Soaps&SciFi
@soapsscifi.bsky.social
Joe. Interests are sci-fi, sketch, soaps, old movies, comics, and VCR repair. I'm of the mid-to-late-stage Facts of Life generation. I have a blog I don't update often enough. http://soapssnlscifi.wordpress.com
7. Fave Connor. The goddess anti-heroine Carla (pre-2010)? The complex and beautiful Ryan played by Ryan Prescott, who is somehow still there in spite of lengthy periods of underuse? No. It's Liam and it's always Liam. He burned bright and will never be forgotten. One of Corrie's best ever "lads."
December 7, 2025 at 8:30 PM
7. Fave Connor. The goddess anti-heroine Carla (pre-2010)? The complex and beautiful Ryan played by Ryan Prescott, who is somehow still there in spite of lengthy periods of underuse? No. It's Liam and it's always Liam. He burned bright and will never be forgotten. One of Corrie's best ever "lads."
6. Least fave couple. Tempted to go Ken and Deidre, but it's going to be Nick and Leanne. A deeply toxic, ugly relationship that served a purpose in the late '90s and should've stayed there. 2010 on have been death, the actors lack ANY chemistry, and they permanently ruined Leanne as a character.
December 7, 2025 at 8:20 PM
6. Least fave couple. Tempted to go Ken and Deidre, but it's going to be Nick and Leanne. A deeply toxic, ugly relationship that served a purpose in the late '90s and should've stayed there. 2010 on have been death, the actors lack ANY chemistry, and they permanently ruined Leanne as a character.
5. Least fave female. Michelle Connor. At her peak I found the character intensely unlikeable and entitled, paraded as a "Corrie legend" for little reason. Michelle/Steve was rotgut. Nearly went with Karen (Michelle 1.0) as her last years were so pained, but Suranne Jones is a better actress.
December 5, 2025 at 7:39 PM
5. Least fave female. Michelle Connor. At her peak I found the character intensely unlikeable and entitled, paraded as a "Corrie legend" for little reason. Michelle/Steve was rotgut. Nearly went with Karen (Michelle 1.0) as her last years were so pained, but Suranne Jones is a better actress.
4. Least fave male. Tempted to go with Phelan, who represented all the worst of modern Corrie, but had to go with Reg, for the vile "comedy" partnership with Curly. A deeply repulsive man, one who inexplicably sucked up airtime for years. His relationship with Maureen was also awful. Maud was right!
December 4, 2025 at 9:04 PM
4. Least fave male. Tempted to go with Phelan, who represented all the worst of modern Corrie, but had to go with Reg, for the vile "comedy" partnership with Curly. A deeply repulsive man, one who inexplicably sucked up airtime for years. His relationship with Maureen was also awful. Maud was right!
4. Friends. As I keep almost choosing Laurel, I'm going to go with her and Nicola, a complex bond that has stood for decades through marriages, deaths, kids, and many meltdowns. Honorable mention to Nick and Archie, even if Archie deserved better (like a nice boyfriend and maybe a girlfriend too).
December 4, 2025 at 7:55 PM
4. Friends. As I keep almost choosing Laurel, I'm going to go with her and Nicola, a complex bond that has stood for decades through marriages, deaths, kids, and many meltdowns. Honorable mention to Nick and Archie, even if Archie deserved better (like a nice boyfriend and maybe a girlfriend too).
3. Favorite couple. I'm going to get controversial here as the show went out of its way to destroy Ashley and Laurel and go with Biff Fowler and Lady Tara. I've rarely seen the rich lady and the rough served so well and the pairing did not last long enough to become draining.
December 4, 2025 at 7:49 PM
3. Favorite couple. I'm going to get controversial here as the show went out of its way to destroy Ashley and Laurel and go with Biff Fowler and Lady Tara. I've rarely seen the rich lady and the rough served so well and the pairing did not last long enough to become draining.
2. Favorite female. So many to choose from. Bernice. Emily. Nicola. Laurel. Kim. Lady Tara (up to 1998 only). I finally went with Annie, the originator, the creator. Sheila Mercier truly embodied this character, every tea served, every friend or family member lost; her 2009 return felt momentous.
December 4, 2025 at 7:39 PM
2. Favorite female. So many to choose from. Bernice. Emily. Nicola. Laurel. Kim. Lady Tara (up to 1998 only). I finally went with Annie, the originator, the creator. Sheila Mercier truly embodied this character, every tea served, every friend or family member lost; her 2009 return felt momentous.
3. Favorite Couple. Tempted to go with David/Irma, Jack/Annie, Ken/Val but I loved Ray and Deirdre. Mostly thrown together due to Billy's umpteenth exit, they were the perfect blend of love and spikiness. The sparring was matched by surprisingly grueling stories. Deirdre's true love. Never Ken.
December 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
3. Favorite Couple. Tempted to go with David/Irma, Jack/Annie, Ken/Val but I loved Ray and Deirdre. Mostly thrown together due to Billy's umpteenth exit, they were the perfect blend of love and spikiness. The sparring was matched by surprisingly grueling stories. Deirdre's true love. Never Ken.
2. Favorite Female. Bet and Annie are close, but I have to go with Emily, a woman of many layers, one of the most underrated characters on soaps. A kind soul who could cut you to the bone. Eileen Derbyshire was an astonishingly good actress. Emily also matured instead of drowning in meme hell.
December 3, 2025 at 9:19 PM
2. Favorite Female. Bet and Annie are close, but I have to go with Emily, a woman of many layers, one of the most underrated characters on soaps. A kind soul who could cut you to the bone. Eileen Derbyshire was an astonishingly good actress. Emily also matured instead of drowning in meme hell.
1. Favorite male - Ashley Thomas. Ashley was often the heart of the show in the '00s and '10s, and John Middleton was faultless in comedy or drama. His work in the cot death/baby switch story as well as the story with the deranged Sally was superb. A horrible decision to kill him off.
December 2, 2025 at 12:04 AM
1. Favorite male - Ashley Thomas. Ashley was often the heart of the show in the '00s and '10s, and John Middleton was faultless in comedy or drama. His work in the cot death/baby switch story as well as the story with the deranged Sally was superb. A horrible decision to kill him off.
1. Favorite Male. There can be no other choice for me - Jerry Booth could make me laugh, make me cry, and his struggles always felt real. He brought heart and honesty to the show and there's never been anyone else like him, even 50 years later.
December 1, 2025 at 11:16 PM
1. Favorite Male. There can be no other choice for me - Jerry Booth could make me laugh, make me cry, and his struggles always felt real. He brought heart and honesty to the show and there's never been anyone else like him, even 50 years later.
Even knowing he was trying to seem hip or young, it's still impossible for me to believe Ken Barlow would have willingly worn this outfit.
September 17, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Even knowing he was trying to seem hip or young, it's still impossible for me to believe Ken Barlow would have willingly worn this outfit.
The face of the '60s.
June 22, 2025 at 5:28 AM
The face of the '60s.
Happy Pride Month to Wiseguy's very own Vinnie Terranova, who put the bye in bisexual.
June 16, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Happy Pride Month to Wiseguy's very own Vinnie Terranova, who put the bye in bisexual.
(I know this is 1776 erasure - oh well)
May 16, 2025 at 7:02 AM
(I know this is 1776 erasure - oh well)
A March 1985 TV Guide piece on SNL and season 10. As you can see, common views about the show never, ever change. You can also see Dick Ebersol's picks for the best episodes of the show's first decade.
September 8, 2024 at 7:18 AM
A March 1985 TV Guide piece on SNL and season 10. As you can see, common views about the show never, ever change. You can also see Dick Ebersol's picks for the best episodes of the show's first decade.