Fifty-two births, 244 deaths, 141 weddings and five 乌鸦传媒� possibly seven 乌鸦传媒� serial killers.
Not the latest statistics for downtown Victoria, but the colourful history of a fictional cobbled street in northern England.
Coronation Street 乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒淐orrie乌鸦传媒� to its legion of fans 乌鸦传媒� has been dishing out drama, scandal and Betty乌鸦传媒檚 Hotpot for 65 years, earning a Guinness World Record as the longest-running television soap opera.
In the U.K., an average of four million Brits tune in three times a week to catch the latest twists and turns in the lives of Weatherfield乌鸦传媒檚 working-class residents.
While across the Atlantic, Canadian audiences are just as loyal, with an average of 532,000 viewers glued to each episode on CBC. It乌鸦传媒檚 also been a fixture in CBC Gem乌鸦传媒檚 top three programs since the streaming service launched in 2018.
But it乌鸦传媒檚 not just on the sofa where Canadian fans get their Corrie fix.
For almost 20 years, the cobbles of Weatherfield have stretched all the way to Canadian stages. Stars of Coronation Street have crossed the Atlantic to tour from Halifax to Vancouver Island, packing theatres and delighting fans in more than 170 shows 乌鸦传媒� selling an estimated 50,000 tickets along the way.
In 2012, Corrie royalty William Roache 乌鸦传媒� suave lothario Ken Barlow since episode one in 1960 and now, at 93, the Guinness World Record holder as the longest-serving television star in a continuous role 乌鸦传媒� toured Canada to a rock star welcome, even meeting then-prime minister Stephen Harper.
That same enthusiasm for the show is still going strong to this day.
Joe Duttine, better known as Tim Metcalfe, brought his northern charm to Sidney乌鸦传媒檚 Mary Winspear Centre and Vancouver's York Theatre in January this year, selling out both venues faster than you can say 乌鸦传媒渁nother pint please, love.乌鸦传媒�
Now, to mark the soap乌鸦传媒檚 65th anniversary, actors Mikey North (Gary Windass) and Ryan Prescott (Ryan Connor) will soon bring a slice of Weatherfield to the west coast, swapping the Rovers Return pub for Victoria乌鸦传媒檚 Vic Theatre on Aug. 23 and Vancouver乌鸦传媒檚 York Theatre on Aug. 24.
On stage, the pair will spill stories and secrets from behind the scenes of the iconic TV soap in a hosted interview, with plenty of laughs 乌鸦传媒� and a chance for folks to ask their own questions.
Among the audience in Victoria will be Central Saanich resident Susan Kargel, who remembers first watching Corrie as a young teenager, back when the drama played out in black and white.
It was the thick Manchester accents, unusual colloquialisms and brash personalities that first pulled Kargel into the world of Coronation Street.
乌鸦传媒淕rowing up in Ottawa, I wasn't exposed to British people 乌鸦传媒� it was like a whole new world, it just fascinated me,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淚t's almost like being able to travel to another part of the world, putting yourself in their living room, their kitchen or pub without leaving your armchair.乌鸦传媒�
Hooked by this glimpse into a 乌鸦传媒渇oreign lifestyle,乌鸦传媒� Kargel quickly became invested in the characters and their stories, which veer from laugh-out-loud ridiculous to unexpectedly poignant.
乌鸦传媒淚 never take it seriously, but I do remember some really tragic storylines that really hit you deep down 乌鸦传媒� maybe something that you could relate to personally, or experiences that your family could relate to,乌鸦传媒� she says.
Now retired and approaching 70, Kargel makes Corrie part of her nightly routine, sometimes joined by husband Rolf, who dips in and out of the show when the mood takes him 乌鸦传媒� under one firm household rule.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e told him he乌鸦传媒檚 not allowed to ask questions until the commercials are on or until the show is over,乌鸦传媒� Kargel says with a laugh.
Recently, the couple jumped at the chance to step onto the cobbles themselves, signing up for the Coronation Street Experience in Manchester, U.K., before embarking on a Scandinavian cruise.
They toured the exterior set, explored replica interiors of Roy乌鸦传媒檚 Rolls and the Rovers Return, and even met Channique Sterling-Brown, who has played Dee-Dee Bailey since 2022.
乌鸦传媒淗onestly, it was pretty cool,乌鸦传媒� said Kargel about her peak behind the scenes.
As for why Corrie continues to resonate in Canada, Kargel thinks it could be tied to the country乌鸦传媒檚 Commonwealth connection to Britain. 乌鸦传媒淥r the fact that we have a lot of Brits here in Canada, or a lot of Canadians who have British relatives,乌鸦传媒� she adds.
乌鸦传媒婬ost of the upcoming Victoria and Vancouver shows Neville MacKay agrees with Kargel乌鸦传媒檚 theory. For him, Coronation Street isn乌鸦传媒檛 just television 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 family history.
Raised in Nova Scotia by a British war bride mother and surrounded by other strong British women, the show was part of the wallpaper of his childhood 乌鸦传媒� Corrie乌鸦传媒檚 instantly recognizable theme tune a signal that it was bedtime.
乌鸦传媒淓veryone watched it,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淎nd those that say they didn乌鸦传媒檛, I call BS, because your mother or grandmother did, and you sat there with them and you watched.乌鸦传媒�
MacKay has been watching for more than 50 years, hooked on its mix of grit, humour and heart. He loves that Corrie keeps older actors front and centre, embraces imperfect looks and has always celebrated strong women.
乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e as common as muck, the bunch of them,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淣one of them are pretentious, most of them as poor as church mice, so there乌鸦传媒檚 no looking up to them 乌鸦传媒� and that乌鸦传媒檚 so refreshing compared to other 乌鸦传媒榞rand乌鸦传媒� shows.乌鸦传媒�
His enthusiasm spills into his work 乌鸦传媒� he has hosted more than 70 fan events in Canada and, for over 15 years, has led tours to northern England, culminating in visits to the show乌鸦传媒檚 set.
His role gives him a unique insight into the Canadian fandom. At theatre shows, it乌鸦传媒檚 clear the Corrie-watching tradition is something that continues to be passed down from one generation to the next.
乌鸦传媒淵ou see people from the womb to the tomb who watch it,乌鸦传媒� quips MacKay, his quick wit reminiscent of Corrie's legendary battleaxe Blanche Hunt, who once told her long-suffering ex-jailbird daughter, 乌鸦传媒淕ood looks are a curse Deirdre 乌鸦传媒� you and Kenneth should count yourselves lucky."
For MacKay, the show乌鸦传媒檚 charm is simple: real people, good humour and the occasional surprise.
乌鸦传媒淵ou never know who乌鸦传媒檚 going to die, cry, get slapped, beaten up or fall in the canal 乌鸦传媒� and that's what keeps you on the edge of your seat.乌鸦传媒�
For Coronation Street stars, nothing quite prepares them for the devotion of Canadian fans.
Actor North suspects Corrie乌鸦传媒檚 enduring Canadian popularity stems from the many British expats who have settled here. But whatever the reason, the reception is always the same 乌鸦传媒� warm and unmistakably Canadian.
乌鸦传媒淭hey're so knowledgeable about the show," he says. "They know more than me, and I'm in the show.乌鸦传媒�
On past visits, North乌鸦传媒檚 been recognized everywhere from Victoria to Vancouver 乌鸦传媒� even invited for an impromptu tour of BC Place ahead of the Women乌鸦传媒檚 World Cup final in 2015.
A lifelong Maple Leafs fan, one career highlight came far from the cobbles 乌鸦传媒� seeing his face on the jumbotron at a game and hearing the arena erupt in cheers.
乌鸦传媒淎nd I'm amazed at that," he says. 乌鸦传媒淭hat's made my career a couple of times. It's amazing for me that we can travel across the pond and people still know who we are.
乌鸦传媒淚 guess that's a testament to the show, that it乌鸦传媒檚 stood the test of time.乌鸦传媒�
Since swaggering onto the street as resident bad boy Gary Windass in 2008, North's alter ego has ticked off nearly every soap trope imaginable. He's been to prison, served in the army, fathered two children, tied the knot with the local widowed hairdresser, killed a loan shark in self-defence, and even sabotaged the roof of a knicker factory, causing more death and destruction on the cobbles 乌鸦传媒� all before turning 40.
But North wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 have it any other way, especially when there乌鸦传媒檚 action involved. 乌鸦传媒淚t's always nice playing a baddy,乌鸦传媒� he says.
乌鸦传媒淭he best part of the job for me is the stunt side of things 乌鸦传媒� fight scenes, gun scenes and car crash scenes and things like that.乌鸦传媒�
The most recent twist saw North乌鸦传媒檚 character left in a coma by a mystery attacker, which at first sounded like the easiest acting gig in soap history.
乌鸦传媒淲hen I read the scripts that I was going to be in coma for a few weeks, I thought, 'Great, I can just sleep at work',乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淏ut as I've come to realize, keeping your eyes shut and not have your eyes flicker is really difficult ... we had to redo so many scenes because my eyes were flickering."
Thankfully, Gary survived 乌鸦传媒� for now 乌鸦传媒� and North hopes he can keep dodging the Grim Reaper乌鸦传媒檚 all-too-frequent visits to Weatherfield. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 the north of England for you,乌鸦传媒� he jokes.
But North hints that danger may soon be stalking the street乌鸦传媒檚 residents yet again. Marking a first in British soap history, an upcoming storyline will see the world of Coronation Street collide with fellow long-running drama Emmerdale, in a special crossover episode.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know if I'm involved in that yet, but I think there's going to be a lot of deaths, so I'm sort of hoping that I'm not,乌鸦传媒� he says with a hopeful laugh.
For more information about the upcoming 65th anniversary show in Victoria and Vancouver, visit: . Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketscene: .