Mel Hutchwright
Encyclopedia
Mel Hutchwright is a fictional character from the British soap opera
Coronation Street
, played by Ian McKellen
. He makes his first on-screen appearance on 1 May 2005 and is last seen on 22 May 2005.
McKellen described in a humorous account posted on his website his experience of working on the set of the show: "Often I felt a Pirandellian urge to laugh at it all. For instance, has Mel Hutchwright never watched television that he has to be introduced to characters who've been such a part of the nation's life for nearly half a century? It’s like working with a castful of twins. There's fluttery Emily who is a dead ringer for her creator Eileen Derbyshire. Ken Barlow looks just like the amiable Bill Roache. Have Rita and Barbara Knox ever been seen together? Of course they have, all the time! Then I began fantasies of Mel turning up in the Emmerdale
bar once he's moved on from the Rover's . . . or even the bar of the Queen Vic."
(Maggie Jones
). Norris Cole
(Malcolm Hebden
), Rita Sullivan
(Barbara Knox
) and Emily Bishop
(Eileen Derbyshire
) are in awe of the author but Ken Barlow (William Roache
) is unimpressed. Norris offers Mel a bed for the night at Emily's, while Blanche buys his drinks. Mel tells the book club how he has been suffering from writer's block. In the Rovers, he is enthralled to see the women fighting and declaring it has cured his writer's block and decides he will stay in Weatherfield to complete his book.
Mel continues to sponge off Emily and Norris. When he hears that Ken has written a book he enjoys poking fun at him. Mel continues to scrounge drinks as he feigns sincerity with Fred Elliott
(John Savident
) and Norris saying that he has named two of the heroes in his novel after them. He also dupes Roy Cropper
(David Neilson
) into giving him a free lunch at the café.
Mel takes Audrey Roberts
(Sue Nicholls
) for lunch at the Clock Restaurant. He gets drunk and manages to dupe Audrey in to paying the bill by promising to base the hero of his book on her late husband Alf
(Bryan Mosley
). Drunken Mel suggests to Audrey they should go for a "lie down", which she refuses.
Mel is not who he appears to be and the first signals of this happen when Norris discovers Mel isn't typing in the front room of Emily's house at all, but it is a tape recording of someone typing. He's hurt realising Mel lied to him but Mel manages to worm his way out of it. Norris intends to persuade the Book Club to raise the money to fund the publishing of Mel's next book. Mel is about to leave, having stolen some of Emily's ornaments, when Norris tells him his idea of raising money for his book. Mel secretly replaces the ornaments, and agrees to stay.
Norris then gets everyone at the Book Club except Ken to agree to put in £200 to pay for the publishing of Mel's The Canary's Last Song. Ken doesn't trust Mel and resolves to expose him for what he is. Mel tells Norris to get the Book Club members to make their cheques out to Lionel Hipkis, his publisher. The Club meets and hands their money over to Mel, and in thanks he reads a passage from his book. Ken arrives at the Book Club and exposes Mel for the fraud that he is. Mel's real name is in fact Lionel Hipkis. Emily, Blanche, Roy, Rita, Audrey and Norris are shocked and demand their money back. Norris manhandles Mel out of the door. None of the Book Club members report Mel to the police, embarrassed that they were taken in by a conman.
critic Grace Dent
described the character as "a pretentious bore," and praised Coronation Street for being "streets ahead." In the same article Dent went on to say "he's unwashed, sleazy and a leading authority on "the working man" and his "daily struggle", no mean feat considering Mel's spent the past three decades in a dressing gown and flip-flops listening to the World Service."
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, played by Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
. He makes his first on-screen appearance on 1 May 2005 and is last seen on 22 May 2005.
Character creation and casting
In March 2005, it was announced that British veteran actor, Ian McKellen, had joined Coronation Street for ten episodes as a "dodgy novelist". Producer Tony Wood said: "We are delighted that an actor of Ian McKellen's calibre has agreed to appear in the show, it is a testament to the direction we have been taking the show in the last 12 months. Ian will be perfect as Mel Hutchwright and the cast and crew are looking forward to working with him on what promises to be a very funny storyline."McKellen described in a humorous account posted on his website his experience of working on the set of the show: "Often I felt a Pirandellian urge to laugh at it all. For instance, has Mel Hutchwright never watched television that he has to be introduced to characters who've been such a part of the nation's life for nearly half a century? It’s like working with a castful of twins. There's fluttery Emily who is a dead ringer for her creator Eileen Derbyshire. Ken Barlow looks just like the amiable Bill Roache. Have Rita and Barbara Knox ever been seen together? Of course they have, all the time! Then I began fantasies of Mel turning up in the Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
bar once he's moved on from the Rover's . . . or even the bar of the Queen Vic."
Storylines
Mel Hutchwright, the author of novel Hard Grinding, turns up at a Book Club meeting having been invited by Blanche HuntBlanche Hunt
Blanche Hunt is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was originally played by Patricia Cutts; however, the actress committed suicide after appearing in just two episodes in 1974. Maggie Jones took over the role, playing Blanche in over 830 episodes between 1974 and...
(Maggie Jones
Maggie Jones (actress)
Margaret "Maggie" Jones was an English actress, best known for playing Blanche Hunt in the British soap opera Coronation Street, a role which she first portrayed in 1974 and played regularly from the late 1990s until shortly before her death.-Career:Jones graduated from the drama school RADA and...
). Norris Cole
Norris Cole
Norris Benjamin Cole is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Malcolm Hebden, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 11 March 1994 and remained until his departure on 14 April 1997, only to return on 1 December...
(Malcolm Hebden
Malcolm Hebden
Malcolm Hebden is an English television and stage actor best known for his role as Norris Cole in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...
), Rita Sullivan
Rita Sullivan
Rita Sullivan is a long-standing character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
(Barbara Knox
Barbara Knox
Barbara Knox, MBE , is an English actress, best known for playing Rita Sullivan in the television soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:Knox was born in Oldham, Lancashire...
) and Emily Bishop
Emily Bishop
Emily Bishop is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
(Eileen Derbyshire
Eileen Derbyshire
Eileen Derbyshire, MBE is an English actress, best known for her role as Emily Bishop on the soap opera Coronation Street. She has played the character since 1961, making her the longest-serving female cast member in a British soap opera...
) are in awe of the author but Ken Barlow (William Roache
William Roache
William Patrick Harry Roache MBE is a British actor, best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street...
) is unimpressed. Norris offers Mel a bed for the night at Emily's, while Blanche buys his drinks. Mel tells the book club how he has been suffering from writer's block. In the Rovers, he is enthralled to see the women fighting and declaring it has cured his writer's block and decides he will stay in Weatherfield to complete his book.
Mel continues to sponge off Emily and Norris. When he hears that Ken has written a book he enjoys poking fun at him. Mel continues to scrounge drinks as he feigns sincerity with Fred Elliott
Fred Elliott
Frederick Handel "Fred" Elliott is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by John Savident from 1994 until 2006.-Development:...
(John Savident
John Savident
John Savident is a British actor, best known for playing the part of Fred Elliott in the soap opera Coronation Street from 1994 to 2006. And also was a frequent guest on Soccer AM alongside fellow actor Jack 'The Rigger' Spooner....
) and Norris saying that he has named two of the heroes in his novel after them. He also dupes Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper
Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the...
(David Neilson
David Neilson
David Neilson is an English actor best known for portraying Roy Cropper in Coronation Street from 1995 onwards....
) into giving him a free lunch at the café.
Mel takes Audrey Roberts
Audrey Roberts
Audrey Roberts is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Sue Nicholls, the character first appeared during the episode aired on 16 April 1979....
(Sue Nicholls
Sue Nicholls
Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls is an English actress, best known today for her long-running role as Audrey Roberts in British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...
) for lunch at the Clock Restaurant. He gets drunk and manages to dupe Audrey in to paying the bill by promising to base the hero of his book on her late husband Alf
Alf Roberts
Alfred Sidney "Alf" Roberts was a fictional character in the British ITV soap Coronation Street. He ran a grocery shop at No. 15 and was heavily involved in local politics, including two spells as mayor of Weatherfield...
(Bryan Mosley
Bryan Mosley
Bryan Mosley OBE was a British actor, known best as grocer Alf Roberts in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street.- Early life :...
). Drunken Mel suggests to Audrey they should go for a "lie down", which she refuses.
Mel is not who he appears to be and the first signals of this happen when Norris discovers Mel isn't typing in the front room of Emily's house at all, but it is a tape recording of someone typing. He's hurt realising Mel lied to him but Mel manages to worm his way out of it. Norris intends to persuade the Book Club to raise the money to fund the publishing of Mel's next book. Mel is about to leave, having stolen some of Emily's ornaments, when Norris tells him his idea of raising money for his book. Mel secretly replaces the ornaments, and agrees to stay.
Norris then gets everyone at the Book Club except Ken to agree to put in £200 to pay for the publishing of Mel's The Canary's Last Song. Ken doesn't trust Mel and resolves to expose him for what he is. Mel tells Norris to get the Book Club members to make their cheques out to Lionel Hipkis, his publisher. The Club meets and hands their money over to Mel, and in thanks he reads a passage from his book. Ken arrives at the Book Club and exposes Mel for the fraud that he is. Mel's real name is in fact Lionel Hipkis. Emily, Blanche, Roy, Rita, Audrey and Norris are shocked and demand their money back. Norris manhandles Mel out of the door. None of the Book Club members report Mel to the police, embarrassed that they were taken in by a conman.
Reception
The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
critic Grace Dent
Grace Dent
Grace Dent is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster. Dent writes mainly for The Guardian, where she has a weekly column on television, 'Grace Dent's TV-OD'. She also writes for magazines such as Tatler and Marie Claire. She writes a restaurant review column for the London Evening...
described the character as "a pretentious bore," and praised Coronation Street for being "streets ahead." In the same article Dent went on to say "he's unwashed, sleazy and a leading authority on "the working man" and his "daily struggle", no mean feat considering Mel's spent the past three decades in a dressing gown and flip-flops listening to the World Service."