Coronation Street

They were on early 1994 when Granada Plus closed down, so to get through 18 years worth in 8 years was pretty good, and that was the point where I was more hooked on the rerun episodes than the new ones.

I'd be quite surprised if the 1st one wasn't shown for the 50th, but I'd expect it to turn up on ITV3, but saying that they showed the first ever one at 7pm on ITV in December 2000.

Granada Plus were showing one of my least fave era's of the Corrie when they closed down but I wanted to see the late 1990s again! Had they continued they would prob be up to about 2002 by now!

I expect they will show the first episode on 9th December - speaking of which I wonder what the schedule for Corrie that week will be. I assume the live episode will air on the 9th (Thursday) so we might get the very first episode of Corrie, then Emmerdale and then the Live episode. They also have a few special episodes to air as well so some of them may go on the 9th too.

Having ITV3 do some kind of special "Classic Corrie" blocks of episodes would be fantastic. If I recall properly, not only did Granada Plus start regularly broadcasting episodes from Bill Podmore's era onwards, they had special-themed weekends, too. I vaguely remember "The Trials and Tribulations of Elsie Tanner", which was basically six or seven episodes focusing on the character and broadcast between (something like) 7pm until 11pm. Others focused on Ken Barlow, Bet Lynch, Annie Walker, the Duckworths, the Ogdens... loads of them. It was a quite fantastic time seeing all this archive stuff. Before then I don't even think there'd be proper repeats of previous episodes on TV before, apart from the odd occasion, so it was kind of a revelation to see how the Street had evolved over the years into what it is now.

Oh - and while I remember, Granada Plus also had a fantastic Classic Corrie-themed Christmas Day called "The first sixteen episodes". All sixteen were broadcast one after the other from morning to evening one year in the 1990s (either 1996 or 1997 - I can't really recall). I do recall a similar run of episodes from a few years back, though - "Christmas on the Street", which was seven Christmas episodes from between 1961 and 1989 shown throughout the day, in 2003. IIRC that was as part of a general Street Christmas celebration that year, which included the release of a souvenir (one-off) Christmas magazine, complete with DVD of classic moments. The magazine was actually quite well-written and packed with fantastic photos. They certainly went all out for the fans that year...

You'd never get any of this classic repeats/special-themed runs sort of thing happening now - more's the pity!

I've still got that DVD, not sure about the magazine, I also have a DVD that came free with The Sun earlier in 2003, that had Corrie's best bits into a one hour compilation disc, and it's a good DVD as there was lots more past than present.

Yes because Granada Plus started the repeat run with April 1976 they ran specials every month I think so fans didnt miss out on the earlier episodes. The first one I remember was about Ken Barlow and included 3 or 4 1960s episodes as well as the famous 1983 episode with the Ken/Deirdre/Mike storyline. After a few years Granada Plus stopped these specials and only seemed to do them at Christmas time with Christmas themed episodes.

ITV is to screen a special documentary paying tribute to Coronation Street legend Jack Duckworth, it has been announced.

The one-off show - titled Farewell Jack - will take a look back on the Weatherfield favourite's 30-year stint on the Street, Broadcast reports.

Airing alongside the veteran's final episode of the ITV1 soap, it is thought that the programme will feature contributions from Jack's portrayer Bill Tarmey and other members of the Corrie cast.

Diana Howie, ITV's commissioning editor for factual programming, commented: "With the full support of Bill Tarmey and the wider Coronation Street cast, we're sure this will be a hit with Corrie fans and the wider ITV1 audience."

Tarmey announced his decision to quit Coronation Street back in April and filmed his final scenes last month.

Viewers have since seen Jack telling good friend Tyrone (Alan Halsall) the tragic news that he is suffering from cancer and only has weeks left to live.

Digital Spy

Wot no comments on Rosie Webster then?

Here's a question. If the episodes around the black & white to colour changeover were repeated for any reason, would ITV or whoever repeat them in black & white as originally transmitted probably, or would they be repeated as held in the archives, as, according to Corriepedia, one episode exists as colour studio/B&W exteriors & the next few have black & white titles, but shot in colour otherwise, as tests before 'official' transmission changeover in November 1969?

I suspect the repeats would be entirely in black & white, to avoid confusion, unless anyone else has views?

I wonder if a similar situation exists with episodes from the early part of this year being partially in HD.

A brand new Corrie Arcade game has launched @itv.com and on the 1 November a new social Corrie game is launching too.
http://www.itv.com/soaps/coronationstreet/funandgames/corriearcade/
www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/sep/16/corrie-nation-itv-coronation-street

One of those episodes was on the 1960s box set - it featured some colour and some black and white scenes. Also they continued to have some episodes in black and white until February 1971.

Apparently the Corrie 50th magazine should have gone on sale now in WHSmith & Sainsburys. Anyone got one ?