Corrie resumes filming with a security guard waving his massive pole around

[Fambo Number Mive]

...A scaled-down cast and crew have returned to film new episodes of Britain's most iconic soap - but the Rovers and Roy's Rolls remain closed, with filming focused on "brilliant dialogue being played brilliantly by an extremely talented set of cast".

"What we've done is pushed the writing and pushed the performance to the fore," says Iain MacLeod, series producer.

Actors must do their own make-up and hair, while "Dave the security guard" wields a two-metre pole to ensure the cast respects the social-distancing guidelines while on set.

The soap opera, which has been screened three days a week throughout the lockdown, will continue to focus on key storylines with only passing references to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic

The new episodes will be on screen in July...

Is Coronation Street the most iconic soap? Nice of the BBC to say so given it shows Eastenders.

Love to see Coronation Street with actors having cut their own hair. I presume, given that coronavirus will still be going on in July, there will only be passing references to give people a break from it all.

It would be nice to have a story where a character gets coronavirus and ends up in hospital after not maintaining social distancing rules to encourage people who watch Coronation Street to do so.

I know they did that for hand washing in March.

[Mango Chimes]

That two-metre pole will need to be on the end of another pole, surely.

[Emma Raducanu]

Gail platt looks like she already does her own hair

[Captain Z]

Gail platt looks like she already does her own hair

And sounds like it too!

[Sebastian Cobb]

Is Coronation Street the most iconic soap? Nice of the BBC to say so given it shows Eastenders.

Corrie Started in the 60's whereas Enders has only been going since '85.

[Satchmo Distel]

Corrie is seen as the definitive TV soap even though it wasn't the first one. The term had been around since 1938 in the US but was resisted in the UK (Corrie officially called itself a drama).