Charlie Lawson, who played Jim McDonald on Coronation Street, has stated that he believes the ITV soap won’t be around in ten years as a result of declining viewing numbers.
From 1989 to 2000, Charlie Lawson, a legend of Coronation Street, portrayed the notorious criminal Jim McDonald. He has appeared in a few unannounced cameos since leaving the show and has continued to be recognized as one of Weatherfield’s hardmen. He later asserted that viewers are growing “tired” of the plot and that the ITV soap opera may be coming to an end.
Charlie was married to Liz McDonald and portrayed the longtime Weatherfield icon Steve McDonald in the role of his father (Beverley Callard).
The soap star, who is no stranger to understanding what kinds of storylines draw viewers, said: “I spent 11 years there in the 1990s.
“We used to receive between 16 and 20 million viewers, so 5 million is a small number.
Who knows if Coronation Street will still be around in ten years; our viewing habits are already changing.
He thinks that “politically correct” storylines, like the recent one about Max Turner (Paddy Beaver) being groomed by far-right extremists, are causing the show to lose viewers.
People are “getting a little bit gobsmacked and tired with all this,” he told the Daily Star, before adding that political correctness is one reason he might not go back to Weatherfield.
“Jim wasn’t exactly woke, never mind politically correct!”
In addition, Charlie acknowledged that he thought the acting and scripts were better when he was working on the program: “Do I think it was better in the 80s and 90s?
“I’d have to say that’s not the fault of the cast. When you have 70 people and six episodes to produce each week, it is very difficult.
“Good acting is the spoken word, it’s people conversing with each other.”
His character endured some difficult setbacks while he was on the show, one of which was his imprisonment for manslaughter in 2000.
Returning to the show to pick up the plot, Jim was transferred to an open prison after serving about three years of his sentence in the hopes that he would be granted parole.
His good behavior was short-lived, though, as he gave Steve a ring and admitted that he had escaped while on day release.
Jim made a resolution to change over the next two years, promising to give up alcohol once he was out and enroll in anger management courses.
To Liz and Steve’s surprise and dismay, Jim returned to the streets after being released from Highfield Prison in late 2018.
In the upcoming weeks, the soap will focus on three major plotlines, one of which involves Hope Stape (Isabelle Flanagan) attacking her classmates.
Hope pulls out the hammer and moves in their direction after two Year 11 students refer to her as a “nut job.”
After being introduced by their friend from the drama group, Nigel, Ken Barlow (Bill Roache) meets Martha, another former lover.
After months of writing letters to Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) in prison, Sam Blackman (Jude Riordan) finally pays him a visit.
Having accomplished what Sam set out to do, Harvey admits he wanted to kill Leanne before revealing his mother passed away when he was just 14.
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