Coronation Street has unveiled a brand new addition to their ever-expanding soap universe in the form of Weatherfield Precinct.
The renowned precinct has never been seen on-screen before, but has been mentioned many times by the Coronation Street residents for decades. Now we can finally join our much-loved characters on their daily shopping trips on the fabled precinct.
On Thursday, December 1, cast including Sally Dynevor, Antony Cotton, Jimmi Harkishin, Daniel Brocklebank, Channique Sterling-Brown, Elle Mulvaney, Tanisha Gorey, James Craven and Colson Smith officially opened the Weatherfield Precinct.
The grand opening was the cast's first opportunity to see the finished precinct after nine months of construction and the first scene on the set will be filmed next week and air on January 13.
The two storey construction features a balcony with maisonettes, a staircase leading to the properties and a piazza complete with shops such as a Chinese takeaway, a dessert and milkshake parlour, a charity shop, a pawnbrokers, a bakery and even a pound shop!
The shops will provide a new workplace for the residents as we see Roy Cropper and Evelyn Plummer volunteer their services at the charity shop.
The impressive exterior set has been accurately made to replicate many similar 1960s built shopping precincts across the UK and also has a children's park and play area with swings and a roundabout.
Producer Iain MacLeod said of the new set: “Hats off to our design and construction teams who have conjured a totally convincing new precinct for our drama! They took their inspiration from Salford’s many real-world, late 20th century shopping areas and what they have created is a brilliant, characterful space to tell a diverse range of stories.
"Expect to see teens hanging out at the dessert shop, families enjoying the play area and, after dark, a rogues’ gallery, up to shady business in the ginnels. I am really excited by the arrival on screen of this much discussed but never seen corner of the Weatherfield universe.”
Although we may see Sweety Nuff as the teens new hangout spot, could we also see a soap murder take place by someone getting pushed off the balcony? Especially since there's a new serial killer on the loose.
Actress Tanisha Gorey, who plays Asha Alahan in the soap, told What To Watch that she thinks someone may meet their tragic demise on the new balcony at some point in the future.
"I said when we walked in, 'Whose going to be the first person to get pushed?' Someone is going over it. It's just who? Who is it going to be?" she questioned.
Coronation Street airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 pm on ITV — see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on episodes on ITV Hub.
