We last saw former Coronation Street Executive Producer Kieran Roberts as an extra in the show. It was Kieran's goodbye to the show he loved and worked on for many years. You can read more on that here.
Kieran ran ITV Studios’ Manchester drama department from 2005 to 2016 and executive produced more than 3,000 episodes of Coronation Street. His productions received eight BAFTAs and in June 2018 he received The Tony Warren Award at the British Soap Awards for his outstanding contribution to soap
And now, Kieran has been announced as the Executive Producer Drama for new Yorkshire production company CanCan Productions. We wish him all the luck in the world and if he's reading this, send him our very best wishes in his new role.
Last Monday night I was extremely lucky to be invited along to the Salford Museum and Art Gallery for a special private launch of Four Miles from Manchester: Tony Warren's Coronation Street. If you didn't know, this special exhibition about the creator of Corrie features a lot of original documents and artefacts from Tony's career presented alongside information about his childhood and life post-Coronation Street. There's lots happening at the museum over the next few months and you can read more about that here.
I arrived to the event and the whole room was buzzing with stories of Tony, a lot of people there weren't just former ITV colleagues but also his friends and family. I spoke with one lady who recalled being Tony's neighbour in the 1940s and 50s, and spending time playing games in the street with him. From the outset I knew this was going to be a good night.
Bill Roache and executive producer Kieran Roberts
The first speaker to take to the stage was Dave Tucker, a close friend of Tony, who opened up about the last few weeks of Tony's life back in 2016. Speaking very personally, he told us about how surprised he was to inherit his belongings, and even more so about what treasures he found when clearing Tony's house. Apparently it was somewhat like Cathy Matthew's house, but a bit more organised. To be in the presence of people who knew Tony so well was just wonderful.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett was next to welcome visitors to the exhibition, followed by executive producer Kieran Roberts. Later in the evening I had a quick chat with Kieran, and it's fair to say he is nothing less than proud to follow in Tony's footsteps.
Florizel Street scripts
The last person to speak was original cast member Bill Roache, who remembered early days of production on Coronation Street and how Tony thought he was a perfect fit for Ken Barlow as soon as they met one another. He also noted that although the programme has changed a lot in 57 years, Tony's original ideas will forever be at the heart of every episode.
Once Bill declared the exhibition officially open, everyone was invited upstairs to take a look. The small room is jam packed with artefacts from Tony's life, from worn away photographs to crumpled letters, autographs from Corrie stars of past and tonnes of books that he either wrote or had dedicated to him.
Bill and Kieran in the authentic 50s living room
One glass case was entirely dedicated to the typewriter used to create the early draft scripts for Florizel Street, and the first thirteen episodes of Coronation Street. Surrounding the typewriter were said scripts, and to see them in person is overwhelming. Visitors to the exhibition can also watch the first episode of the programme in an authentic 1950s living room, somewhat reminiscent of Elsie Tanner's living room with the flying ducks during the early shows.
Tony Warren's This Is Your Life book
Another part of the exhibition houses Tony's "This Is Your Life" book! If I was entirely honest, I never thought the infamous red book was nothing more than a prop. Beside it is a photograph of EastEnders actress June Brown, who Tony admired during her very early days as an actress. In another case is his autograph book, which June had signed many years ago when they met at a stage door. You can watch Tony's TIYL programme below.
At the end of the evening, Connor McIntyre turned up in a blaze of boos and hisses, telling everyone that he'd left Pat Phelan on Trafford Wharf Road! Connor really is a true gent, posing for photos with everyone (including this fan), and didn't have anything but lovely words to say about the blog. It's moments like that, that make me so proud to write for the Corrie blog, and it well and truly topped off a fantastic evening.
Connor McIntyre! The man's a legend!
You can visit the Tony Warren exhibition, Four Miles from Manchester, at Salford Museum and Art Gallery until 3rd July 2018, so there's definitely lots of time.
Kieran Roberts, Coronation Street's Executive Producer will be leaving ITV in December after 16 years.
One of the many Corrie projects Kieran oversaw as part of the fiftieth celebrations was The Road To Coronation Street, which told the amazing true story of the birth of Coronation Street. The film was shown on BBC4 to huge critical acclaim and has since picked up several prestigious awards including BAFTA and RTS awards for best single drama and a gold medal at the New York Film and Television Festival.
I'm very sad to read the news today about Kieran leaving. In all of my dealings with him he has been extremely fan-friendly and I wish him well in whatever comes his way next. As yet, we don't know who will be appointed to replace him.
Kieran said he had been thinking about leaving for more than a year, but had put the decision on hold when Coronation Street announced the production of a sixth weekly episode last summer.
“When the move to six episodes was announced I knew I should stay to help make that happen,” he said.
“This has been a huge and very difficult decision and it’s one I have been thinking about for more than a year. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have worked on so many wonderful programmes and with so many brilliant colleagues during my time at ITV. Coronation Street is a special place and it’s been a huge privilege working on such an amazing programme with the greatest team in television.
John Whiston, Managing Director of Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North for ITV Studios, said: “Kieran has brought to both Coronation Street and Emmerdale his unrivalled eye for story and character and his own particular humour and humanity.
“You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in ITV who doesn’t deeply respect and admire Kieran. He’s one of the most conscientious, hardworking, clever and humane colleagues one could ever hope to have.
“Ally this to one of the keenest editorial eyes in the business and you have the consummate television executive. ITV has been fortunate to have him devoting his incredible energy, talent and his working life to the company for as long as he has.”
Coronation Street's Executive Producer Kieran Roberts will be sharing some of the soap's secrets tomorrow.
On Tuesday 25 April at 5pm, you can hear Kieran give a talk at Salford University at Media City in Manchester.
His talk is part of an event from ITV which reveals the way storytelling through programmes and brands keeps them at the heart of popular culture as the most watched, most loved and most talked about broadcaster and marketing platform in the UK. As well as an opportunity to ask questions, there will also be a chance to chat to members of the ITV team after each session.
Kieran will share the secrets behind Coronation Street's enduring success after 56 years and why it remains the nation's number one soap.
Kieran’s credits as producer include BAFTA-winning and International Emmy-nominated children’s drama The Ward and Sally Wainwright’s acclaimed comedy drama At Home with the Braithwaites, also nominated for an International Emmy.
He also produced Emmerdale, for which he picked up the BAFTA for best continuing drama in 2000, and Coronation Street. He was in charge for one of the most successful periods in Corrie’s history with audiences of almost twenty million viewers for the Richard Hillman storyline and RTS and BAFTA awards for best continuing drama in 2002 and 2003.
From 2005 to 2016 he ran ITV Studios’ Manchester drama department. His credits as executive producer included Mobile, Blue Murder, Cold Blood, Boy Meets Girl, Homefront, The Road to Coronation Street, The Trials of Jimmy Rose, Midwinter of the Spirit and Tina & Bobby.
Since 2005, and for almost three thousand episodes to date, Kieran has also been executive producer of Coronation Street, working with five different producers on countless acclaimed and award-winning stories. In 2017 he is focusing solely on Coronation Street as it expands to deliver a sixth weekly episode. The event is free but must be booked in advance here.
This week, Coronation Street's Executive Producer Kieran Roberts spoke at the Prolific North event on his plans for the next 56 years of our favourite show.
Broadcast Now have a short article with quotes from Kieran and it makes intersting reading.
Kieran said that when Corrie moves to six episode a week in the autumn, there will be a stronger emphasis on comedy and a focus on lesser known characters.
He also said he wanted to develop the world of Weatherfield without losing its intimacy and added that the show would maximise screen time for a number of lesser seen actors with additional storylines.
The expansion will also lead to more than 40 new jobs for crew and writers to facilitate the expansion of the set to enable the shooting of six episodes per week.
Kieran also confirmed that Corrie is to get its own police station, because “frankly we need one”.
ITV Studios is understood to have requested planning permission to expand the set, with plans to create Tile Street, an often mentioned but never seen location. The crew is also building a police station, a school and a court.
Join Coronation Street's Executive Producer Kieran Roberts, Jane Hudson (Head of Continuing Drama at ITV) along with Corrie cast members and writers for a special event called Coronation Street – the next 56 years.
As the world’s longest continuing drama heads towards six episodes a
week join producers, cast and writers as they discuss how the programme
is looking to the future and just what it takes to get ready for even
bigger and better things.
The talk runs as part of the Prolific North Live which takes place on February 15 and 16 in Manchester at EventCity. You can find out more here.
To register for a place at this talk or any of the other events at ProlificNorth Live, visit their website here.
A celebration of all that’s best – and what’s next – in TV and radio drama made in the UK regions and nations. From the fortieth anniversary of S4C soap Pobol Y Cwm and the birth of Welsh language hit Hinterland, to Coronation Street, Emmerdale, ground breaking new ITV drama in the English regions and a brave and ambitious new world for audio drama. Radio drama producer Ashley Byrne chairs a session examining the opportunities and challenges facing the long and proud tradition of drama being made in the UK regions and nations. How do we keep it fresh and cutting edge?
Producers have come and gone while Kieran Roberts has been in charge at Coronation Street. He's the Executive Producer, the real fella in charge. And he's given an interview to Slate magazine (where for some odd reason they've named him Kiernan).
Slate's interview with Kieran Roberts is primarily aimed at Corrie's US audience as Corrie is now available online to American viewers at Hulu. But it's still a very good read.
Kieran talks about achieving the balance between keeping long-term and new fans happy; the importance of creating storylines for old and young actors; diversity on the Street and why he has to keep his wife's grandmother happy!
Coronation Street's Executive Producer, Kieran Roberts, has defended the soap for having characters who smoke.
Kieran told the Radio Times: "While we have a duty not to glamourise the habit, it would be realistic to see nobody smoking - but only a few regulars do." He added that the smoking ban in 2007 means characters such as Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) tend to smoke outdoors now, for example in the new smoker's shelter in the back yard at the Rovers Return.
