Daily Mirror - Coronation Street scrapped kidnap storyline following Madeleine McCann disappearance

by Sceptic 20.10.14 14:54

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coronation-street-scrapped-kidnap-storyline-4467950

Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn

Coronation Street had to scrap a dramatic storyline when Madeleine McCann disappeared, it has been revealed.
The ITV soap had started to film kidnap plot involving couple Claire and Ashley Peacock.
According to a recent interview with Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn their one-year-old baby Freddie was to be kidnapped and producers had spent months planning everything out.
It has been said that six months were spent in the planning and and episodes were already filmed.
When the McCann's reported that Madeleine had vanished TV bosses had a crisis meeting before the whole storyline was rewritten.

Maddie, aged three, was snatched from her family’s Portuguese holiday apartment, sparking a police hunt that spanned the globe.
Blackburn told YouView: “The characters involved had begun the story and then the tragedy of the McCanns’ case hit the headlines.
“So although we hadn’t mentioned that kidnap all the pieces were in place on screen.
“We sat up all night in a hotel, first of all going: ‘We cannot play this story.’”

by Ristretto 20.10.14 15:10

Sceptic wrote:http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coronation-street-scrapped-kidnap-storyline-4467950

Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn

Coronation Street had to scrap a dramatic storyline when Madeleine McCann disappeared, it has been revealed.
The ITV soap had started to film kidnap plot involving couple Claire and Ashley Peacock.
According to a recent interview with Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn their one-year-old baby Freddie was to be kidnapped and producers had spent months planning everything out.
It has been said that six months were spent in the planning and and episodes were already filmed.
When the McCann's reported that Madeleine had vanished TV bosses had a crisis meeting before the whole storyline was rewritten.

Maddie, aged three, was snatched from her family’s Portuguese holiday apartment, sparking a police hunt that spanned the globe.
Blackburn told YouView: “The characters involved had begun the story and then the tragedy of the McCanns’ case hit the headlines.
“So although we hadn’t mentioned that kidnap all the pieces were in place on screen.
“We sat up all night in a hotel, first of all going: ‘We cannot play this story.’”

Sorry, that story about the pulling of the kidnap scenario was published originally back in 2007. I wonder why the Mirror has chosen to randomly publish the news seven years late?

As in all such situations, the TV station seems to have done the reasonable thing. Remember this decision was made less than a week after the events in PDL and while nobody really had a clue what was going on. It was a sensible decision at the time. Lots of other stations have pulled stories which reflected current news situations.

The BBC reported it six days after the events in PDL on May 9th, 2007.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6638171.stm

Street rethinks child kidnap plot
Claire, Ashley and Joshua Peacock
The Peacock family are regulars in the show
A storyline about child abduction in ITV1 soap Coronation Street is being rewritten because of similarities with the Madeleine McCann case in Portugal.

ITV has scrapped already-filmed scenes where Freddie Peacock disappears over fears it would upset the McCann family.

The story was a major plotline due to run in the top-rated drama for "several months", ITV said.

A spokesman added writers were now looking at the idea again to see what form would be acceptable.

Pictures withdrawn

Baby Freddie Peacock was due to disappear in "mysterious circumstances" in the coming weeks.

But producers were concerned that scenes where his parents Ashley and Claire Peacock handed out pictures of the child and made a public appeal for help were too close to current events.

The spokesman added: "We have reviewed the story and decided to take it back to the writers because we did not want to add to the distress of the family.

"The story has not been axed but some scenes already filmed will not be broadcast."

Publicity stills of the scenes have been withdrawn and media outlets asked not to use them.

Another site reported it on May 8th.

http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/coronation-street/news/coronation-street-may-drop-baby-abduction-plot

And Eastenders pulled a similar plotline just two weeks later.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2/eastenders/news/a58142/eastenders-axe-baby-abduction-plot.html

by Rogue-a-Tory 20.10.14 15:13

Sceptic wrote:http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coronation-street-scrapped-kidnap-storyline-4467950

Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn

Maddie, aged three, was snatched from her family’s Portuguese holiday apartment

About as believable as any story in that Soap opera

by pauloptix 20.10.14 17:06

Rogue-a-Tory wrote:
Sceptic wrote:http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coronation-street-scrapped-kidnap-storyline-4467950

Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn

Maddie, aged three, was snatched from her family’s Portuguese holiday apartment
About as believable as any story in that Soap oper

Six Months worth of snatch scenes? Daily Mirror - Coronation Street scrapped kidnap storyline following Madeleine McCann disappearance 921124

Daily Mirror - Coronation Street scrapped kidnap storyline following Madeleine McCann disappearance 921124

The mind boggles!

by nomendelta 20.10.14 17:24

Does any scene involving Sean's face count as a "snatch" scene?

by Evening_All 21.10.14 9:16

Kidnapped? Snatched? Whoosh clunked? Or just disappeared? What was the corrie planned outcome? 7 years of debate as to why they left the children so they could go on the piss down in the Rovers? Don't think so.
shark

by Snifferdog 21.10.14 10:39

[b]Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn.
[/b
So TV viewers will fortunately be spared 6 months of brain numbing propaganda.
music

by Evening_All 21.10.14 11:18

Snifferdog wrote:[b]Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn.
[/b
So TV viewers will fortunately be spared 6 months of brain numbing propaganda.

NO No NO. Think of the months of mystery and suspense to discover the identity of tannerman. Think of the hysteria surrounding the fate of colored , fat smelly, potbellied tractor killed man? It's Elvis all over again.
spin

by Snifferdog 21.10.14 11:42

NOOOOOOOOO0000000oooooooo......... affraid

by galena 21.10.14 12:15

Sceptic wrote:http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/coronation-street-scrapped-kidnap-storyline-4467950

Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn

Coronation Street had to scrap a dramatic storyline when Madeleine McCann disappeared, it has been revealed.
The ITV soap had started to film kidnap plot involving couple Claire and Ashley Peacock.
According to a recent interview with Corrie producer Stuart Blackburn their one-year-old baby Freddie was to be kidnapped and producers had spent months planning everything out.
It has been said that six months were spent in the planning and and episodes were already filmed.
When the McCann's reported that Madeleine had vanished TV bosses had a crisis meeting before the whole storyline was rewritten.

Maddie, aged three, was snatched from her family’s Portuguese holiday apartment, sparking a police hunt that spanned the globe.
Blackburn told YouView: “The characters involved had begun the story and then the tragedy of the McCanns’ case hit the headlines.
“So although we hadn’t mentioned that kidnap all the pieces were in place on screen.
“We sat up all night in a hotel, first of all going: ‘We cannot play this story.’”

Well I guess the public were spared some dire overacting laughat

by Snifferdog 22.10.14 7:09

my gosh.

Thinking about this nevertobeheardofbefore largesse that has been extended to the McCanns

So.... in order to protect sensibilities of the McCanns, (who, we are led to believe, were not singled out for special protection from tptb), the entire six months work was flushed down the toilet!
Can we expect to see such uncharacteristically sensitive, tender and thoughtful consideration extended to the public at large?

What will they find to sandwich between the adverts?

Will we therefore be spared a kidnap (or murder!) scenario being written into a doapy again. In case someones sensibilities are hurt thereby?Yeah right! As if they would have let six months of investment go down the drain.

I'm not buying it.

by Gaggzy 25.10.14 22:49

Evening_All wrote:
Snifferdog wrote:Six month's worth of snatch scenes had to be binned according to producer Stuart Blackburn.
[/b
So TV viewers will fortunately be spared 6 months of brain numbing propaganda.

NO No NO. Think of the months of mystery and suspense to discover the identity of tannerman. Think of the hysteria surrounding the fate of colored , fat smelly, potbellied tractor killed man? It's Elvis all over again.

What an opportunity Horror-nation Street missed out on.

They could have introduced the world to Elsie Tannerman.

The fat, smelly bin man could have been Eddie Yeates.

Mavis Riley could have been played by Dianne Webster, 'I don't really know, Mr Amaral.'

Robert Murat would have been a good Mike Baldwin - the man they all love to hate.

And obviously, Gerry McCann would have played Ken Barlow - in it from Day 1.

(apologies for all the ancient characters. It shows how long it's been since I watched this drivel).

by plebgate 25.10.14 22:54

Ha ha Gaggzy, that post did make me laugh. big grin

Daily Mirror - Coronation Street scrapped kidnap storyline following Madeleine McCann disappearance