CORONATION Street has been forced to scrap a huge stunt for its 60th anniversary due to the coronavirus pandemic – and it could now be delayed until 2021.
Fans have already been treated to a factory collapse and gun rampage over the last 12 months, yet another fantastic event was due to take place later this year.
Showrunner John Whiston teased the event will involve almost everyone in Weatherfield and unite the Cobbles but it might not be ready in time for the show’s milestone anniversary.
In an exclusive interview with HOAR Online, he said: “What we’ve had to strip out of our planning for the 60th was some of the bigger Hollywood style elements, because after lockdown we didn’t have the time to build and install all of the things we originally planned to do.
“So we’ve peeled that all away, and much to my immense relief, what we’ve discovered underneath those Hollywood layers is three/four really good stories.
“A strong community story there I think, I think there is that sense of street by street community.”
Coronation Street actually celebrates its birthday on December 9th and bosses had been preparing for the big budget extravaganza before coronavirus hit.
He explained: “Crossing every limb here, but the expectation is we could hit 60th and it be really brilliant, if it turns out things slow down or we have to lock down again, we’ll still have the brilliant episodes, it just won’t broadcast during 60th week.
“Maybe later in the year or 2021. A lot of variables that we can’t control but the ones we can we are feeling very optimistic.”
Meanwhile, the stars returned to the Cobbles this week after production came to a halt back in March.
And Corrie bosses are looking forward to going back to airing six episodes a week sometime soon.
John explained: “Somebody wrote in a while ago, saying that we thought we were still making them but pretending that we had them before the pandemic hit.
“They knew that we didn’t make them that far in advance.”
He went on: “What had actually happened was that because we were building up to the 60th, we had bagged a whole lot of episodes, so when the pandemic hit we were in a much better place than we normally would be, which was carrying on with what we have already shot.
“You just don’t know what is going to happen. What’s good is that there is an appetite to go back to six, they have relished and enjoyed the show’s themselves a little more.
“People have said I’m never going to take the soaps for granted anymore, I miss having that extra episode in the night, but I’m appreciative of the one that they do.”
