Blanche on Coronation Street – Actress Maggie Jones – Passes Away at 75 – RIP – December 3, 2009

I was just telling my wife a few weeks ago how sad people would be when Maggie Jones (Blanche) of Coronation Street passes on and now she has.

Coronation Street for those of you not familiar is a soap in Britain that is about to celebrate its 50th season.   I myself have been watching since I was a young’un back in the 70s.   I can remember being home from school on a winter afternoon and watching it on CBC.   Maggie first appeared over 35 years ago.

Something odd and comforting about this show where even while it’s trying to go glam and fight for younger viewers they still had some room, even if less now, for the likes of Maggie.  Or Norris, Rita, Audrey, Ken, Roy, Emily, Betty, and some of the other old timers.

Maggie played the venom tongued Blanche, the nosey old busy body always on the look for gossip and something to snipe out.    She played her character well and still managed to add depth and care to her character.  As nasty as she could get, and she could get nasty, who wouldn’t want a gran like Blanche?

Here in Canada we will get to see her in more episodes as we’re months behind the UK screenings, but it’s going to add a bittersweet flavor to these last episodes of Maggie Jones on Coronation Street.    Blanche we’ll miss you so.

Here are a few links:

Maggie in Pictures Wit of Blanche WIKI Corrie Net Official Coronation Street ITV site The Sun

“• To Norris Cole, who has just denounced speed bumps as ‘ugly and unattractive’: ‘So are you, but at least they have some use.’

• Deirdre: ‘If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all.’ Blanche: ‘I think I’ll go home then.’

• To Emily Bishop, who was reminiscing about their childhood and wishing ‘I was three again’: ‘Oh yes.. rickets, TB, rationing, those were the days.’”

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