A selection of 'Coronation Street' dramas and memorable episodes have been released on BritBox to celebrate the soap's 60th anniversary.
Bill Roache
Fans keen to roll back the years on the cobbles can check out 'Coronation Street: 60 Years in 60 Episodes', which consists of 60 handpicked episodes showcasing some of the most wonderful Weatherfield moments from over the years, ahead of the programme turning 60 next month.
Current 'Corrie' star Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) introduces the first-ever episode, which aired on 9th December 1960, by recalling how the ep was live and he and his co-stars had already acted it out as a pilot for the Granada Television bosses.
He said: "I remember it very well, for two reasons.
"One - it was live, so you had to know them very, very well.
"We also did it as a pilot before, when the management wanted to have a look at it to see if it was going to work, and they were shifting characters around.
"They did two pilot episodes, so I'd already done it as a pilot before doing it as well.
"It was the first time we all got together.
"None of us were well known, other than Violet Carson, who played Ena.
"We had no idea what was going to happen. It was only supposed to run for a few weeks as a stop gap."
The BritBox offering, 'Celebrating Coronation’s Street 60th Anniversary' - which is exclusive to the digital video subscription service - also includes 'The Road to Coronation Street', a drama documenting the journey of 'Coronation Street' from conception to its first transmission.
What's more, 'Against The Odds: The Pat Phoenix Story' is also available for die-hard Street fans.
The drama follows Pat Phoenix’s ill-fated affair with fellow actor Tony Booth in the 1950s.
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