|
By
FRANK BEHRENS
I think I once caught about
10 seconds of a "Coronation Street" episode on BBC
America, and had I known it was the longest
running TV serial in history, I would have paid
closer attention. Look at the statistics: It was
scheduled to run for 13 episodes in 1960 and is
still going strong; in all, there have been
(according to a bonus feature on the DVD) over
4,000 episodes, 35,000 characters, 55 marriages,
25 births, 82 deaths, 51 weddings, and 32
barmaids, all of which have been watched by
17,000,000 UK viewers; and one of the actors,
William Roache, has been with the series since it
began.
So what is the incredible draw this show seems to
exert? As one viewer said during an interview, we
love to watch people who are doing the same thing
we are doing in homes just like ours. (Remember
how popular "The Honeymooners" was?) Now that
Acorn Media (bless 'em) has released a two-DVD set
called "This Is Coronation Street," I had the
chance to watch the first 5 black and white
episodes and a 75-minute documentary about the
history of this remarkable show.
When the fifth episode ended with the police at
the door and looking for one of the younger
characters, I have to admit I was angry that I
could not see the sixth one and after that the
seventh, right up to wherever they are now. The
only actress I recognized was a daughter who just
left her Polish husband and announced she is
pregnant, which reunited them. (Her name is Anne
Cunningham and I remembered her from an old
"Avengers" episode, and one from "Are You Being
Served?"). The rest were unknown to me, and I
found this a great advantage since I was able to
see them as real people and not as actors whom I
recognized from other roles.
First of all, I would recommend this as a Must to
all sociology and British history majors, since it
accurately portrays life in northern England as it
was in 1960 and as it changed through the years.
Obviously, film and drama majors must watch to see
how a writer can "get them where they live."
Psychology majors will love to see the public's
reaction to the jailing of one of the main
characters. (If any of you has seen the bonus
material on the 1967 "Forsyte Saga" I so highly
recommend elsewhere, you will recall how the Brits
reacted to the Rape Scene. Funny what people
consider to be worth arguing about.)
As for the rest of us, lovers of good soap operas
will adore not only the first five episodes but
also the history of this show. In short, there are
very few who will not love this set. Perhaps Acorn
will now issue a companion set about "East
Enders." |
