Access All Areas : Behind the Scenes at Coronation Street Book

This is the story of how Coronation Street is made. It is not a profile of the soaps' stars, nor a spin-off product relating to a storyline; these things have been done before and do not need repeating. Instead, the show's producer David Hanson has chosen to take the reader on a Coronation Street tour of his own--one which takes in script meetings and editing suites, and drops by the wardrobe department, dressed sets and green room on its way.Characters may come and go on The Street (except, of course, Ken Barlow) but year-in, year-out, the Corrie production crew work hard to produce four episodes per week of the nation's favourite soap. Certainly, their behind-the-scenes toil is less glamorous than the on-camera work of famous-faced colleagues, but here are the people who really make it happen.Accompanied by black and white fly-on-the-wall photos by Roger Dixon, Hanson's account is aimed not just at soap fans but at anyone with an interest in demystifying TV production. His lively delivery renders complex accounts of this fascinating process accessible, and tells of his own responsibilities as producer as well and the jobs of those around him.Hardcore Corrie fans should not be disappointed at the lack of star gossip in these pages. As long as the reader doesn't mind being reminded his favourite character doesn't actually live and breathe in Weatherfield (shock, horror!), he'll be happy to find all the secrets of creating a parallel, cobble-stoned universe whispered here.If you would like to know where the stairs lead in Gary Mallet's house/who buys Spider's jumpers/who actually makes Betty's Hotpot--then this is the book for you. --Helen LamontRead More