All’s not Rosie on the Street

Channel Hopping; “WE live in Manchester — not Dick Whittington’s London,” blasted Corrie’s manic mechanic Kevin Webster.

Ideas above stations — or garages — seldom sit comfortably with the grim-up-north-style folk round Weatherfield way.

“The streets aren’t paved with gold — more like broken bottles and dog muck,” he raged at daughter Rosie.

All she wanted for Christmas was to be a promotions girl on roller-skates for a new vodka firm. Dad’s spanner in the works was something to behold.

“Try skating round that,” he fumed.

Other half Sal asked for a barm cake and walnut whip (oh, and a weekend in Paris). Kev booked a hotel in Partington and told Molly to strip. What a couple of Christmas turkeys.

DUCKING and diving has always reigned supreme in “EastEnders” — so when Ian Beale indulged in a bit of hide-and-seek with Phil Mitchell, normal service seemed very much in order. No wonder Ian was making himself scarce — he’d helped scheming Archie steal the Vic from under the rest of the Mitchells’ collective noses. Ian would have been safer selling the loan to an Icelandic banker.

LARRY LAMB is so much better picking up dizzy Pam’s gaffes in “Gavin and Stacey”.

“Ours is not to question while,” reasoned Pammy about Pete and Dawn’s questionable renewed wedding vows. “Why,” he said – “it’s to question why.”

“Don’t get me started Mick,” came the standard reposte from the superb Alison Steadman. The final series is warming up nicely.


WITH no “X Factor”, it was time to foxtrot over to BBC1 for the “Strictly” final . . . for about five minutes (roughly the same amount of time runner-up Ricky Whittle has spent in Oldham, judging by his accent).

Sorry, I just don’t get it. So it was back to ITV for Corrie spin-off “Stars on the Street”. From Prince Charles to Norman Wisdom — Patrick Stewart to Sir Ian McKellen. They’ve all been in it. What an amazing showcase of talent. More than just a soap.

Soap roar: Nigel Havers and Rula Lenska joining the illustrious “Coronation Street” cast. Another couple for the hall of fame.

Soap bore: Gail Platt: “Who do you think I am – Catherine Zeta Jones?” Erm . . . no.