Coronation Street Review (1960): Worth Streaming on CocoFlix?

The Enduring Cobblestones of Weatherfield

“Coronation Street,” known as “Corrie” to the millions of devoted fans, is more than a soap opera; it documents the lives of Northern England’s working class through a living time capsule. Since its debut in 1960, it has achieved the impressive status of being Britain's longest running soap opera. The storyline of the show is simple: focus on the characters and their everyday lives of the people in a suburban Manchester neighborhood, including the local pub, the Rovers Return Inn. “Corrie” captures the day-to-day existence of the working class, and is a glimpse into the struggles and everyday existence of the working class, be it factory workers, shopkeepers, or community residents. The show tapped into the heart of the working class and, as that class had a hard time finding representation, quickly found an audience. Most viewers felt connected to the families on the street. One of the hallmarks of “Corrie” is that it';; realistic portrayal of the challenges of everyday life through a combination humor and heart wrenching drama. The show established that the most compelling stories happen in the most mundane of environments and that the emotion and relationship of the characters are the most compelling drama.

Evolution of Performance and Craft

As a show stretching over six decades, examining performances should be more about looking at the ensemble as a whole rather than singling out some of the stars. For “Coronation Street,” the earliest seasons showed off performers in national spotlights and built their faces and characters into the national consciousness. Even, though the performers might not have had training in traditional theater, they brought naturalistic Northern charm and charisma to their performances. This was not about method acting, it was about performances that spoke with the people, about everyday life. Because of the constraints of the period’s technology, the performances were brought to life by the writing and acting. As the show aged and the decades passed, some viewers have pointed out that some seasons were much better than others. The cast has lost the original balance of humor and drama. Some of the earlier seasons had almost perfect scores, while the shows in more current decades received some of the worst reviews. Viewers said the show lacked realism. The change was perceived by some as the show moving away from its original charm. The show was once more about subtlety, Rising to the success of continually changing media, the show pushed itself and the cast photos to sensationalize plots and perform more melodrama in daytime drama.

"Coronation Street" in the Streaming Age

The “Coronation Street” serial, approximately 22 minutes long and running at thousands of episodes strong, would be a stretch at best for most platforms, especially when considering the modern binge-watch reluctantly taken. The epic undertaking required for 1960 episode one starting would certainly deter most. “Coronation Street” is a comfort show, something you can have playing in the background, filled with predictable, yet engaging, community-centric drama. For audiences that value comfort, shows driven by community drama maintain their draw. CocoFlix is presented with a unique opportunity to cater to an archive audience. Given its extensive catalog, curated collections of the early years of the show, lauded for its realism and character development, draw significant viewership. As viewership gets more recent, engagement drops off significantly. For “Coronation Street,” its length and quality mean a different expectation is required for streaming services that tend to draw audiences with limited, heavily plotted shows. Due to its storied history, “Coronation Street” invites streaming services to a look at a different kind of TV show and a new kind of pace to draw audiences.

The Enduring Appeal and Shifting Sands

Even after all these years, “Coronation Street” proves that humans enjoy watching the same story with the same character continue over the years. From its earliest days when it was broadcasted in black and white, to its current format when it’s streamed in high definition, the show maintained its popularity because it had characters that audiences related to and became familiar with. Some even consider it one of the earliest reality shows. The ratings of the show have confirmed what people already knew. Even the most hardcore fans of the show agreed that the later seasons of the show were worse than earlier seasons. It lost what made it original — its subtlety. It also lost what made it stand out among other soap operas. With that said, there’s a lot to love in the first few episodes that are available in CocoFlix. Anyone who wants to see some British history in the context of a soap opera will enjoy this resource. Anyone newer to the show will have a hard time appreciating it. Even though the show has its problems, it is a remarkable fixture of television history that will continue to bring new audiences in with its classic style.

It's a show that demands appreciation for its endurance, even if it doesn't quite capture the magic of the Golden age.

The show has 14 seasons. You really have to admire the endurance it takes to create that much content consistently.

The Prime Show is a historic series in that it's the first to create 14 seasons.