“IT’S going to be hard to walk through that door for the last time.
“I will cry. I know I will.”
Veteran actress Barbara Knox is not the only one to shed a tear in Coronation Street: A Moving Story.
Tony Warren
IT was quite a day at the reveal of the new Coronation Street set at Trafford Wharf.
The exterior lot has been upscaled and the Street itself is now wide enough for two cars to pass.
But otherwise it looks exactly the same as the current set at Quay Street in Manchester.
Where the final scene will be filmed just before Christmas.
With cast, crew and production team starting work at Trafford Wharf / Media City UK early in January 2014.
A special edition of The Weathefield Gazette – Coronation Street’s very own newspaper – was published yesterday.
The 32-page tram crash issue was printed in the Manchester Evening News, with the full support of ITV, to mark Corrie’s 50th anniversary today – Thursday Dec 9 2010.
And I was lucky enough to land a staff job…for one week only.
I wrote three features for the Gazette, including interviews with producer Phil Collinson, executive producer Kieran Roberts and cast members Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre), Craig Gazey (Graeme Proctor) and Antony Cotton (Sean Tully).
Tony Warren, the man who started it all in 1960, also gave up his time to speak to me.
“THERE’S been an explosion. It’s Coronation Street…Weatherfield, yes. There’s flames everywhere. I think there’s people still in there.”
Deirdre Barlow dials 999 next week…
A tram carriage dusted with snow was still hanging from the viaduct when I visited the Corrie cobbles yesterday.
Ready and waiting for the hour-long live ITV1 episode next Thursday.
I was among a small group of journalists invited to Manchester to be the first “outsiders” to see the two episodes which will be screened on Monday.
Plus a teaser trail of events later in the week leading up to that live episode on the night of Corrie’s 50th anniversary.
THERE was a lot of love in the room for Coronation Street last night.
A special event at the British Film Institute on London’s South Bank, hosted by both the BFI and BAFTA, to salute the longest running drama serial in the world.
It began with a big screen outing for the first three episodes, originally broadcast half a century ago.
Followed by an hour-long panel discussion featuring Tony Warren – “the father of Coronation Street” – plus current producer Phil Collinson, executive producer Kieran Roberts and cast members Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor) and David Neilson (Roy Cropper).
Which threw up several interesting stories, including an explantion by Phil of how the axeman does not cometh when a new producer arrives.
With some “terrified” cast members hiding from him when he began the job earlier this year.
THE stars of Coronation Street talk to me on the cobbles about the show’s 50th birthday – and the tram crash.
This 20 minute podcast includes interviews with actors Ian Puleston-Davies (Owen Armstrong), Antony Cotton (Sean Tully), Craig Gazey (Graeme Proctor), Michelle Keegan (Tina McIntyre) and Steve Huison, who plays Eddie Windass.
Plus the sounds of Corrie’s Street party in the background.
Including Kym Marsh singing Son Of A Preacher Man.
A historic day on the Coronation Street cobbles.
The press launch yesterday marking the countdown to the 50th anniversary on December 9, complete with a very special Street Party.
I was among 235 guests who gathered in Studio 12 at ITV Granada in Manchester for the event.
Hosted in some style by Boyzone star Keith Duffy, who plays Rovers barman Ciaran McCarthy.
(Lots of audio / video further down this blog)
Before a party out on the cobbles and tours of the studio sets.
STREET dreams are made of this.
Coronation Street: A Star Is Born is the highlight – for me – of BBC Four’s new autumn and winter 2010 season.
It was previously titled Florizel Street and may change its name again before we see it.
But whatever it ends up being called, my money is on this drama being a cracker.
Life of Wylie 