Coronation Street releases promo for Todd and Theo special episode

Coronation Street has released a promo for an upcoming special episode focussed on Todd and Theo’s disturbing relationship.

As the domestic abuse that Todd (Gareth Pierce) has been suffering at the hands of partner Theo (James Cartwright) continues to intensify, a special ‘single-strand episode’ will air on Monday 15th December, focussing entirely on the pair’s disturbing relationship.

Todd’s coercive boyfriend Theo (James Cartwright) has been succeeding in slowly isolating Todd from all of his loved ones in recent months. He’s been desperate to have complete control over him, and has sabotaged both Todd’s job and his friendship with George.

Now, the special episode of Coronation Street on Monday 15th December will see the police descend on the street after a report of a domestic incident, as it appears that Theo’s abuse could be exposed once and for all.

Rather than the show’s traditional filming style, the entire episode will be shown through the point of view of a number of cameras in and around Todd’s house and from the street.

As a series of flashbacks show us what happened inside the flat, we’ll see the action through Todd’s hidden camera in the living room, CCTV outside, a dashcam, a video doorbell and police bodycams.

Theo’s manipulation of Todd has been going on for a number of months, but has been ramping up in recent weeks.

Theo has been growing increasingly jealous of Todd’s friendships. Back in October, after Todd spent an innocent night at Billy’s after too many drinks, Theo slept with client Pete (Andrew Hayden-Smith) in an attempt to make Todd jealous.

He’s also been becoming increasingly violent as the storyline has progressed.

While he initially took his aggression out on Todd through less physical means, such as by pouring a bottle of milk over his head, he’s since resorted to physical violence on a number of occasions, including subjecting Todd to a brutal attack which saw him smash Todd’s head into a mirror in a fit of anger.

Todd felt left with no choice but to agree when Theo convinced him that he needed to lie low in the flat, insisting it was better than people spotting his injuries and ‘jumping to the wrong conclusion’.

Meanwhile, Theo has been further controlling Todd by pushing him to train for a half-marathon and buying him an exercise bike as he forced him into an exhausting exercise routine.

He even dragged out a full-length mirror and informed Todd that he could now keep daily tabs on his physique, as his coercive control over his partner continued to escalate.

“There’s definitely a plan to isolate Todd, but I don’t think it’s a complex mission,” James Cartwright previously told EverySoap and other press. “I think it just occurs to him in the moment, and then he tries to navigate it the way that best suits him as all narcissists do.”

“Very often with possessive jealous partners, whether male or female, they seek to isolate you because they know that’s all they’ve got. The idea of losing Todd is shattering, so he clings on like fire and that’s where the coercive control starts.”

Discussing the task of directing this first of its kind episode, which airs on Monday 15th December on ITV1, Coronation Street Director Matt Hilton revealed: “It felt like a really bold idea to show it in this intimate and voyeuristic way that I’d never seen done before and as a fan of the true crime genre I could see how it could work if we did it right, something that would be intriguing for the viewer and make them feel uncomfortable in watching it all take place.”

Gareth Pierce, who plays Todd, explains of the special filming style: “We were discovering how to play to that style of filming ‘on the job’, so it felt like an exciting collaborative adventure for all departments.

I think I anticipated it might feel like we were watching Corrie characters through a haze, a slight step further back from the action, but it actually has the opposite effect where it feels like it brings us closer, like we’re eavesdropping on our characters and seeing something we shouldn’t. I haven’t seen the full episode yet, but the bits I have seen are very effective and disorientating.”

Throughout the Todd and Theo story, the Coronation Street producers and cast have worked closely with charities Stonewall and Galop.

James Cartwright, who plays Theo, explained: “Domestic violence is real for a lot of people, it often escalates around Christmas, so there’s a real level of respect on the set. You’ve got to tread that line between drama, storytelling and authenticity.

“It will be very challenging to watch for anybody who’s been through it, or is going through something similar, but we also have to be careful not to rush it or you run the risk of doing a disservice to people who’ve been through it.” 

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