A short walk up from the square was a recreation of one of the most famous boozers in history, Corrie’s Rovers Return, where you could nip in for a pint of Snakebite before you went on the tour. The revised plans see the celebrated studios 02, 06, 08 and 12 retained and refurbished to provide a unique suite of multi-functional filming, production and studio facilities. [20] A site on Quay Street in Manchester city centre owned by Manchester City Council was bought for £82,000. Sort of, anyway. Product ID: 2780896 / SCAN-IND-02780896. This is now a marketing suite for the St. John's complex. Community See All. When most people think of Granada Studios Tour nowadays they instantly think of the ability to walk down Coronation Street, and it was indeed the attraction’s most popular section when it was open. [5], and were previously home to the world's longest-running serial drama, Coronation Street - as well as other long-running shows such as the quiz show University Challenge and the current affairs documentary series World in Action. I’ve not been on the tour itself, but it looks great and I’m sure once this pandemic is out of the way, people will go flocking back to it. Log In . They were removed from the penthouse suite in October 2010. Northern Quarter Manchester, Spinningfields and Manchester City Centre. In fact, the only thing that had changed was that the site was now being used to store all of Coronation Street’s old costumes, including Les Battersby’s old denim jacket, which I slipped on and admired when nobody was looking. [28] The renovation meant programmes such as Mastermind and An Audience with Coronation Street were moved to The Leeds Studios and The London Studios respectively. Find bus tickets from Burnley to Granada Studios Tour. The facilities were equipped to do both recorded and live filming, and were the headquarters for Granada (latterly ITV) between 1956 and 2013. The ‘fake’ Rovers Return where you could buy a pint. Not Now. 465 people follow this. It was built in 1982, replacing a smaller scale set built on some nearby railway sidings which had been used to film the show since 1968, prior to that the show was filmed on a mock-up … Check timetables, and book your tickets with Rome2rio. To the left of you as you entered was and old cinema/theatre, and to the right was the entrance to the ‘Tour’. or. After Granada secured the contract for broadcasting to the North of England on weekdays, the company built a television studio complex while the BBC Manchester and ABC (originally Granada's weekend counterpart) respectively converted a former church/film studio and cinema in the city for television use. Not Now. Granada Studios is no longer at Quay Street. About See All. Book Tickets . Formerly the home of Granada Television and TV shows including Coronation Street, the Quay Street site is now set to be redeveloped into a new cultural quarter for the city, St John’s. [27] One of the four studios would be decommissioned as part of the move,[27] but this plan was postponed as plans for the BBC to move production to Manchester emerged. Talks resumed in January 2010 after a change of management at ITV plc and Granada announced on 16 December 2010 that it would move production and ancillary staff to the Orange Building in the MediaCityUK complex to produce Granada Reports and production of Coronation Street would take place at a facility across the Manchester Ship Canal in Trafford Park on Trafford Wharf. The … 10 Downing Street, and visitors were shown how television is produced, had the opportunity to present a weather forecast and learned about special effects. Details about Granada Studios / Company - Vintage photograph 2780892. The adjacent Bonded Warehouse was used for many years as offices and television production facilities. Italics denote building under construction, Television studio complex in Manchester, England, UK national newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals, Reopening as All Studios / Enterprise City / Old Granada Studios, "Didsbury Gin's winning Dragons' Den pitch was nearly a disaster", "Granada's historic studios will produce entertainment shows again", "Plan to preserve Coronation Street's famous cobbles", "Plan to demolish old Coronation Street set submitted to council", "Manchester City Council – ITV /Quay St Regeneration Framework", "Bernstein – genial tyrant of Granada: Jeremy Isaacs recalls his former boss and founder of the Granada group, who died at 94", "BBC joins forces with Granada to make TV shows", "North-west business awards: 'We'll keep Granada in Manchester, "New lease of life for Old Granada Studios", "Former Granada Studios to reopen as TV and film space", "A boutique cinema where you can hire a sofa is coming to Manchester", "Goodbye, hello: a new episode for Granada's famous studios", "New Order and Pet Shop Boys postpone US co-headline tour", "Smooth operator: New Manchester City executive John Williams in profile", "3SixtyMedia Studios – Technical Specification", 3Sixty Media - Owners of The Manchester Studios, YouTube video - Granada Reports bids farewell to Quay Street, Transdiffusion Studio One - Article on BBC Television Centre which includes some information about construction of Quay Street, 1830 warehouse, Liverpool Road railway station, List of semi-national / regional analogue and digital radio stations, Edinburgh International Television Festival, Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Granada_Studios&oldid=1009902453, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The Manchester Studios Granada (1956–1971), Allied London and Manchester City Council, This page was last edited on 2 March 2021, at 21:36. Old Granada Studios – located in the heart of Manchester City Centre – is a platform for creativity, innovation and urban exploration. 2018 also saw a brand-new extension with the addition of a Victoria Street set, which features a garden and a memorial bench paying tribute to the Manchester Arena bombing 22 victims, including Coronation Street super fan Martyn Hett. It was used for drama productions and late-night ITV Play programming. It was seriously brilliant, and I still think about it to this day when I watch the film. [7] The studio space also hosts events and has hosted concerts. See more of Old Granada Studios on Facebook. oldgranadastudios.com. PERSONAL GIFT. [10], Allied London's initial plans for the site involved transforming the studios into residential space. About See all. The site of the Old Granada Studios As the first purpose-built television studio to open in the UK, Granada Studios on Quay Street in Manchester started broadcasting in May 1956. or. [18][19] One site was identified by Hammans in Leeds and three were found in Manchester which convinced Bernstein to explore further. However, as stuff happened on screen, the seat would move and jolt and generally throw you all around the place while Ripley was kicking the shit out of some alien on screen. The Granada Studios in Manchester were once the headquarters of north west broadcaster … The Breeze Gardens Studio was located in the garden, south of the tower, and is 477m² and was used for interview based programmes or press shoots. The Granada Studios Tour was the result of reaching deep into someone’s brain, dragging out a load of mad ideas and then throwing a ton of money at it. Find the travel option that best suits you. Well, they absolutely smashed that with over 600,000 in the first 8 months alone. Save. Sights & Landmarks, Historic Sites. Review Highlights “Good day out” Visited with the family, easy to find. Attraction. [21] Bernstein was believed to have some architectural knowledge despite no experience or formal training,[21] and was referred to as a "genial tyrant" by Granada producer Jeremy Isaacs for his influence in many decisions at Granada. For 3 million quid he had it transformed into an old 1930’s cinema, complete with golden staircases and massive curtained screen. I don't know whether it is possible to visit - if so, it may be by appointment. He was interested in developing the derelict and un-used land around the Granada Studios complex, so he proposed to create a ‘Hollywood-on-the-Irwell‘, bringing in crowds of people who were eager to see behind-the-scenes of some of television’s biggest shows. oldgranadastudios.com. www.bittertwisted.co.uk. Old Granada Studios (also known as Manchester Studios, Granada Studios or Granadaland) is a television studio complex and events venue on Quay Street in Manchester with the facility to broadcast live and recorded television programmes. Not Now. In the meantime, though, let’s just sit down and remember the old Granada Studios Tour for what it was. Granada Studios (also known as Quay Street Studios or the Manchester Studios or Granadaland) were television studios on Quay Street in Manchester with the facility to broadcast live and recorded programmes. DC Construction and Development. Book now and pay later with Expedia. After a decade at the top, with visitor numbers quickly dwindling, the tour was seen as a loss-making enterprise and closed for good. The exclusive shows were shite, and a deal made with the Football League to show footy matches on it ultimately ended up costing the company dearly – forcing it to enter into administration in 2002. Log In . This included the Coronation Street building and the Granada House building. Quay Street, Manchester M60 9EA, England. Nevertheless, it was the first roller-coaster of its type in the world.[43]. Although such theme parks based on television and film had been successful in the United States, the idea of such a scheme was unprecedented for a British television company. Despite its iconic status, Granada House has been described as a "1960s nightmare" by staff.[31]. The discussions continued for many years but in March 2009, Granada reported that due to the poor financial climate, it would remain at Quay Street "for the foreseeable future". See more of Old Granada Studios on Facebook. These included warehouses on the opposite side of Water Street, the buildings between Quay Street and New Quay Street and the old school premises directly opposite the tower block. When you first went through the gates you were greeted with a ‘re-production’ of Times Square which was home to a few American cars, most noticeably some police cars, yellow taxis and at one point I definitely remember a small ice skating rink in the middle of this square too. You got to walk through the backlot of many of Granada’s biggest shows, catching a glimpse of Matthew Kelly in his waistcoat presenting Stars in their Eyes, and even walking down a full-scale replica of a Victorian Baker Street, used extensively for the Sherlock Holmes TV series. [20] Forman wrote that Tubbs looked "sometimes enthusiastic, sometimes disconsolate"[20] during Bernstein's lecture briefings. A place rich in heritage and culture, the Old Granada Studios building has been designed to support the production of ambitious and inspiring art, culture and enterprise across Manchester and the North West. The studios were formerly the headquarters of Granada Television and later ITV Granada from 1956 to 2013. Restaurants near Granada Studios: (0.15 km) Tattu (0.06 km) Great John Street Hotel (0.19 km) 20 Stories Restaurant (0.16 km) itsu (0.18 km) The Victoria and Albert Restaurant; View all restaurants near Granada Studios on Tripadvisor $ There a just a few of us doing this because Manchester is the city we love. Searchlight Special: The Divided Union 1960, Granada T.V. Who is your father’s sports idol?. Page Transparency See More. After moving to MediaCity in 2013, ITV are still offering up tours of a brand-new Coronation Street set, one that has been built to a greater scale than the original Granada one, as well as adding additional internal details to allow for greater mobility and shots when filming. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of @itvcorrie, let's flashback to my 2014 tour of the old set at Granada Studios. Production would move to Yorkshire Television's Leeds Studios, and other centres including independent facilities. Facebook is showing information to help you better … About See All. Manchester now had a brand-new attraction that was pulling in crowds from all over the UK. The studio complex comprised the original building and office block accessible from Quay Street, with other studios around the complex. Quay Street (4,573.22 mi) Manchester, UK, M60 9. The old reception area became unused. Manchester now had a brand-new attraction that was pulling in crowds from all over the UK. They are of all sorts: entertainment, education, information. The band is scheduled to play at the Old Granada Studios wrap party, Granadaland. Granada's regional headquarters and main studio complex in Manchester was completed in 1961, and covers 15 acres. [15][16]. The cultural hub of St. John’s Old Granada Studios is a true Manchester landmark brimming with heritage and history. Programmes such as John Bishop's Britain, The Chase, Divided, Take Me Out and High Stakes were also recorded in the studios. The idea was pretty simple, but executed really rather badly. The iconic "Granada TV" sign on Manchester skyline, remained in place on the roof and sides of the buildings until September 2010 despite rebranding and the merger between Granada and Carlton. The studios were designed by Ralph Tubbs, but Sidney Bernstein was instrumental in influencing designs and giving regular plan briefings. Granada Studios Tour first opened its doors in July 1988 and estimated visitor figures for the first year stood at around 250,000 people.