Victoria Wood was in awe of the 'Coronation Street' cast - and plundered it for her own shows.
Victoria Wood
The late comic - who tragically lost her battle with cancer in April 2016 aged 62 - thought the soap stars were amongst the best actors in the country, and enlisted many of them for her show 'Dinnerladies'.
In a new documentary, 'The Dinnerladies Diaries' for Gold, the comic appears in previously unseen footage, and said: "When 'Corrie' was first on, their casting was just incredibly brilliant.
"They've had some wonderful people and I have drawn from that pool.
"There have been so many people on The Street. It's just a really good programme. When I heard a whisper Thelma Barlow was leaving I pounced on her."
The three-part documentary - which starts on Gold on Tuesday night (13.03.18) at 8pm - features never before seen footage from the making of the show, including archive interview footage from Victoria.
Meanwhile, original cast members Barlow, Anne Reid, Andrew Dunn and Shobna Gulati - who all appeared in both 'Corrie' and 'Dinnerladies' are amongst the talking heads reflecting on the impact of the programme.
'Dinnerladies' - which ran from 1998 to 2000 over two series, with 16 episodes over its run - was set in the canteen of a factory in Manchester, and was written entirely by Wood.
Following her death, she was remembered with a special six-part tribute titled 'Our Friend Victoria'.
Shane Allen, Controller, BBC Comedy Commissioning, said at the time: "British comedy lost its most prolific and multi-talented star last year. Victoria was unparalleled in what she achieved as a creator, writer, character actress, sketch and sitcom performer, director, singer, songwriter and stand-up - she did the lot with a unique humour and a broad appeal common touch.
"Close colleagues from across her career guide us on a celebration of Victoria's finest work so we can revel in her brilliance once more as her work and influence will live on for a long time to come."
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