I caught some of BBC Radio 4's documentary Coronation Strasse today (still available on BBC I-Player) which recounts the success of the German soap Lindenstrasse.The series was inspired by Corrie and has been on-air since 1985. Interestingly, Lindenstrasse credits its success to the telling of straightforward human interest stories, rather to the 'nuts and sluts' approach favoured by many of their contemporaries. Certainly the Lindenstrasse approach seemed to find favour with the assembled UK soap gurus.
Whether or not Corrie would benefit from a 'back-to-basics' approach is debatable. These days, the basic art of story-telling seems to lose out in UK soaps. With up to five episodes to fill, there seems to be a constant need for visual stimulation. Writers and producers are therefore constrained by the requirement of blockbuster storylines. It is the kind of thing that Channel 4 drama Brookside was ridiculed for a decade ago. For them, a never-ending diet of sieges, murders and a helicopter crashing into the shops every other week finally did for the twenty one year old soap. The somewhat earthy drama of 1982 left the screen as a faintly ridiculous, hollowed-out shell of its former self in 2003.
BBC Radio 4's The Archers, of course, has to rely on the power of the spoken word only. For them, an exploding village pub or the prospect of a herd of angry cows ploughing through Lynda Snell's back garden is not an option. Without the visual outlet though, the emphasis is firmly on the characters and their traits. All of them are damaged or weakened in some way or another and more often than not, the listener is prodded into recalling those foibles.
As a Corrie viewer, I do enjoy the odd set piece. However, the regular occurrences of murder, fire and infidelity are wearing a little thin. There are only so many times that t'faktry can be torched, that Tracy can be a scheming bitch or that Eileen, glowering through yet another relationship breakdown, can be of any interest. Maybe we could find out a little of Mary's back-story or discover what happened during Dennis Tanner's missing years. We need a break from pyrotechnics and marriage merry-go-rounds.
Lindenstrasse gives a nod to Corrie for its own success. Is it time that Corrie went full circle and re-discovered its own roots?
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