Video preview: The Road To Coronation Street

Here's a preview of the brilliant 'Road To Coronation Street', written by former Corrie writer, Daran Little (I hear he's in the "East End" now!) 'The Road To Coronation Street' tells the story of how Coronation Street came to be, complete with a star studded cast, and even some well known soap names such as James Roache (Currently starring as James Cunningham in Coronation Street), Jessie Wallace (Returns to the other soap on Friday to reprise her role as Kat Slater) and John Thompson! (aka Jessie the cowboy.)

Though, one real road to Coronation Street was used in the production it seems!

 

'The Road To Coronation Street' airs this Thursday 9pm on BBC4 (right after Corrie finishes on ITV1)

More Road to Coronation Street pics

There's a good piece in the Daily Mail today with great photos of the current cast of The Road to Coronation Street (formerly Coronation Street: A Star Is Born and formerly Florizel Street before that) along side the original characters and I must say, they certainly do have the look!

In the Mail, some of the well known history behind Coronation Street's journey to the screen is repeated along with the legend of why the original name changed from Florizel Street to Coronation Street but with a twist. Everyone has heard that the Granada tea lady thought "Florizel" sounded like the name of a disinfectant but according to the Mail, "according to Daran Little, one of the soap’s writers and the man who scripted The Road To Coro­nation Street, ‘Bill (Roache) couldn’t pronounce it in a pilot, so it was decided to change the name’" Did you know that Tony Warren named Florizel after the prince in the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale? I didn't!

The show will be airing on BBC next month from the sound of it, just about the same timeframe as both of Bill Roache's sons will be playing his long lost son and grandson. Younger son, James, played his father in the BBC film and was filming that at the same time he was filming his father's grandson at Granada. (Still with me?)

There's a video clip via this post to the BBC site. Judging from that, it sounds as if Jessie Wallace has done a pretty good job with Pat Phoenix's Northern accent. We're going to have a popcorn night here at the Blog Towers when it's on!

Thanks to commenter Nick, it's on Thursday 16 September, 9 - 10:15 p.m. BBC 4)

Casting for Florizel Street announced

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!

The story of the birth of Coronation Street... on BBC

Here's something to look forward to! Filming starts this summer on a drama about how Coronation Street came to be. The drama is called "Florizel Street", which was the original name of the show, and will be written by the talented Daran Little.

Daran, of course, was the show's archivist and later was on the writing team for Corrie. He's also written many great books on the history of Coronation Street.

The drama, which will be shown on BBC4 as part of their upcoming season featuring Northern life and culture, has yet to be cast. It will follow the story of how Tony Warren fought to bring his dream to life in 1960 and will include legendary characters such as Annie Walker and Ena Sharples. Big shoes to fill but then, it's not trying to replace them, is it? There's no word on when this will air but my thinking is it will be close to the 50th anniversary in December. I'm looking forward to this one!

Casting has been announced - full details here.