You may remember that BBC4 is producing Florizel Street, a drama about the beginnings of Coronation Street. There's been some casting and they are starting to film it this week. Digital Spy has most of the cast listed and there are a few gems in it including Jane Horrocks who will be playing a casting director and William Roache's son, James, who is going to play... yes... his father (and it seems, on Corrie, James is going to play his father's character's grandson!)!One of the biggest pair of high heels to fill are those of Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) and it seems that Jessie Wallace, lately of EastEnders' Kat Slater fame, is going to fill them.
Lynda Baron is going to fill Violet Carson's Ena Sharples hairnet and Celia Imrie is set to play Doris Speed who we know as Annie Walker.
I'm a bit dubious about Jessie's casting but she does seem to be a good actress. With the right sort of red wig and early 60s clothes, she just might nail it.
John Thomson, who played Corrie's Jesse Chadwick, is also set to appear in the show. And Antony Cotton's mum, actress Enid Dunn, has landed a part in the show too.
Florizel Street will be on BBC 4 later this year. I'm looking forward to it!
15 comments:
This is great news, I think Jessie Wallace is a good actress and they'll all do a good job. Celia Imrie and Lynda Baron (and Jane Horrocks of course) are all icons of their own in a way too.
Celia Imrie will be fantastic - inspired casting - she was superb in Acorn Antiques. But not too sure about Jessie Wallace, but only from an accent point of view - nothing worse than a southerner trying to do an 'Oop narth' accent that doesn't come off. Otherwise I think she'll be good!
I'm really looking forward to this and Celia Imrie will be great as Mrs Walker. I find it a bit odd though that this will be shown on the BBC when it is being made by ITV. I'm sure ITV could have found room in their schedules in which to show it?
Jessie Wallace as Elsie Tanner? lol
I dont actually understand - is Jessie Wallace and co. playing their character or playing their actor?
(ie. is Jessie Wallace playing Elsie Tanner or Pat Phoinex?)
What is it actually about anyway?
Not convinced about that Wallace woman as Pat Phoenix. Maxine Peake wouldm have been fab for the role.
Jesse Wallace will play Pat Phoenix, Seanie. The drama is about Tony Warren's creation of the show. I was a little apperhensive abvout the accent too, but I think Celia Imrie and Linda Barron are inspired choices. Wonder who's going to be Bill Roach?
This is good news. BBC4 has established a worthy reputation for delivering some terrific one-off biopics, the latest (I think) being about WWII entertainer, Gracie Fields. Some have won awards, and these 'recent-history' specials seem to have taken the BBC's reputation for bringing literary classics to the screen in a new direction with superb behind-the-scenes docu-dramas. I'm a big fan of them.
You don't even have to have the remotest interest in the subject matter - all the biopics to date make for compelling viewing and have been high quality entertainment.
Definitely, definitely, a 'must-see'.
Cobblestone, as mentioned, Bill Roache's son James is playing him.
I'm certain Celia Imrie and Lynda Baron will be great, but am not sure about Jessie Wallace - shame but I can't shift the awfulness of Kat Slater and Alfie Moon (one of the main reasons I stopped watched E/enders) the accent could well be a problem also.
"...the latest (I think) being about WWII entertainer, Gracie Fields."
- What am I going on about? The latest one was about John Lennon - aired only last week!
I thought the John Lennon one was really bad!
That's fair enough seapenguin, but are you sure that's not because the Lennon one was just too dark - and disturbs the comforting story we all construct in our mind's eye from our association with our happy youthful days - when what we really wanted was a celebration of the life of John Lennon, the icon?
Must admit though, I have read of this Lennon production failing to please as many viewers as the previous productions have to date (Too bleak). I thought it was an honest and interesting perspective into a dark side of John Lennon that we the public hardly got to hear about, (It's well publicised how he felt about his aunt and real mother but we know little about his father) - which this production attempted to fill in.
Sorry Danny-K - I shouldn't really have left that comment - not appropriate. Apologies.
It will be interesting to see whether Bill Naughton's Play and TV Play JUNE EVENING are mentioned in the Drama FLORIZEL STREET. It was shown around 1959 on TV and starred some of the original Corrie cast. The story line is very early Coronation Street style. It must have been influential in the Street's creation.
Bill Roaqch is being played by Bill Roache's real life son!!!
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