The name's Street, Coronation Street

(This post was originally posted by Craig Laurenson on the Coronation Street Blog October 2012, reposted to this blog with permission.)

2012 sees the world celebrating 50 years of Britain’s favourite Secret Agent – James Bond. Britain’s favourite Street celebrated the same anniversary just under two years ago, and together the two national institutions have become treasured parts of popular culture over the past half a century. Let’s take a look at the similarities between the two Golden Greats:

To start, both Corrie and 007 have certainly had, ahem, Pussy Galore...

But did you know Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore, Goldfinger) has also popped up on the Corrie cobbles?

40 years after starring alongside Sean Connery’s Bond, Honor appeared as the outrageous Rula Romanoff on our very own Coronation Street, an old friend of Rita’s from her singing days. And she’s not the only actor to have starred in both Bond and Corrie.

Prunella Gee is best remembered by Corrie fans as Maxine Peacock’s ditzy mum, Doreen. But she’s also had the honour of being one of the renowned Bond Girls – in the unofficial James Bond flick, Never Say Never Again.

Joanna Lumley has gone on to have a very successful television career, and in her early days she dabbled in both 007 and Corrie. On the cobbles, she had a brief relationship with our Ken back in 1973 in the role of Elaine Perkins. But four years earlier, she was also one of George Lazenby’s Angels of Death in his solo Bond outing, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Another Angel of Death in OHMSS was actress Angela Scoular, in the role of Ruby Bartlett. She too has popped up on the Street, as Sue Silcock – a brief love interest for Ray Langton in 1972.

So, perhaps we need to consider who on the Street would make a good James Bond, and who would make a good Bond Girl? I think Rita may have missed her calling in life – whilst sunning herself in Majorca, she could have instead given Tiffany Case a run for her money (and Sean Connery’s affections!).

But for the role of 007 himself? We’ve had Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan... but who from Coronation Street could fill these mighty boots? There’s only one answer, really...

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