Inside Soap UK 42 - 2021

“Her ample bosom likely caused all this trouble” The wait is over! Super Soap Week is here at last – when Emmerdale and Corrie splash that sponsor cash from Costa and the Co-op, sign up every stunt crew north of Sandbach Services, and plunge their most popular cast into perfectly preposterous peril. Now, while Emmerdale has been decently bonkers ever since they crashed a Boeing into Annie Sudgen, some people complain that these big stunts are too far removed from the homely origins of Coronation Street – which they think only ever involved two old bats bickering over the price of nut brittle. However, they’re forgetting that it was as early as 1967 when Corrie first collapsed the viaduct on to an unsuspecting Ena Sharples. In fact, the shock of…

Tormented Abi turns vigilante this week, as she stalks killer Corey with a gun – but just as she’s about to take the ultimate revenge, the very ground beneath their feet collapses! In the weeks since Seb’s killer was released without charge back onto the streets of Weatherfield, Abi has been plotting to destroy him – watching his every move, with a loaded gun in her hand. Abi chooses the chaos of local ‘Horrornation Street’ event as the backdrop of their confrontation, as hateful Corey – full of bravado and bile – goads her to pull the trigger. But before she can fire, the earth gives way beneath them, plunging them into a broken-down Victorian sewer. In the murky depths, Abi and Corey face a battle for survival against the…

Coronation Street’s cobbles have nestled sturdily underfoot for decades. So what exactly triggers the deadly collapse that leaves Weatherfield favourites in mortal danger? It seems that the relatively small sinkhole in the Platts back garden – left unattended for months now – is merely a symptom of a far wider danger. As deliveries from the brewery arrive for Debbie’s special Halloween event, the organisers fail to notice that, as each heavy barrel thuds to the ground, a small amount of earth dislodges into the nearby sinkhole. Then, as a storm blows in, a huge area gives way as the crumbling Victorian sewer running along the back of Coronation Street collapses in on itself! “It’s such an action-packed week – you don’t know where to look because there’s so much going…

Dev faces the worst day of his life, when the Alahans are caught up in a horror car crash – and he must choose which of his twins to rescue from their burning vehicle. “How will Dev explain his decision to help Asha?” The family are on a camping trip when they get lost on a country road in the middle of a storm, and a tree blocks their way. As they bicker over what to do, an out-of-control prison van comes careering towards them as drug-dealer Harvey Gaskell makes a bid for freedom. As the van swerves and smashes into their car, the three Alahans’ lives change forever. “Dev comes round to realise his children are badly hurt, the car is on fire, and they need to get out…

Life-or-death decisions face many of our favourites this week, but there’s none bigger than Dev’s shocking conundrum. Executive producer Iain MacLeod says he really wanted the Alahans at the centre of the drama for Super Soap Week, and to kick off a heart-rending story. “Of all the families on our street, the Alahans feel the most normal to me,” he explains. “The events of this week are heightened, but the story that ensues is incredibly down to earth and relatable. Anyone who has a sibling will get it. “Adam Hussain [aka Aadi] and Tanisha Gorey [who plays Asha] are absolutely brilliant actors, and they bounce off each other fantastically well. I think the story going forward is going to be incredibly resonant for a lot of people across the country.”…

Terror strikes for Leanne when she comes face to face with escaped gang boss Harvey in the empty Bistro – and she realises he’s there to kill her. Having orchestrated his prison escape, Harvey’s back to make good on his threats to take the ultimate revenge on Leanne for turning police informant. Alone in the darkness, the terrified woman has nowhere to turn as Harvey takes great delight in making her pay. We asked Jane Danson, who plays Leanne, to give us the inside scoop on what happens next… Hi Jane, how does Leanne feel to be stood face to face with Harvey? It’s come completely out of the blue! Leanne’s experience with Harvey was a nightmare, but he’s in prison, and she thinks that it’s all done and dusted.…