November 27th 2024.
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite TV show? Well, we got the inside scoop on the making of Coronation Street, the long-running British soap opera that has captured the hearts of millions for over six decades.
With over 300 episodes airing each year, producing the show is no easy task. It takes a dedicated team of cast and crew to bring the beloved characters and storylines to life. And as we approach the show's 64th anniversary, it's clear that their hard work and dedication have paid off.
From their production hub in Greater Manchester, household names are currently filming scenes that won't air until 2025. But even as the actors perform their roles, there's a flurry of activity happening behind the scenes. Producer Kate Brooks oversees every department, ensuring that the show maintains its high quality and keeps its loyal viewers tuning in week after week.
In a recent interview with Metro, Kate shared her experience taking on the role of producer seven months ago. She said, "Everyone's got their own unique way of doing things. No two days are the same on Coronation Street, so it keeps us on our toes."
The production process for the show is a lengthy one, with many challenges and difficulties in planning long-term storylines. Each month, the team holds story conferences to discuss ideas for the next four weeks of episodes. They use laptops to map out stories for each character group, with the goal of creating compelling and engaging content for their viewers.
The recent "Who killed Joel?" storyline would be considered an A strand, according to story producer Kieron O'Sullivan. He explained, "Every story starts as a D or an E strand, but as it develops, it moves up to become the A story. Each episode is made up of an A, B, C, D, and E strand, and we always have a constant flow of storylines to keep things interesting."
But before the stories can be brought to life, a lot of planning and preparation goes into each one. Kate arranges meetings with the cast to inform them of upcoming storylines, especially if they are sensitive or emotionally charged. "We want to make sure they're comfortable with the direction their character is going in," she said.
During the long-term story conferences, the team also discusses ideas for new characters or families to join the show. As Kate explained, "Sometimes we realize we're lacking a certain type of character, and we need to fill that hole. But I would never bring in a character without a purpose or a story. They need to shake things up in some form."
Creating a new character also involves careful consideration of their appearance, as head of hair and makeup Gillian Walsh shared. "The character's job, lifestyle, and upbringing all play a role in their styling," she said. "I'm given a backstory for each character, and I use my 20 years of experience working on the show to come up with their look."
Gillian also mentioned that she likes to do the actors' makeup and hair as early as possible, so they have time to get used to their character's look and understand how it fits into their storyline. And as she pointed out, even male actors have a "day-to-day look" for their characters, just like people in real life.
Once the team has the first draft of the storylines, Kate gives notes back to the storyliner, story producer, and story editors. They then work on compiling the notes into episodes, which are then presented to the network for their input. Kate also mentioned that she runs any radical changes by her superiors, jokingly stating, "I don't want to get sacked!"
With two other major soaps airing on the same network, there's always a risk of overlapping storylines. But Kate explained that they work closely with the team at Emmerdale to avoid this. "We purposely try to make sure our storylines don't overlap, because we don't want our audience to get bored," she said.
When it comes to rival soap EastEnders, however, Kate admitted that she keeps an eye on their storylines but ultimately has no control over what they air. "We plan our stories 18 months in advance, so sometimes there may be similarities with other soaps. But we didn't know what EastEnders was doing when we came up with our stories," she said.
As the show prepares for production, the writer for each episode is commissioned to create a scene-by-scene breakdown. They attend a commissioning meeting to ask any questions and then write the first draft of the script. This version is then discussed and edited by the team, making any necessary changes.
The process goes through several drafts before the final script is approved and distributed to the cast and crew. And as third assistant director Kieran Bussoopun shared, the team needs all hands on deck when filming stunts, which are planned up to a year in advance.
Finally, the director meets with Kate and the team at a "pinks" meeting to discuss the episode's vision and any stylistic choices. Named after the color of the paper the scripts used to be printed on, these meetings ensure everyone is on the same page before filming begins.
And with that, the production of another episode of Coronation Street begins, as the team works tirelessly to bring the characters and stories to life. It's a challenging but rewarding process that has kept fans tuning in for over six decades.
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite TV show? Well, let's take a peek behind the curtain of Coronation Street, one of the most popular soap operas with over 300 episodes airing each year. It's no easy task to produce such a successful show, but the team at ITV works tirelessly to keep their millions of devoted viewers tuning in every week. This December marks the 64th anniversary of Coronation Street, a remarkable achievement that wouldn't have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the cast and crew.
Nestled in Greater Manchester, the show's production hub is where the magic happens. While familiar faces are filming scenes that won't air until 2025, the production staff is busy bringing the vision to life. Producer Kate Brooks oversees each department, ensuring that everything runs smoothly and the show stays true to its roots. In an interview with Metro, she shared how no two days are the same on Coronation Street, keeping the team on their toes.
Kate took over the reins from interim boss Verity Macleod seven months ago and has been leading the charge ever since. She explained that everyone has their own unique way of doing things, making for a dynamic and exciting environment. It's evident in the way the show is produced, with meticulous planning and attention to detail. From pre-production story conferences to final script drafts, every step is carefully thought out.
One of the biggest challenges in creating Coronation Street is planning long-term storylines. Every month, the team gathers to discuss ideas for the next four-week block of episodes. Each character group is carefully mapped out, with story producer Kieron O'Sullivan explaining how every episode is made up of A, B, C, D, and E strands. A story is the big dramatic arc of the episode, while B, C, D, and E stories have varying numbers of scenes. As the A story fades, another rises in its place, ensuring a constant flow of captivating plots.
But it's not just about the big picture. The team also takes care to keep the cast informed and involved in their storylines. Kate regularly meets with the actors to discuss upcoming plots and ensure they are comfortable with their characters' development. She also revealed that new characters and families are often brought in to shake things up and add depth to the show. From the character's appearance to their backstory, every detail is carefully considered.
Head of hair and make-up Gillian Walsh shared how she works closely with Kate and the writers to create the perfect look for each character. Factors such as their job, lifestyle, and upbringing all play a role in determining their style. Gillian has been working on the show for 20 years and knows the characters inside out, making her an integral part of the team.
As the show continues to evolve, the writers receive notes from Kate and the story editors, ensuring that the storylines stay true to the show's vision. They also work closely with the ITV network to avoid overlapping with other soaps, such as Emmerdale and EastEnders. Kate emphasized the importance of keeping the audience engaged and entertained, which is why they go to great lengths to plan and execute unique and captivating storylines.
One of the most exciting aspects of working on a soap opera is the occasional stunt. These major events take months of planning and coordination to pull off successfully. The production team works closely with special effects teams and even brings in real-life firefighters and medics to ensure the safety of the actors. Gillian also shared how they have to be quick on their feet to change up the actors' looks between scenes or use stunt doubles, making for a fast-paced and exciting work environment.
As the final step before filming begins, the director's prep meeting, or "pinks" meeting, is where everyone comes together to discuss the vision for the episode. Kate explained how she shares her ideas and any stylistic choices with the director at this meeting. From there, the scripts go through several drafts before they are published and ready for filming.
Despite the challenges and long hours, the team behind Coronation Street works tirelessly to bring us entertaining and engaging storylines. It's a labor of love, and their dedication is evident in every episode. So next time you tune in to watch your favorite soap opera, remember the hard work and creativity that goes on behind the scenes to bring it to life.
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