Coronation Street slaps cast with bet ban ahead of 50th anniversary live episode

Dec. 6 will mark the 50th anniversary of Coronation Street, the world’s longest running soap opera. The producers like to mark their milestone episodes by arranging something spectacular, but it’s hard to see how they’ll top Prince Charles’ appearance on the 40th anniversary episode. Maybe they’ll have an elephant run roughshod over the Rovers Return (a pachyderm being the only thing with larger ears than His Nibs).

Actually, the producers have reportedly cooked up a spectacular explosion/tram wreck that will leave the Street in more disarray than the alcohol at the post-production party will leave the cast the next morning. Especially since the cast has been ordered not to imbibe in the 24 hours preceding the hour-long live broadcast, lest they flub their lines. They’ve also been told to get plenty of sleep the night before and, oh yeah, no betting.

Re the betting — seems the younger members of the cast wanted to start a £10-per-person pool to see which one of the actors would be the first to blow a line (of dialogue, lest that was unclear). The question now becomes which bookmaker will offer similar props? Of course, without a copy of the advance script, it would be difficult to determine who, if anyone, had screwed up first. In other words, it’s a little more complicated than when Bodog offered those Who Killed Archie Mitchell? Eastenders props earlier this year. Still, where there’s a will, there’s a wahey!

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