Streets ahead

HARD to believe, but we've been visiting the cobbled streets of Weatherfield since the Sixties now. Yes, Coronation Street is 40-years-old.

Last week, Corrie fans celebrated the anniversary by watching the first live episode since 1961. But why was it necessary to make a live episode of the hit show

Technology has moved onto the point where soaps,such as Corrie, never need be recorded live again. Why turn the clock back

Did you watch it Was it worth it

The truth is that however many bomb alerts and shop sieges EastEnders and Coronation Street throw at us, soap ratings have remained fairly static for the past three years. To boost audiences the television companies have started to launch new dynamite at reluctant viewers in the form of live broadcasts. But, is this just a silly stunt and did it work

Millions of people tuned in - the National Grid reported a 650-megawatt surge during breaks as the nation made itself a cuppa. The prospect of seeing people fluffing their lines, the set collapsing or local children letting off fireworks during a live outside broadcast proved too great for most.

But, to the disappointment of many, nothing exciting happened, apart from a policeman saying 'the string' instead of 'the street'.

Could you tell the difference Did Natalie look more tense or Jack less like Jack

Perhaps the only people really at ease were the cameo celebrities, Prince Charles and Noddy Holder. Well, all Charles had to do was shake hands and not fall over, and Noddy Holder just had to arrive in a taxi, covered in tinsel.

Is that about as good as it gets for live soap Does live TV make actors nervy; do they gabble their lines because they know they're likely to die at any moment

Maybe live broadcasts are better off sticking to what they know best. Do we expect gaffes and guffaws during the Olympics or Wimbledon

What do you think Did the Corrie experiment work and do we want more Click here to join in this discussion.