Coronation Street producer Phil Collinson has admitted he made cut-backs on the soap's budget for more than a year so he could use it all on torching the Rovers Return.
The scenes will be Collinson's last before he leaves the ITV serial and he confessed that he wanted to go out with a bang.
"It's as big as the tram crash. It plays out over three episodes. That allowed us to spend a lot of time on the fire," he explained to the Daily Star.
"It cost us a lot of money but it's fantastic and brilliant and vivid. The thing they do really well on Corrie is the colliding of lots of storylines. It's not just the pub going up.
"I'm excited about it. It was arduous to film – it took us four weeks. We had an incredible team who also worked on the tram crash. We squirrelled bits of money away all year because I sort of knew I was leaving and wanted to go out with a bang – that's an awful admission. It cost a lot.
"You can imagine… rebuilding the set, the special effects, the stunt people. Every penny is on screen. I wanted to sign off properly.
"I remember the first Rovers fire in the mid-'80s so vividly."
Collinson, whose new job is developing dramas for ITV, added that he is proud of the work he has done on Corrie.
"I feel it's a job well done. I'm really proud of my time on the show."
Coronation Street airs these scenes tonight at 7.30pm and 8.30pm.
Last edited by alan45; 18-03-2013 at 11:29.
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