Saturday 27 March 2010

Granada Plus - How Coronation Street Was Snipped...

Granada Plus advertising pamphlet from the 1990s.

Recently a friend of mine was watching an episode of Albion Market. And he realised something rather odd. My friend has a full collection of Albion Market episodes as shown on Granada Plus in the 1990s, but he was now viewing an episode taped in the mid-1980s, when the series first appeared.

And the mid-1980s original episode featured several scenes not included in the Granada Plus '90s repeat.

The show had been edited. Snipped, for its satellite appearance.

Comparisons of other episodes of Albion Market - from the original mid-1980s broadcasts and Granada Plus - showed that the snippers had been rather busy.

Coronation Street, of course, was also shown by Granada Plus, and I lapped up the era 1976-1983, which saw me from young lad to late teen during its original ITV screenings.

But surely Granada Plus would not interfere with The Street? I mean, Albion Market is one thing, but Corrie!!

Surprise surprise, looking at some original full length Corrie eps and comparing them to the GP broadcasts I'm sorry to say that edits were made.

I recall nothing being said at the time - we viewers were certainly not informed that The Street and The Market were being edited as far as I'm aware.

The editing of The Street was quite sensibly done. But the editing of Albion Market left at least one small but puzzling hole in the plot.

Ah well - never mind.

In both cases, it was good to see what was broadcast!

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