Why Corrie's Glo fails to glow

Are sympathetic characters out of fashion in Weatherfield? When the powers that be first announced the casting of Sue Johnston I was thrilled. I have always admired Sue's performances on screen and had great hopes for an enjoyable stint in Coronation Street. However, the honest truth is, I haven't enjoyed one bit of it and I thoroughly dislike her character.

What a waste of good talent! I'm not about apportioning blame, but something has gone wrong somewhere along the line. I am not criticising Sue Johnston's acting talents at all, but the character of Gloria Price has just not taken off in my eyes. All she does is cause trouble for her family, pick fights and deceive people. I had hoped her return last night would see a change in direction, but no: within two episodes she had upset her entire family and picked fights with Carla and Peter. It wasn't enjoyable to watch, it wasn't dramatic, it wasn't even funny.

Gloria's arrival in Weatherfield was based on a great big whopper of a lie. During her first stint she took advantage of her daughter, meddled in her private life and interfered in anything she fancied. She also upset the Rovers regulars. Then we had the yawnsome Pub of the Year debacle and finally the scam with Gail over Lewis. Not exactly a blaze of glory was it?

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't expecting a rehash of Barbara Royle or Sheila Grant, I hoped we would get something different. Just not this. Corrie has successfully introduced well known actresses in the past. I would love Rula Lenska to return as Claudia Colby one day, and Stephanie Cole continues to be superb as Roy's mum Sylvia. 

I had hoped Gloria's arrival would improve my feelings towards St Ella of the Back Room and her daughter Eva. However I still couldn't care less about St Ella and while Eva is in a different league completely, she's no Raquel.

Part of the problem is that Gloria has failed to interact with other characters in the Street. Practically all her scenes are with St Ella, Eva or Leanne. There was a brief glimmer of hope when Gail helped her out months ago, but nothing really came of that, apart from the dreadful scam over Lewis.


I'm not saying it's too late to salvage something from the wreckage. I keep waiting for the writers to explore Gloria's past and explain why she is the damaged, unpleasant woman she appears to be. If we are to take Gloria Price to our hearts, this better happen soon. 


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