more probably the happening one).

[overtherainbow]

Am I the only one who cannot stand Sean? He makes my skin crawl. A stereotypical, annoying, flaming gay charcater. Just more of what we don't need on tv! I wouldn't be sad if they shipped him, his partner and their kid away so we never had to see Sean ever again. Yeah yeah.. visibility on tv and all that. But I actually think no visibility at all is better than portraying a character like Sean just to confirm everyone's bigoted views about gays as flaming. And that is not good.

I cannot believe they are going to focus on Sean's storyline and NOT James's. James is only on for a short story arc and honestly.. focuing on Sean instead of James is a HUGE mistake imo. Oh well.. I guess I'll just ignore this storyline, or at least only watch James and his storyline, as long as it lasts.

[carld2]

I don't care about Sean being flaming or stereotypical - I care more that Antony Cotton cannot act and that Sean is a very selfish, unpleasant character, and what is worse, that the show repeatedly tries to make people pity him by throwing in some random homophobia. That is a very dangerous way to tell a story, because it may make viewers immune to homophobia. The whole story with Marcus is a non-starter - Sean treated Marcus shabbily and that is all forgotten because Cotton is friends with the producer so he gets more story.

James is a cipher and I doubt the actor would have been hired if it weren't for Bill Roache being his father. There's zero point in his character. Corrie is never going to allow gay men to be anything other than eunuchs.

[overtherainbow]

May 15, 2011 10:01:28 GMT -5 carld2 said:

I don't care about Sean being flaming or stereotypical - I care more that Antony Cotton cannot act and that Sean is a very selfish, unpleasant character, and what is worse, that the show repeatedly tries to make people pity him by throwing in some random homophobia. That is a very dangerous way to tell a story, because it may make viewers immune to homophobia. The whole story with Marcus is a non-starter - Sean treated Marcus shabbily and that is all forgotten because Cotton is friends with the producer so he gets more story.

James is a cipher and I doubt the actor would have been hired if it weren't for Bill Roache being his father. There's zero point in his character. Corrie is never going to allow gay men to be anything other than eunuchs.

I totally agree with everything you said here! Anthony Cotton is a horrible actor and plays a very unlikeable character. I don't think many people like his character, yet the writers try to shove him down our throats by giving him more and more screen time. It's very unfortunate that he knows the producer, because they might have killed off the character a long time ago if that wasn't the case. I'm sorry, but I can't stand the character. Like you said, he's selfish and he's done some things in the past that were just too awful. Also, I don't like to see such a flaming and stereotypical gay guy on tv. Seriously. The writers have the opportunity with James, he's apparently gay. But they deicde not to go for it and focus on the god awful Sean instead? Ugh

I wish they could have given the actor playing James a contracted role, and develop his character, give him a boyfriend. But I know it will never happen. It's really sad how they treat their gay characters when they treat their lesbian characters so well.. just another case of lesbian preference to cater to the male fantasy.. sigh.

[carld2]

The biggest joke is when people say what Corrie is doing is so risky. Risky for what? An episode of Melrose Place? Their gay representation, especially among gay men, is offensive and sexless and ultimately negative. I would rather see no gay characters at all than see this.

I probably would like James more if he were staying around or if I knew he was going to ever even be allowed to kiss another man on the lips, but that won't happen.

[overtherainbow]

May 15, 2011 12:36:05 GMT -5 carld2 said:

The biggest joke is when people say what Corrie is doing is so risky. Risky for what? An episode of Melrose Place? Their gay representation, especially among gay men, is offensive and sexless and ultimately negative. I would rather see no gay characters at all than see this.

I probably would like James more if he were staying around or if I knew he was going to ever even be allowed to kiss another man on the lips, but that won't happen.

Again, totally agree with what you said here. I said the same thing. No gay character is better than a stereotypical, over the top, flaming gay character.

And yeah.. bringing James on the show for him to stay a month is a fucking joke. They decided to keep Sean, but only let James, a gay character with some substance, have a short stint on the show?!?!? It's just so stupid!

[justinate]

I did not know Anthony Cotton was friends with the producer and I guess this explains why his thoroughly unlikeable, uninteresting character has stayed on the show for so long. I cannot watch a single scene with him in it, because he literally turns my stomach. IMO, the prolonged presence of Sean on Corrie has negatively influenced the British public's perception of gay men. He would have been fine if they'd given him a short stay. The character of James has a chance to undo that damage by portraying a gay man who is NOT a "nasty piece of work" (these are my grandmother's words, mind you!) but of course they can't be bothered to write for him. I know James Roache landed the role because he is the real-life son of Ken, but what little we've seen of his character and his acting seems infinitely better than Sean, so I'd be more than behind giving him a meatier role. He doesn't even have to have storylines that involve his sexual orientation (although it would be nice), but just his presence on canvas as an out gay man who does not have the pervading nastiness of Sean would be a big deal. I mean, he's helping out in the shelter - a stark contrast to the thoroughly selfish Sean. Can somebody at Corrie please wake up and realize how they've completely switched around the amount of airtime and story they should give to Sean and James?

[HQ75]

Well I really love Sean and I think Anthony Cotton is fabulous, he a lot more like a lot of the gay men I've known who are older than me, growing up in NYC. I respect the fact that Anthony Cotton wants to represent for the gay guys that everyone talks shit about. I love that Sean has a real, viable love interest in Marcus.
And if you think gay men (like Sean or not) don't experience homophobia on a regular basis (from strangers and on a less over scale from so-called "friends) you're mistaken.
As long as there are gay men in the world LIKE Sean, there should be gay characters like Sean on TV because that's realistic.
Gay men aren't all just angsty self-hating teenagers and macho men who can't stand to be around other gays.

I'd love to see Todd come back on a recurring basis and have James, Todd and Sean (plus Marcus) on the show.

Every soap should have at LEAST 5 gays to make it interesting)

[rtgtx]

May 16, 2011 16:40:11 GMT -5 justinate said:

I did not know Anthony Cotton was friends with the producer and I guess this explains why his thoroughly unlikeable, uninteresting character has stayed on the show for so long. I cannot watch a single scene with him in it, because he literally turns my stomach. IMO, the prolonged presence of Sean on Corrie has negatively influenced the British public's perception of gay men. He would have been fine if they'd given him a short stay. The character of James has a chance to undo that damage by portraying a gay man who is NOT a "nasty piece of work" (these are my grandmother's words, mind you!) but of course they can't be bothered to write for him. I know James Roache landed the role because he is the real-life son of Ken, but what little we've seen of his character and his acting seems infinitely better than Sean, so I'd be more than behind giving him a meatier role. He doesn't even have to have storylines that involve his sexual orientation (although it would be nice), but just his presence on canvas as an out gay man who does not have the pervading nastiness of Sean would be a big deal. I mean, he's helping out in the shelter - a stark contrast to the thoroughly selfish Sean. Can somebody at Corrie please wake up and realize how they've completely switched around the amount of airtime and story they should give to Sean and James?

What did he do? I'm new to this show. I really want to know more about Sean. Thanks.

[carld2]

The problem is that I don't find Sean realistic. It's not realistic that gay men cannot kiss or touch at any time. It's not realistic that a man hounds his friend to the brink of a nervous breakdown over her pregnancy, then suddenly that is all forgotten and her only objection to him was being gay. It's not realistic that Sean constantly suspected Marcus of cheating (even though Sean himself probably would have cheated with Liam Connor's cousin Tom if Tom had reciprocated), leading to their breakup, only for this to be totally forgotten when Marcus comes back chasing after Sean.

[carld2]

May 16, 2011 16:40:11 GMT -5 justinate said:

I did not know Anthony Cotton was friends with the producer and I guess this explains why his thoroughly unlikeable, uninteresting character has stayed on the show for so long.

Phil Collinson only recently came to the show (last spring), so that isn't the reason Sean has stayed this long, but he's the reason why Sean now has more story. When Phil was still an actor, he auditioned for Queer as Folk. He didn't get the part, and realized it was time to move into producing. Antony got the part. I think they knew each other before then too. They've been friends ever since.

As for why Sean has stayed around, I think it's because he's nonthreatening, and he validates the negative view many have of gay men.

[carld2]

May 16, 2011 19:34:28 GMT -5 rtgtx said:

What did he do? I'm new to this show. I really want to know more about Sean. Thanks.

He's mostly just controlling, selfish, childish, incapable of acknowledging the feelings of others.

[carld2]

If you were wondering why they had no plans to do anything with James other than an asexual plot point, here's why. Shock value and plot-driven storytelling always carries the day on today's Corrie.

www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/3603613/Ken-left-for-dead-by-his-own-grandson.html

[justinate]

So another gay character down the crapper. Can Corrie not write gay characters as anything other than unlikeable? Sean, Todd, and now James. Sigh.