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Soaps that attempt to show real life in the present day - often literally what's happening TODAY - face unique challenges during pandemics, lockdowns and physical distancing. In my blog post of the 29th of April, I explored the question of whether there was Coronavirus in Coronation Street. At the time, it wasn't overt, but there were a few hints of the shape of things to come. Today, nearly three months later, I'll give a bit of an update.
Here in Canada, we've always been at least a couple of weeks behind the U.K. in the episodes we're seeing. But of course even in the U.K., story lines must be developed, individual episodes must be written and then those episodes must be filmed at times when the actors can co-ordinate their respective schedules to a suitable degree - all before the episodes can be aired on ITV over there. That, I should imagine, would require at least a couple of months of lead time - time during which the writers, actors and film crew might have little or no inkling of what was about to befall the world!
Friday's episode in the U.K. was apparently the first time that there was any overt mention of Covid-19 on Coronation Street. So the residents of Weatherfield got through their vernal equinox, their Mothers' Day at the end of March, plus Easter, both May bank holidays and the summer solstice, doing all the things the rest of the world (or even the rest of the country) was not allowed to do, seemingly untouched by SARS-Covid-2.
Behind the scenes, however, things were clearly a little different:
https://coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com
Apparently the main set closed down entirely on March 23 and filming only resumed in a limited way in early June:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/covid-coronation-street-1.5662581?cmp=rss
It's interesting to note some of the ways they kept the British stiff upper lip, keeping calm and carrying on to the extent it was possible. Members of the actors' real-life households could at times serve as body-doubles, creative camera angles were used, smaller sets were improvised away from the closed main set.
But if we looked on enviously at the carefree life of Weatherfield residents at the beginning of our pandemic, I expect the time lag will apply at the end as well. When our restrictions have been lifted, we'll no doubt have ample sympathy for our friends on the cobbles languishing in loneliness and self-isolation!
Here in Canada, we've always been at least a couple of weeks behind the U.K. in the episodes we're seeing. But of course even in the U.K., story lines must be developed, individual episodes must be written and then those episodes must be filmed at times when the actors can co-ordinate their respective schedules to a suitable degree - all before the episodes can be aired on ITV over there. That, I should imagine, would require at least a couple of months of lead time - time during which the writers, actors and film crew might have little or no inkling of what was about to befall the world!
Friday's episode in the U.K. was apparently the first time that there was any overt mention of Covid-19 on Coronation Street. So the residents of Weatherfield got through their vernal equinox, their Mothers' Day at the end of March, plus Easter, both May bank holidays and the summer solstice, doing all the things the rest of the world (or even the rest of the country) was not allowed to do, seemingly untouched by SARS-Covid-2.
Behind the scenes, however, things were clearly a little different:
https://coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com
Apparently the main set closed down entirely on March 23 and filming only resumed in a limited way in early June:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/covid-coronation-street-1.5662581?cmp=rss
It's interesting to note some of the ways they kept the British stiff upper lip, keeping calm and carrying on to the extent it was possible. Members of the actors' real-life households could at times serve as body-doubles, creative camera angles were used, smaller sets were improvised away from the closed main set.
But if we looked on enviously at the carefree life of Weatherfield residents at the beginning of our pandemic, I expect the time lag will apply at the end as well. When our restrictions have been lifted, we'll no doubt have ample sympathy for our friends on the cobbles languishing in loneliness and self-isolation!
