The Road to Coronation Street is a BBC drama telling the story of the early days of legendary ITV soap Corrie.
It was first screened on BBC4 in 2010, when Coronation Street was celebrating its 50th birthday.
Who stars in The Road to Coronation Street?
The Road to Coronation Street is the story of Corrie creator Tony Warren who is played by David Dawson.
David is an experienced actor. He has appeared in The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Ripper Street and The Last Kingdom.
Read more: Coronation Street cast 2021: All the characters currently on the show
And there are a host of other familiar faces in the drama, too.
Former Ab-Fab star Jane Horrocks appears as casting director Margaret Morris. Meanwhile, Loki star Sophia di Martino plays Josie, Margaret’s assistant who is befriended by Tony Warren.
John Thompson from Cold Feet and former Corrie actor too, plays script editor Harry Kershaw.
Shaun Dooley who also appeared in Corrie himself, plays director Derek Bennett.
Christian McKay – known for his role in Grantchester, plays Harry Elton, the executive who took a chance on Coronation Street.
And Hollywood star Steven Berkoff plays dubious ITV boss Sidney Bernstein. Sidney was eventually won over and agreed to give Coronation Street a shot.
Who plays the iconic Corrie actors?
There are some very familiar names in The Road to Coronation Street, playing the iconic actors that starred in the early episodes of the soap.
Celia Imrie, known for her work with Victoria Wood in Dinner Ladies among other shows, as well as her roles in Bridget Jones, the Harry Potter films and more, plays Doris Speed.
Doris was the actress behind the first ever landlady of the Rovers, Annie Walker.
Lynda Baron, aka Nurse Gladys in Open All Hours, takes on the role of Violet Carson – who played Ena Sharples.
EastEnders star Jessie Wallace dusted off her Manchester accent and plays Pat Phoenix – aka Elsie Tanner – to perfection.
And in the most perfect piece of casting ever, the part of Corrie legend William Roache – who plays Ken Barlow – was given to William’s real-life son, James Roache.
James himself has also starred in Corrie as Ken’s grandson, James Cunningham.
What’s the story of The Road to Coronation Street?
The Road to Coronation Street tells the story of Tony’s struggle to get the ITV bosses to understand his vision of a soap set in the backstreets of Manchester.
From getting his script – originally Florizel Street – approved, to finding the perfect cast, the show documents it all.
And there are a few inside jokes for Corrie fans, too.
Where can we watch The Road to Coronation Street?
The Road to Coronation is now available to watch on BritBox and Amazon Prime. It’s occasionally available on BBC iPlayer too so keep an eye out.
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