Top five Coronation Street TV crossovers

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Coronation Street, on its own, is an iconic show. There’s no argument there. From the damp cobbles, the corner shop and that lovely pub. We all know the theme tune, and we all recognise the cat. However, there have been times when our favourite soap has teamed itself up with another show. The term, “shared universe” is bandied around a lot these days, mostly with big budget superhero movies. However, Corrie has been doing the “shared universe” thing for ages.

Here are five of the best examples.

Corrie meets Eastenders (2010)

Perhaps the most famous crossover of the lot – “East Street” was part of the 2010 Children in Need line up. We had Sean flirting with Christian, Gail and Denise comparing husbands, Eileen and Zainab talking about their gay sons and the earth-shattering realisation that Liz is in fact Kat’s mother! (Funnily enough, a fact that was never brought up again!).

Broadcast the month before Corrie's 50th Birthday, viewers began to worry for Eileen, who said a line that fuelled much speculation over her potential fate. Luckily, when she said, “those trams will be the death of me”, it wasn’t was premonition, just a cheeky red herring.

Corrie meets Dallas (and Smith & Jones)

The Russell T. Davies penned direct to video special “Viva Las Vegas” opened with two heavily referential moments. We had Jack and Vera debating over the meaning of the word ‘vet’ in a Smith and Jones style discussion, followed by a glamorous opening title sequence that was inspired by Dallas. A very guilty pleasure!

I also enjoyed the fact that Liz Dawn and Bill Tarmey were called by their full names, Elizabeth Dawn and William Tarmey. It really added to the classiness.

Corrie meets Doctor Who (and the minions) (2015)

One afternoon, earlier this year, Twitter was teased by a photo of the TARDIS on Coronation Street. “What could this mean?!” both fandoms probably thought. In my head, I’d imagined a story of the TARDIS getting taken away by the council, or the Twelfth Doctor getting annoyed by Ken Barlow because he’s smarter than him. Sadly, it was revealed to be a still for a Greg James skit. Don’t get me wrong, it was a charming video, but an actual crossover would have been far more exciting. It also featured the Minions – characters who are even more annoying than the Corrie Meerkats. (Sorry, readers.)

Corrie meets Red Dwarf (2009)

Lister, Rimmer and Kryten landed on the famous cobbles for a special Red Dwarf episode in 2009. They were on the search for actor Craig Charles. Simon Gregson and Michelle Keegan also made cameos. In these scenes, the Corrie actors are playing themselves, but the comedy show implies that the Rovers set is inside the Rovers exterior. WHICH. JUST. ISN’T. TRUE. It just made the story of fictional TV aliens coming to earth, searching for the actors who played them, less realistic.

Corrie meets Jeremy Kyle

Tina vs David vs Nick on Jeremy Kyle, guest-starring Graeme as an audience member. It was all part of JK’s 1000th show, and the actors were in character throughout. Considering the two shows were both filmed at Granada Studios at the time (they’ve both since moved to Media City) it’s not a surprise the two shows had such good relationships. Jeremy and Graham even filmed a goodbye tribute video for Michelle Keegan’s leaving party when she left the show in 2014.   Perhaps the Platts could have done with a reappearance on the show alongside Callum more recently? Rather than, you know, the whole murder thing. I don’t think Jezza would approve.

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Corrie's Liz Dawn to appear on Jeremy Kyle celebrity show

Liz Dawn, who played Coronation Street's Vera Duckworth, will appear on a celebrity special version of the Jeremy Kyle show.

Jeremy Kyle will speak to celebrities including Michael Barrymore, Tara Palmer Tomkinson, Tito Jackson, Liz Dawn and Shaun Ryder across a week of programmes which confront a range of issues that have affected them from money to drugs and relationships.

 

On June 12th, Liz Dawn  looks back at her life and a career on 'the street', spanning over three decades.

 

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Jennie McAlpine in Now magazine

In this week's edition of Now magazine, Jennie McAlpine, who plays Coronation Street's Fiz Stape, talks about her dramatic weight loss (again), as well as her current role in ITV's reality TV two-parter, The Door.

Jennie says she loves appearing on Corrie and can't see herself leaving any time soon. "I'm a factory girl", she declares. Glad to hear it - I love Fiz and I can't wait to see how she will cope when the up-coming storyline with the Stapemeister develops - iffy CRB check and all.

Now feature the usual "before and after" pics, with an even more unflattering "before" than the one I've chosen, believe it or not. Jennie looks terrific now, and good luck to her. There's also a short piece on the brilliant Jeremy Kyle 1000th edition.

Video: Watch Coronation Street on Jeremy Kyle

Nick and David slug it out on Jeremy Kyle show

Nick and David, aka The Plattilsley Boys, are going to appear on a spoof Jeremy Kyle show, says the official Corrie ITV site. David, Tina and Nick will slug it out in front of Jeremy in a special 1000th episode of the talk show. And providing helpful insights from the audience will be none other than Graeme Proctor.

Craig Gazey, who plays Graeme, said they hadn't rehearsed before the show, adding: "We're going to do it exactly how people do it. My character is quite funny and may come out with silly things but we're not doing it for a laugh. We want it to be as if the characters were on Jeremy Kyle." The show will be screened on ITV on Thursday March 18.

Want to see a Corrie Jeremy Kyle look-a-like?

Coronation Street audiocast ends its run at ITV

It's the end of the line for Jeremy Kyle's Word on the Street audiocast on the official Corrie site. This week Jeremy speaks to Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) and Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor). You can listen to it here.

The best bit of the audiocasts, for this fan, has been the inside info from Alison Sinclair, Corrie's Chief Publicity Officer. This week she reveals why the Corrie set won't be reopened to the public and which character she'd personally like to see back on the cobbles. She also tells fans that Rita May, who plays Jack's new woman Connie, holds the record for the actress who's played the most characters on the show and hints at some explosive scenes when Carla Connor returns in the autumn.

But fear not, Corrie fans, because the Word on the Street Coronation Street podcast existed long before Jeremy Kyle's and will continue long after. Check out the Coronation Street podcast Word on the Street at the Soap Show website.

Steve and Becky's wedding number two

In Jeremy Kyle's latest audiocast on the official Corrie site he interviews Craig Gazey who plays firestarter, twisted firestarter, Graeme Proctor. Craig's best mates on set are the actors who plays Gary Windass and David Platt and he reveals that Craig is going to get brought down by David Platt's evil reign of terror.

But the best bit of these audiocasts, for this fan, are the snippets from Corrie's Chief Publicity Manager, Alison Sincliar. This week Alison reveals that Jason Grimshaw should watch out when David Platt finds out that Jason and Tina are an item. She explains a little about how the Corrie writing process works and says that Steve and Becky are going to get wed but that someone from Becky's past sets out to spoil it. Could it involve this?

Alison also urges fans to vote for Corrie in the British Soap Awards - there's still time to vote and the site is right here.

Kevin Kennedy spotted in Corrie's green room

In Jeremy Kyle's audiocast on the official Corrie site this week he speaks to Michelle Keegan, who plays Coronation Street's Tina McIntyre. He also invites Corrie fans to get their biscuits out and put their feet up, which is something I've been recommending for years in my weekly Corrie updates - Jeremy and I are clearly on the same wavelength!

Alison Sinclair, Corrie's chief publicity officer, reveals some Corrie spoilers in the audiocast too. She says that Kevin Kennedy, who played Curly Watts, was in the Corrie green room last week. All this amid rumours that Curly might be returning to Corrie soon, too? She reveals that Jason and Tina are getting together and Jack's new woman Connie may not be all she appears - but not in a bad way. You'll have to listen to the audiocast to find out more.

See also: Fans vote for the return of Curly Watts

Ken Barlow sleeps with Martha

Ken Barlow is set to get Martha's barge a-rocking when he sleeps with her on the boat. By 'eck, what will Deirdre say?

More spoilers gleaned from the Jeremy Kyle audiocast on the official Corrie site are that Luke Strong is NOT Carla's brother (as has been rumoured online) and there's going to be rivalry between Norris Cole and his half-brother Ramsey Clegg - played by Andrew Sachs.

The spoilers came thick and fast in the audiocast from Alison Sinclair, Coronation Street's Chief Publicity Officer. Alison will be speaking to Jeremy Kyle each week on the audiocast and it'll be well worth tuning in to listen to if she's giving away inside gems like this to fans.