I know it is only a soap opera, but...

Soap is never like real life, is it, Gill? DH and I often laugh over the stuff that happens. For instance, how many murderers have there been in the street? I've forgotten what the answer is but it is a highly unlikely count! My beef at the moment is the loss of Baby Oleg. I know he was supposed to be left in Africa but we need him back. The current 'Meerkat Movies' thing is just not funny.

I read recently that they have come up with a plan, the writers have had to of course wait a while before being in contact with Ann's family, so I think the lapse of time has been more of letting the family grieve before asking them questions as to how fitting it would be..etc etc as although it is a soap , we still have to remember that Anne did actually die..I believe they have now come up with a story line that the Real Family are happy with..so watch this space.I'm sure if there is a Funeral involved on screen it will be very sad for the cast and also the real family again.

It is of course, difficult when there has been a real death and the family will have been consulted over their feelings about how the story will deal with it. But, without sounding flippant, it is rather funny how such a major lynch pin of the programme can just disappear and nobody mentions her! And just what kind of a baby farm is there in Coronation Street? Nobody there ever seems to have problems with paying for child care even though most of the characters, especially in the knicker factory, will be earning little over minimum wage. I imagine some cramped terraced house around the corner somewhere, with all the baby characters crammed in there at £1 an hour! Nobody ever seems to be looking after baby Lily these days either, she wasn't at the wedding. As I said, I know it is a soap, and I am a big fan, but there are sometimes a few slack areas which could do with sorting out!

I read somewhere recently that the program makers have now agreed an "exit" with Anne Kirkbride's family and her on screen "death" will be very soon. From what I read I think they receive the news via a phone call from the relative she is staying with.

It is funny isn't it GillT57 ? My grandma is an avid corrie fan and she often comments about childcare (or rather the lack of it) and wouldn't you be well p'd off if you were Tyrone and your wife and kids had gone off for so long?

My grandma reads all the spoilers and delights in telling me the plot well before I watch an episode. Her favourite spoilers involve telling me who is leaving about 6 months before they actually leave.

well yes I agree..and I think we can all pick up on things....like the other day when Sophie said she had rung the Nursery up where Jennie worked..they said she had left of her own accord....well! I thank that would come under "Data protection" and that they wouldn't be allowed to discuss....also the other week when the Vicar (Sean's boyfriend) came in the pub and said that the little girl had died that morning...I'm sure later when he was telling another he said ..she died this afternoon ..but I may have been mistaken.

You are right bikergran I picked up on that too (the morning /afternoon thing) and on Monday when Jenny Bradley slapped Maria across the face, Maria rubbed the opposite side to where she was slapped !

oh I missed that one gill lol must pay more attention lol..

I watch Corrie, and I cant even remember who has a baby called Lily!

I think that Corrie is the worst soap as regards children in pushchairs. They are in them for years!
Liam seems to have only just been allowed to walk, and he must be about 6.

Lily is the daughter of David and Kylie soontobe, although you can be forgiven for not knowing as she is hardly ever mentioned!

I noticed that also gillybob. Also she received such as loud, hard slap I would have thought that she would have had a red mark and/or a bruise which would have been evidence that she had been slapped.

My favourite character is Tim. I think he's hilarious, especially in his interaction with Sally. It was a good idea to make him a besotted granddad, I think.

Oh I love Tim too NotTooOld he is a fab character and he has turned himself and Sally into a kind of comedy double act. She is such a snob and he is as common as muck also a bit thick I love the way he looks at little Miley.

I am glad it wasnt just me who noticed the slap Charleygirl. [ouch emoticon]

Poor Lily is always in bed and young Max must have the cleanest teeth in the world. He is always being sent upstairs to brush them.

Is the baby called Miley? That must have happened in the recent episode I missed. Do you remember when Sarah-Louise had Bethany, her first choice of name was Britney but Gail persuaded her to change her mind.

I've never watched Corrie - great fan of East Enders, no idea why.

Corrie is lovely escapism.. It makes me laugh, sometimes intentionally and sometimes not! I could pick holes in it quite often, but there is no point. A soap opera cannot possibly be completely like real life, otherwise it would be boring. I enjoy the sillynesses (is there such a word?) in the plot. Tim is great, isn't he, a wonderful foil for Sally.
I'm sure they will deal with Deirdre's death sensitively so as not to upset her family. Must admit I have been wondering when they are going to get around to it.
I still miss Blanche.....

Yes NotTooOld she is called after Miley Cyrus.

I have never watched Eastenders PRINTMISS it always seemed a bit too depressing for me.

I tend to watch corrie with my grandma and she fills me in (word for word) with whatever I miss.

I guessed it was after Miley Cyrus, gillybob. It could have been worse - she could have been called Twerk.

I love Corrie. I have heard that they are going to have a story re Deirdre over the Bank Holiday, although I'm not sure which Bank Holiday. Oh yes, Tim and Sally are turning into a great double act. I like most of the characters, with the exception of Kevin Webster.

I enjoy Corrie too. I know the story lines are quite often ridiculous but I do love the humour.

Having said that, I often wonder why soaps aren't more realistic - they could still be more exciting than "real life" but at the same time have fairly believable plotlines.

I watched Eastenders from its first episode but finally gave up a few years ago when I decided that the majority of the plotlines reinforced an unrelentingly negative view of how human beings behave.

And how many bedrooms must Gail have? Why don't some of them stay at Audrey's ?

Audrey never seems to age. In fact a lot of them dont. Ken Barlow especially.
I googled Tracey Barlow recently, and discovered that she is 37. I thought that she must be about 31.

Another missing child - we haven't seen Amy for ages...

I like the way that Audrey is allowed to live off the street, and virtually no one else is full time.

Is Dev coming back anytime soon? He is hardly in the show as it is, which I think is a bit of a shame. I dont know why he is not given a bigger role.