If you follow me on social media, you know that I just spent the last few days on the set of Coronation Street, yes, the show your grandmother watches. Well, over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting more about it, but basically I’ve teamed up with CBC to help them produce some content for their social media channels about one of the most popular shows in Canada. Did you know that Coronation Street is actually the most streamed show on CBC.ca?
But, let’s get something cleared up right away, Coronation Street is not a show for grandmothers. Over the past couple of weeks, as I was telling my friends about this new opportunity, so many people I knew quietly admitted to watching it. But not just “watching itâ€, but watching it regularly and obsessively, even. There’s a whole generation of Canadian Coronation Street fans out there and they simply aren’t talking about it. If you’re a younger closet Coronation Street fan, I can ensure you that you are definitely not alone. (And I’m probably going to try and interview you sooner rather than later.) And the stars of Coronation Street are just that. While I was in the UK, I saw countless magazines that featured the show’s stars on their covers. The media and the fans follow the actors, and there was always fans outside of the set looking for autographs and photos. It was fascinating to watch.
We’ve got @mikesbloggity here today bringing Canadians closer to the cobbles! 🇨🇦 #BehindTheScenes #corrie pic.twitter.com/eLjFlZT4gC
— Coronation Street (@itvcorrie) March 21, 2016
I don’t want to spoil the footage we got too much, but I can tell you that it was a pretty incredible experience. As a newer fan of the show, and by that I mean I’ve only been watching for a few weeks, it was fascinating to see how the show is made. The Corrie set (that’s what fans call it), is basically like the Truman Show. On the edge of Manchester, ITV has built a small town, just a few blocks wide. But it’s life size, it’s what a few blocks would look like. It’s unlike any set I’ve ever seen. Actually, you know what it reminded me of? Remember that movie The Village? You could theoretically raise a baby on the set of Coronation Street and it would like take them years to figure out that there was a whole other world past the giant walls that surround the set. All the sets are incredibly accurate, all the homes have drawers filled with stuff, just like in real life. The taps at The Rover pour real drinks, although it’s really watered down, and the appointments in the Salon are actually all written down in that book. For die-hard fans, we shot some really good footage. But for newer fans, we got some of the actors to fill us in how you can catch up on a show that’s been on air for more than 56 years. But we got some great behind the scenes stuff, including a tour of the props department and an inside-look of where they keep all the murder weapons.
Great to chat with @itvcorrie‘s @SallyAnMatthews! We need to get her to visit Canada ASAP! pic.twitter.com/yPd3NX1C9K
— Mike Morrison (@mikesbloggity) March 22, 2016
Okay, I’ve already said too much! But I’m just too excited! Make sure you’re following CBC’s Coronation Street Facebook page to see the footage first. It should be going up in the next couple of weeks!
