‘Coronation Street’ has unveiled its newly-extended set, giving viewers a look at more of Weatherfield than ever before.
Plans for the set expansion was first announced last year, and ‘Corrie’ fans were given a first glimpse at the results on Monday (12 March), when Victoria Street was finally unveiled.
The set, which will be seen on screen for the first time on 20 April, includes several new features to Weatherfield, including a tram stop, new restaurants and eateries and an allotment area.
This allotment area features a tribute to the victims of the Manchester bombing in May 2017, particularly Martyn Hett, who was a renowned ‘Coronation Street’ superfan, making several media appearances in his life due to his love of the soap.
As a tribute to Martyn, the creator of the viral ‘Audrey Roberts noise’ video, the ribbon was cut on the new set by ‘Corrie’ star Sue Nicholls, who even indulged those in attendance - including Martyn’s family - with a bout of the inquisitive sound that has become so associated with her character.
In a nod to the soap’s long history, the Victoria Street set also includes cobbles taken from the Manchester set ‘Corrie’ called home until 2013, when production moved to MediaCity in Salford.
As was previously revealed, the set also includes a Co-op supermarket and a branch of Costa coffee, as part of a new product placement deal with the two brands.
Series producer Kate Oates said: “The Victoria Street extension represents an exciting chapter in Corrie history: an amazing new stage, full of dramatic potential.
“Our amazingly talented design team have created everything from scratch - but it still manages to have the feeling of always having been there, just around the corner.”
The new set coincides with the recent move to air six episodes of ‘Coronation Street’ per week, with the bigger set allowing the cast and crew to film more than one scene simultaneously.