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Quay Street studios

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All of the studios in the complex were given even numbers as Granada Chairman Sidney Bernstein felt that this would give an impression that there were many more than actually existed. The Manchester complex eventually had studios 2,4,6,8 and 12 with London hosting Studio 10 in the old Chelsea Palace theatre which opened in 1957 and housed productions where the actors or contributors would not, or could not, travel to Manchester. Future Coronation Street producer Bill Podmore began his Granada career in this studio which hosted programmes such as The Army Game and Chelsea at Nine. The studio closed in the mid-1960s with all production moving to Manchester with the exception, for some years anyway, of the World in Action team who preferred to maintain an editorial distance from their bosses

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All of the studios in the complex were given even numbers as Granada Chairman Sidney Bernstein felt that this would give an impression that there were many more than actually existed. The Manchester complex eventually had studios 2,4,6,8 and 12 with London hosting Studio 10 in the old Chelsea Palace theatre which opened in 1957 and housed productions where the actors or contributors would not, or could not, travel to Manchester. Future Coronation Street producer Bill Podmore began his Granada career in this studio which hosted programmes such as The Army Game and Chelsea at Nine. The studio closed in the mid-1960s with all production moving to Manchester with the exception, for some years anyway, of the World in Action team who preferred to maintain an editorial distance from their bosses in the north. Back in Manchester, the five remaining studios did not all come on line in 1956 but came into use as the Granada Television operation expanded, with Studio 12 opening in 1958 which was for two years the largest television studio in the UK. Along with the expansion of the studios, the overall complex increased its other facilities with the tower block (picture above) opening in 1961. This addition provided purpose-built rehearal rooms and, continuing Bernstein's illusion of size, were named "studios" but with odd numbers. For many years, Coronation Street was allocated Studio 7 which had two side rooms, one of which was a green room for the cast and housed "Dear Quatermass", the ivy plant that had been given as a present by the departing Noel Dyson in September 1961 and which still survives to this day, tended by superstitious actors who believe that if the plant dies, the programme will itself end. The Manchester recording studios' space was as follows: * Studio 2: measuring some 43 x 75 feet, this was the second smallest of the Manchester studios and is famous for hosting the live transmission of Episode 1 of Coronation Street on 9th December 1960. Space for sets was therefore extremely cramped and according to several memories the wall of the set of the Rovers could be almost immediately adjacent to that of the Corner Shop. The erection of the street set in the studio meant that the number of the other sets in that episode would be extremely restricted and even then, the entirety of the terrace couldn’t be shown. This studio was later used for the local news programme Granada Reports and the last transmission of that programme came from this studio on 22nd March 2013. * Studio 4: Dimensions not known - this studio was a small presentation and continuity studio and is best known for being the studio from where The Beatles made their television debut on 17th October 1962 on the regional programme People and Places. It was later converted into a reception area. * Studio 6: measuring some 59 x 75 feet, this was the studio within the main complex that hosted the recording of a majority of Coronation Street episodes from the 1960s to 1990. In later years it was used for the recording of the Jeremy Kyle Show, The Heaven and Earth Show and The Royle Family. * Studio 8: measuring some 69 x 75 feet, this was also a studio that hosted a recording session of many episodes of the programme. Later programmes recorded here included University Challenge, Mastermind, A Question of Sport, Soapstar Superchef and Countdown. * Studio 12: measuring 105 x 75 feet, this large studio was rarely used for the recording of Coronation Street, being more suitable for variety and entertainment shows. As early as 1972 after the success of the filmed series Country Matters, Sidney Bernstein asked if the studio was now a large white elephant to the company but its remained in use until 2011 hosting shows such as Stars in Their Eyes, The Price is Right and Soapstar Superstar. One major connection between this studio and Coronation Street was that it was used to host the annual combined Christmas and anniversary party for Coronation Street actors and production staff in 1970 when H.V. Kershaw wanted to find larger premises to hold the party in and not have to disappoint some people with a lack of invitation which had been the case in previous years.