Set your clocks for this ITV documentary to be shown on Saturday 15 June at 8.30pm on ITV
Granada Studios has dominated the
Manchester skyline for the past 56 years – a beacon to the very best in
British television. The first television complex to be built in the UK
and home to some of the greatest television programmes of all time.
Now, after over half a century, the
building will close as ITV moves to its new home in Salford’s Media
City. It’s time to switch off the lights with Granada’s biggest fan,
Peter Kay, as he goes behind-the-scenes at the iconic Granada building
on Manchester's Quay Street.
Using archive clips of some of the
well-loved and acclaimed programmes filmed and produced there - from
Coronation Street, Prime Suspect, Jewel In the Crown and Stars In Their
Eyes, to landmark musical performances including the television debuts
of The Sex Pistols, Happy Mondays, Take That and the Beatles – audiences
will be taken on a nostalgic and heart warming journey spanning seven
decades of programme-making.
Granada has given debuts to some of the
comedy giants of the past 56 years, from Woody Allen making his only
ever UK stand-up appearance in 1965, through to the broad appeal sitcoms
and sketches of the 70s, to the 80s alternative scene and biggest names
of the 90s. The strong backing of new generations of northern comedians
meant Granada programming enjoyed the talents of comedy legends such as
Frank Carson, Victoria Wood and Julie Walters, Steve Coogan, Caroline
Aherne and John Thompson.
Pop stars, movie stars, sporting heroes
and royalty have all passed through Granada’s gates over the decades and
this landmark show brings some of the studios’ most momentous and
iconic stories to life.
The documentary tracks the story of
Granada from its inception in 1954, including rare archive footage of
its co-founders – brothers and entertainment moguls Sidney and Cecil
Bernstein, who set out their ambitious vision for the company from the
outset: “We still want the best, what’s good enough for London will be
good enough for the north, but they want something in addition. What
Manchester sees today, London will see eventually.”
The epic story of Granada is told by some
of the famous faces that have starred in or worked on its shows.
Featuring new interviews with Dame Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect), Lynda
La Plante (Prime Suspect writer), Charles Dance (Jewel In the Crown),
Matthew Kelly, Sir Michael Parkinson, the stars of Coronation Street,
Jeremy Irons, Shaun Ryder and many many more.
Dame Helen Mirren credits the huge impact
Granada had on her career: “If I were to break my life up into big
chunks, I would say ‘theatre, Granada, and film’. Granada Television
created me in many ways.”
The celebratory programme also follows
veteran daytime presenters Richard & Judy as they revisit the
offices where they began their careers as journalists and fell in love.
Plus, Peter Kay gets the behind-the-scenes gossip from unsung heroes
like the restaurant staff, security men, wardrobe and props.
From historic performances by the great
Sir Laurence Olivier to the gritty reality of The Jeremy Kyle show, the
studios have been part of the fabric of British life for almost 60
years.
As ITV prepare to pack away the glitz and
glamour, the building’s legacy lives on in the people who have worked
there, the audiences who have visited and the millions of people who
enjoyed its shows.
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5 comments:
I think I'll be going into a week of mourning! Sad times.
Should be a good programme I think.
Just a few weeks after the Beebb closed the doors on the equally iconic Television Centre.
So sad...
Anything with Mr Kay will be essential viewing!
Been told a couple of Corries background artists are on the show, its about time we were privy to what they do and how they do it so i will look forward to that bit of the show (if its true of course) as all of these guys are unsung hero's
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