Product Details

• Actors: William Roache, Simon Gregson, Helen Worth, Anne Kirkbride, Sue Nicholls
• Directors: Alan Bromly, Anne Ross Muir, Brian Lennane, Craig Lines, Darrol Blake
• Format: Anamorphic, Box set, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Acorn Media
• DVD Release Date: June 10, 2003
• Run Time: 200 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000083XOA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,457 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "This Is Coronation Street" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

First five episodes of the long running British drama series.
Genre: Television
Rating: NR
Release Date: 10-JUN-2003
Media Type: DVD

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare treat for sociologists and soap opera lovers., May 3, 2003

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Is Coronation Street (DVD)

I think I once caught about 10 seconds of a "Coronation Street" episode on BBC America, and had I known it was the longest running TV serial in history, I would have paid closer attention. Look at the statistics. It was scheduled to run for 13 episodes in 1960 and is still going strong! In all, there have been (according to a bonus feature on my DVD copy) over 4,000 episodes, 35,000 characters, 55 marriages, 25 births, 82 deaths, 51 weddings, and 32 barmaids, all of which have been watched by 17,000,000 UK viewers. And one of the actors, William Roache, has been with the series since it began.

So what is the incredible draw this show seems to exert? As one viewer said during an interview, we love to watch people who are doing the same thing we are doing in homes just like ours. (Remember how popular "The Honeymooners" was?) Now that Acorn Media (bless 'em) has released a two-DVD set called "This Is Coronation Street" (AMP-6196), I had the chance to watch the first 5 black and white episodes and a 75 minute documentary about the history of this remarkable show.

When the fifth episode ended with the police at the door and looking for one of the younger characters, I have to admit I was angry that I could not see the sixth one and after that the seventh, right up to wherever they are now. The only actress I recognized was a daughter who just left her Polish husband and announces she is pregnant, which reunites them. (Her name is Anne Cunningham and I remembered her from an old "Avengers" episode and one from "Are You Being Served?"). The rest were unknown to me, and I found this a great advantage since I was able to see them as real people and not as actors whom I recognized from other roles.

First of all, I would recommend this as a Must to all sociology and British history majors since it accurately portrays life in northern England as it was in 1960 and as it changed down through the years. Obviously film and drama majors must watch to see how a writer can "get them where they live." Psychology majors will love to see the public's reaction to the jailing of one of the main characters. (If any of you has seen the bonus material on the 1967 "Forsyte Saga" tapes I so highly recommended a while ago, you will recall how the Brits reacted to the Rape Scene. Funny what people consider to be worth arguing about.)

As for the rest of us, lovers of good soap operas will adore not only the first five episodes but also the history of this show. In short, there are very few who will not love this Acorn Media set. Perhaps they will now issue a companion set about "East Enders."

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic, March 12, 2005

By 

Nancy W. Donnell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Is Coronation Street (DVD)

I own this DVD set. Perhaps this Soap Opera is more close to real life than anything we have here in the states. One of the reasons it did make as much of a hit as it did is explained nicely on the DVD. It was with Ken fixing a bike in the living room..........being watched by a young man ......fixing a bike in the living room.

Even to this day the people on the street are just people. Hair dressers, cab drivers, shop keepers, cafe owners and barkeeps. In fact the only *rich* person is Mike Baldwin and all he owns is a *Knicker* factory!

I was fortunate to be living in England and seeing this program while I was there and again once I returned home on the CBC from Canada (only 6 months behind :))on my big satillilte dish. You can still *watch* it on the computer by going to the ITV website.
And I do. There is even a fan site that does catch up back stories and Glenda Young does not only an accurate one, but with humor.

This set is well worth the having for any Corrie fan.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Just For Corey St. Addicts..., October 25, 2005

By 

L. Simpson "LJ Simpson 'print addict" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Is Coronation Street (DVD)

This was purchased as a gift for a true-blue fan; however, it also captured the attention of our college aged daughter. It is truly like studying a tribe that no longer exists, the working class society of the past in Britain. Very well done, not a fanzine at all, but a true study of the life and times of those who lived in Great Britain in the early '60's.