Coronation Street Celebrated in Era-Spanning Spot

Last Friday evening [August 18] saw the launch of a major new campaign for UK soap Coronation Street. One that takes the viewer back through 57 years of the world's longest running soap opera, recreating the conception of iconic scenes as they were filmed.

From an idea by ITV Creative ECD Tony Pipes and directed by Another Film Company's Caswell Coggins, the film, called Then, Now and Forever, depicts famous scenes from each decade of the soap, showing not only the scenes themselves but also the craft involved in creating them.

"I wanted to make a film that placed the audience right at the heart of the action.”

Some of the scenes were recreated on the existing Coronation Street set ,while classic sets were recreated at Shepperton Studios by art director Matt Gant, who has worked on shows including Life on Mars and Endeavour. Costumes for the film were created by Michelle Mays using archive photography and references from the soap’s archivist Helen Nugent.

Above: Behind the scenes of Then, Now and Forever

Look-alike actors were cast in classic character roles, rehearsing the scenes so that they synced perfectly to the actors who created the original scenes in the soap.

“Coronation Street has a unique place in British popular culture," stated Pipes. "Everyone has a favourite scene, a memorable moment and the chance to recreate some of these was a beautiful adventure.”

“I was excited to have the opportunity to create a film that would celebrate Coronation Street," added Coggins. "To be able to recreate what it could have felt like to have been there on the sets of Coronation Street throughout the decades, as some of its most iconic scenes played out. One of the main challenges was recreating the scenes where a lot of the actors are no longer part of the series, as well as some who are sadly no longer with us, and make them believable. I wanted to make a film that placed the audience right at the heart of the action.”