[Smithy]

CORRIE legend Jack Duckworth will beg his girlfriend to help him commit SUICIDE after being diagnosed with incurable cancer, we can reveal.


But shocked Connie Rathbone refuses to risk going to jail - so he moves out and back in with his "adopted" son Tyrone.


During Jack's last days he secretly carries out kind acts for his Street neighbours to make them happy.


The plot comes after actor Bill Tarmey, 69, announced in April he was quitting as Jack after 31 years to spend more time with his family.


Bosses planned to kill him off in December's tram crash, which will wipe out several characters. But he now dies soon afterwards of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - in a dramatic storyline that will fuel the national debate on assisted suicide.


An insider on the ITV soap said: "Bill's been such a huge part of the show for so long that we wanted to give him a fitting send-off."

CORRIE’S sensational 50th anniversary “bloodbath” tram crash storyline will include a LIVE episode, The People can reveal.

Bosses want the show depicting the carnage seconds after the tram plummets off a viaduct to be the soap’s most dramatic and memorable ever.

Scenes will show popular Street characters lying dead or fighting for their lives amid utter devastation.

An insider said: “The cast were told about the live episode at an on-set *meeting on Monday. Producer Phil Collinson told them it was going to be the biggest TV achievement ever. And he made it crystal clear he wanted no mistakes. He said no one had ever attempted anything as daring as this before. Actors were given the choice to opt out, but got the feeling that to do so would create an extremely bad impression.

“And with all the uncertainty about who is being killed off, the pressure is on. No one wants to bail out of the live episode when their jobs might be at stake.”

The People told last week how Corrie legend Bill Tarmey – lovable layabout Jack Duckworth – is the first big name to emerge as a victim of the tram crashing off the viaduct over the cobbled street.

The crash will also claim a host of Street favourites with boss Collinson – dubbed CULLinson – telling stars: “None of you are safe.” The plotline will be played out over a week-long series of episodes in early December, culminating in the live 50th birthday show on December 9.

Collinson, 42, is going for maximum drama. Bosses want to bring in real police, fire and ambulance staff and vehicles for authenticity. Our source said: “There’s a real buzz around the live episode.

“Everyone wants things to go off without a single cock-up – no messed-up line or moving dead body.”

Coronation Street had a live ITV episode on December 8, 2000, as part of the show’s 40th anniversary.

I'm glad Jack's not being killed off in the tram crash, but it's gonna be really sad to see him pass away due to cancer.

And a live episode after the tram crash would be an amazing feat, if they managed to pull it off.

[Firewire]

Sounds great!

[BigSister]

aww no poor Jack
Yeah a live episode after the tram crash would be amazing

[Kerry]

Poor Jack

Mind you after seeing him in tonights ep looking so tired I'm glad he's retiring

[billy123]

wow sounds amazing the ratings will he massive the week of the tram crash.
sad to see jack go that will be a big episode too.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Jaye

Poor Jack

Mind you after seeing him in tonights ep looking so tired I'm glad he's retiring

He looked rather tanned I thought

[Kerry]

Originally Posted by Smithy

He looked rather tanned I thought

The bags under his eyes put binliners to shame though

[Smithy]

[seanraff07]

Really can't wait!!

Yes i'm a boy but it will bring a tear to my eye when Jack dies.

Hopefully it will be even better than the 'Who killed Archie' storyline in EE.

[Smithy]

^
I don't know if it'll be as good a storyline, as that had the whole nation encaptured, but it will definitely be a much more emotional storyline

[seanraff07]

Originally Posted by Smithy

^
I don't know if it'll be as good a storyline, as that had the whole nation encaptured, but it will definitely be a much more emotional storyline

Yep i don't think it's going to be talked about as long as well leading to everyone in the UK wanting to watch it as surely it's going to be pretty sudden as it doesn't take weeks and weeks for a tram to go through the Street, exciting stuff though.

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by seanraff07

Yep i don't think it's going to be talked about as long as well leading to everyone in the UK wanting to watch it as surely it's going to be pretty sudden as it doesn't take weeks and weeks for a tram to go through the Street, exciting stuff though.

Well the press will be raving about if for weeks prior to it happening, with speculation of whose gonna die, and pictures of the street after the disaster, so it'll seem like it takes forever.
Plus the whole story will happen over a week similar to Siege week (or what should of been seige week)

[seanraff07]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Well the press will be raving about if for weeks prior to it happening, with speculation of whose gonna die, and pictures of the street after the disaster, so it'll seem like it takes forever.
Plus the whole story will happen over a week similar to Siege week (or what should of been seige week)

Good point. And there will be a lot more talk with this than the Siege week cause several people die in this storyline, compared to just 2 in the Siege storyline.

[Iceman]

There's some disruption to the scheduling of Coronation Street and Emmerdale next week due to changes in ITV's plans for its football coverage.

As a result, the episode of Corrie that was due to air on Thursday, August 19 in the usual slot of 8.30pm will be screened a day earlier - Wednesday, August 18 at 8.30pm.

Meanwhile, there's only room for one episode of Emmerdale on Thursday, August 19 rather than the usual two. To make up for it, Wednesday August 18 will now see two episodes airing - screened at 7pm and 8pm respectively. Thursday's single episode will air at 7pm.

Here's what next week now looks like for the ITV soaps in full:

Monday, August 16
7.00pm - Emmerdale (30 mins)
7.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins)
8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins)

Tuesday, August 17
7.00pm - Emmerdale (30 mins)

Wednesday, August 18
7.00pm - Emmerdale (30 mins)
8.00pm - Emmerdale (30 mins)
8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins)

Thursday, August 19
7.00pm - Emmerdale (30 mins)

Friday, August 20
7.00pm - Emmerdale (30 mins)
7.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins)
8.30pm - Coronation Street (30 mins)

[RichardWells]

Damn football.

[Scarlett.]

How will they do a Live episode when the crash is being filmed next month? Wouldn't the street have been repaired since then? xD

(Hi guys! been at my grans )

[Smithy]

It'd take longer than that to repair it, they could have a whole separate set for it

(WB )

[Scarlett.]

Nah, there'd be at least some signs of repair xD