Tony Warren
Encyclopedia
Anthony McVay Simpson MBE
(born 1937), better known by his stage name
Tony Warren, is an award-winning English television scriptwriter, best known for creating the soap opera
Coronation Street
. He has also been an actor
, has created other television dramas and written critically acclaimed novels.
in his early acting career. As a child, he trained at the Elliott-Clarke theatre school in Liverpool. He became a regular on BBC Radio
Children's Hour
and also acted in many radio plays. During this period he performed with many of the people who were later to become household names through Coronation Street, most notably Violet Carson
and Doris Speed
, who played Ena Sharples
and Annie Walker
respectively. He later appeared on the stage and in several early ITV Plays of the Week.
, who had worked with Warren on Children's Hour, the idea for Florizel Street later changed to Coronation Street
, came to him late one night in 1959 while they were returning to Manchester by train. Shapley recalled:
had decided to broadcast. When the show became a success he continued to write scripts for the series until 1968, after which he moved on to other fields. However, he continued to, sporadically, write scripts until the late-1970s. The fame from creating the series earned him sufficient clout to enable him to become involved in projects on his terms.
Warren has won a number of awards all in relation to devising Coronation Street. He received the Special Achievement Award in Soap at the British Soap Awards 2000 and the National Television landmark award followed in 2005. His most recent accolade was at the Royal Television Society
awards in which he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award. The society also labelled the show as "the most successful television programme in British history". In 1976 Warren was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Warren made a cameo in the 50th anniversary live episode of Coronation Street. He was played by David Dawson
in the BBC drama The Road to Coronation Street
.
In 2008 he was given an honorary degree from Manchester Metropolitan University
"in recognition for his contribution to ground-breaking television and creative writing which has helped put Manchester and Salford on the cultural map".
He is retained by ITV Studios
as consultant to Coronation Street where he keeps a close eye on all aspects of the show.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1937), better known by his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Tony Warren, is an award-winning English television scriptwriter, best known for creating the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. He has also been an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, has created other television dramas and written critically acclaimed novels.
Early life
Warren was born Anthony McVay Simpson, adopting Warren as a stage nameStage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
in his early acting career. As a child, he trained at the Elliott-Clarke theatre school in Liverpool. He became a regular on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
Children's Hour
Children's Hour
Children's Hour—at first: "The Children's Hour", from a verse by Longfellow—was the name of the BBC's principal recreational service for children during the period when radio dominated broadcasting....
and also acted in many radio plays. During this period he performed with many of the people who were later to become household names through Coronation Street, most notably Violet Carson
Violet Carson
Violet Helen Carson OBE was an English actress, best known for playing Ena Sharples, one of the original characters in the British soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life and career:...
and Doris Speed
Doris Speed
Doris Speed, MBE was an English actress, best known for her role as snooty Rovers Return landlady Annie Walker on Coronation Street, a role she played from 1960 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
, who played Ena Sharples
Ena Sharples
Ena Sharples is one of the original characters from the British soap opera Coronation Street, and was played by Violet Carson.-Development:...
and Annie Walker
Annie Walker
Anne "Annie" Walker is a long-standing fictional character in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She was played by actress Doris Speed from the series' first episode in 1960 until Speed retired from the role 23 years and 1,746 episodes later in 1983.The character of Annie has been noted as...
respectively. He later appeared on the stage and in several early ITV Plays of the Week.
Florizel Street / Coronation Street
According to BBC producer Olive ShapleyOlive Shapley
Olive Mary Shapley was a British radio producer and broadcaster.As an undergraduate at St Hugh's College, Oxford from 1929 she soon met her lifelong friend Barbara Betts, the future Labour politician Barbara Castle; the two women spent their holidays together, and unlike Betts Shapley was briefly...
, who had worked with Warren on Children's Hour, the idea for Florizel Street later changed to Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, came to him late one night in 1959 while they were returning to Manchester by train. Shapley recalled:
"At about Crewe, after a long period of silence, Tony suddenly woke me up saying, 'Olive, I've got this wonderful idea for a television series. I can see a little back street in Salford, with a pub at one end and a shop at the other, and all the lives of the people there, just ordinary things and ...' I looked at him blearily and said 'Oh. Tony, how boring! Go back to sleep.' ... Tony has never let me forget my error of judgement."Anticipating a short run for the series, Warren contributed all 13 episodes of the serial that Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
had decided to broadcast. When the show became a success he continued to write scripts for the series until 1968, after which he moved on to other fields. However, he continued to, sporadically, write scripts until the late-1970s. The fame from creating the series earned him sufficient clout to enable him to become involved in projects on his terms.
Warren has won a number of awards all in relation to devising Coronation Street. He received the Special Achievement Award in Soap at the British Soap Awards 2000 and the National Television landmark award followed in 2005. His most recent accolade was at the Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
awards in which he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award. The society also labelled the show as "the most successful television programme in British history". In 1976 Warren was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Warren made a cameo in the 50th anniversary live episode of Coronation Street. He was played by David Dawson
David Dawson
David Dawson may refer to:*David Thomas Dawson , American convicted murderer*David Dawson , English actor*David Dawson , , British choreographer*David Dawson , Painter*David Dawson , Canadian poet...
in the BBC drama The Road to Coronation Street
The Road to Coronation Street
The Road to Coronation Street is a British drama first broadcast on BBC Four documenting the journey of Coronation Street, the UK's longest-running television soap opera, from conception to its first transmission in December 1960...
.
Later work
In the 1990s he came back to public attention with a series of critically acclaimed novels, The Lights of Manchester (1991), Foot of the Rainbow (1993), Behind Closed Doors (1995) and Full Steam Ahead (1998).In 2008 he was given an honorary degree from Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
"in recognition for his contribution to ground-breaking television and creative writing which has helped put Manchester and Salford on the cultural map".
He is retained by ITV Studios
ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a television production company owned by the British television network ITV. It not only makes programmes primarily for its parent company, but also for other networks...
as consultant to Coronation Street where he keeps a close eye on all aspects of the show.