By James V. Ruocco
"Coronation Street"
It's the world's longest running UK soap - the first episode was broadcast on December 9, 1960 - with an average audience of seven million viewers per episode.
And though the characters of Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden, Bet Lynch, Elsie Tanner and Stan Ogden are long gone, life on the cobbles continues with absolutely no sign of slowing down.
And oh yes, the Rovers Return is still in business. It's still the pub of choice. You'll also find a new landlady in charge. But the memories of all those wonderful women before her still linger.
Nostalgia aside, let's get down to business.
Like "Emmerdale," "Hollyoaks" and "Eastenders," characters - new, old and legacy - come and go.
Some say "goodbye" after years and years of being front and center in the show's mainstream character-driven storylines.
Some take a break with hopes of a return in the not too distant future.
Others meet their untimely doom (ie., death, unexplained disappearance) at the hand of the show's reigning villain.
2021 was no different.
Who stood out?
Who got away with murder?
Who was caught weeing on the street in the dead of winter?
Who lied and lied only to be found out on their big wedding day?
Who reduced the at-home viewers to tears?
What plotline kept you on the edge of your seat?
What newcomer caught your eye?
Who made you laugh the most?
What romantic pairing - straight or gay - did you enjoy the most?
Who made the biggest impression?
Who did you want to kick in the ass or slap in the face?
What character's death did you not see coming?
Who surprised you the most?
Lots of actors....Lots of characters...Lots of storylines...Lots of plot twists...Lots of drama...Lots of comedy...Lots of great performances.
The list is endless.
My picks are as follows:
Best Performance by an Actor
David Neilson (Roy Cropper)
Alan Halsall (Tyrone Dobbs)
Rob Mallard (Daniel Osbourne)
Simon Gregson (Steve McDonald)
Trevor Michael Georges (Ed Bailey)
Best Performance by an Actress
Mollie Gallagher (Nina Lucas)
Sally Carman (Abi Franklin)
Lorna Laidlaw (Aggie Bailey)
Sue Cleaver (Eileen Grimshaw)
Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts)
Roxandra Porojnicu (Alina Pop)
Shelley King (Yasmeen Nazir)
Georgia Taylor (Toyah Battersby)
Jane Danson (Leanne Battersby)
Allison King (Carla Connor)
Alexandra Mardell (Emma Brooker)
Sair Khan (Alya Nazir)
Kate Ford (Tracy McDonald)
Jane Hazelgrove (Bernie Winter)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Jude Riordan (Sam Blakeman)
Ellie Leach (Faye Windass)
Millie Gibson (Kelly Neelan)
Adam Hussain (Aadi Alahan)
Harriet Bibby (Summer Spellman)
Tanisha Gorey (Asha (Alahan)
Isabella Flanagan (Hope Stape)
William Flanagan (Joseph Brown)
Villain of the Year
Maximus Evans (Corey Brent)
Mark Frost (Ray Crosby)
Zora Bishop (Sabeen Habeeb)
Kate Spencer (Grace Vickers)
Best Newcomer
Joe Frost (Leo Thompkins)
Sam Retford (Curtis Delamere)
Kiran Landa (Marrium Nazir)
Jamie Kenna (Phill Whittaker)
Best Legacy Character Performance
Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner)
William Roache (Ken Barlow)
Helen Worth (Gail Platt)
Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts)
Sally Dynevor (Sally Metcalfe)
Best Comedy Performance
Lisa George and Andy Whyment (Beth and Kirk Sutherland)
Patti Claire (Mary Taylor)
Tony Maudsley (George Shuttleworth)
Antony Cotton (Sean Tully)
"Coronation Street" is broadcast Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on ITV
