It seems to be quite usual to edit in absent cast members in these photos. If you think the Photoshopping is obvious in the latest one, check out Bet, Betty and Rita in this from 1985. Someone's clearly been out with the kitchen scissors and the Copydex...
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Ugh, the lighting doesn't even match up, it couldn't be more obvious.
The Gym was never on the old set. Was not visible on the Corrie Tour.
When I was on the tour last week, what is now the gym entrance *was* there as part of the old set, although was just labelled 'Victoria Court' - obviously from before the gym arrived. It's in one of the railway arches which have provided sets for Davenport's garage and the police station amongst other things.
On the old set, the gym is in the bonded warehouse (the entrance by Owen's yard on Victoria St), which can be seen behind the medical centre. That bonded warehouse is a listed building I believe so when the rest of the Granada site get demolished and replaced by flats etc that will have to stay.
I did the tour last month and it was amazing. I loved getting to go into Studio One for the first time (ive been on the outside set three times before in 1994, 1996 and 2010 but never been in Studio One). I was disappointed there werent more sets but I guess there was only limited amount of space and not every set was fixed there all the time. I enjoyed the Rovers in particular as you could actually go onto the set rather than just see it. The indoor tour was a little rushed but I guess with a tour leaving every 10 mins they need to keep to time. I liked the fact the outside bit was unlimited in terms of time and photographs etc.
As for current Corrie, well its a bit all over the place IMO. Some bits very good, others bits really bad. I have no interest in this Tina storyline at all and why pretty much ruin Mondays episode by playing that trailer on Friday, its hardly worth watching Mondays ep now we all know what happens.
This photo shows the location of the original outdoor set from 1968-1982, the other side of the bonded warehouse to where the 1982-2013 set was. Id guess this photo is dated mid to late 70s. As you can see Grape St was a proper road at the time and it was sometime between 1982 and when Granada tours opened in the late 80s that Granada bought the whole site including grape street and it all became part of their site. It would be interesting to know exactly when this happened. The bonded warehouse was then used as part of Granada tours.
The character of Tina McIntyre possibly had the longest, most tedious and spoiler-ridden departure from any TV soap in recent history.
At least the producers only made us suffer a couple of episodes of her doing Intensive Care 'bed-acting'. . . hopefully the storylines can now move on to something more interesting.
The conclusion of the storyline has been known for a year. If you don't know the outcome then you must have been living under a rock. It was even in the episode synopsis on the EPG, just in case there was someone out there who wasn't already aware.
I went the tour today. I did got to Granada Studios tour in the 90's when I was about 7 or 8 but I could not remember a lot.
I thought the tour was great and well worth the £16. Yeah ok the stage 1 stuff was rushed we were the 10am slot though so the street was empty when we got to it. I also thought it was good that you got to go in the rovers and have are photos taken and like you said above go on to the set.
I knew it would be smaller then on TV but the factory looked tiny, and did you notice how battered the street was? Also we spotted one of Ken's old doors being used in the ginnel for one of the backyards over the way from the Corrie ones. That photo on the wall of Granada building is bad when you see it in real life. Talking of Granada the Quay Street building has already been ripped out and anything with Granada/ITV has been taken down.
After the tour we went over to Media City to have a look as I have not been yet. I have to say it was great and all this media in only an hours drive away.
