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Coronation Street bosses have released a new collection of pictures showing the disastrous event which will rock the cobbles in the soap's 50th anniversary week.
On Monday, life in Weatherfield will change forever as a massive explosion destroys The Joinery bar and causes a tram to crash from the viaduct at the bottom of the street, leading to chaos, carnage and casualties in a special collection of episodes.
Peter Barlow, Nick Tilsley, Ashley Peacock, Lloyd Mullaney, Ciaran McCarthy, Dev Alahan and former couple Cheryl and Chris Gray are among the characters left in peril due to the ferocious blast at The Joinery, which takes place as Peter celebrates his stag night at the venue.
The Kabin and the Corner Shop also crumble in the catastrophe, leaving Sunita Alahan, Rita Sullivan, Molly Dobbs and baby Jack in serious danger as they are inside the two stores when the tragedy occurs.
Meanwhile, on the street, Ken Barlow, Leanne Battersby, Becky McDonald and Kevin Webster are blown off their feet due to the explosion, leaving them startlingly close to the danger zone.
Next week's spectacular scenes were overseen by special effects expert Danny Hargreaves and his company Real SFX, who were recruited by Coronation Street's producer Phil Collinson to work on the momentous occasion for the show.
Hargreaves said: "To be involved in a stunt of such magnitude on a show like Coronation Street has been an incredible opportunity for us - this is a big storyline with some big stunts and effects.
"Everyone involved has worked around the clock and have had months of designing and meticulous planning to bring Corrie fans a show they won't forget."
CGI experts The Mill were also brought on board to enhance the climactic tram crash sequence, adding more fire, smoke and debris to bring the storyline to life.
Will Cohen, The Mill's visual effects producer, explained: "It was an absolute honour and a thrill for The Mill to have been involved in such an iconic TV event for Britain's longest-running and much-loved show.
"I'm sure the scene will go down in television history and if we've done our jobs right, hopefully the viewer won't even be able to tell we've been there."
Speaking of the dramatic scenes in store next week, Phil Collinson commented: "It has been my honour to lead the team responsible for marking this incredible milestone, for a television programme I have watched and loved all my life.
"I am very proud of these episodes which showcase the expertise of our magnificent and talented cast and crew. The episodes are dramatic and the ambition behind them is huge. I hope they are a fitting tribute to an amazing British institution, to all the people who have ever worked on it and to Tony Warren, whose genius created something that will be at our nation's heart forever."
Coronation Street's 50th anniversary celebrations kick off on Monday at 7.30pm on ITV1.
More pics
CORRIE characters lie strewn amid the ruins after the horrific tram crash that will devastate the Street forever.
Ken Barlow and Leanne Battersby are blasted on to the cobbles.
Around them other Street veterans are stricken in the rubble, including Molly Dobbs and baby Jack, trapped in the corner shop.
Also trapped are Ashley Peacock, Nick Tilsley and Peter Barlow, who lie unconscious amid the ruins.
Fave makes dying wish
A CORRIE favourite will make a last wish before dying on screen during the live episode.
The £1million tram crash, which causes three deaths, will see one of the cast act out the ultimate exit next Thursday.
A gas blast sets off the carnage on Monday, causing the tram to crash - leaving the Street littered with victims.
Cast weep at preview
STUNNED cast members were in tears after watching a preview of the tram crash episodes.
Corrie legend Bill Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the first episode on December 9, 1960, said it was a fitting tribute for the 50th anniversary.
After the screening he said: "I had tears of pride. It's not only the best thing in Coronation Street ever, I think it's one of the best things on television ever."
Street creator Tony Warren said: "It's one of the happiest days of my life, seeing those episodes."
Fans' new view
CORRIE fans will see beyond Weatherfield for the first time when Monday's episode shows streets behind the tram viaduct.
The computer-generated opening credits will be followed later in the week by a new view of the world at the other end of the Street.
Producer Phil Collinson said: "Viewers will be able to spot all sorts of landmarks."
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It looks absolutely amazing! I haven't been so excited for a collection of soap episodes! It looks like a Hollywood film - it's gonna be epic.
Coronation Street's 50th anniversary week will begin with a special shot which gives fans a unique glimpse of wider Weatherfield, it has been revealed.
Monday's first episode opens with a computer-generated look at life beyond the viaduct, showing the neighbouring streets and houses.
Speaking at a Coronation Street press conference yesterday, show producer Phil Collinson explained: "The shot develops into, for the first time, a glimpse of Weatherfield and beyond the beginning and end of Coronation Street and Rosamund Street.
"When we saw that shot for the first time, it just felt very epic and brilliant, and it just felt like a really lovely way of starting the week - saying to the world, 'Here's a big shot, it's going to be a little bit unusual this week and a bit different'.
"So that was the reasoning behind that. We didn't originally plan to do that, but when we saw the shot, we thought that'd be a beautiful thing to do."
Asked to confirm whether it is the first time that such a shot has been featured in the programme, Collinson replied: "It is, I believe so. And then as we go on in the week, we look the other way as well and we see even broader Weatherfield.
"Careful viewers, if they pause their TV afterwards, will be able to see the Red Rec and all sorts of landmarks that have gone in there. It's been created with a lot of love and reference to a lot of landmarks that we've spoken of for many years."
Monday's double bill will see the much-anticipated Joinery bar explosion and tram crash, which will cause terror and tragedy on the cobbles.
Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson has said that fans will have to wait until the end of next week's episodes before many of the soap's anniversary secrets are revealed.
On Monday night, a massive explosion will destroy The Joinery bar and cause a tram to fall from the viaduct above, leading to tragedy on the cobbles as much-loved characters find themselves in serious danger.
Show bosses have been promoting next week's episodes with the tagline 'Four funerals and a wedding', but the identities of the casualties are being kept under wraps until transmission.
At a Coronation Street press conference yesterday, Collinson was asked when the wait will be over for fans who are keen to find out who lives and who dies.
He replied: "Not until the end of the week, really. We try to wring every ounce of drama and emotion out of it. The whole week takes place in real-time - there isn't a day passing between the episodes, it's literally the next minute.
"They're just massively action-packed, so we try to hold all of our secrets right to the end of the week."
John Stape has a big role to play in next week's Coronation Street live episode, it has been revealed.
The former teacher - played by Graeme Hawley - has been pushed to the edge in recent months as he has attempted to cover up the truth about Colin Fishwick's death.
Fans have also seen John struggling to cope with the bizarre behaviour of his confidante Charlotte Hoyle (Becky Hindley), who is currently the only person who knows about Colin's fate.
At a Coronation Street press conference yesterday, Hawley's screen wife Jennie McAlpine (Fiz) confirmed that the actor will face a challenge on the night of the live episode as he features in so many scenes.
Speaking of the live transmission, McAlpine explained: "I don't have to move very much, I can tell you that - which is quite good! I'm lucky - I'm fine! But I think my husband has to move quite extensively."
Corrie's producer Phil Collinson added: "Graeme actually is the actor in more sets than anybody else. We're going to be putting him in a golf buggy and spinning him all over the place! He's all over!"
Hawley recently said that he hopes John is not killed off in next week's disaster episodes, insisting that there is "still more fun to be had with him".
Coronation Street legend Bill Roache has admitted that he cried "tears of pride" when he watched the soap's 50th anniversary episodes for the first time.
On Wednesday, members of the show's cast gathered at a special screening of next week's episodes, which feature death and destruction after a tram crashes on to the cobbles.
Speaking at a Coronation Street press conference yesterday, Roache confessed that seeing the disaster scenes was an emotional moment for him following his 50-year stint in the role of Ken Barlow.
He explained: "I had tears of pride to belong to a team who can produce something like that. I think it's not only one of the best things on Coronation Street ever, I think it's one of the best things on television ever."
Antony Cotton - who plays Sean Tully - added: "It's weird watching it! I watch it now as a viewer, because it's all a piece-meal - we all do our little bits in different places, and now it's all together. I'm a fan of the show anyway, but now it's watching it as a viewer like everybody else. It's absolutely gobsmackingly amazing."
Meanwhile, Jennie McAlpine - better known as Fiz Stape on the show - explained that it had been difficult to watch the hard-hitting episodes all in one go.
She said: "I'm so pleased that the viewers are going to get 24 hours between each one, because watching them all together was quite horrific! [They're] amazing, we were just in shock - just brilliant!"
I feel like I shouldnt have looked at it now. Its giving too much away! lol. I especially didnt want to know that Tyrone isnt going to find out about Kevin until at least the end of next week if ever! Its gone on too long now. I can just see that Molly is going to die and take the secret to the grave! Maybe Jack will survive and Kevin will have to confess?! Damn you press office spoilers, its my own fault! lol.