It’s grin up north on Celebration Street

CHANNEL HOPPING:

AS ITV prepares to celebrate an incredible 50 years of Britain’s longest-running soap in December, there was an early Christmas treat for Corrie aficionados when the BBC (of all people) paid its own tribute to the Granada classic.

“The Road to Coronation Street” was BBC4’s take on how an unfancied warts-and-all drama set in the back streets of Salford ever even got off the ground.

In 1960, “Florizel Street” as it was originally titled, endured a difficult birth as it was almost killed off after the opening pilot episode. TV bosses hated it. They wanted the entire project scrapped because it was too . . . northern.

Hollywood glitz and glamour was their bag, not true-to-life working-class families who lived on a diet of cold hot pot and warm Newton and Ridley. But passionate 23-year-old Corrie creator Tony Warren knew his tripe and onions. He stuck to his guns, demanding “only local actors — Manchester and Salford. Lancashire at a push.”

Warren went on to make the ordinary extraordinary.

With a stellar all-star cast, this one-off comedy-drama in its own right offered a fascinating insight into life behind the cobbles. It provided a spooky sense of déjà vu too, as James Roache — the real-life fruit of Bill Roache’s loins (Ken Barlow) — took time out from playing Ken’s on-screen grandson of today to portray his own dad of yesteryear. . . a nice touch.

There was a welcome run-out for returning “EastEnder” Jessie Wallace who played Pat Phoenix (Elsie Tanner). But it was Lynda Baron — another one-time Walford resident — who stole the show as veteran Violet Carson ( Ena Sharples).

While preparing to audition as Ena, the no-nonsense actress was asked politely to go into make-up. “There’s no powder or rouge touching this face,” she growled. “If it’s good enough for God, it’s good enough for Granada.”


Soap roar: In the week of the Pope’s visit to London, miracles suddenly started to happen on Albert Square. One minute Phil Mitchell is a gibbering wreck of a crack addict, the next he’s back running the Arches as if nothing ever happened.


Soap bore: Pillow talk at the Peacocks’ is far from a fiery affair. Conversation seldom strays far from housework, the butcher’s shop and “the boys”. So when Claire declared she wanted to leave town, it’s a wonder our Ashley didn’t spontaneously combust. But he’s way too dull for that.