They can't use the fronts of Mawdsley Street to film because they don't exist. It is just a flat surface with a couple of doors either end for access if required.

I dont get why they did not build a full row of houses to just use 'Any Street' in the neighbourhood

Absolutely agree with you HM. The move to Salford has been a string of wasted opportunities and constantly playing it safe.

Having some of the houses and businesses as permanent sets on the backlot should've been a key aim of the set move. The corner shop, salon and the Kabin should all have been built into the backlot as permanent and useable sets. It would be great to have people walking straight in and out of these locations, or even just being able to see the street outside while scenes take place inside. We might even see the corner shop used more if the set is permanently there.

I know not many people watch it but the BBC Scotland soap River City has most of its sets built permanently onto the backlot and they look so realistic and generally fantastic. Their convenience store, cafe and charity shop sets are particularly impressive, especially the charity shop which has large glass windows that look out onto the street outside. You can see people walking around and cars passing as scenes take place in the shop, giving a huge sense of realism.

I've not watched River City for some time KK but know exactly what you mean.

Granted there wouldn't be much room between the interior sets/painted backdrops but EastEnders have had people walking past Kathy's Café for many years which does give a 'realistic' impression of a busy London street.

As for Audrey's Salon it looked much better the other week when Maria was looking through the blinds as Freddie turned up on his motorbike.

I wonder where the new street is? Where Bethany was running? or behind the Victoria Court....I still say the gym is ideal for Freshco express

I still say that all of that area is appalling and would much prefer to see it phased out completely

Victoria Street doesnt look too bad now that its wider, I think the builders yard has reached it's sell by date though

I just don't believe in it as a 'street' Pyramidbread, that's my problem. It's such an awkward mishmash of stupid bits and pieces I'd rather see them close it completely and redevelop that corner into something completely new.

I quite like the Edwardian terrace though, hints at what the area used to look like lol.

One thing that drives me insane is the door in the builder's yard to Will's Builders Mechants...

WHO IS WILL?!

Where does the bus go seeing as it's a dead end?

Edwardian? I thin it looks like something that was dreamed up by a few designers in the late 90s (which it was)

I went to the Quay Street set tour and didn't even bother going to Victoria Street, such is my hatred for that part of the set

Nobody knows who Will is haha It's interesting that when Ray Langton returned in 2005 they tried to suggest that it was the same yard that he, Len and Jerry had in the 60s and 70s.

It's what they're labelled as

it's a daft waste of space as it's not even part of the builders yard

Does anyone have an up to date map of the full set (preferably 2d plan style)? I want something to start from that's reasonably accurate in trying to come up with a new design.

the best i found is from ordnance survey

That's a few years out of date though isn't it? They built stuff in since they moved, right?

The only things I can think of at the top of my head is changing the Butchers in the Community Centre and Kevin opening the garage under the Viaduct.

Still some of the angles of the Street in last night's episodes probably wouldn't have taken place over at Quay Street?

I don't think they could have done this stunt at Quay Street, due to the size of the street, probably the first stunt to take advantage of the size of the new set.

Am I right in thinking that's the first time we've seen The Rovers interior from the Street through the windows?

I remember this scene from December 2000 (around 1m30s):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxxeXpk838

But that's the only time I can recall the Street from the backlot Rovers rather than the studio.

yes it is, in the 2000 live ep there was no time for the cast to get into the rovers studio set and back outside again so they filmed inside for that bit only

another time was the 1986 rovers fire where the filmed out from inside, they did similar in devs shop in 2004 after mya torched it.

strangely your link does not work in your post but works in my reposted quote of it.

I've seen old episodes of Coronation Street from the 1970s where characters would open the front door and you could visibly see the painted backdrop.

Shame they tend not to do that anymore.

that is why the doors hang the wrong way, look at the front doors on most houses, they open towards the hall wall to allow easy access into the house, which also means you can see inside or outside.
On the corry houses the doors open away from the hall wall so on the outdoor set, hide the fact that it's a big empty space inside. Or from the inside open towards the camera to block the studio space you would see through the open door way

The majority of doors on terraced houses where I currently live and used to live open the same way as on the Corrie set. So not really the wrong way, it seems to be the right way for terraced house, or at least is for the ones where I'm from.

must have them both ways then.

you see my point how the doors are sent to hide the inside of the outdoor set or the studio outside the indoor sets

I'm glad we're finally getting wider shots of the street lately, this was a good one
http://i.imgur.com/VXQm72J.png