As the adopted daughter of Den and Angie Watts, Sharon Watts was one of the original cast of characters to hit the screens when EastEnders launched in 1985. Sharon married Grant Mitchell but fled the Square soon after, when her affair with his brother Phil was revealed in one of EastEnders’ highest rating episodes in 1994.

Having grown up in The Queen Vic, Sharon returned to Walford’s famous boozer in 2001 to take the helm as landlady. When Sharon ‘Rickman’ departed the Square in 2006 following the death of her latest husband Dennis Rickman, she was pregnant with his child.

Letitia Dean says of her return: “I am really looking forward to being part of the EastEnders team again, as it has always been very close to my heart. I cannot wait to work with my old colleagues and see what is in store for Sharon.”

Bryan Kirkwood, EastEnders Executive Producer, adds: “I’m thrilled that Letitia is coming back home to Albert Square where she belongs. Sharon is a real favourite amongst EastEnders’ fans and I for one can’t wait until she arrives back next summer.”

Betty Driver, who made her Weatherfield debut back in 1969, died in October 2011 at the age of 91. Driver’s character has not yet been written out on screen in the ITV1 soap.

Roberts has said that former characters from Betty’s 42-year tenure will return for her April send-off. He told the Manchester Evening News: “I think we’ve come up with a fitting exit for her. It’ll be shown in the spring.

“It’s important we get that right because she was so loved by the fans and by all of us who work on Coronation Street.

“But it will mainly be about her and saying goodbye to her with the right amount of respect and the right tone.”

It has been rumoured that Corrie alumnus including Jean Alexander (Hilda Ogden), Julie Goodyear (Bet Lynch), Roy ­Barraclough (Alec Gilroy), Sarah Lancashire (Raquel Watts) and Cheryl Murray (Suzie Birchall) may all reprise their roles in order pay their respects to Betty.

Goodyear, who worked alongside Driver for 25 years, has already said she wants to return for a one-off appearance.

Series producer Phil Collison recently revealed that viewers will find out a long-held secret by the Rovers barmaid. He told the Daily Star:

“We will be paying tribute to Betty, but behind the scenes will be the revelation of a secret she has kept hidden. I cannot tell you what it is, but it’s a secret that Betty has taken to the grave with her and I can promise you that fans will be surprised.

“There is no love child or anything like that. The secret has something to do with the show’s history but I am saying no more.”

via Radio Times.

Broadcast magazine said the actors face a pay decrease when Saturday’s omnibus episode is moved to ITV2.

Moving to a digital channel means ITV does not have to pay the cast as high a premium for repeat fees.

Trade union Equity are representing the actors, but have declined to comment. An ITV spokeswoman said an agreement would be worked out.

In a statement ITV said: “We are in the process of talking to cast members whose pay may be affected by the ending of the omnibus repeat on ITV1, we expect to come to an arrangement in the next few weeks.

“In the meantime we have confirmed that we will continue with repeat fee payments.”

According to reports, the actors are set to receive a small royalty payment instead.

That is thought to be less than the 37.5% of the episode fee they currently receive for the omnibus repeat.

via BBC News.

After more than fifty years on air, Britain’s best-loved soap has a glorious heritage of unforgettable stories and iconic characters which have been handpicked and now carefully crafted into this brilliant musical event by award-winning musical writer, composer and lyricist, Trisha Ward.

BAFTA winning film and stage Director, John Stephenson OBE (“5 Children & IT” and “Animal Farm”), will direct the live musical tribute, which is to be staged on an ambitious scale with a spectacular set and special visual effects at Manchester’s M.E.N Arena. A 25 piece orchestra, a West End cast and choreography from Olivier award winning Stephen Mear will complete the dazzling production which has been co-scripted by Damon Rochefort (“Coronation Street” & “Birds of a Feather”). The show will be executive produced by Kieran Roberts for ITV Studios and John Ward for Reckless Entertainment.

Paul O’Grady will feature as the star host, guiding us through momentous events in Corrie’s history in his own inimitable style. He will bump into well-loved characters, old and new, with guest stars paying homage to famous roles, as he leads the show to a dramatic finale.

Julie Goodyear MBE will be making a highly anticipated return to play the one and only Bet Lynch, complete with her trademark beehive, big earrings and penchant for leopard-skin. Corrie favourite Kevin Kennedy, a singing star who has made a critically lauded name for himself on the West End stage since his departure from the cobbles, will return to his role as loveable intellectual stargazer, Curly Watts and the effortlessly brilliant Brian Capron will resurrect renowned serial killer, Richard Hillman from the dead.

Stars from the current cast; William Roache MBE (Ken Barlow) and Katy Cavanagh (Julie Carp) to name but a few, will appear alongside their former neighbours as they take a trip down memory lane, encapsulating unforgettable Weatherfield moments through 90 minutes of spectacular song and dance routines, supported by a West End cast.

The show is based upon the critically acclaimed album: Coronation Street – Rogues, Angels Heroes & Fools which was released last Christmas for Coronation Street’s 50th Anniversary featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and crafted by “Street of Dreams” writer, Trisha Ward.

Songs included in the show are: Tony Warren’s iconic ‘Opening Episode” featuring Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, & Annie Walker, “Woman Stanley Woman” – Hilda & Stan’s posh second honeymoon at the Savoy Hotel, ‘He’s My Man” – a catfight on the cobbles between love rivals Elsie Tanner & Bet Lynch, “Norman Bates With A Briefcase” – featuring serial killer Richard Hillman, ‘Cunning Clever Crafty’ – Jack & Vera’s “blind date” with Jack as the suave ‘Vince Fontaine’ and spectacular “Moulin Rouge” homage -“Sweet Butterfly” featuring love-lorn knicker factory worker, Sean Tully.

Composer, Trisha Ward said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Kieran Roberts on this amazing project which has been in development for over 3 years. It’s a musical homage to an incredible programme, which has been both a joy and exciting challenge to compose. Coronation Street lends itself so well to musicalisation because it has all the ingredients a great musical requires; humour, pathos but most importantly of all – heart. I’m so incredibly proud and excited to be bringing this production to Corrie’s home city of Manchester for the world premiere.”

Executive Producer, Kieran Roberts of ITV Studios said: “I’m thrilled to be involved with Street of Dreams. Trisha Ward’s wonderful music and lyrics are a very fitting celebration of Coronation Street’s history, its great storylines and its unforgettable characters. Paul O’ Grady is one of Britain’s most prolific, talented and best-loved entertainers and he’s a genuine, life-long Corrie fan so I’m equally delighted he will guide the audience through this entertaining and spectacular musical celebration of Britain’s best-loved drama.”

Paul O’Grady said: “I’m a great fan of the street!! I’ve watched it for most of my life! Chunks of script from 30 years ago are engraved in my memory so to relive it all alongside unforgettable characters and talent on the stage, revisiting such iconic scenes from across the years, is just brilliant. I can’t wait to watch it all come together and the reaction it receives.”

“Street of Dreams” will debut at Manchester’s M.E.N Arena on Wednesday 21st March, with the world premiere VIP event on Thursday 22nd March. Tickets go on sale at www.men-arena.com / 0844 847 8000 from 9am on Friday 9th December.

Julie, who played gobby barmaid/landlady Bet Lynch until 1995, will take to the stage for the musical extravaganza next year, along with other Coronation Street favourites Kevin Kennedy (who playeds Curly Watts) and Weatherfield murderer Richard Hillman (played by Brian Capron).

The 90-minute show, called Street of Dreams, will be hosted by Corrie super-fan Paul O’Grady and will take soap fans through the show’s 50-year history with song and dance routines.

Speaking of his new job, Paul revealed: “I’m a great fan of the Street and have watched it most of my life. To relive it all alongside unforgettable characters and talent on the stage, revisiting iconic scenes, is brilliant.”

The musical, billed as a “major live musical event”, was written by composer Trisha Ward. She told The Sun: “It’s a musical homage to an incredible programme. It has been both a joy and an exciting challenge to compose.”

Corrie fans can watch Street of Dreams when it opens at the MEN arena in Manchester on 21 March 2012.

Sources: Daily Mirror, The Sun

Picture: Rex Features

via Orange UK.

According to reports, veteran actor Robert, who is best known for playing Napoleon Solo in the hit 1960s spy drama, will play Milton, a rich American who wins the heart of Roy Cropper’s battleaxe mother Sylvia Goodwin (played by Stephanie Cole) while she’s away on a cruise.

Lest we forget, this is a cruise Sylvia won after passing off a new cough mixture slogan as her own, when it was actually written by batty Corrie resident Mary Taylor (Patti Clare). Tut-tut.

When she returns to Weatherfield following her cruise, Sylvia can’t help boasting about her American beau, but the usually gobby battleaxe is left speechless when the lovely Milton rocks up on the cobbles.

However, Milton won’t be hanging around for long, as Robert has signed up to appear for just three weeks, before he heads off into the sunset – hopefully with Sylvia in tow. Don’t worry though – fans of Robert will see him back on our screens again in 2012, playing veteran grifter Albert Stroller in the eighth series of Hustle.

Meanwhile, in other cobbles news, Sally Dynevor, who plays flirty Weatherfield mum Sally Webster, is worried that her character could be the next victim of evil rapist Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel).

After splitting up with current on-screen beau Jeff Cullen (Steve Houghton), Sally cosies up with evil businessman Frank. The actress told The Sun: “Frank is very flattering. He starts talking about his problems and there is a connection.

“They have both been through something traumatic and are still here to tell the tale and they can talk about it.” Just how the relationship pans out remains to be seen, but with Frank’s track record it’ll probably all end in tears…

via Orange UK.

Nationwide’s ATM will replace a cash machine that was an unbranded prop from Monday 14 November and the building society will also have a branded sign outside the shop. The deal, which is thought to run initially for a period of four months, marks the first product placement in a UK primetime show.

Still, it is hardly the apocalyptic deluge of brands being thrust into viewers’ faces that was predicted in some quarters when product placement rules were relaxed by media regulator Ofcom in February.

Product placement got off to a slow start, with only about half a dozen deals struck in the first six months, for daytime and weekend programming, including ITV’s first, with Nescafe to feature its Dolce Gusto coffee machine in This Morning.

This slow start has been put down to factors including broadcasters being unfamiliar with the new rules and not wanting to fall foul of the regulations, which forbid product placement of junk food or alcoholic drinks and bans it altogether in children’s and news programmes and in UK-produced current affairs, consumer affairs and religious shows.

Nick Price, a branded content expert at media buying agency MPG, which brokered Coronation Street’s tie-up with Nationwide, said that cracking a show such as Coronation Street could mark a tipping point for a wave of new product placement deals.

“Editorial integrity remains at the heart of what we do as we continue to talk our clients about a number of product placement opportunities, spanning a range of programmes and channels,” said Gary Knight, commercial content director at ITV.

Some forecasts estimated that the UK product placement market might rapidly grow to be worth up to £100m annually, based on developments in the US, where brands have featured within TV shows for years. However, Ofcom was more circumspect, forecasting that it might be worth £25m-£30m annually within a few years.

Ofcom’s regulations state that product placement must be editorially justified – not gratuitously added to a storyline or scene – there must not be any “undue prominence” given to the product and a small letter “P” must run on-screen to alert viewers to the existence of a product.

via The Guardian.

Max left Walford in August when the affair he had with his ex-wife Tanya was exposed. Max was stunned when she subsequently told him that she didn’t want to be with him and he fled Albert Square. However, Max was unaware that the real reason Tanya shunned him was because she had just been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Max’s return to Albert Square will coincide with the appearance of his older brother, Derek Branning, which will shock the entire family who haven’t seen him for years. Will Derek be the same destructive, dangerous man he used to be, and if so will his family give him a warm welcome or the cold shoulder? Tanya will also reveal a long-held family secret, which will rock her mother, Cora, and sister, Rainie, to the core.

“Branning Week” will see secrets and lies exposed which will rock the family in a week Walford is sure to remember.

Schedule:

• Monday 21 November at 8pm
• Tuesday 22 November at 7.30pm
• Wednesday 23 November time tbc
• Thursday 24 November at 7.30pm
• Friday 25 November at 8pm

There will only be three episodes in the previous week due to BBC Children in Need on Friday 18 November.

The actress, famous for playing barmaid Betty Turpin for 42 years, died “peacefully” in hospital on Saturday.

Now Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the show began, has branded Driver a “real colossus of Coronation Street” who will never be forgotten.

He says, “Betty’s death was incredibly sad news – though not entirely unexpected.

“Betty was a loving, generous, caring person, where humour was never far away. She was an ‘Earth mother’, always happy and jolly.

“Though she never had any children of her own, it was as if we were all hers. She had so much love to give – and it was such a pure love, too.

“It made her perfect to be godmother to my son James, which she did brilliantly. She was the obvious – and only – choice. And as for a favourite memory, I’ll just remember her coming in each day, knocking on my door with a cheery ‘Hello’.

“If she were here now, she’d probably be a bit embarrassed by everyone talking about her like we are. She’d be having none of it. She was a real colossus of Coronation Street, and we will all miss her dearly.”

Meanwhile, Corrie bosses are planning to pay tribute the beloved star in an upcoming episode, which will also see her written out of the soap.

via Orange UK.

The 28 year old played Jo Sugden in the soap until 2008, when she left to compete on celebrity ice skating competition Dancing On Ice.

She has since starred in medical drama Casualty and now Pallett is to play a 17-year-old student in the popular series, according to the Daily Star.

A source tells the publication, “There is always plenty of drama on Waterloo Road and Roxanne’s character will be right in the middle of it. Roxanne is so popular with viewers so it’s no wonder they’ve signed her up.

“There aren’t many actresses who can play someone more than ten years younger than them. Most people who are nearly 30 have forgotten what school was like but Roxanne has gone back for a new term on one of TV’s top shows.”

Pallett is due to hit screens in her new role later this year.

via Orange UK.