Coronation Street Ta-Ra Hilda: Tribute 20th Dec

[J. R.'s Piece]

I wish the show would do something to mark her passing. Even if it's just a small scene with Rita telling Ken that she heard about Hilda.

I can't recall if Corrie has ever done this with a character that died after they left the show.

In 1975, Frank Barlow (1960-64 and guest appearances in 1967 and 1971) was mentioned as having died, four years after Frank Pemberton (who played Frank) had died. It wasn't mentioned exactly when Frank Barlow had died, so he died sometime between 1971 and the mention of his death by his son Ken in April 1975. Frank Pemberton had died the month after transmission of a one-episode appearance, reprising his part for Valerie Barlow's funeral.

 

[Walford Boy]

I must admit I am looking forward to this, I hope itv do the wonderful Jean Alexander justice.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Hope to see a few classic Hilda and Stan scenes from the 1970/80s
one to enjoy and relive the great days of Corrie

 

[LouiseP]

It's on tonight.

 

[Ome]

I laughed more in tonight's special than I have in two years of Corrie. What a wonderful tribute to an amazing character.

Watching the scene where Hilda opens the parcel of Stan's belongings reminded me of early memory when a TV show made me cry. I was thinking how simple and yet incredibly effective that scene was and how wrong many writers have been since then, where we've lost many other iconic characters like Deirdre & Betty in recent years.


I have no idea whose decision it was to bring out Fiz & Sean, if anything it just reminded me of what's wrong with the show today.

 

[Walford Boy]

I laughed more in tonight's special than I have in two years of Corrie. What a wonderful tribute to an amazing character.

Watching the scene where Hilda opens the parcel of Stan's belongings reminded me of early memory when a TV show made me cry. I was thinking how simple and yet incredibly effective that scene was and how wrong many writers have been since then, where we've lost many other iconic characters like Deirdre & Betty in recent years.


I have no idea whose decision it was to bring out Fiz & Sean, if anything it just reminded me of what's wrong with the show today.

Couldn't agree more Ome.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Well, I saved this one to watch yesterday. It just felt right to watch this on Christmas Day. Hard to believe it was 29 years to the day that Jean bowed out of Corrie.

The bonus of Jean having appeared so long ago was that it meant there was no chance of the classic mistake of showing numerous recent clips with just one or two vintage ones.

It was fascinating to find out a little more about the elusive actress too. I went into it thinking Jean was a class act, and what I saw only affirmed that.

I have no idea whose decision it was to bring out Fiz & Sean, if anything it just reminded me of what's wrong with the show today.

Agreed. It felt disingenuous to have these people who never interacted with her contributing. I'm not quite sure what Lisa Stansfield was doing there either.

The one plus with the younger actors (the one that plays Chesney) watching her clips was that sense that Jean's work really means something to the legacy of the show. Hilda's legend reaches people who aren't old enough to remember her. And I suppose the very fact that this show was compiled, almost three decades after she last appeared is a testament to that.

I'm glad Sally Whittaker Dynevor and Michael Le Vell had some input, and Barbara Knox (God bless her for hamming it up even here). It would have been nice to have seen Helen Worth or other actors that worked with Jean who've since left the show such as Sandra Gough, Thelma Barlow or Johnny Briggs (though this show also highlighted that Jean was one of the last vestiges of that era. The people she did the most work with are all gone now). Or perhaps even some of the Last Of The Summer Wine cast.

Watching the scene where Hilda opens the parcel of Stan's belongings reminded me of early memory when a TV show made me cry. I was thinking how simple and yet incredibly effective that scene was

Yes. It's a definite example of less being more. A lesson could be learnt from how much room the show had to breathe - even though it was on for less than an hour per week - with quiet-but-meaningful little scenes like this.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I watched this tribute show at lunch time. It was wonderful but it highlighted How GOOD Corrie was back then, looking at the old clips and seeing who was in the background (strong Corrie characters) helped me make my mind up that i should buy the 70s and 80s discs.

Thats when Corrie didnt need disaters and murders, it was goold old fashioned Northern Wit, humour, pathos and drama.

It was nice to see Sally and Kevin, Rita and Ken look back at old clips but having Sean and Fiz there highlight whats wrong with Corrie, full of characters i dont care a jot for.

What was Michelle Keegan there for and what has she done to her teeth?? They didnt look as if they belonged to her and i needed to dig out a pair of sunglasses they were so bright white.

I'd kill for Corrie to show some old episodes with Bet, Alex, Annie, Elsie, Hilda, Stan, The Duckworths and co
Where are the people like that on Corrie now??
I love Sally, Tim, kevin, mary, Norris, Roy and Cathy, The barlows but there are very few you can call a Corrie legend

The 70s and 80s were full of them and jean Alexander who was so different in real life from Hilda was at the very top of that list, along with bernard Youens she was one half of a great double act and no one comes close to that now

RIP Hilda, I could watch tribute progs like this all day long. Just wish BBC did something similar with Larry hagman !!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

i should buy the 70s and 80s discs

Those Network decade box sets are so worth the money, BF. I've watched the Sixties-Eighties DVDs several times (and the Nineties and Noughties once each) but there's so much in them I want to watch again already. The Seventies were a big surprise to me. I hadn't realised how strong that decade was. It's probably my favourite Corrie set.