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TALKING POINTS Corrie, ITV Daytime, EastEnders and George Wendt

Here's what's got me talking this week...

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It's that time of the week again when I take a look back at the last 7 days to see what has got me talking the most.


From an emotional exit on the cobbles to the sad passing of a sitcom icon and more, here are my 4 telly talking points of the week...

1

CRAIG TINKER'S

heartbreaking final moments in Coronation Street

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What a week it's been in Coronation Street, with high drama, high emotion and a death which touched me way more than I imagined it would. And that's due to the phenomenal writing and performances from all involved.


We've known for a while now that after 14 years on the cobbles, Craig Tinker, played by the wonderful Colson Smith would be leaving the soap and that his exit would be final, meaning that he was to be killed off. But watching it all play out this week and to see how well loved and respected he was, made it all the more heartbreaking to watch.


With Mick and Kit's relationship reaching boiling point over doubts as to who Brody's real father is, it was Craig Tinker, excited to be shadowing Kit and for his upcoming date that night, who was caught in the middle and crucially, got in Mick's way.


After responding to a domestic disturbance call and determined to prove Kit wrong, Craig took matters into his own hands by chasing Mick down the ginnel before eventually tracking him down in his vehicle, sorry, van. Spotting a bottle of alcohol on the passenger seat, Craig demands Mick gets out of the vehicle, takes his keys out of the ignition and demands he take a breathalyser test.


With his blood boiling over his previous altercation with Kit, Mick convinces himself that he's being set up and takes it out on PC Tinker. Threatened with arrest, Mick grabs the baseball bat from inside his van and when asked to put the weapon down lashes out and knocks Craig over the head. Leaving him lying on the floor, bleeding out unconscious, for Maria to find.


After being rushed to hospital with significant blood loss, Craig soon regains consciousness briefly, only really long enough to see stepdad Kirk arrive with his lucky tie. As his condition worstens, a devastated Kirk, Maria, Jess and Asha watch on from outside as Craig is declared dead. Time of death, 19:25.


The scenes that then followed in Friday's episode were truly heartbreaking to watch, from the moment his loved ones are told that he's passed, to the moment the new reaches Weatherfield and the sad moment Kirk has to break the news to Beth over the phone.


A special mention has to go to Andy Whyment for an incredibly raw and heartfelt performance this week as Kirk. It's watching how hurt he was that made me well up. And I can't help but feel that after so long working with Colson, some of those on screen tears were real.


There's something bittersweet about Craig dying in the line of duty, doing what he loved. But with so much promise for his future, and as Kirk says, just aged 26, it did seem like Craig had so much more life yet to live. And what hurts most, is knowing how much he was looking forward to the future.


But what's happened has happened and I don't doubt that Colson Smith, who gained further popularity on Celebrity Big Brother last year has a bright future ahead of him. Already, he has announced that he'll be joining the team at BBC Radio Leeds this summer.

2

ITV DAYTIME

schedule changes from January

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This week ITV announced some big schedule and production changes to their daytime output, across Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women, all of which will take effect from January 2026.


Good Morning Britain will be extended by 30 minutes to run from 6am to 9.30am daily - until 10am 22 weeks of the year - and will transfer to be produced by ITV News at ITN at their base at Gray’s Inn Road in London.


Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will continue to be produced by ITV Studios and will be broadcast from a new location in central London with Lorraine and Loose Women airing just 30 weeks a year from 2026 and Lorraine cut to 30-minute episodes.


ITV Studios also announced that as part of these changes, its Daytime teams had been consulted on a proposal that from 2026 would see the three editorially distinct shows produced by one team sharing resources and operations.


It's hoped that the changes efficiencies gained from the changes in the production of these shows will be reinvested in other genres while ensuring viewers will continue to see all of the live, topical Daytime shows they know and love.


What this means for the show's current presenting line-ups and all the hardworking staff behind the camera, remains to be seen, but inevitably there will be a large number of job losses andmy thoughts remain with those at risk and hope that they're able to find employment elsewhere.

3

JACQUELINE JOSSA'S

moving performance in EastEnders

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As Chris Clenshaw's tenure as EastEnders' Executive Producer comes to an end, it's fair to say he's going out with some exceptional episodes that prove why he's been so brilliant for the soap and will be greatly missed.


In recent weeks, we've seen Lauren struggle to settle baby Jimmy, becoming concerned by his lack of ability to focus as he struggles to latch during breastfeeding.


However, with no one listening or taking her concerns seriously, Tuesday's emotional episode saw a desperate Lauren take matters into her own hands, by taking two-week-old Jimmy to the hospital, demanding to see a consultant. Only for her concerns to be once again dismissed, this time by the hospital's receptionist.


As Lauren's frustrations grew, her confrontation was overheard by her midwife, Hanan, who soon contacted Peter to let him know that she's managed to calm her down and needs someone to come and pick her up. But Hanan's mood shifts when Peter lets her know that Louie had seen Lauren taking a tablet from under the sink and worries that she might have relapsed.


When Peter, together with Ian and Linda, arrive at the hospital, Lauren is confronted about the tablets and reveals that she has been taking folic acid. Accusing the Beale's of talking down to her all the time, Lauren tells them she wouldn't be surprised if she did have postnatal depression, and being the "pathetic ex-addict" they think she is.


When Lauren points out that Peter has ignored all her concerns and not even looked at his son, it's only when Linda notices something Jimmy's eyes that Ian and Peter begin to take notice and Hanan finally seeks the advice of a doctor.


As Ian continues to dismiss Lauren's concerns and pass judgement on her behaviour, whilst on the phone to Kathy, the doctor checks over Jimmy before confirming that "Jimmy has optic nerve and chorioretinal coloboma. which means that the back of his eye hasn't properly formed." Before suggesting that Jimmy is registered as severely sight-impaired.


In some heartbreaking and emotionally charged scenes, we watch Lauren as the realisation of Jimmy's diagnosis begins to sink in, Lauren blames herself - "I did this" - as the doctor confirms that the methadone she was prescribed could not have been the cause, but other harmful drugs taken during pregnancy could have been.


As the blame and guilt sets in - "I did this. This is my punishment. This is what I deserve. But not him." - I defy anyone to watch Jacqueline's performance during those scenes and not be incredibly moved.


The episode ended with Lauren alone in the bathroom begging God to forgive her, apologising to Jimmy for what she believes she's done, and admitting she's scared. But there is finally some hope for Lauren as Jimmy is finally able to latch on and breastfeed.


As she promises "I am never going to stop fighting for you. I am going to be right there with you." and as the lights go out in the bathroom, she adds "In the dark" with the epsiode ending in darkness, symbolic of Jimmy's future, and the credits roll over a beautiful lullaby version of the EastEnders theme tune, composed by Simon May.


Together with Lacey Turner - who also has been phenomenal this week - Jacqueline Jossa is one of EastEnders' greatest assets and when given such strong emotive material such as this, really proves what a phenomenal actress she is.


As ever with soaps, it's so important that they tackle storylines like this and it's worth noting too, that EastEnders has been working with advice from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) on this storyline.

4

GEORGE WENDT'S

sad passing aged 76

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There was some really news this week as on Tuesday it was announced that actor George Wendt, adored by millions the world over for playing bar regular Norm in the classic American sitcom Cheers, has sadly passed away, aged 76, after appearing in every single episode (275) from 1982 to 1993.


What made his passing all the more poignant, on the 20th May, was that it was exactly 32 years to the day since Cheers had ended. And 32 years since "Norm!" was last shouted at him on screen as he entered the bar.


When Cheers ended, George fronted his own US sitcom The George Wendt Show which only ran for one season, with the last two episodes never airing on CBS due to low ratings.


Throughout his career, George remained a regular face on television with appearances in countless hit shows, including The Larry Sanders Show, The Martin Short Show, Columbo, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs, Seinfeld and even reprised the role of Norm in both The Simpsons and Family Guy.


He also starred in a number of UK sitcoms, including Birds of a Feather and Only Fools & Horses sequel series, The Green Green Grass and recently took part in the ninth season of The Masked Singer US, leaving in round three.


Thoughts of course, go out to his family and friends at such a sad time.

 
 
 

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