I missed a very important date on Friday. December 9th was the 57th anniversary of the first episode of Coronation Street. It's the longest running soap opera on television. The show is taped at the Granada studios in Manchester, England. It's broadcast in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, and on the British Forces Broadcasting System so Her Majesty's forces can view it when they are posted around the world. Sky Satellite shows it on ITV Choice in Asia, the Middle East, Malta and Cyprus. In the United States you can watch it on Amazon or HULU, and it's one month behind. Australia and New Zealand get episodes that are almost a year behind. In Canada it was a year behind, but three years ago CBC had a "catch up" when they aired the program every weekday for 60 minutes to catch up to the UK. They are now about two weeks behind the UK and it will stay that way. According to CBC the reason it got behind was because it was preempted by The Olympics, Stanley Cup hockey games and other "important" programs over the years. Apparently the CBC switchboard in Toronto got so many nasty calls when it was preempted they listened to the viewers and show it at a later time slot. When they preempt now they run a news ticker at the bottom of the screen so they don't get inundated with phone calls.
I remember coming home from school and my mom watching Coronation Street. I never got interested in it until I had my double knee replacement in 2001. I was pretty much house bound for a long time and my uncle helped me with the background of the characters and the story lines, I'm now hooked! Unlike the American soap operas, these people are normal. They are not beautiful stereotypes, they are just like your neighbours. They don't live in mansions they live in row housing. I would have to call my uncle when I didn't understand the meaning of some of their sayings.
I've read the royal staff record every episode for Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Princess Anne and Camilla have all visited the set in Manchester at different times.
I follow Coronation Street in Facebook and Twitter. One ardent fan in Vancouver arranged a get together called "a ping" at a pub in Vancouver. We went with my cousins Paula and Gordon and it was a lot of fun. The following of dedicated viewers for this show is huge!
If you ever want to start watching a very good soap opera, email or call me and I'll fill you in on the background and answer your questions of English phrases and what they mean. In Canada the CBC shows one 60 minute episode on Monday and 30 minutes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Sunday morning they show the entire week again. In the UK it's on 60 minutes Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In Canada you miss about 3 minutes of every episode because the advertising is more in Canada than the UK. On Facebook someone actually posts the "Canadian Only, Coronation Street missing scenes".
