A recent photograph of Ken Barlow
They’ve been bitter rivals for a quarter of a decade, but next Monday BBC’s flagship soap opera EastEnders will give ITV’s Coronation Street an unpresedented on screen nod in recognition of the Manchester based soaps 50th anniversary.
The honour, quite fittingly falls to Dot Branning (once Cotton) played by June Brown, one of the longest serving EastEnders cast members.
She will tell Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace – who was recently in a BBC Four drama about Corrie’s beginnings), ‘I’m heading home to crack open a bag of marshmallows with Jim and watch the Corrie 50th special. I love Corrie, never miss it.’
An EastEnders insider told the Sun newspaper that Dot’s line is intended as a tribute to ‘the soap that started it all’, adding, ‘Hopefully they will return the favour when we turn 50!”
The show will be aired on December 9th, the night that the much talked about tram crash will happen in Weatherfield, killing off at least three regular cast members.
Who will meet their doom as Weatherfield turns 50, we don’t know. Some are speculating that Rita and Norris may be among the casualties, but the Corrie bosses have managed to quite successfully keep the cat in the bag on this one.
Well, whoever dies, I’m sure all the characters will be pleased to know they’ve got Dot Cotton’s seal of approval.
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