The Ill-fated Return of Bet Lynch

In this video, I look at the 2002 and 2003 returns of Coronation Street's greatest icon Bet Lynch, why she returned, and what went wrong.
Copyright disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act: All footage used in this video is for the purposes of education and/or parody and is protected under the fair dealing and fair use exemptions to copyright.
I make no claim of ownership to the footage used in this video and this video in no way serves as a replacement for the original content.
Twitter: / soapstudy
Patreon: www.patreon.com/soapstudy
As always I highly encourage you to check out Coronation Street on Britbox and the ITV hub as well as the following links to videos I referenced:
The Truth About Julie Goodyear: • The Truth About Julie ...
Piers Morgan Life Stories: Julie Goodyear: • Piers Morgan life stor...
You Can't Fire Me, I'm Famous: Julie Goodyear: • You Can't Fire Me, I'm...
I also highly recommend Corriepedia, which was incredibly useful in the research for this video, especially regarding viewing figures!
coronationstreet.fandom.com/w...
I do want to apologise for the sound quality in this video, I'm still getting used to the process and I'm sure my next one will be better!

[@F1FanGuy]

The effort that has gone into the research, scripting and compilation are clear, keep up the good work!

[@soapstudy4669]

Thanks 🙂

[@markdaly1903]

@@soapstudy4669 she looked like Peggy mitchell one of the great soap characters of all time. even down to the Peggy Mitchell hair do

[@VincentRE79]

@@soapstudy4669 Yes thanks for this. If they were in a state of panic in the early 2000's over viewing figures what must things be like now?

[@johntomlinson6849]

Be nice if you'd credited Corriepedia for some of your material though, such as the viewing figures....

[@VincentRE79]

@@johntomlinson6849 Are you involved with Corriepedia?

[@elspethcoogan1499]

Julie Goodyear is an underrated actress. Bet Lynch was a complex character with depth, pathos, wit, an acerbic tongue, warmth and sexual charisma. She could be your best friend or your worst enemy. Someone you could depend upon in a crisis. I recall a storyline when Hilda Ogden was attacked during a burglary at her employers' (she was their cleaner) home. Hilda was also a cleaner at the Rover's Return. After she was hospitalised because of her injuries she wasn’t able to go in to do her shift at the pub. Bet, being the landlady of the RR at the time, went out of her way to support Hilda; she went beyond her role as Hilda's employer. Julie and Jean's (Alexander) scenes together were very touching. They always had a good rapport on screen. Julie's return to the 'Street' had great potential: but the storyline was too much too soon. Her return was heralded as a visit by a big cat; no subtlety or build-up. Yes, Bet was larger than life, but because of that she seemed to overpower the other characters. Apparently, the schedule (increased rehearsals and extra episodes) was too much for Julie. I think because the ‘Street’ was competing with ‘Enders’ there was an emphasis on storylines with an impact rather than a focus on character interest. Plots were fast moving and controversial with little time for viewers to engage with the characters' personalities. Julie's dazzling comet deserved a better re-entry into the ‘Street's’ orbit; one where she could have shined bright but not outshone her peers.

[@robertjonas6216]

Good grief , I grew up in the UK during the 70’s. Bet, Hilda, Stan, Annie, Ken, Deirdre were all characters I felt like I knew personally. The longevity of this show astounds me!

[@blossomwinter]

Where are you living now?

[@robertjonas6216]

@@blossomwinter my mother and I moved to the US in 1981

[@therealfodder]

I've not watched any soap since the early 00s and Corrie since probably the early 90s. I've no idea how this just showed up in my recommended but I'm so glad it did - I've just sat here hooked. Great work!

[@michaeltutty1540]

I miss the old cast members greatly. Bette Lynch was a true favourite. So much so that when I took a job as a carer in a long term care facility I found myself channelling my Inner Bette when working with the residents. For that, all I can say is "Thank-you, Miss Goodyear!" The warmth and wit shine like beacons on a foggy night.

[@gezatherton1071]

I’ve watched all three of your videos now and they are extremely compelling and well researched. I’ve been looking for a channel that analyses soaps in this way for many years. Incredible work and keep it up!

[@BGCW_86]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this! Thank you for the time you’ve taken to research and put this together, it highlights the behind the scenes story to this interesting period! It’s just ripe for a one off drama, I swear! 😊

[@soapstudy4669]

Thank you!

[@LeopardprintBet]

This is amazing, sensitive, and really well researched ❤ thank you

[@karlbroderickmusic]

Fabulous piece. I grew up with Corrie, but stopped watching about 8 years ago. Only Julie's return would bring me back to it. The fun (when she was stuck in the car in the lake 😅) the heart, the realness that Bet was a real person..something I always felt about historic Corrie characters (Deirdre, Jack & Vera & Terry, Rita) that I never, ever believed with Emmerdale characters. Give Bet a happy ending...and Nostalgia is Huge at present. Bring Bet Back.

[@dementednun1175]

Bet Lynch was in Coronation Street when she filmed an episode she would do start middle end. When she left the show they were still doing start middle end! When she came back to the show they had gone from 3 episode a week to 5. It was no longer start middle end, it was filming 6 Endings in a row the start of other episodes the middle of others everything was all over the place. And it burnt her out soooo fast

[@booth2710]

exactly ... everyone else in the show had built up to this working model - Julie was parachuted into the middle of a full on production battle field.

[@rtc9063]

It’s only just been shown in ITV3. I think the plan was they wrote out Fred’s wife so Bet Lynch would then take over the Rovers for Fred Elliott. God the scriptwriters must have been working 24/7 to rewrite the utter mess left behind

[@Scripture-Man]

I'm not a Corrie watcher, certainly not these days, I don't even remember this comeback to be honest. But this video was fascinating, and incredibly insightful. When I saw the thumbnail I just had to click, because this woman is so familiar to me. I still consider her the 'face' of Corrie, if not the face of ITV, so hers is an incredibly important story, and thanks for telling it!

[@jamescairns4051]

Really well put together. Thank you!

[@Lozenge95]

Omg I’m so excited to binge watch your videos!! I’ve always said/wished there should be a channel with content like this with soaps! 😁🙏 can’t wait to see your future uploads 💃💃💯

[@jayrobinson7554]

Excellently put together, iv watched all your current videos so I hope to see more of your work soon.

[@popland1977]

What a great video. I really appreciate the major research,this was the period when I watched Corrie as a child with my Mam and it's fantastic to have nostalgia mixed with superb analysis

[@tropesti]

That was really enjoyable to watch, thanks very much for all of your hard work 😀

[@Candy-ji1sr]

Born in 1961 Wales, UK. 3 shows I loved and still do. Steptoe & Son, Rising Damp, Coronation Street. I watched it because of Julie Goodyear and her incredible portrayal of Bet Lynch.

[@Whom1337]

Really good stuff. Love the amount of research put into this.

[@soapstudy4669]

Thank you!

[@jasbegs1258]

This was very well done and I really enjoyed watching it. Thanks you.

[@paulderby2117]

Excellent vid! Thank you Soap Study🙂

[@VHSTRESSED]

I genuinely don’t know how to say what I want to say except for this, please make more of these videos 🔥

[@Raptor8415]

This was well-researched. I've always been interested in the behind-the-scenes, production side of Coronation Street and how they've impacted the course of the show, but this information has always been so hard to find. Thanks for this

[@colinhowe1913]

This was really good, well constructed and interesting throughout. Well done 👏 👏👏

[@JonnyKaneGaming]

Loved this video and this type of content in general. Would love to see more!

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

The doctor that the writers consulted about the Alma cancer storyline was interviewed on the radio. He was keen to cooperate to raise awareness and encourage women not to ignore symptoms. He said that all the writers wanted to know was whether someone could die within six weeks of diagnosis because the imperative was to wrap the story up quickly in case viewers got bored of it.

[@Boilingfrogg]

Men suffer cancer too

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

@@Boilingfrogg Well, it was cervical cancer that Alma died of, but I get your point. It was like Mike Baldwin's dementia. It wasn't killing him fast enough for script purposes so they gave him pneumonia and had him have a heart attack out on the cobbles. I'm only surprised they didn't have a tram and a marching brass band trample over him just to make sure.

[@Boilingfrogg]

@@gilgameshofuruk4060 🚋🚋🎷🥁🎺🎷📢))NO YOU DON'T BALDWIN)) )

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

@@Boilingfrogg Lol! Love the emojis. I don't know what worse, seeing Baldwin being ludicrously fast tracked out, the bizarre bromance on the wet cobbles or seeing Ken Barlow trying to emote.

[@Boilingfrogg]

@@gilgameshofuruk4060 🤣😅😆Lol

[@TheHalftimelord]

Really tight editing and script, keep them coming! 👍

[@soapstudy4669]

Thank you so much :)

[@Joewizzard260]

Brilliant video - look forward to many more!

[@lewishultman9074]

Really enjoyed watching this as I’ve read Julie Goodyears autobiography (which itself was excellent). Love the research you’ve done and the format. Similar to talking prisoner which is great too about prisoner cell block h. Lewis 😊😊😊😊

[@dannytoeman]

Excellent video, I can't wait to see more videos that you make about soaps

[@alanedwards8834]

I didn’t need this video, didnt search for it. But boy, quite enjoyed it! Good job

[@kevinlongman007]

Bet should have been reintroduced as the new owner of the Rovers rather than some contrived storyline. Thats how the fans remembered her.

[@teleaddict23]

The plan was for Bet to become the new Rovers manager. Fred offered her the job when she returned. Shame it never happened, it would’ve been great.

[@chriswinwood6501]

Absolutely fascinating. Impressive research, convincing arguments, really well presented. More of this sort of thing!

[@thomasmatthews322]

Fabulous work! Please keep it up

[@KazgarothUsher]

I really enjoyed this post. Always loved Bet! Thanks :)

[@glamdolly30]

Intelligent and well-written insights on the show, its fictional characters, and the real Julie Goodyear! I agreed with every wise and witty word. Particularly impressive was your razor-sharp analysis of why Bet's first, massively hyped return was such a flop. They'd made the character hard, dislikable and 'one-note'. throughout And as you rightly identified, both the plot and the scripts didn't serve her well. Though I suspect the Street's best writers like John Stevenson, were doing what they were always so skilled at - injecting plenty of the real actor's personality into the scripts! By the 'nineties, it was hard to decipher where Bet ended and Julie Goodyear began. During the Alec Gilroy years, Bet's outfits as Rovers landlady, didn't just get smarter - they and her ever-bigger hairdos and earrings, became decidedly Widow Twankey. She was turning Bet into a caricature, no doubt aware she had big shoes to fill as the new grande-dame of the cobbles, after the departure of female icons like Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) and her pub predecessor Doris Speed (Annie Walker). It was noticeable that away from the soap when she tried her hand at other TV projects, Goodyear clung onto the Bet image for dear life. Her leopard print trademark was by now a pathological obsession and a major feature of every outfit. If she hoped to shake off the immediately recognisable Bet image and resist typecasting, she had a funny way of doing it! By the time Bet made her first return to 'Coronation Street' in 2002, her transformation to panto dame was complete. Every aspect of her look - her hair, make-up, accessories and clothes, were way over the top. And sad to say, so was she. I was shocked not just by her ludicrously over-styled appearance as she arrived at the Rovers, but by her sudden inability to act! Over her decades on the Street, Julie Goodyear proved herself a fine actress, producing some of the show's most memorable moments. While she was known as a gifted comedienne, she could also handle pathos and tragedy with aplomb. Who can forget the young Bet's grief over the adult son she had given up for adoption, who died as a soldier in Northern Ireland? Or the unborn baby also cruelly lost to her in middle age, during her marriage to Alec Gilroy? Make no mistake, Julie Goodyear could act the very best of them off the screen! Her double act with Roy Barraclough as licencees of the Rovers was a joy, and proved Bet didn't need youth to be a vibrant and powerfully charismatic leading lady. But sad to say, both of her returns to the show in the noughties, showed none of her former skill or subtlety. It was as though she'd forgotten how to play the role of Bet, during her absences from the soap! What she gave us instead, was a hard shell of Bet - a woman who looked like her, albeit an exaggerated, cartoon-ish version - but behaved as a one-dimensional parody of the Bet viewers knew and loved. This was especially true of her second, brief return to the show in 2003, set in Blackpool. While I accept your point that its fun, light-hearted flavour served Julie Goodyear far better than the contrived and downbeat 2002 storyline, there were many jarring moments that simply didn't work. Bet's hairpiece was surely the biggest she'd ever worn - Granada's make-up ladies deserved an award for anchoring it in place for the scenes on Blackpool's windswept seafront! Julie went all-out for a classic 1970s Bet Lynch look 'on steroids', with the skyscraper beehive, lampshade-sized earrings and multiple clashing leopard designs in every ensemble. The visual effect was to lampoon the character and astonishingly, to make Liz McDonald look classy by comparison! But her cliched, wisecracking 'tart with a heart' performance put the final nail in Bet's coffin. So many cringe-making gags about her chest, or supposedly lecherous men - it was frankly embarrassing. As sad as I am that iconic females like Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker never returned for even a guest appearance (in Pat Phoenix' case, sadly, due to her premature death from lung cancer in 1986), I'm glad they and their legendary Street characters left on a high, and remained authentic to the end. The Blackpool episodes were a sad low for Bet, leaving viewers in no doubt she belonged to an historic, never to be repeated era. Not even the inspired casting (or should I say re-casting) of the great George Baker as her romantic interest Cecil Newton, could save it! This mysteriously appeared in my suggested videos. I put it on through curiosity, not expecting to be hooked to the end. A superbly well researched and presented programme, by someone who really knows his subject. Bravo! I'm about to check out your content and hope there's more Corrie - particularly from its golden era 1976-'87. I stopped watching around 10 years ago when there was one vicious serial killer too many! Alas the Street fell into the trap of competing with 'EastEnders', lost its famous heart and humour and became more like a gritty northern crime drama. Dark, depressing storylines and characters are not what made 'Coronation Street' a legend! But its modern incarnation is not even close to the same show it was - the standard of scripts, actors and storylines is nowhere near its 'seventies and 'eighties prime. Everything has its day, and 'Coronation Street' is no exception. It maintained astonishingly high standards for around 30 years - an incredible achievement. The rot set in by the late 'nineties, with the arrival of the ghastly Battersbys - it was all downhill after that, and should have been put out of its misery long ago. But ITV will undoubtedly keep milking their elderly cash cow for years to come, however dire it becomes! Thank God we can find the sublime classic episodes here on KZbin. They've stood the ultimate test of time, and remain a testament to the talented writers, actors and production team behind some of the finest television drama ever produced.

[@glamdolly30]

Over the last few days since I watched it, I've been thinking about your superb Bet Lynch video. It so impressed me! So I was disappointed to find it's your only video to date on 'Coronation Street' - which you are undoubtedly such an expert on. I'd love to see you turn your remarkably insightful analysis to The Street's glory years - specifically, its second and last period as Britain's finest television drama. I'm talking of course about the years 1976 - 1988. This happened under the 12-year stewardship of legendary producer Bill Podmore - and would without question be a fantastic subject for a second 'Coronation Street' video. Are you in a position to meet the challenge? I'm certain with the talent you showed us in your Bet Lynch video, you could do full justice to this uniquely memorable (and in my view never to be repeated - least of all bettered), 'Corrie' golden era. As you correctly identified in your assessment of the ghastly Jane Macnaught, the wrong producer can be disastrous for a struggling soap. The opposite also applies. And Bill Podmore was the polar opposite - the perfect producer, at the perfect time that he came onboard, in 1976! Despite remaining Britain's favourite soap, Corrie hit a slump by the mid-'Seventies. It was sinking fast in the ratings, even in those pre-'EastEnders' days with no serious soap competition. In my view (as a writer), the importance of good scripts cannot be underestimated. John Stevenson (long established as chief scriptwriter), confirmed that the quality of the writing had plummeted, the storylines were poor, and 'Coronation Street' had begun to be despised within the industry as a second rate show that no one wanted to work on. It urgently needed new leadership, if the rot were not just to be stopped, but actively turned around. The extraordinary vision and gifts of Bill Podmore surpassed best expectations, and didn't just match but bettered the show's 'sixties glory years. In his capable hands, The Street rapidly reigned supreme one more. The episodes he produced are among the best ever made. We shouldn't forget what a tall order Bill's brief was. Drastic problems call for drastic solutions, and clearly big changes needed to be made. But they had to be the right ones. The show had lost much of the famous heart and humour that made it an immediate and enduring hit from its 1960 launch. As a result, viewers had dramatically dropped off by 1975. Many ITV execs were not surprised. They felt after 15 years, the decline of 'Coronation Street' was inevitable and irreversible. It was lucky to have had such a long run of popularity, was the consensus view. These men collectively shrugged their shoulders, and would have happily observed 'Coronation Street's death throes in the 'seventies. However the naysayers were to be proved wrong in dramatic style by Bill Podmore. 'Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man' as the saying goes. Bill Podmore was that man. At face value, the former Royal Air Force pilot and BBC cameraman was an unlikely saviour for Britain's famous, flagging soap. And he himself was the first person to feel that. Initially, he turned the job down flat! But two things marked him out as a potential success in the role - his solid background as a TV comedy producer, and his genuine love of vintage 'Coronation Street'. While Bill Podmore had the wisdom to recognise what needed to be changed and the courage to do it, he also saw what a massive mistake it would be to dismantle the elements that marked 'CS' out as something special. On his arrival, he described his job to the team as "a re-decoration, not a demolition", reassured the cast, and quickly set about capitalising on the soap's strengths. Two of his first casting decisions in 1976 turned out to be masterstrokes. One was the return of fan favourite, the original Street siren Elsie Tanner. There was some very fortunate serendipity at play here. Actress Pat Phoenix who left the show in a blaze of publicity in 1973, had by 1976 found work and media attention were on the wane. Her much publicised on and off screen marriage to actor Alan Browning (aka Alan Howard), had also crashed and burned, thanks in great part to his alcoholism. Professionally and personally at a low ebb, on hearing of Podmore's new tenure Pat wrote him a personal letter - an impassioned to return to the show that had made her famous. With mixed emotions, Bill agreed to meet Pat for lunch at Manchester's Midland Hotel (a stone's throw from the Granada Studios). He found a star as charismatic as ever, if somewhat humbled by circumstances. He liked Pat Phoenix, and saw what a draw it could be to bring back such a Corrie big-gun. But he had understandable reservations. Once he'd got an assurance from her she would ditch the grand ways and glamorous outfits that had ruffled fellow cast's feathers (and made some of them very reluctant to see her back), he gave her a new contract. It's a fair assumption, she'd have agreed to anything to come back! Unsurprisingly Pat's promise was broken on her very first scene, when - knowing Podmore was absent from the set that day - she teetered down the Street in stiletto heels, a full face of make up and a stylish raincoat that would have cost Elsie two months' wages! But the return of Pat Phoenix was of course a no-brainer, Pat was a star with good reason, and performed some of Elsie's best-ever scenes in her second run on the show from 1976 to her permanent departure in early 1984. Bill's other casting triumph was to bring in a brand new Southern character, to broaden the show's appeal - and Mike Baldwin certainly did that! Actor Johnny Briggs created a character who was as fully-formed, believable and charismatic on his debut, as he was when he finally left 30 years later. Mike Baldwin was not an original character from the 1960 launch, but he is undoubtedly one of Coronation Street's all-time greats. Among Bill Podmore's many pivotal decisions were killing off Ernie Bishop and Renee Roberts, marrying on-off couple Len and Rita (a union neither actor wanted!) and firing Peter Adamson - not due to horrific child abuse allegations but because he broke his contract, selling stories on his co-stars to the tabloids to pay his brief the great (and very expensive) George Carman QC! In 1983/84 Podmore steered the 'Coronation Street' ship through perilously choppy waters, with the departure of a record number of leading cast members, for various reasons, among them Stan Ogden, Elsie Tanner, Eddie Yeates, Annie Walker, Len Fairclough, Albert Tatlock, Ena Sharples, Bert Tilsley and Chalkie Whitely, Bill faced many other, less dramatic cast crises along the way, which he handled with skill - such as the rapidly inflating ego of Chris Quinten, and the awkward termination of Cheryl Murrray's contract, the actress who played Suzie Birchall. Podmore's fine eye for comedy was critical to his success at the helm over 12 years. He brought characters Eddie Yeates, Fred Gee and Vera Duckworth out of the shadows to become the comedic backbone of the show. On a more personal note, he stayed loyal to actor Peter Dudley (Bert Tilsley), when he was twice caught by police 'cottaging', ie having sexual trysts with men in gents toilets. The stress of the impending court case brought on a stroke. Dudley's sudden, physical deterioration was so obvious on camera, his ill-health had to be written into the plot. He tragically died in 1983 aged just 48, after multiple strokes and heart attacks, before the case was heard. It was a tragic end to his life, and especially poignant after four promising years as Ivy's long-suffering husband, during which he made the lovable Bert a firm favourite with viewers. If Bill Podmore's time as producer interests you as a future video (I so hope it does!) Podmore wrote an excellent, quick-read book on his time at the helm. It's out of print, but can be picked up for pennies second hand on Amazon, and goes into fascinating, indiscreet detail on his biggest personal dramas with stars Pat Phoenix, Peter Adamson, Peter Dudley etc. A great read!

[@carlhammond8527]

Really enjoyed this fella. I only got full time into Corrie due to the lockdown, of course I've seen bits through the years, but a lot of stuff goes over my head - so really looking forward to seeing how this channel grows :) If I'm being super critical the volume jumps with some clips are.. distracting? Jarring? But, seriously really enjoyed this vid! Going to watch the Dirty Den one tomorrow at a decent hour!

[@ConspiracyPundit]

I have no idea why this was in my feed. I have not owned a TV in the traditional sense for about twenty years. I never ever watched soaps albeit one time. Once when poor I tried to get into EE and would constantly drift off to what amounted to staring at the walls. My mother was once a soap opera hater, which she denied once she got hooked on EE. Well back to CS. I am currently writing this whilst sitting in Guangzhou China and previously living in the States. Yep of course I was aware of Bet, but I pressed the thumbnail and quite enjoyed your summary of a situation I had no idea about or interest in. Well done, now I must get back to ignoring TV soaps, Movies and music. I will drop a sub, but no bell LOL. Blacker Adder One and Two were the best and Jon Pertwee leaving Doctor Who was the end of that show for me. I did like the grandfather era of only fools, but I was 14 then. I have no idea how old you are, but TV for me in the seventies was dire. Noteworthy mentions of hate being Why don't you, that plagued my summer holidays, anything they showed on a bank holiday. I guess during that era Steptoe, the old even then carry on, Cleo, screaming being the best in my humble and Fawlty towers, which neatly brings me back to Black Adder. Anyway good luck with the channel, all my ideas of content would get me a ban as Woke is the cherry on the top of the past thirty years' entertainment turd. Oh yeah up to season 7 of the Simpsons which a friend at the time apparently went on to win two BAFTAs recommend I watch, ten years after it started was fun, but as Lisa once stated to her father Homer when he had a crayon removed from his brain said, as intelligence goes up happiness goes down, look I have drawn a graph.

[@LordMarps]

Happy Pascha brother ☦️

[@tallpojjy]

Extremely interesting, fascinating research. Thanks for sharing this, it is brilliant.

[@thebeautifulgame442]

Soulless and conveyor belt like is what modern life is becoming - everything magical has been diluted - television, music, sport - just robots who only become animated when they’re offended

[@garethdavies2145]

Great video. Really interesting to learn a bit more about the history of Corrie. I hadn't realised the show was still struggling in the early 2000s but then I always think of the Richard Hillman storyline and not all the others at the time.

[@popland1977]

I always assumed it was a golden age with Richard Hillman

[@VincentRE79]

@@popland1977 i agree, compared with the current Coronation Street it was the golden age.

[@stanleypines1026]

Would love to see you address other subjects such as the denigration of Jim McDonald’s character by a series of ill-informed writers, or the dreadful return of Tracy Barlow. Even an analysis of something more recent like the Phelan years would be a good watch 👍

[@garethbeare8741]

Intuitive one million doesn't quite match up to an actual mlion.

[@Taporeee]

Jim Mcdonald is a legend

[@stanleypines1026]

@@Taporeee So he is

[@jeanie1900]

No, this guy speaks waaaaay too fast. It really is horrible to listen to. I'm only watching because I'm hoping to see the very last scene of 2002.

[@tarahudson9439]

I’ve not watched coronation street properly in over a decade, I think Bet is pretty much now the only character they could bring back that would make me watch it…. They should do anything to bring her back for a few months and if the other storylines where good I’d start watching it again.

[@beachcomber1able]

Is she not dead or in a care home. 🤔

[@williamf4544]

She has been diagnosed with Alzimers and its already causing her big problems so im afraid that ship has sailed - very sad

[@tarahudson9439]

@@williamf4544 yes I saw photos of her a few days ago it’s very sad 😢

[@Hilda_ogden]

This is fantastic. I enjoyed this.

[@soapstudy4669]

Thank you very much!

[@BruceLeroyUK]

A thorough, informative and entertaining essay.

[@colettegriffiths509]

What an excellent piece. Very well done sir. Bravo.

[@cubanox]

This was excellent, I’m a new fan of corrie here in America and this helped me learn even more. Thank you

[@maggieb369]

I hope you will do more commentary about the classic era of Corrie. The Mac Donald’s, or Ken and Deirdre perhaps? This was very good!

[@JockStrop]

Loved this. I remember her return I wasn't a big watcher and don't anymore but really interesting to see how these events happened. I really like her and the character

[@cb4883]

I don't like her real character

[@Jess-k6q]

@@cb4883 I don’t either.

[@booth2710]

They should have just eased Julie Goodyear back into the part ... she did have a truckload of scenes to do in a short space of time - there was no hurry to get her storyline playing out - or at least I did not see a need to go full throttle ..

[@johnring7042]

You’re good at this. You should do more

[@jessicaduncan49]

Fantastic work

[@sorrynationst3685]

This was excellent! I’d love a collaboration of some kind!

[@johnsewell6593]

Absolutely Fantastic! From a 35+ year corry watcher It took me back to a much better place where Bett was the Queen !

[@terrylodge4846]

looking forward to where this channel goes.❤

[@markwright8629]

Fascinating from start to finish!!

[@007beck9]

She returned again in 2003 in Blackpool with Liz and Fred that was the Best Return

[@julz3tt3]

Bet was Coronation Street. Thank you for the video on Julie. I think she's fantastic 😍

[@paulbrown6464]

Same thing happened to the prat Ken Morley, he left because he thought everybody loved Ken Morley but quickly realised they liked Reg Holdsworth

[@stevelove1366]

I think it all went down hill when Brian Park took over. The glory days of the soap are long behind it. The show used to be a like a cosy blanket. Now it's just a long streak of misery.

[@johnrider3749]

I agree i stopped it regularly watching when i heard Derek was being killed off and stopped watching altogether just before mavis left,

[@strongcoffee7]

Fantastic video. Love the depth! How about analysis of the true Corrie villain Alan Bradley the depiction of domestic violence has never been forgotten by me all these years later.

[@scottishdanny2432]

Fantastic stuff!

[@mrblueeyes7889]

Thanks, very good x

[@stingersplash]

I'm not sure how I was recommended this but I appreciate it. I don't even really remember her I'll fated return. I stopped watching in March 2003 when Richard Hillman died so didn't see her final return. I think I probably stopped at the shows peak.

[@TheRealMike1976]

You just got a new sub

[@rhondabooth7602]

This is great!

[@soapstudy4669]

Thank you!

[@tay2229]

I remember this storyline and the hype around it. It's a shame that it fizzled out in the way it did. If I may, I would like to suggest the following as future video topics: - Todd Grimshaw's coming out storyline. - The Richard Hillman storyline. - I'm not sure whether it counts as a soap, but The Bill storylines of the early 2000s which saw a lot of characters being axed - the Don Beech saga in 2000 and the station explosion in 2002.

[@stingersplash]

The Bill definitely wasn't a soap originally but definitely became one later. Many episodes were singular stories and I especially loved the detective based episodes. Then at some point it got very soapy and hired too many stars from eastenders and corrie and it didn't work for me anymore. Don Beech was my final time watching.

[@crevrath7374]

I can only imagine Julie going back to today's show. The naughties was the last big golden era for corrie under the brilliant Kieran Roberts. Bets brief return was amazing on screen. Pity her return didn't work out. They should have eased Julie back in better. Corrie in the teens and now with 6 episodes a week is churned out drivel. Weak writing, less thaught out character development and more sensationalised plots just to make up a script.

[@PeaveyPV20]

Well said. Its one issue based story after another, more like a party political broadcast now

[@kaysmith8992]

I feel like the acting has also changed. Even seasoned characters like Jenny or Gail talk and behave very silly, the style of humour aimed at young viewers with the attention span of a TikTok clip. Bet's return wasn't so bad in hindsight when you compare with Jim MacDonald's in the 2010s for example.

[@007beck9]

The Blackpool return was better in 2003

[@rtc9063]

There’s too many episodes in 2023. Johnnie Connor drowned, Jenny grieving for about 3 hours and nothing further and forgotten like she’d met him for all of five minutes. The same will happen when they write Paul out later this year.

[@stanleypines1026]

@@kaysmith8992 The thick modern writers of Corrie had no idea what Jim McDonald was like in the 90s and just started writing him as a generic bad guy starting in the 2010s. It was awful

[@cosmicwartoad2587]

Soap opera writers ALWAYS bring back old popular characters when ratings're down like having them faking their own deaths or coming back for some reason or other

[@happinesstan]

That scene where they're dancing in purple shorts and yellow top is straight out of Russ Meyer's book.

[@mgthestrange9098]

Funny enough, Bet’s returne was just shown in the classic Corrie reruns onITV3 a couple of months ago. I’m enjoying this era more than today’s era. Started watching at this time, never knew it had been struggling.

[@leighmac1625]

A very insightful video. Bet Lynch will always be one the most iconic characters of Coronation Street. I stopped watching almost 2 years ago, tired of the subject matters and it no longer having many likeable characters and attempts at humour falling flat.

[@gamewithadam7235]

The newspapers talking about her being tired and thinking the workload is too much seems similar to Christopher Eccleston's departure as Doctor who.

[@oldfella3919]

The reason behind Eccleston leaving was more to do with the breakdown in trust with Davies and the exec producers and the politics of the show that they were pushing. They and the BBC in general put out several false statements about him after he left and effectively had him black listed for UK work for 4 or 5 years.

[@gamewithadam7235]

@@oldfella3919 I heard it's because they treated the lower workers badly. And fears about becoming typecast.

[@oldfella3919]

@@gamewithadam7235 The bit about being typecast was put out by the BBC without any discussion with or agreement from Eccleston. The BBC had to apologize for it as they were basically just a**e covering. It was all down to the toxicity of Davies and the exec producers. This info is public domain and Eccleston himself has confirmed the position vis-a-vis Davies et al.

[@WorldNews92]

I give you Corrie's ill-fated Return of Bet Lynch, and raise you EastEnders ill-fated return of "Michelle Fowler".

[@garethbeare8741]

You know what this puts me in mind of. The utter suffering pointlessness of human existence. No shut.

[@martinedingivan]

Are you doing more like this as this is fasanating

[@MrDannyDetail]

Maybe the first scene of the second return was a bit of an intentional metaphor. The previous return had gone to s---t, as had the character of Bet, and now Bet was re-emerging from that s--t at full strength again.

[@divatalk9011]

Missing your videos😊

[@soapstudy4669]

I'm currently working on my next one, it's a slow process but it should be out sometime in late August/early September ☺

[@divatalk9011]

@@soapstudy4669 fantastic! I know all about the slow process, editing is a pain in the ass and I make much shorter content. Your videos are tv worthy

[@7Network]

A good watch on the whole, the only things to feedback would be - Why the reverse shots?, and that some of the detail was a bit out - she returned in 2002 and not 2001 for example.

[@sirhowardkendall8336]

Great video, I really enjoyed that, the good old days of corrie, its absolute crap now though, not watched it for years. Keep up great work 👍🏾

[@SuzyQ334]

Most of the "issues-based" storylines sucked all the humour and entertainment out of this once fabulous show and sent it plummeting to the ground. From what Julie says in her book it was the same backstage. No wonder she walked away a second time. During lockdown I started watching Corrie from the 1970s and it probably saved my mental health (I live alone). The Sarah-Louise pregnancy announcement was my last episode. I doubt even Jeremy Kyle could have found a pregnant 13-year-old. Rant over.

[@02bher1]

I am from Quebec/ Canada and live for my daily episode of Corry; so does my French speaking husband. It is now 2023 and for us it is still essential to our week day pleasures.

[@SimonLeicester]

A lovely trip down memory lane

[@rtc9063]

I’d rather prefer watching the reruns on ITV3 compared to the utter rubbish they write and broadcast these days. Compare Richard Hilman and Pat Phelan to the most pathetic serial killer in Stephen Reid

[@lewisgreen1633]

I watched the coronation st episodes from 1977, it’s on YT. That was the golden age ..

[@Jarmix-vq3gn]

Oooh I've read so positive comments about this channel here so will give some videos a go.

[@annlvselvis972]

In it's heyday Coronation Street was top class drama. Bet, Hilda, Annie, Elsie and Ena to name just a few were amazing.

[@Pdjohnners]

Fascinating viewing.

[@alexrobinson3970]

I loved both eras

[@alexrobinson3970]

you know why Jane m and me had to go. we had p to kill rh off ab left we could do da ai

[@theshagnetwork]

I can't write but I always wished I could come up with storylines for Coronation Street! 😁

[@chris7921]

Soaps are dying a slow death now, I can’t see them going another ten years!

[@PeaveyPV20]

Hope they dont. I only watch classic coronation st, classic emmerdale and classic eastenders now, modern soaps more about pc box ticking and want pitting out there missery

[@michaelkeates7838]

@@PeaveyPV20 I only watch the classic ones now

[@kaysmith8992]

​​@@PeaveyPV20 the funny thing is I'm all for the 'issues' themselves (LGBT rights, anti-racism etc) but the soaps force them in such a cringe way I can't watch.

[@chris7921]

@@PeaveyPV20 That’s why I said soaps won’t last another 10 years, because how awful they are now. You can still watch the classic episodes. Nobody will be watching episodes from now in 20+ years from now

[@chris7921]

@@kaysmith8992 LGB please, don’t throw us in with that other cult lot

[@blossomwinter]

So just realised the boy shot in that hold up in supermarket who was Linda brother is now playing Damien in Corrie looks like he always plays criminal roles😂

[@ReadyFreddie7]

Will you be continuing these videos?

[@soapstudy4669]

Yes, I plan to. I’m partway through editing the audio of my next video and hopefully it will be completed early next year. It take a while I’m afraid but I work full time and have a number of other projects on the go. I’m still very dedicated to this channel though!

[@leejones8582]

Good retrospective

[@JayJay-nc7pr]

Really weird how EastEnders and Corrie basically switched positions in the early-mid 2000s, EE became more lighthearted as they downsized the Mitchell family and returned to its mid 1980s roots with the refocus on the Watts family again along with the Slater family taking centre stage, while Corrie took on more depressing storylines. Another point was since the 1990s Emmerdale had been creeping up the ratings with the Plane Crash storyline in 1993, the arrival of newer and modern families such as the Tate, Windsor and Dingle families taking the place of the Sugden’s in the centre stage, Kim Tate becoming the new Alexis Colby, Emmerdale by the mid 2000s was rivalling EastEnders taking Corrie’s place. As for Bet Lynch, she was an icon, she defined Corrie in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, much like how Elsie Tanner defined the 1960s and how Carla has defined the show since the 2000s. Julie Goodyear has a great work ethic and never looked down on her soap roots, in fact she embraces it, but by the 2000s the character simply no longer worked.

[@Taporeee]

Comfy Soap discussion

[@jenniferjones188]

I still watch corrie. Its no where near as good as the early editions I miss Bet Lynch. All the old corrie actors also. Thank you for this video. Enjoyed watching it.

[@Jmcinally94]

24:41 now that's honesty, fair play to him for sticking up for her

[@marklola12]

It is a shame they messed her return up , i do believe it is all their fault. things and how things worked had changed alot and i do not think they did their best to help julie to the change

[@stevek6432]

why are some images back to front?