View Full Version : Corrie anniversary drama to air on BBC
A new drama telling the story behind Coronation Street's screen debut is to air on BBC Four, it has been announced.
The one-off programme, which is being produced to mark the soap's 50th anniversary year, will show how Tony Warren had to battle to get Corrie on the air after coming up with the idea for the serial.
Warren, now 73, was working as a contract writer at Granada Television in Manchester when he was inspired to create Coronation Street. However, his bosses initially provided fierce opposition to his desire to secure an ITV slot for the soap.
BBC Four's drama has been titled Florizel Street, which was Warren's original name for his creation. It will be penned by former Corrie writer Daran Little and have the show's current boss Kieran Roberts as its executive producer.
Meanwhile, Warren - who recently received a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Television Society - will act as a consultant for the project.
According to the Manchester Evening News, casting is currently under way to find actors to play Weatherfield legends Violet Carson (Ena Sharples), William Roache (Ken Barlow), Patricia Phoenix (Elsie Tanner) and Doris Speed (Annie Walker).
Speaking of the drama, BBC Four's controller Richard Klein said: "Coronation Street is a piece of this country's cultural history and we feel it is the BBC's role to reflect this. The fact it is an ITV drama does not prevent it being a vital part of our shared history."
Filming for Florizel Street will begin in July and the show will be screened in the autumn as part of a season of Northern-related programming on BBC Four.
BBC Four has announced an all-star cast for its Coronation Street 'origins' drama.
EastEnders returnee Jessie Wallace takes on the role of Pat Phoenix, who became tart-with-a-heart Elsie Tanner, while Open All Hours star Lynda Baron will play Violet Carson, who landed the role of harridan-in-a-hairnet Ena Sharples.
Renowned actress Celia Imrie, meanwhile, has signed to appear as Annie Walker performer Doris Speed and William Roache's real-life son James will portray a younger version of his father.
The one-off drama is to tell the story of how ITV soap Coronation Street was born and how the show's creator Tony Warren - a younger version of whom will be played by David Dawson - brought Salford to life on television screens around the world.
Then-Granada casting director Margaret Morris will be portrayed by Jane Horrocks, and Christian McKay plays Tony Warren's Canadian boss Harry Elton.
Other cast members include John Thomson, Steven Berkoff, Sophia Di Martino, Shaun Dooley, Henry Goodman, Michelle Holmes, Phoebe Nicholls and Tara Moran.
Speaking of the drama, writer Daran Little told DS: "I'm thrilled with the cast. At the read-through, I had goosebumps watching Jessie Wallace playing Pat Phoenix auditioning for the role of Elsie Tanner. It just was just perfection."
Controller of BBC Four Richard Klein said: "It's wonderful to have such an amazing cast to tell the story of how Coronation Street was born. This one-off drama tells the story of how in 1960, British television changed forever.
"BBC Four is the natural home for this story to be told and this one-off drama forms part of the Great Northern season on BBC Four this autumn which celebrates the culture, history, life and architecture of Northern England."
The 75-minute drama began filming on location in Manchester yesterday and is expected to screen in the autumn.
Although originally titled Forizel Street - Warren's working title for Corrie - the BBC Four show has yet to be officially named.
Jessie Wallace has been announced as the surprise choice to play Pat Phoenix in a new drama about the origins of 'Coronation Street'.
The former 'EastEnders' actress will star as the sex symbol who played Elsie Tanner in a new BBC Four programme.
The 75-minute film will be screened later this year to tie in with the 50th anniversary of the ITV soap.
James Roache, the real-life son of William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since 'Coronation Street's first episode in 1960, will portray his father in the drama.
The role of Doris Speed, who was better known as Rover's Return landlady Annie Walker, will be played by Celia Imrie and 'Open All Hours' actress Lynda Baron will play Violet Carson, who was the Street's Ena Sharples.
The drama, which was written by former 'Corrie' scriptwriter Daran Little, is part of a BBC Four season celebrating the north of England.
Other stars appearing in the programme include Jane Horrocks, Steven Berkoff and John Thomson.
this sounds quite good, especially the cast.
The first location pictures of Daran Little's BBC Four docu-drama based on the origins of Coronation Street have emerged.
Filming in Bolton and Manchester, the 75-minute programme follows the journey of a young incarnation of Corrie creator Tony Warren (to be played by David Dawson) as he chases his dream of bringing a fictional Salford street to the screens of millions.
The first day of the 14-day shoot took place on the streets of Bolton in a bid to recreate a '50s Salford, while the Granada Studios building in Manchester forms the backdrop for the majority of the other scenes.
As you can see from my pictures below, Jessie Wallace and Celia Imrie take on the roles of Pat Phoenix and Doris Speed respectively.
For some unknown reason, the powers that be decided to drop the seemingly-perfect original name of the drama Florizel Street - Corrie's original title - and have yet to replace it.
More news on that as soon as it reaches DSHQ.
CORRIE'S Kym Marsh has admitted she's envious of ex EastEnder Jessie Wallace for landing the role of Sixties minx Pat Phoenix in the upcoming Weatherfield documentary.
The actress plays Michelle Connor in the ITV1 soap but has said she'd relish the chance to appear in the BBC documentary on the beginnings of the show.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/3041958/Kym-Marsh-jealous-of-Jessie-Wallace.html#ixzz0srJGNYdV
Jessie is currently filming scenes as bouffant-haired Pat, who starred as Elsie Tanner in the ITV1 soap.
Kym said: "I really rate Jessie as an actress and I think she'll pull it off perfectly. Having said that, if I wasn't in Corrie, I would have loved that role!"
Kym's full column can be read in new! magazine, out now.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/3041958/Kym-Marsh-jealous-of-Jessie-Wallace.html#ixzz0srIwmen7
In your dreams Kym. Im not that fond of Jessie Wallace but shes ten times the actress you will ever be, although thats not saying much
Im just every confused to why its on the BBC
NO wonder actor James Roache looks uncannily familiar in a new show about Coronation Street - he's playing his DAD.
James, 24, portrays a young Bill Roache in BBC4 drama Florizel Street, which tells the story of how Corrie first came to the nation's screens way back in 1960.
Bill, 78, has played Ken Barlow since the first episode and is the only original cast member left.
Ex-EastEnder Jessie Wallace joins James as actress Pat Phoenix, who played sexy Elsie Tanner.
Florizel Street takes its name from the working title of Corrie before it was brought to life by Granada TV.
Writer Tony Warren based its characters on real people he knew growing up in Salford, Manchester.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/3048910/James-Roache-plays-dad-Ken-in-new-show-about-Coronation-Street.html#ixzz0tHd1ZxJe
He does look like a young Ken !!
EX-EASTENDER Jessie Wallace is in a right two 'n eight over her new Corrie special - because she's struggling to master a northern accent.
Soap legend ... Pat Phoenix
Jessie, famed as Albert Square's Kat Slater, is playing Street siren Pat Phoenix in a BBC4 film about the birth of the soap to be shown later this year.
She has been given a dedicated voice coach to help her imitate Pat's Lancashire twang.
But the need to get it perfect means the director has been forced to film just a few lines at a time so the coach can read each one for Jessie to repeat.
Pals claim it has left the 38-year-old star wondering why she ever signed up for the role.
And co-stars have jokingly compared her accent to US actor Dick Van Dyke's laughable "cockney" drawl in movie Mary Poppins.
Sex symbol ... Enders' Kat
One source said: "Jessie feels like a fish out of water. Most of the actors are northern and she wants to get it just right.
"They have had to retake her lines many times. They may even have to give her fewer lines in case it gets panned by the critics."
Late actress Pat, who died in 1986 aged 62, played Corrie's Elsie Tanner for nearly 25 years.
Jessie, from North London, began shooting the 75-minute film this month alongside stars including Jane Horrocks.
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After taking on the role, she said: "I'm proud and excited to be playing such an iconic actress as Pat."
Jessie, once voted TV's sexiest star, is to return to Albert Square later this year to reprise her role as Kat Moon for the first time since 2005.
The source added: "She'll be much happier when she's back filming EastEnders. She certainly looks the part of Pat Phoenix, but the accent is a problem.
"The cast and crew are hoping it will improve. If she can get it right, Jessie will prove what a great actress she is."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/3063864/Jessie-Wallace-struggles-to-replicate-a-northern-accent-for-Coronation-Street-special.html#ixzz0uMZIWXi2
The team behind the BBC's new drama exploring the origins of Coronation Street have dismissed tabloid rumours surrounding Jessie Wallace's performance in the programme.
Earlier today, a newspaper reported that Wallace had struggled to master a northern accent after taking on the role of Pat Phoenix, who played Weatherfield legend Elsie Tanner.
Among the allegations printed were suggestions that the star was only able to shoot a few lines at a time as she supposedly worked with a dedicated voice coach on set. It was also claimed that Wallace's alleged problems had caused her to regret accepting the part.
However, the drama's director Charles Sturridge told DS: "Jessie is completely brilliant as Pat Phoenix. She nailed the accent from day one but more importantly captures Pat's vulnerability, energy, anarchy and humour. It is a standout performance."
Producer Rebecca Hodgson added: "There was always going to be a lot of pressure on the actresses we chose to play the stars of 50 years ago and so there was a level of trepidation from everyone at the read-through. But as soon as Jessie started to speak as Pat, the whole room was won over by the intelligence and accuracy of her performance."
Meanwhile, Coronation Street creator Tony Warren - who worked as a consultant on the BBC project - said: "Jessie Wallace didn't just get the accent right - she got Pat's husky timbre and the laugh and the personality as well."
The programme's writer Daran Little also addressed the rumours on Twitter, where he told DS: "No truth in it at all - Jessie's accent is wonderful… When I heard her speak, Pat Phoenix was alive again."
Wallace was confirmed for the role of Phoenix late last month. Filming on the drama - which is yet to be officially named - has since been completed.
Responding to today's tabloid story, a close friend of Wallace told DS: "These rumours are absolutely absurd and quite hurtful as Jessie loved working on this drama and has never once regretted taking on this role.
"Yes, she saw a dialect coach before she started filming but only briefly and that is what any decent actress would do if they are taking on a role that required a completely different accent.
"It's absolute rubbish that she had a voice coach on set and that they could only film a few lines at a time. It's cruel that someone has decided to make this up as one thing you can't knock Jessie for is her acting."
Viewers will soon see Jessie Wallace swap Kat for Pat when she stars in a drama about the birth of Coronation Street.
The London-born actress, best known for playing Walford's Kat Moon, will be seen as Corrie legend Pat Phoenix (aka Elsie Tanner) in the new BBC drama.
And William Roache, who starred with Pat in the early days of the Weatherfield serial, has admitted he was a bit taken about by the casting - because of the actresses' very different accents.
"I must admit I was a little surprised when I heard it was Jessie Wallace simply because she's Cockney London, and Elsie was very much Lancashire," he said.
"But I met her and said 'are you enjoying it?' and she said 'I'm loving it', and I'm sure the performance is going to be absolutely brilliant."
The 78-year-old's son James Roache has been cast in the role of a young William Roache in the one-off show. Get set to do a lot of double takes!
It's not long now until Jessie Wallace bursts back onto the small screen as brassy Kat Moon in Albert Square. But fans of the actress are in for a real treat as, over on BBC4 next week, she'll be playing another soap legend - Corrie star Pat Phoenix, aka Elsie Tanner - in a feature-length drama.
The Road to Coronation Street follows the soap's creator, Tony Warren, in his battle to bring his story about a working-class northern street to the telly. Jessie brought us up to speed on this one-off special, which airs on September 16 at 9pm.
How did your role in The Road to Coronation Street come about?
My agent called me and asked if I wanted to meet the director Charles Sturridge and play Pat Phoenix. I was up against great actresses in the audition and didn't think I stood a chance. As I went into the lift I noticed a bird had c****d on my shoulder, and I thought, "That's got to bring me luck." So it obviously worked!
Have you always been a Corrie fan?
Yeah, I love it. When I came into Granada to film it I thought, "This must be a first, an EastEnder coming in here."
I've always loved Pat Phoenix. She reminds me of my nan. I used to tell my nan she looked like Elsie Tanner and here I am playing her.
My nan was very glamorous, but she was a tough lady as well. I used to sit there watching Corrie with her and she always had lipstick on.
How would you describe Pat Phoenix?
She was glamorous, gorgeous and she should have been a film star, definitely. She was like Sofia Loren.
She was a real woman, I think. She didn't mince her words. She had a very close relationship with Tony Warren, and it's nice doing the scenes with David Dawson, who plays him. She was funny as well. I just think she lived life to the full.
Will people be surprised to see you in this?
I hope pleasantly surprised!
How easy did you find it do the accent?
I was going to see a voice coach at Rada, she helped me a lot. I sometimes don't hear if I'm doing it right or not. Sometimes I drop a word and it sounds quite London. I stop myself and start again. I've been doing it by ear.
It's old-fashioned Mancunian that I've been trying to grasp. It's great because this show is going out at a similar time to when I'm EastEnders and it's completely different from what people have seen me do.
What else have you done to get into character?
I've watched everything on YouTube, everything. She's done loads of interviews. I've been watching it religiously. If I feel the accent slipping I listen to that and it comes back again.
You're very slim these days. Do you have to wear a lot of padding as Pat?
She was padded, and the outfit I wear is identical to what she wore in the first episode. It's padded at the hips and I've got false boobs in.
Are you nervous about this role?
I'm always nervous and I always walk off a set not satisfied with what I've done. I always think I could have done better, but apparently that's normal in this business. But sometimes when I watch it back I think, "Actually that was okay. I was worrying for nothing."
Have you spoken to Corrie creator Tony Warren about your part in this show?
Yeah, we met up with him and he came out with story after story. He's such a character and he's 73. He told me he and Pat were great friends, and he told me things that were just for me to know.
Would you ever fancy role in Corrie yourself?
I think that's highly unlikely and wouldn't happen but definitely! I'm a fan of it. And I've got friends who used to be in it, Nikki Sanderson and Lucy-Jo Hudson.
You've had a good career away from EastEnders. What tempted you back?
It's a great character to play. I'm looking forward to working with Shane Richie again. It's just a great character and that's why I want to play her again.
How long have you signed up to EastEnders for?
A year. I'm very excited about going back but I'm enjoying every second of this (The Road to Coronation Street). Just seeing the extras floating round in their costumes - it's such a buzz, I love it. There's a real good feeling about it. It's genius.
How do you balance being a mum and having a successful acting career?
It's a juggle but that's life and I do it. I've got a lot of help, my dad helps me. I've been living out of a suitcase over the last year and luckily my little girl's used to it. I say goodbye and am crying and she's like, "See ya mum!"
You lost a lot of weight last year. Are you still conscious about staying in shape?
I've been doing this for a year and I run three miles a day, I eat what I want now, At one point I went down to a size six. It was just too much so now I'm between and a size eight and 10. I just want to stay there. But I love running and it's not a chore for me. I was going to do the London Marathon this year but was stuck in New York because of the volcano. I'll definitely do it next year.
Are there still parts you want to play?
Nancy in Oliver. I'd love to play that but I can't see that happening now. Shane said I could play Fagin!
Thanks for the heads up on the new Corrie drama with Jesse Wallace. It sounds like it could be great! Very much looking forward to seeing it on screen.
Liz
VETERAN Corrie actor Bill Roache wept after watching new drama The Road to Coronation Street, the show's star has revealed.
David Dawson told how Bill, who plays Ken Barlow, was reduced to tears watching the drama at a Granada screening last week.
The one-off BBC Four film - which airs at 9pm tonight - charts Corrie creator Tony Warren's battle against Granada executives to get the show on air.
Bill's son James Roache plays Ken in the film - making it even more emotional viewing.
The Secrets Of A Call Girl actor David - who plays Tony as a young man - said: "We watched the drama together.
"Bill is a lovely man and had tears in his eyes at the end.
"You forget it has been 50 years of his life and a little bit of it is being shown on the screen."
David says he and Tony have become "great friends". He added: "What initially was quite nerve-wracking to have him around very soon became a real luxury.
"He would send me emails with clips of films he loved and music that he liked which gave a huge insight."
The includes Jessie Wallace - who plays Elsie Tanner actress Pat Phoenix - as well as Jane Horrocks, Steven Berkoff, Henry Goodman and Celia Imrie. They spent a boozy two weeks filming in Manchester.
CASUALTY star Sophia Di Martino was thrilled to get tarted up for her Road to Coronation Street role.
Sophia, usually seen in green paramedic gear, said: "We don't get a chance to glam up on Casualty so this was lovely."
The 26-year-old, who plays Granada It girl Josie Scott, added: "The high heels and girdles did make it difficult to walk."
The Sun
James Roache has revealed that he studied old episodes of Coronation Street to prepare for playing his father Bill.
Roache will play the Corrie veteran in BBC Four's The Road to Coronation Street. He is also currently appearing in the ITV soap as Ken Barlow's grandson, alongside his half-brother Linus.
"I watched old clips of daddy," he told The Sun. "It will be very strange watching it with him."
He added: "He was very dashing. It's the Roache genes."
The 24-year-old praised the one-off drama's cast, which includes Jessie Wallace, Lynda Baron and Celia Imrie.
"The cast is amazing," he said. "It was such a privilege."
The Road to Coronation Street airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Four.
Did anyone see this? I found it really enjoyable, and even tense at times. The performances were all excellent too. It'll be on iPlayer if anyone wants to catch up, and is bound to be repeated on BBC4 at some point.
parkerman
23-09-2010, 11:35
Did anyone see this? I found it really enjoyable, and even tense at times. The performances were all excellent too. It'll be on iPlayer if anyone wants to catch up, and is bound to be repeated on BBC4 at some point.
Only saw it last night. I had it recorded on Sky+. I agree, I thought it was excellent. Jessie Wallace and Lynda Baron were great. It gave a good insight into how the programme started and Tony Warren's determination but also, even more so, that of Harry Elton who saw the potential and continued to argue for it when even Warren seemed to have given up
The only thing I thought was a bit unbleiveable was the number of times they made Bill Roache say something like, "Oh well, it's only for a week" or "It's only for 13 episodes". I wonder if he really did say those things at the time!?
The only thing I thought was a bit unbleiveable was the number of times they made Bill Roache say something like, "Oh well, it's only for a week" or "It's only for 13 episodes". I wonder if he really did say those things at the time!?
Yeah, those lines were a bit contrived, but they were funny. I was a little disappointed we didn't see more of Bill Roache except to comment on how short a job it would be :rotfl:. I suppose he was just a minor character at the beginning.
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