Terry Duckworth

Terrence Edgar "Terry" Duckworth is a fictional character from the soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nigel Pivaro. He was introduced as the son of popular characters Jack and Vera Duckworth, making his on-screen debut on 1 August 1983. Terry has three sons: Paul, Tommy, and Brad. The character made regular appearances until leaving the street in 1987 and has made only brief visits in years following. In February 2012, it was announced Pivaro would be returning to Coronation Street and he made his return as Terry on 16 April 2012. Terry departed on 11 May 2012.

Creation and casting

Pivaro joined the cast as Terry in 1983. The actor originally auditioned for the role of Curly Watts and made it to the final stage of the process. Producers chose actor Kevin Kennedy over Pivaro, but Granada Television invited him to audition for the part of Terry - which he won.^[1] He was introduced alongside Curly and Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) and together they formed a new generation of younger characters.^[2] Executive producer Bill Podmore told Jack Tinker in the book Coronation Street, that he was "extremely pleased" with the way that the "youngsters" had fitted in. He added that they created a "nicely balanced young comedy trio" which were bringing back "a bit of the bite" reminiscent of Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant) and Martha Longhurst's (Lynne Carol) scenes.^[2]

In early July 1999, Steven Murphy of Inside Soap reported Pivaro would be returning to Coronation Street as Terry following a Duckworth family crisis.^[3] A show spokesperson said "You can guarantee if Terry returns, trouble is bound to follow."^[3]

In October 2000, Inside Soap's Rachel Roberts and Allison Maund revealed that Terry would be returning again in November. A spokesperson for the serial told the writers that Terry would be nastier than ever. They added that "this time he surpasses even himself; Jack and Vera can't believe the despicable things he does."^[4]

On 2 February 2012, Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy reported Pivaro had agreed to reprise his role once again.^[5] The actor said "I am elated to be returning to Coronation Street, which as a Salfordian has been part of my life for nearly 50 years - not just as a character in the show, but as a fan long before becoming an actor."^[5] Pivaro added he was proud to carry Terry with him and when he was asked to return by producer Phil Collinson, he could not refuse the offer.^[5] Terry will return to Coronation Street unaware his son, Tommy (Chris Fountain), is now living there.^[5] Kilkelly said dramatic scenes would follow when Terry's reasons for returning are made clear.^[5] Collinson said "I'm very excited to be welcoming arch villain Terry Duckworth back to Coronation Street. I grew up watching him duck and dive and break his parents' hearts - a deliciously evil performance from Nigel Pivaro. This time, though, he'll not only be blighting the life of his son Tommy but the lives of every resident of Coronation Street with a typically audacious scheme."^[5] Terry returned on 16 April 2012 and remained for four weeks.^[6][7]

Character development

Tinker described Terry arriving in the series as "a lad well-trained to look out for himself".^[8] In the 1997 Coronation Street Annual, Rob Sharp described Terry as a "good-looking" but "moody" character who spells trouble for every female he becomes involved with. Terry is a "homebreaker" who attempts to steal other men's partners.^[9] Terry is the serial's "opportunist" and always had a bad reputation. Sharp added that "Terry had spent a lifetime getting into various kinds of trouble, [but] it wasn't until after his wife Lisa's death that he began to show his true colours."^[10]

In one storyline Terry begins a relationship with Andrea Clayton (Caroline O'Neil). Sharp said that this was the first time that Terry "heads towards heartbreak". Andrea's parents do not approve of Terry and when she becomes pregnant they attempt to cut him out of Andrea's life. Terry "desperatley" wanted the child, but the Claytons moved away and took away his chance to be a "real father".^[11]

Storylines

1983–97

Terry arrived on the Street in 1983, having supposedly finished a stint in the Parachute Regiment. Initially, he was a cocky but well-meaning character. When he broke into Alf Roberts's (Bryan Mosley) corner shop, while drunk, he confessed remorsefully to his crime.

In 1985, next-door neighbour Andrea Clayton became pregnant with Terry's child and had a son (Paul Duckworth); the Clayton family left the Street without Terry ever having any contact with the child. Terry left again in 1987, running off with a married woman (the wife of an old army friend), but returned briefly the following year, alone and strapped for cash. He pawned his watch to Alec Gilroy (Roy Barraclough) and had an argument with Don Brennan (Geoffrey Hinsliff) for refusing to pay a fare in his taxi.

Terry returned 1992 with a pregnant girlfriend, Lisa Horton (Caroline Milmoe). Several months after his return, he was arrested for GBH and Lisa had to tell Jack (William Tarmey) and Vera (Elizabeth Dawn) that he had gone to prison. He was let out in order to marry Lisa but used it as an excuse to escape briefly and was captured several days later. He was sentenced to a further three years behind bars. In September that year, Lisa gave birth to a son, whom she named Tommy (Darryl Edwards). Lisa was knocked down and killed by a car outside the Rovers Return the following year, after leaving Terry for Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss). Jack and Vera attempted to care for Tommy but struggled with full custody.

Terry was released from prison after serving half his sentence in December 1993 for good behaviour and promptly gave custody of Tommy to Lisa's parents for £2,000 a year, stressing that Jack and Vera weren't able to look after Tommy properly. Having effectively sold Tommy to the Hortons in Blackpool, he left the Street after his father disowned him. Terry returned again in June 1996 and impregnated Tricia Armstrong (Tracy Brabin) after a one-night stand. He had brought Tommy to visit his parents after the Hortons didn't pay him the money that they had agreed. Terry saw a chance for some easy cash when he learned his parents now ran the Rovers Return and played the model son, but his plans to make a quick buck were scuppered when the pub was absorbing most of its profits, leaving Jack and Vera with little spare. He obtained £10,000 in exchange for a contract giving the Hortons full custody of Tommy until he was 18. Subsequently, Vera was devastated that Terry had sold his son again. After ordering his photograph to be thrown in the bin, she wrote him out of her will, leaving everything to Tommy while Jack completely disavowed his son's existence.

Terry returned in April 1997, much to his parents' anger. However, Tricia Armstrong was elated, despite Terry being unable to remember her name. Tricia, after initially thinking Terry was going to settle down with her and son Brad after his return, realised he wasn't a good role model for Brad, and left the Street with her new boyfriend, Ray Thorpe. Terry, meanwhile, tried cheating Jack and Vera again of their takings earned from Rovers Return Inn when he was given some money in an envelope from Jack to put into the bank. Terry, intending to take the money and leave, discovered the envelope was empty with plain pieces of paper in it. He went back to the Rovers, angry that there was no money in the envelope. Jack revealed he knew Terry would run off with the money and that he set a trap. Feeling disgraced, Terry left once again.

1999–2012

Terry later appeared in August 1999 and bought Vera a posh car. The car was revealed as being a death trap when it was involved in a car crash which indirectly resulted in the death of Judy Mallett in September. On Christmas Day 1999 Terry interrupted a Christmas dinner and was punched by Judy's husband Gary for causing Judy's death. Jack then told his son how much misery he had brought down on Gary, and told him to never return to Coronation Street again. Alone with Terry, Vera finally stood up to her son, telling him he was evil and slapping him. Terry resented it when Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) moved in and became a son to Jack and Vera. In November 2000, when his son Paul needed a kidney transplant, Terry returned and offered to be a donor for a price. But once he had the money he fled, leaving his mother Vera to donate instead. Reading a letter penned to him by Vera in case the worst should happen, she admitted to Jack a fling early in their marriage which cast doubt on Terry's paternity. Jack admitted to Curly that he knew of the affair, but also had no doubt in his mind that Terry was his son as he reminded Jack too much of himself. The operation saved Paul's life, but almost cost Vera hers when she had an allergic reaction. Terry, in a rare show of heart, returned to the hospital to make sure his mother was okay before disappearing. Jack and Vera heard from Terry once again when he was in prison in October 2001. He claimed he had been framed for an attempted murder by a policeman who wanted revenge because Terry had been having an affair with his wife. This turned out to be true, and Jack helped him, despite his better instincts. Terry was released from prison in January 2002 when he was proven to be innocent. He subsequently made peace with Jack and Vera. Terry eventually set up home with a girlfriend called Nadine in Sheffield, and was employed selling double glazing. Terry later moved to Wolverhampton and began selling mobile phones.

Terry returns to attend Vera's funeral. While Terry was ostensibly there for the funeral, he immediately causes dischord when he fails to recognise Paul, and it soon becomes clear that he is there to make sure that Jack does not want to move in with him. After persuading him not to sell to Tyrone and Molly Dobbs (Vicky Binns), and telling Paul he probably will not see him again until after Jack's death, he says goodbye to his father and leaves.

In April 2012, Terry returns to Coronation Street to open a lap-dancing club. Terry is unaware that Tommy (now played by Chris Fountain) is living on the street and when he meets him he does not recognise him. Terry asks Tommy to move his van and when he refuses, Terry punches him. Tyrone then tells him who Tommy is. Terry states that he is not interested in getting to know his son and leaves. Local builder Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) demands a part-payment upfront putting Terry under pressure until he learns that Tommy has recently come into a large inheritance from his deceased grandfather. Terry claims that he wants to build a relationship with Tommy and sets about destroying his friendship with Tyrone. During a row with Tommy's girlfriend Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan), Terry pushes her to the ground and she suffers severe head injuries and falls into a coma. Terry tells Tommy that loan shark Rick Neelan (Greg Wood) attacked Tina as Terry owes Rick money. When Tina regains consciousness she tells Tommy it was Terry who attacked her. Tommy disowns Terry and Terry gets in his car and drives away, taking Tommy's money which he had stolen, with him.

Reception

In an article published by the Daily Mirror which detailed the characters son Paul finding Jack's winning betting slip in 2008, it was said that even though Paul "never knew his dad, that rogue Terry Duckworth gene can't help rising to the surface." ^[12]

An article published by Stuart Heritage of The Guardian during the time of Jack Duckworth's departure from the show described Terry as a "dour elvis lookalike." Stuart explained that Terry "has spent his life knocking up women, getting thrown in prison and setting up bizarre human organ-harvesting scams". Based on the characters villainy, he claimed that "if Terry Duckworth ever teamed up with Nick Cotton, we would certainly be doomed".^[13]

Chris Fountain, who was cast as Terry’s son Tommy, claimed in an interview with Digital Spy that "if Terry came back, I think it would cause fireworks between a lot of the characters. It would be nice to see how that would pan out, because obviously Tommy is completely different to Terry - he hasn't got so much of a temper and I don't think he's a nasty person. It would definitely be quite interesting to see what happened if Terry came back".^[14] Inside Soap's Sarah Ellis said that Terry had been "Weatherfield's Most Hated" for decades - and that there was good reason behind the status.^[15] A writer from The People: Soap Special named Terry as one of the "top 10 villains" of soap opera.^[16]

See also

• List of soap opera villains

References

• Tinker, Jack (1985). Coronation Street. Octopus Books. ISBN 0-8627-3240-9. 
• Little, Daran (1995). The Coronation Street Story: Celebrating Thirty Five Years of the Street. Boxtree. ISBN 978-0-7522-1019-3. 
• Sharp, Rob (1996). The Official 1997 Annual of Coronation Street. Egmont Books. ISBN 0-7498-2815-3.