The UK’s Strange Abandoned Universal Studios: The History Of Granada Studios Tour Theme Park
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- Опубліковано 7 кві 2022
- Join us on a new Expedition as we look at the abandoned history of Granada Studios Tour. This Manchester theme park was inspired by Universal Studios Hollywood and was the first tour attraction outside of North America to take guests into the world of TV and Movies and the real sets of Coronation Street. After many major additions over the years, including RoboCop the Ride and Aliens: The Ride it closed after just over a decade before being left abandoned.
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Please check out the original full videos below.
Credits -
Marni1971 - • Granada Studios Tour 1...
Kevin Mullarkey - • Granada Studios Tour 1992
Malcolm Drew - • Granada Studios Tour 1...
VHS Video Vault - www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-VXC...
JCRoweCwll - • Coronation Street and ...
Bobthefurby - • Bob's Granada Studio Tour
Phil auld - • PART2/CHRISTMAS1988.PH...
Nostalgasm - • Granada Studios Tour J...
Geekster - • Video
Colin Prosser - • Granada Studios Corona...
Big Al - • Special Granada TV Stu...
Arfer - • Granada TV Studios in ...
Alan Benns - • Making of Sooty
CMPG2909 - • GRANADA STUDIO TOUR 1995
Shaun Abbott - • Coronation Street Set ...
David Taylor - • Coronation Street The ...
ByJosh - • 24HRS AT THE ABANDONED...
Britain’s Decays - • URBEX UK: Abandoned O...
Thumbnail photo by - Paul Donoghue - Розваги
What Expedition Extinct would you like to see next? Let me know and I will choose one!
I think it's still there so wouldn't be for an extinct but did you ever visit the Eureka science museum? That place is so nostalgic for me so many memories there!
Thank you for making this documentary. Visited as a child and wish it was still around.
Frontier Land, Morcambe Bay.
Log Jammer at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It was an original and then it was gone. No fanefare from the park or anything. I couldn’t find any reasons either. I had good memories of it.
In San Francisco was a place called PlayLand at the Beach. It’s been gone since the early 70’s. I went there at maybe 5-6 years old. I think you would love the history of it.
Speaking as someone who went there, multiple times, the one thing that was missed out of this video was the OFFICIAL Post Office, that u could sent a letter or postcard from, that would feature the post stamp of "Weatherfield" that was the fictional area that Coronation Street was in.
Oh yeah I forgot about that!
@@ExpeditionThemePark ha ha, I remembered something correctly!! My family is from Manchester, so used to do the studios tour loads, was always a good day out.
Was there a doll's House with a giant cat that came through the roof, or did I imagine that.
@@jamesmason3348 I'm pretty sure that was in The Borrowers section, where everything was giant furniture and stuff.
@@jamesmason3348 yeap! The Borrowers!
I remember going on the Granada TV studio tour, my family went on the robocop ride and we saw a sooty show. It was really underrated
I agree!
Do you remember the escaped alien ride? That lighting freaked me out as a kid.
@@samuelpoulston2964 there were some epic hydraulic leaks on that ride over the years back stage 😁. In the late 90s it was soooo rough!
@@martingibbons2488 Yeah it was very bumpy haha. Did it have like a holograph at the end when you finally see the alien? That was the bit that sicks in my mind.
Loved sooty, remember almost passing myself laughing when I was younger. Sweep makes me roll laughing even now in my mid 40s
Seeing that Granada logo makes me feel so old and takes me back to my Grandma and Grandads front room on a Friday night (we watched the local news on the BBC they ITV).
Yeah I totally get that Kat. Where I was from it was Central but when I visited my Aunt it was Granada. Sat with my cousins on school holidays watching kids telly. Really takes me back too.
My mum has a recording on a VHS tape of her, my elder sister and my grandma at the studios in 1993, dancing outside with a costumed Sooty and O.B. and this random guy was MC'ing it all. Seemed like a great trip.
Good times!
It confused me as a kid but now that Im older its super interesting
What they did in such a small space and a modest budget was quite remarkable but I think the constraints of both would have led to it being ended sometime, even without the financial troubles of the late 1990s. Plus the production demand on the Coronation Street set from the extra episodes would have needed more space and weekdays as well. The current set can on!y be visited on the weekends by prior booking. Good while it lasted though.
It was a lot in a small space!
Defo, loved the UFO Zone ride, wish there was a recording of what the ride was.
All I could think of was " OMG that Dr. House!" After watching the intro commercial 🤣
I went on a coach trip there post Skytrack addition (it wasnt working). I realise now how much it was probably on the downslide already at the time, as much of the theatricality of the tour was absent, no people in character, or studio insight, just a limp walk through a couple of sets, then being dropped off in the central area whith an opportunity to spend money in restaurants or visit shows and attractions at your own pace.
I never could’ve imagined a House of Commons attraction would be appealing, but… it looked fun. Oh and young Hugh Laurie yes please
Ahah right?!
i did that on one of the tours ..tbh i didn't find it that great but then again I'm not one for standing up in public and speaking, etc as when I went you were split into 2 sides of the commons and had to argue / debate on something was interesting but i wouldn't have called it fun BUT each to thier own as they say! 😉
Youngish, lol, he was probably in his 40's in the ad?
@@yakacm 30s
He looked like such a baby! But man he’s aged well.
Them tearing down and abandoning the old set pisses me off so much! So few attractions are themed after real places now! Disney tore down it's NY street and studio tour, the one in Paris is now ruined by CARS.
My friend used to work as a cook at GST and thus at the time...I had a lot of free tickets to this place. I remember it really well. Great video...and can I just say...the research editing and presentation in this and all your other videos are absolutely brilliant. Big respect. Snow.
Thank you
It was really cool seeing the "Real" Coronation Street. When I visited they were still filming on the set. It was amazing how you couldn't really feel the scale change. A true gem, and for any Coronation Street fan of my age or older, it was an absolute visit to the Stars! Also, Manchester is such a great city, with really friendly people, shitty weather, an amazing Art scene, drama and dance, off the scale, and its got soul, something the millionaires, and oligarchs have sucked out of London. The Tour may have gone, but the World already knows something about Manchester, the thing to do, is go there and see for yourselves!
I used to love this place! Especially the alien ride. When the old abandoned Corrie set was there you could see it from some of the back windows at MOSI, I always made a point of going looking for it.
I would too
Only thing left to indicate Coronation Street was ever there is the painted arches on the side of the building Crystal Maze is now in. I'm kind of sad Granada relocated to Media City, but it made sense to make a new set. Granada Studio was incredible. And Similar, if you got the steam train ride at MOSI you could get a good view into the park, happy days
This brought back a lot of memories. I used to work in the diner which became a Burger King in the last couple of years before it all closed. Loved being able to wander around the place, riding the Motion Master, UFO Zone, and spending way too much time on the internet in Futurevision. One of the highlights though was having our staff Christmas party on the Baker Street set! Happy times and memories.
Grananda Studios Tour is a great and underrated theme park during that time. So sad it was closed in 1999. But it will forever be remembered in our hearts! Great Video! 👍👍👍👍
Thank you!
Friend, your reviews on UK attractions and parks make me want to plan a trip across the pond not for the history and culture of Britain, But for the amusement park life! Great review!
Thanks so much!
Loved this place in the 90s , every attraction inside was free after the initial door fee, the food was really nice and tasty , the staff and actors were fantastic , 5.50 was in the reach of people on benefits to go out for the day , so many cool things to see there , 3D laser cinema with music by U2 , an alien cinema ride complete with cold steam being jetted at you , etc , I could go on , the coronation street bit was the boring bit for me as I could not give a shit about the show , the rest of it was incredible , being stopped by German soldiers at checkpoint Charlie was a highlight . So sad it closed down, it was the jewel of Manchester
I went to the Granada Studios Tour in about 1991. This stirred up so many memories. Thank you. 😊
I've subscribed, this was extremely well done. Seeing those studios, you can't help but feel nostalgic. There is something quintessentially British about this!!
Interesting to think that UK TV started as this London-centric thing and now MediaCity is the hub of a huge chunk of it. Great area too, although I doubt there'll ever be a rollercoaster out that way.
Yeah a huge change over the years!
Another video studded with memories. I went twice as a kid. Things that stood out - the motion master was worth the admission alone. Also the American set was my favourite as well as one of the best gift/joke shops my little child mind he ever been in. Plus my mum being a huge fan of Corrie helped.
I loved the American set!
I have a photo of me and my dad standing outside the Coronation st pub whilst on this tour when I was about 5 years old! Happy memories! Thanks for covering this.
I also remember seeing a magic show there.
Yesss been waiting for this! Thanks for the brilliant vid mate!
Thank you!
Talk about timing. I’ve spent the past week watching old episodes of Corrie, then this video pops up! 😂
It’s like I knew!
Thanks for covering this! I went loads as a kid, and was there serving coffees when the street re-opened for the last time
We loved this place Sam, I never got to ride the coaster but starting to Visit Orlando made Granada seem a little dull but we did visit the Street when it reopened and absolutely loved it. Great video and research as always, thanks for bringing back the memories yet again.
Great watch, big fan of the due diligence made with research and in depth background to the origin story of the attraction.
Thank you. I was worried it was too much not about the park so I appreciate that
@@ExpeditionThemePark I find all the extra information interesting, especially as it’s an attraction not many people knew about/got to experience.
Another brilliantly made and interesting video, your work is really great I enjoy your videos alot mate. Also this brought back some real memories of the one time I visited here when I was a child.
Lucky to have been one who visited in primary school in the 90s. I remember meeting Ken Barlow as one of the surprise celebs in the indoor sets, I think it was his livingroom.
great times in my life thanks so much for the upload xx
Really great video can tell how much research has gone into it too.
That one really took me back to the 90's! Excellent vid as always
Thank you Jake
Living in greater manchester, i went to this once or twice as a kid.. The tour incl a room with a ghost... always freeked me out!! Remember seeing the corrie indoor sets. Great vid Sam.
This was an amazing place. Great memories of it, great video thank you
Thankyou so much for this one. Had Many a school trip to Granada studios. So many cool childhood memories
Nice! My parents are on vacation in England right now and maybe they'll pass by the site where the studio park used to be! hope to see you on the next expedition, can't wait to see what you've got in store for us thrill-seekers! (hopefully something on Luxor hotel or similar from Las Vegas)
Possible if they are in Manchester!
Sadly it's been knocked down and redeveloped
@@jameslawton2528 darn shame
We went a few times when visiting the fine city of Manchester. It was a wonderful day out that , as you say , developed year in year . A shame it closed down .
A fantastic video that rekindled old memories.
So much UK content. Thank you expedition
Thank you!
Treat on the Street was a great thing that they did in the early noughties. To have all the studios become bars and dance areas for the Manchester Pride was amazing. Was very surreal to be drinking and dancing on the cobbles of coronation street, or in the Baker Street set. We were sad to see it close as it was truly unique
This was really interesting, thanks - can’t believe I’d never heard of it! 😊
I really enjoyed this video, I grew up in the Manchester area and even though I never went to this, It is still a massively important part of my home history
Thank you for watching!
What a wonderfully researched and excellently presented video 👍👍
I visited twice, once in the late 80’s/early 90’s (I think) then just before it closed. The sky ride wasn’t working on either visit and I don’t recall a team working.
It was a decent day out but wasn’t not at all busy on either visit. The highlight was getting chased by an East German border guard!
As a contrast, I went on a tour of the new Coronation Street nearing the end of the construction. It was really noticeable, all those years later, how different the full sized new set looked than the old scaled down one.
i remember going there when it first opened , thankyou so much for sharing
Until watching this episode I didn't realise Grenada studios was there for such a short time, I remember going when I was in school and I went again 2 more times, I have fond memories or the place and it is sadly missed.
You do excellent work and go into fantastic detail, I enjoy your videos (especially the UK based) thank you and please keep up the great work!
14:50 Great Scotland Yard. It's Sooty And Co. I've Used To Love Watching Sooty And Co When I Was A Kid And Since Then I'm A Huge Sooty Fanatic. Thanks A Lot Expedition Theme Park Mate. X
Fascinating piece of history- thank you!
How come you don't have 100 million subscribers? The quality and uniqueness of these videos are off the charts, and your knowledge and research are unprecedented. Thank you.
A very entertaining video. Thank you!
Outstanding video as always! I went here in roughly 1999 (based on your video it must have been as I rode the solo coaster ride).
My memories: first and foremost, one of the most fun days I had in my life, what an awesome attraction for the uk (obviously didn’t think that last part at the time, I was 13 lol, but do remember having the best time!).
Standouts were the Robocop 4d cinema ride, the Downing Street set where I’m pretty sure they showed you how rain machines worked? (You will know better than me from your research, but definitely a rain machine example in there somewhere).
The giant set that I could have sworn was the borrowers from memory, but your video says otherwise (again, I believe you over my memory from 23 years ago, unless it changed in later years of course).
The set of This Morning where I got to sit down and present the show for my tour group for a couple mins (never been adverse to being centre of attention haha).
Coronation street was fine, but my mam and Dad were really into it so they loved that bit.
The blue screen in the cafe with Gayle and Co, I still have that video at my mams, watching this is making me want to dig it out and upload it to UA-cam, that was fun.
Honestly, up to that point, probably the best day out I ever had. Even 10 years later when I eventually went to universal studios, for all studios was far superior, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Granada Studios, making comparisons to t2 and Robocop for example.
So disappointed this attraction ultimately failed, I would love to take my kids there. Florida is out of budget in the school holidays!
Great video, really enjoyed it, brought back loads of memories of a great day
Great video, I remember visiting the tour in the late 90s, I remember the motion ride and check point charlie, downing street etc. I also got to go in 2014 and saw the old Coronation Street set one last time.
Ah that’s awesome!
Oh wow I grew up in Manchester and went there when I was a kid. Aw you unlocked a memory. Thanks 😊
I have never seen any of these shows but man, this looks like it was the best thing ever.
Wowzers! This place must have great, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia watching this, turns out I visited at about 3 yrs old, must have been a crazy experience if a 3 yr old can recall it 😬
Wow, this really was a trip down memory lane. I think I probably went 4 times overall and have some photos but no video. Some parts I'd totally forgotten too! And yes, on my last visit Skytrak was open so I got to go on that a few times, was really impressed with it at the time.
Great Video, i work in the bonded warehouse now we have a radio station there and next door is also the home of the crystal maze attraction, so the site is still being made good use of. also we had our radio station in the old granada studio for a couple years before moving to the bonded warehouse. although the site was shut to the public it was still being used for media production and still to this day!
Great job as always Sam.
I went there with school in the 1990s when studying GCSE Drama, we spent a full day there, doing the “tour” in the morning then spending a few hours on the Baker St set to do some lessons on melodrama and historic acting styles. It was a fantastic place to visit, even if you weren’t a fan of Coronation Street, visiting the actual set (as it was at that time) was a great honour to just be able to step onto the cobbles. It’s a pity it’s no longer open as it was brilliant.
I have very faint memories of going to this. The 'New York' street blew my mind. All I can remember is not being allowed to have any food as the prices were high, going in the 'house of commons' and the speaker picking on my dad for being bald and 'meeting' the actor who played Percy Sugden on coronation street who, even at my young age, made it obvious he didn't want to bet there.
Wow. This takes me back.went about 4 times. Great memories
I've been waiting ages for this one!
Hope you enjoy
@@ExpeditionThemePark yeah mate fantastic! I have a vivid...sort of single frame memory of the Alien ride from when I was maybe 5/6. Must have been scary haha
@@02proctera2 What other clear memories do you have on that day?
Came for the extinct theme park history, stayed for the really interesting British broadcasting history.
Ahah thanks
I went here in the later days of its life, still loved it. This was a part of growing up in the north west. Blackpool, North Wales coast, Camelot and Granada Studios Tour. The 4 places everyone had been.
I remember my sister going on a school trip here and talking about the coaster and the alien ride. I was SO jealous and often felt since I'd imagined the place ever existing!
Oh I'm early on one of your videos. I know nothing about the park but that's what makes these videos fun. Learning about places and rides I never knew existed.
Hope you enjoy!
Really enjoyed this revisit, I remember going on a school trip and the one real memory I have is of the sky track ride not working properly!
Used to live in Manchester ifor thirteen years and went there once thank you for the upload brought back memories love from Wales
Amazing video! Loved this place in the 90’s. Nearly 30 years later I work in the Bonded Warehouse and walk past the old cobbles everyday.
That’s awesome! See any remnants?
I loved it in the 80's as well!
Thank you for this video - I was starting to think I'd invented the place in my head!
I went on a school trip and loved it but never heard anything about it again
Loved this place! So glad I got to visit a few times a s a kid.
Great video as always, thank you. I wanted to go here but never did, I remember the advert so clearly! My partner went and we were both saying we think it would have done well today as UK leisure appears to be having a resurgence :) Shame this, Camelot and American Adventure are no more. I also have a video suggestion if thats OK: Pleasure Island/Festival Gardens in Liverpool 🤞
Enjoyed that, thanks.
3:21 Oh my god that's so refreshing to hear instead of some bs philanthropic nonsense or proclaiming how you are better.
Showing you respect the competition and hope you can live up to it, beautiful.
This place was fantastic. Still can't believe Manchester demolished the Coronation Street set. Wish I’d known about this video I have quite a fair bit of footage of the place in the late and early 90s. Great video!
Ahhh dang. It was quite tough looking for footage, had a small amount of my own but not much. Have you got anything of skyTrak?
@@ExpeditionThemePark sadly no SkyTrak it really was short lived! 😄
the set itself needed to be made bigger, as hd tv was coming and the old set was tiny, i remember going there on a school trip
@@jimsmith1998 makes me wonder even more why they couldn’t have just left it and built around the set seeing as it was so small. It would have made for a lovely little heritage sight in the city.
@@adamwillis5013 it was strange where it was located, Is the new media city built on the site now?
Thank you for an excellent video of an excellent and truly magical attraction.
It brought back such incredible memories.
What it didn't show and why would it, as it isn't as obvious, is what other benefits the tour brought to other types of business, not only in the area, but much further afield as well. In my case I went there nearly daily as I ran buses and coaches from Blackpool to there.
Some days there could be four or five "dupes" or extra vehicles fully loaded just for Granada Studios Tour. Some companies even invested in new or upgraded vehicles, just for that one attraction, which is almost unheard-of.
In fact when it closed, which it did very quickly with virtually no warning if I recall correctly, it did effectively virtually shut some transport companies down and certainly made a great impact into their viability.
Many years later I got to ask someone who was one of the tour's board of directors why it shut so quickly.
Whilst I'm sure having to divest some investments to fill the hole that ON digital/ ITV Digital left was a part of it, but the lady told me that as "Corrie" was stepping up the number of episodes and therefore shooting schedules, it simply wasn't able to be open enough when filming didn't require it, to make it sustainable.
Whether that was actually the case, I wouldn't like to say, but it was around then that it did step.up a lot and it was also around then that a lot more investment would have been needed, so maybe it was part of it. Who knows? All I do know is that it was excellent and is very sadly missed, so many thanks for putting this up for me to enjoy.
Cheers.
Ps.I loved the Baker Street "trams" which were fake tramcar bodies mostly built on Ford Transit chassis. The magic of television eh?
I used to work at Granada on Quay Street. Was always a weird place to walk into honestly. This was fun to watch.
Granada studios was fantastic, tbh along with the development at GMex it breathed fresh hope into the city in the late 80s. I had many happy times their on school trips. Your research is also obvious, such as the mention of Belle Vue zoological gardens shows that. Outstanding work fella.
Great video. I absolutely loved Granada Studios. Such a shame it closed. Really was a great place to visit.
I don't know why this video was recommended to me, but I'm so glad it was. I wasn't into many Granada shows but I found this so interesting
Great video.
Good video. Very well researched. Was that Katy Hill?
I always look forward to the Expedition voted for ya brother love the channel
I don't know why I never went to this, but after seeing your video it makes me feel sad that I didn't, because it looked amazing!
This brought back some memories I can tell ya
Really enjoyed watching this. Maybe life is going back on itself as you can again now visit the new Coronation Street and Emmerdale Sets
Great video very informative and interesting
Thank you
Honestly, this place sounded amazing. I bit before my time for sure but it certainly seemingly did the shows justice and the public too. They used such a small bit of space so well.
I went in 1988 both as a visitor to the attraction with family and on another occasion as a photography student in their photography department in the real studios not open to public, the real Coronation street sets etc. Glad I had that insight back then.
It was great. Really inspired me as a child.
I visited during Blair's first campaign, where he shook hundreds of hands on Coronation Street, accompanied by half a dozen of the cast (Vera Duckworth had a heck of a distinctive perfumed lady smell) but funny seeing this video cos I'd always remembered that I'd actually met the two ladies in the caff (Gail and someone whose name I forget), but that must have been a bloody good blue screen to plant a false memory :)
I had the experience of visiting Coronation Street the Tour in August 2014 & 2015.
It was brilliant.
I really didn’t expect to be so emotional watching a theme parks video! 🤣 I lived 50 mins from Manchester so was fortunate to visit GS most years of my childhood and see all the evolution - I remember the simulator film changing, the UFO zone arriving and the sky track arriving (which I rode many times!). We did the tour every time, even when we knew it so well we could probably have presented it too! This place was incredible and would have been now. The live shows were also great! I went with my dad who has now passed away and mainly my great aunt who is very frail now. Incredible memories of my childhood with them. Thanks for a great video x
this jogged some seriously old memories for me!! i barely just remember going, i was still in a pushchair!! all i do remember was the corrie set and the sooty show and thats about it 😅
Wow this brought back some memories. I know it really well behind the scenes as I used to supply techs and the AV systems for rentals and conferences there.
Sadly it went to ruins with many attractions badly run down, out of date and poorly maintained. They took more money for events meaning attractions to the paying public we're not available.
I remember the gladiator ride barely running and then being hastily removed.
Sad they didn't modernise and invest in it.
If you want to know more give me a shout.
Really loved this video. I worked out I must have visited as a kid in 1998, not long before it closed, and was too small to ride the coaster. I remember it seeming mega clunky though!
Definitely heard of this place. The history and experiences heard looked highly interesting.
I went here a bunch of times as a kid and it was brilliant. Fond memories, and really a shame it closed down.
Great Vlog 👍👍👍
I have been to Florida 15 times since 1995 but I remember going to this place first.
I am a train driver based at Liverpool and would go through the town centre of Manchester and I remember the flying coaster being built and not lasting long ha ha 🤣🤣.
I remember the actor Tony Curtis doing the advert for Granada Studios.
I remember going here the year before I first went to Florida and thinking it was rubbish.
There was a replica of parliament and I remember the comedian Peter Kay was one of the actors in the set. He stood out like a saw finger he was so funny. I remember my ex saying he was wasted and later on in the 90s there he was on our TV.
I also remember the UFO ride.
Keep up the good work 👍👍👍👍
I remember going on the Skytrak ride. You had to step on it like climbing onto a ladder, definitely a unique experience!
Apparently the Corrie set is haunted. There was an inside number 9 episide based around it. Its sad to see stuff like this being lost to time :(