THE cobbles are staying.
I broke the news first and exclusively this morning that Coronation Street is staying in Manchester.
Talks about moving ITV Granada from the current site at Quay Street to Salford Quays dramatically broke down this week.
ITV were moving forward with plans to transfer to Trafford Wharfside.
But discussions have now been terminated by ITV and the move scrapped following a dramatic reduction in the financial commitment being offered by MediaCity developers Peel.
Author: ianwylie
THERE’S a documentary on TV tonight which might just save your life.
Not that you’d know it from this rather bizarre image, one of several BBC publicity pics issued to tie in with the Horizon film.
It shows, at least in part, Prof Myer Glickman, from the Office of National Statistics.
I use it here, as it almost certainly won’t appear anywhere else.
Perhaps it’s me? Am I missing something?
Myer tells BBC2’s cheerily-titled How To Survive A Disaster: “We would normally classify any death before the age of 70 as premature death.”
Almost three quarters of which are preventable.
THE end of another long and varied week is in sight.
It began on Sunday night with coverage of Roxanne Pallett being frozen out of Dancing On Ice.
And continued back at the keyboard at dawn today with the story of Gary Barlow and his Comic Relief team reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Along the way I spoke to University of Manchester team captain Matthew Yeo on Monday night, just minutes after rivals Oxford were disqualified from University Challenge.
Spent a day on location in Stretford on Tuesday with the new series of The Street for interviews and behind the scenes coverage when it returns to BBC1 later this year.
Wrote about current shows like Shameless, Coronation Street and Law and Order: UK.
And revealed all about The Royle Family’s return for Comic Relief.
THE saga of Coronation Street’s possible move to Salford Quays is nearing a conclusion.
At 7am today ITV announced it intended to axe 600 jobs and cut programme budgets.
And at 7.30am I took part in a long conference call with executive chairman Michael Grade and other ITV bosses.
As luck would have it, I was the first in line called to ask a question.
So I asked for the current thinking on the possible move of ITV Granada – including Corrie – from Manchester and the latest timescale for a decision.
Michael handed the question over to ITV chief operating officer John Cresswell.
You can read the full details in today’s MEN coverage here.
In essence, it looks like – barring a change of heart or last minute hitch – Corrie will be moving.
Described in Mr Cresswell’s answer as “the most valuable programme on British television”.
THERE just had to be one final twist to the Gail Trimble story.
News broke online around 10pm last night of a BBC probe into claims about the winners of this week’s University Challenge grand final.
It appears one member of the Corpus Christi Oxford team ceased to be a student during filming of the series.
Sam Kay (far left in pic) had been studying chemistry.
But during the team’s campaign towards ultimate victory, led by captain Gail, he left the college to work as an accountant.
Sam told today’s Observer here that he was a student during the first two rounds before graduating last June.
While at least one member of the University of Manchester team, who finished as losing finalists, reckons that breaks the rules.
ASK most actors about reality TV and you’ll get a similar answer.
They hate it.
It pushes more expensive drama off the screen and results in fewer job opportunties for them.
But some, including Law and Order: UK star Freema Agyeman, have a different view.
There wasn’t room to include her thoughts on reality television in this week’s MEN TV feature interview here.
So for those who are interested, here’s what Freema had to say:
“I love reality telly. I must confess, I do watch it,” she told us at the launch of the new ITV1 series.
IN her own words, she blogs about “this, that and Coronation Street”.
If you’re a fan of all things Weatherfield, then Flaming Nora is an essential destination on the world wide interweb.
Want to know what Norris Cole is actually looking at on The Kabin’s storeroom computer?
That’ll be Nora’s Coronation Street Blog.
And the laptop which mysteriously floats around the Platt household?
Bound to have her other fully Flaming Nora site bookmarked.
Which leaves us with the mystery that is Blanche’s bedroom.
Did we catch a glimpse of it the other day?
THE busker started playing his guitar as I walked towards the escalator heading up to the street.
Piccadilly Circus underground station in London at 1pm today.
And his choice of song?
Stairway To Heaven.
I felt a sudden shiver down my spine.
Not due to any resemblance between an ascending Piccadilly Line escalator and the title of Led Zeppelin’s classic song.
With all due respect to Eros, Piccadilly Circus isn’t most people’s idea of paradise.
More to do with the fact that I was on my way to interview Philip Glenister ahead of the second BBC1 series of Ashes To Ashes.
“WHAT did you think?”
I can stil remember a nervous Bradley Walsh asking me the question in early 2003.
We’d just watched a press screening of MIT – Murder Investigation Team.
With comedy star, gameshow host and entertainer Bradley playing a very gritty straight role.
His performance alongside former Coronation Street star Tracie Bennett in the harrowing ITV1 story was a revelation. (pic below)
But despite reassurances, Bradley still seemed unsure as he headed off to catch a train for a stand-up gig in Birmingham that night.
A lot of trains have left London’s Euston station since that day.
SWITCH on your TV and all looks normal.
But behind the scenes ITV is fighting for its very life.
As the BBC this morning announced a revised package of relocation measures for staff moving from London to MediaCity in Salford.
You can read the online version of today’s MEN story here.
The future of Granada’s Quay Street site in Manchester is among decisions at the top of ITV’s agenda.
Will it decide to raise much needed cash by selling its Manchester home?
And join the BBC in a new base at MediaCity?
You don’t need an expert to tell you that we are somewhere near the bottom of the property and land market.
Life of Wylie 