10 things we probably weren't supposed to see, but did

Mistakes. The bane of our existence. A burden on humanity, you could say. Yet we, as the viewing public, seem to take some sort of sick pleasure in catching human errors on our TV screens. Thanks to YouTube, we can fulfil this twisted desire at any time we please by watching an endless selection of outtakes (bloopers), including a decent collection of Coronation Street ones.

As entertaining as these might be, they are of course curated and collated by programme makers. However, very occasionally, things slip through the net and mistakes end up being broadcast as part of the actual programme. These are the holy grail of bloopers – the outtakes that aren’t outtakes. Intakes, if you will.

To celebrate this curiosity, I've compiled my favourite Corrie gaffes from the last six decades that nobody noticed until it was too late. Some are more fun than others, so do bear with me.

 

Unexpected equipment

• Episode 2 (14th December 1960)
• Episode 4 (21st December 1960)

In the second ever episode of Corrie, we see a Dalek* sneaking up on Elsie Lappin (left of shot). Fortunately, an eagle-eyed Christine Hardman does appear to have spotted it. Perhaps she can warn poor Elsie.

*I believe it’s actually just an ominous-looking camera lens.

Just a couple of episodes later, a similar slip-up occurs when we see a furry little creature hovering around Ena Sharples' unnetted hair. Neither of these episodes were live, but we can probably assume that everyone was pretty new to the job!

A rogue boom mic enters shot.

 

Roofless houses

• Episode 786 (26th June 1968)

The 1968 set on Grape Street (later subsumed by the Granada TV Centre complex) was the first time the Street had been built outdoors. Compared to today’s set, it was a rudimentary structure and consisted of a mere façade supported by scaffolding.

Behind the terrace

Strategic camera angles were used to disguise the fact that the 'houses' were flat and roofless. However, it seems like someone didn’t get the memo for this particular episode and viewers were treated to a glance behind-the-scenes – with scaffolding visible on screen a total of three times!

Hilda Ogden and Elsie Tanner have one of their neighbourly chats (scaffolding visible in top left).

Granada sign

• Episode 6019 (2nd May 2005)

Things remain relatively error-free for 37 years, until that dastardly Ian Davenport turns up.

If you look really closely at the top left of this shot, you can just about make out ‘ANADA’ from the ‘GRANADA’ sign facing real-life Water Street. I admit, this one’s a bit petty, but it’s a nice little segway into the next one…

 

Studio 2

• Episode 10067 (27th May 2020)

This one ended up featuring quite heavily (more than usual) in the online press. Looks like the excitement of a moving break bumper caused the camera operator to be a little overzealous in panning left. Happens to the best of us.

“Your son’s in studio… I mean – ward 2, Mr McDonald.”

Stage 2

• Episode 6625 (20th August 2007)

In this brilliant but somewhat disconcerting performance from Jack P Shepherd, David finds his way up onto the factory roof where he makes a shooting gesture towards his oblivious mum, grandmother and sister – describing them as “three witches… three bitches” to a perplexed and slightly terrified-looking Jason.

Here we catch a glimpse of Victoria Street (top left), but without the Victoria Court apartments façade that was put up a year later. Instead, the corrugated cladding of the Stage Two studio building can be seen with some discarded equipment propped against it, along with the inside (empty shell) of 19a Victoria Street if you get your magnifying glass out.

 

At the start of the scene, we also see the end of the viaduct façade along Viaduct Street, which in the Weatherfield world is supposed to continue beyond the brewery – but meh.

 

Back of the set

• Episode 6227 (13th February 2006)

In this episode, the builders’ yard door leading to what was once signed as the illusive Will's Builders' Merchants is wide open and we finally get to see what’s behind it.

Rather disappointingly, it’s what you’d probably expect from Will the builders’ merchant – just a couple of doorframes and a collection of miscellaneous beams. Behind these strategically placed props though, you can actually see the back of what was then the bookies set.

The back of the set, or ‘studio flat’ as it’s known, is what looks like wooden shelving in the top right of this screengrab.

 

Backseat cameraman

• Episode 4920 (30th October 2000)

Vik enjoys a date with Candice, who, unbeknown to him, is in fact a schoolchild. It seems, however, that someone's onto him, as we see the reflection of a person discreetly filming the pair in his rear-view mirror. Police? Online vigilantes? A blackmailer? Nah, just the camera operator sat in the back.

 

“Friendly neighbourhood HD camera”

• Episode 8256 (13th November 2013)

Having been edited out of the episode following initial transmission and @JackPShepherd88’s “Don't mind me I'm just your friendly neighbour hood... HD camera?” tweet no longer existing, the footage for this one is sadly without a trace.

Fortunately though, I managed to find the original photo on Digital Spy’s website:

 

David Butterhands

• Episode 8530 (12th December 2014)

My personal favourite. I’ll save my praise as I’m slightly aware that I’m starting to sound like a Jack P Shepherd fanboy (and what of it?), but this one’s brilliant. After dropping his scissors, we see Jack, playing David, mouth what looks like the F word.

The icing on the cake for me is the extra’s reaction. Reasonably assuming the take is over, she looks beyond the camera as if to say “you heard that, right?”. In her defence, this clearly shouldn’t have made the cut. Get it… cut??

See it for yourself here.

 

Fake Eileen

• Episode 8682 (13th July 2015)

Having been tricked into thinking his son was someone else, poor Michael Rodwell is no stranger to imposters, which makes this all the more cruel.

While sandwiched between his besties Eileen and Gail at Deirdre's funeral, it becomes apparent that ‘Eileen’ too is an imposter. Fortunately for Michael, he just so happens to be looking away when Fake Eileen makes her appearance… phew.

Family Misfortunes

Credit to Coronation Street for keeping the bar so high that people like me really have to dig for these sorts of things! Comment below or pop over to @CoroStreetBlog to share any I've missed, or tweet me @gaddasisbadass!

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