On paper, I just couldn't see this working. Never rated Jessie Wallace as an actor, love Lynda Baron but couldn't see her as Violet Carson and Celia Imrie?
So last night, I'm flicking through the channels and found it was about to start, thought I'd watch 5 minutes. Absolutely brilliant, a stellar cast, I thought it was outstanding. And kept doing that 'I'm sure she used to be in it...' thing. I could watch it over easily.
I think it did show though, why I no longer bother watching it, it was the ordinariness that appealed - the same kitchen table we had, Elsie wearing the same blouse from M&S that my Mum wore, the same turns of phrase, the characters that were familiar because they're real. I've not watched Corrie for about 10 years now because it'd lost all of this and far more.
ETA: Just realised that Tony Warren was played by the actor who is Byron in 'Diary of a Call girl' didn't recognise him at all but loved him in both.