What a bizarre storyline. Think that came during a particularly poor era for Corrie.
Indeed I think this was when the awful and OTT Cilla Brown was also dominating the show with storylines like falling through the roof in a large bath and having Status Quo play her wedding reception. The gameshow storyline looked quite realistic in comparison. Worst Corrie era ever imo.
It seems that every single thing I remembered about it was false (apart from the presenter). It is on YouTube. The format and execution actually looks terrible. A very amateur production indeed.
But the curse of "farcical appearance on fictional gameshow" isn't confined to Corrie. Others have done it even worse. See EastEnders' Arthur Fowler on "Cat and Mouse", or Del Boy on "Goldrush" in the 2001 Christmas Special of Only Fools And Horses*. (*Sorry but the BBC copyright police have ensured that no trace of that is available on YouTube. For those who don't remember it, it was packed with an unrealistic amount of tinsel and trashy music).
Regarding the latter, John Sullivan intended in the script for Del to appear on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Negotiations on rights between BBC and ITV broke down at the last minute when the BBC refused ITV's demands that the OFAH Christmas Special be screened on both networks, otherwise the BBC couldn't use the WWTBAM scenes (which were pivotal to the story). At the eleventh hour the BBC had to cook up a different gameshow, and they came up with a very bodged and unconvincing "Goldrush" hosted by Jonathan Ross.
Anyway, the common denominator in awfulness between the Corrie, EastEnders and OFAH gameshow scenes is the exaggerated look of fear and befuddlement on the contestants' faces. No gameshow would go ahead with filming if the contestant was that uncomfortable or reluctant to take part.
Youd think that the soap producers would take advice from their Light Ent colleagues on how to produce a decent game show that looks realistic or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
Anyway, the common denominator in awfulness between the Corrie, EastEnders and OFAH gameshow scenes is the exaggerated look of fear and befuddlement on the contestants' faces. No gameshow would go ahead with filming if the contestant was that uncomfortable or reluctant to take part.
Obviously you never saw The 24 Hour Quiz. Admittedly in that case it was more the host looking afraid and befuddled, bless him, but still.
I don't think we need to partake in all the DS-style spoiler tag stuff, surely?
Sylvia is surely the show's best character at the moment. Brilliant hybrid of all the old battleaxes, but she's her own character, not an imitation - Stephanie Cole is excellent in that role.
She's hasn't "quit", though - she's taking a break due to ill health.
The gameshow storyline looked quite realistic in comparison. Worst Corrie era ever imo.