The Road To Coronation Street

[Film Man]

What a brilliant production...The Bernstein Brothers were portrayed to perfection. I was taken back to an era that was British Television at its best. Worth the price of my television licence alone!

Film Man.

[Mark O]

Absolutely, though I've not seen it properly as yet as working this evening, managed to grab the last twenty minutes when they were still looking for Ena, and at the last moment a legend was born, I'll catch up properly and comment over the weekend, the haunting music sent me right back to my own 60's childhood where I lived opposite a real edwardian terrace where I remember old ladies with arthritic hands and silver hair, front doors left unlocked, corner shop at the end, all be it a southern version, I'll see if I can find a photo to post.

[Gerald Lovell]

There's not much modern television I like, but I liked this immensely. Lynda Baron was a hoot as Ena Sharples.

[Dadwasinflame]

Used to watch it all the time , not seen it for Years, in fact the last tme i watched it on a regular basis is when Brian Tilsey was stabbed, and died, and Itv cut the stabbing from the Sunday repeat as it was too violent , but having watched tonights show , will get the 60s on Dvd now but have some Questions that i need answers too



1 Were ITV Intrested in filming it ?



2 Were the BBC ALLOWED to use Granada studios



3 Why Wasnt Len fairclough involved in tonights epsoide (or was it the scandal )

[bruiser15]

Excellent stuff, Jessie Wallace is turning into something of a revelation, her turn as Pat Pheonix was wonderful. Great cast all round really.

[Gerald Lovell]

name='Dadwasinflame' timestamp='1284675448' post='474935']

Used to watch it all the time , not seen it for Years, in fact the last tme i watched it on a regular basis is when Brian Tilsey was stabbed, and died, and Itv cut the stabbing from the Sunday repeat as it was too violent , but having watched tonights show , will get the 60s on Dvd now but have some Questions that i need answers too



1 Were ITV Intrested in filming it ?



2 Were the BBC ALLOWED to use Granada studios



3 Why Wasnt Len fairclough involved in tonights epsoide (or was it the scandal )

Although it was shown on BBC4, it was an ITV Studios production, so I guess the location work at Granada was allowed.

As far as I know, the Len Fairclough character was not in the first episodes, so his omission from this was probably accurate.

[Mark O]

name='Dadwasinflame' timestamp='1284675448' post='474935']

Used to watch it all the time , not seen it for Years, in fact the last tme i watched it on a regular basis is when Brian Tilsey was stabbed, and died, and Itv cut the stabbing from the Sunday repeat as it was too violent , but having watched tonights show , will get the 60s on Dvd now but have some Questions that i need answers too



1 Were ITV Intrested in filming it ?



2 Were the BBC ALLOWED to use Granada studios



3 Why Wasnt Len fairclough involved in tonights epsoide (or was it the scandal )

I know it wasn't shown in the Midlands transmission area on Lew Grade's instructions until it was well established after about the first six months or so, as Gerald has said Len wasn't in it right at the start, I'll look in one of my Corrie books over the weekend to see when his character did actually first appear.

[bruiser15]

Len Fairclough appeared first time 2 February 1961

[Dadwasinflame]

name='bruiser15' timestamp='1284676300' post='474944']

Len Fairclough appeared first time 2 February 1961

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053494/

[Ray]

I enjoyed the whole production very much, but Elsie wasn't as glamorous as that in the beginning. Jessie Wallace looked more like Pat Phoenix in the 1970's, when she had lost weight and had a face lift, but apart from that she was very impressive.

[John Llewellyn Moxey]

I did direct a couple of Coronation Streets, and I am hoping that they will air the show over here.

John

[sparklysheila]

BTW I really enjoyed it - but it seemed like a very distant time and a very different Britain from today

[Ray]

name='sparklysheila' timestamp='1284713112' post='475016']

BTW I really enjoyed it - but it seemed like a very distant time and a very different Britain from today

Not surprising that it seemed different, just look at the previous 50 years from 1910 to 1960. The fashions, and the appearance of the film idols of those times are a perfect example of a half century of change.



[attachment=800:Wallace Reid.jpg]



Wallace Reid - 1910



[attachment=801:Paul Newman.jpg]



Paul Newman - 1960

[alan gowdy]

name='John Llewellyn Moxey' timestamp='1284686782' post='474974']

I did direct a couple of Coronation Streets, and I am hoping that they will air the show over here.

John

Perhaps someone will have a copy that they could send you, John. It was an excellent production with spot-on performances, though I found it slightly bizarre that ITV was producing it for the BBC.



Quay Street must have had a makeover at some time for it was not as shabby as I recall it from the nineties. The canteen is much the same though

[John Llewellyn Moxey]

I would be happy to pay for a copy, if someone has one that can be viewed here.



It was a different time in a different world.



John

[Nick Dando]

ITN are producing the Jonathan Foyle series Climbing Great Buildings, so if it's a good enough programme then the BBC will purchase it. Shame that ITV can't do the same, but I suppose they do end up with the money at the end of the day.



Nick

[Mark O]

name='Ray' timestamp='1284677124' post='474950']

I enjoyed the whole production very much, but Elsie wasn't as glamorous as that in the beginning. Jessie Wallace looked more like Pat Phoenix in the 1970's, when she had lost weight and had a face lift, but apart from that she was very impressive.

Just caught up with it and Jessie was impressive Ray, she seemed to master the transformation from 'cor-blimey mate' to 'eeh by gum' with ease lol, I totally agree Pat vastly improved in beauty with age, she was quite something at the dawn of the 70's, though I was unaware she had a facelift, I did used to wonder if that impressive pile of red hair of hers was added on hairpieces or all real, certainly looked real enough, though it would have taken some time and effort to get it up the way it was.



Poor Pat, like many people I was devastated when she died, but her life was fuller than full, plus she said that she enjoyed every puff of every cigarette she ever smoked and never regretted it, at least she was honest, and she'll never be forgotten.......

[Ray]

name='Mark O' timestamp='1284745671' post='475180']

Just caught up with it and Jessie was impressive Ray, she seemed to master the transformation from 'cor-blimey mate' to 'eeh by gum' with ease lol, I totally agree Pat vastly improved in beauty with age, she was quite something at the dawn of the 70's, though I was unaware she had a facelift, I did used to wonder if that impressive pile of red hair of hers was added on hairpieces or all real, certainly looked real enough, though it would have taken some time and effort to get it up the way it was.



Poor Pat, like many people I was devastated when she died, but her life was fuller than full, plus she said that she enjoyed every puff of every cigarette she ever smoked and never regretted it, at least she was honest, and she'll never be forgotten.......

I wasn't surprised how good Jessie Wallace was Mark, she was very impressive as Marie Lloyd too.



A lot of ladies used to wear those top heavy hairpieces in the 1970's, Joan Crawford was another who went a bit over the top with them.



I think these two photo's show that she was much firmer around the jawline in her later years.



[attachment=802:Pat Phoenix - before.jpg]



[attachment=803:Pat Phoenix - after.jpg]

[Gerald Lovell]

name='Ray' timestamp='1284749833' post='475203']

I wasn't surprised how good Jessie Wallace was Mark, she was very impressive as Marie Lloyd too.



A lot of ladies used to wear those top heavy hairpieces in the 1970's, Joan Crawford was another who went a bit over the top with them.



I think these two photo's show that she was much firmer around the jawline in her later years.



[attachment=802:Pat Phoenix - before.jpg]



[attachment=803:Pat Phoenix - after.jpg]

I encountered Pat Phoenix while visiting a potteries on Jersey in the early 70s. Either Alan Browning or Anthony Booth was with her, I can't recall. But I do recall how red her hair was and how much shorter she was than I expected.



Jessie Wallace was really spot on in her performance, if not quite in her looks of the early 60s Pat.

[wadey]

Haven't watched Corrie since the Battersbys arrived but this really was a superb production, enjoyed every second of it and wasn't the doorman hilarious!

Lynda Baron as Violet Carson was excellant, in fact the whole thing was a joy to watch, love how they got the Granada building looking the part, well done everybody concerned



http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossend...ey/4879898137/