I’m already hopelessly out of date with this post. But I think it’s still just about worth doing. It’s just an excuse really for me to say “I used to work on Coronation Street, you know.” Which I did!
Last week I watched the drama The Road To Coronation Street on BBC4. It’s all part of the celebrations of the soap’s 50th anniversary. It was so well done! The attention to detail was brilliant, with references to Granada traditions like the portraits of Barnum on the office walls, and scary meetings with the big wigs on the 7th floor.
So, an excuse for a disjointed couple of anecdotes. I once had my very own scary visit to the 7th floor of Granada. Only one, mind you. When I had to deliver a tape to Mr. Plowright’s office. When he died a few years ago, he was quite rightly referred to in the press as “Mr Granada.” He was a real programme person. It was when he left in the early 90’s that the face of regional television in the UK really started to change, I think. I remember that night techicians running around, changing the credits of every Granada programme broadcast that night to read “Executive Producer: David Plowright” in protest. People knew things would never be the same. I even saw the great “Mr Sidney”, Lord Bernstein, in the lift once. He still worked, a couple of days a month, aged 90 at the time. I wonder what they would make of the new look ITV. I don’t think they would be pleased. Were the regional TV companies making a loss? Or is this desire for centralisation just a way to make more profit, rather than a desire to secure the future, and make good quality television in different parts of the country?
I worked at Granada for less than a year in the early 1990’s. It was my first proper job in the media. My dream job. I got a real buzz from walking down Quay Street to that iconic building. Sadly, when I got in there, I didn’t actually like the job very much! I was a technical operator. A generic title for a studio dogsbody. I worked in various departments, but my favourite bit was in the vision gallery (or racks) of the Coronation Street studio. I actually pressed record when they were ready for a take! Unfortunately, i spent most of my time bored, miserable, scared, or all three! But watching the programme last week did make me realise that I have played the tiniest, tiniest part in a television legend.
I can’t say I have very many happy memories of working at Granada. But I do love the fact that I can say “I used to work on Coronation Street, you know.”
