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104-600: Granada Studios Tour was an entertainment theme park at the Granada Studios complex in Castlefield , Manchester, England, which operated from 1988 to 1999. The park was in the heart of Manchester city centre adjacent to the Granada House building. The tour attracted over 5 million visitors, but visitor numbers were waning by the late 1990s, and Granada Television sought to prioritise other parts of its business such as

208-572: A 3D film show. Granada Studios Tour had also featured the shop featured in Sooty & Co. One of the country's most famous Wurlitzer organs made regular concert appearances in an "old-style" venue, but following the closure, was sold to Folly Farm in Tenby. In October 1997 Skytrak , the world's first flying roller coaster , opened at the Granada Studios Tour. The ride was named after an event from

312-460: A token ). The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity or popularity. For example, a guest might pay one ticket to ride a carousel but four tickets to ride a roller coaster . The park may allow guests to purchase a pass providing unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park for a specified duration of time. A wristband or pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission. Disneyland opened in 1955 using

416-478: A Small Island . He praises highly the House of Commons show. As the 1990s drew to a close, the theme park gradually fell into neglect and disrepair, and visitor numbers fell. Granada was going through a period of unprecedented change and many of the company's divisions were sold off in the wake of OnDigital 's collapse. The tour complex was seen as a loss-making enterprise and plans were made to close it, unbeknownst to

520-518: A blaze of lights from the "White City." To make sure that the fair was a financial success, the planners included a dedicated amusement concessions area called the Midway Plaisance . Rides from this fair captured the imagination of the visitors and of amusement parks around the world, such as the first steel Ferris wheel , which was found in many other amusement areas, such as the Prater by 1896. Also,

624-450: A carnival atmosphere. In 1952, he created WED Enterprises to design the park, which was now to be built in Anaheim, and in 1953, was able to convince the bankers on funding the park with the help of a studio artist, Herb Ryman, by making an aerial drawing of Disneyland. By July 1954, construction had started with a deadline of one year. Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, and two months after

728-417: A connection with the coincidental death of Sonia Baker ( Shauna Macdonald ), a young researcher for MP Stephen Collins ( David Morrissey ). As their investigation progresses, they uncover not only a connection between the deaths, but a conspiracy with links to oil industry-backed corruption of high-ranking British Government ministers. Despite political and legal pressure, the investigation by Cal McCaffrey and

832-544: A parody of a political debate in the House of Commons chamber set used for First Among Equals . This set was often used by other television productions wanting to set scenes in the Commons chamber, such as The New Statesman , and in 2002 was purchased by the scriptwriter Paul Abbott so that it could be used in his BBC drama serial State of Play . Abbott, himself a former Granada Television staff writer, bought it personally as

936-507: A planning application for "demolition of existing buildings and structures including Stage 1, Coronation Street set and Lot, The Stables and Stage 2 Extension", intending to begin building work in autumn 2016. Consent was granted for the South Village project – a new neighbourhood of workshops, "innovative workspace", independent shops, 60 apartments and green space. As of 2018 the replacement outdoor set for Coronation Street at MediaCityUK

1040-446: A pleasure ride of flying carriages that revolved around a central pylon. Other rides included the 'Grotto' (a fantasy ride), 'River Caves' (a scenic railway ), water chutes and a tobogganing tower. Fire was a constant threat in those days, as much of the construction within the amusement parks of the era was wooden. In 1911, Dreamland was the first Coney Island amusement park to completely burn down; in 1944, Luna Park also burned to

1144-461: A proper theme park. That same year, SeaWorld San Diego opened and displayed many varieties of aquatic and marine life. Initially meant to house Walt Disney's dream idea, EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow), Disney executives decided to settle on building the park first in Walt Disney World and the city later. After six years of construction, Walt Disney World opened to

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1248-548: A second park or risk losing the land to the French government. The park opened March 16, 2002, with only three rides and California Adventure style theming. However, Hong Kong Disneyland was higher quality than the other black sheep, but still lacked the number of attractions that was needed, just like California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park. It opened on September 12, 2005, with only four lands, and had exorbitant wait times on opening day for everything from rides to food. In

1352-622: A sequel, before the first series had even been aired. In 2006, however, a second series appeared to have been abandoned, with Abbott telling Mark Lawson on BBC Radio 4 's Front Row in November that he "couldn't find a way to make the story work". While investigating the murder of fifteen-year-old teenager Kelvin Stagg in what appears to be a drug-related killing, journalist Cal McCaffrey of The Herald ( John Simm ) and his colleagues Della Smith ( Kelly Macdonald ) and Cameron Foster ( Bill Nighy ) find

1456-649: A smaller roller coaster, the Joy Wheel, Miniature Railway, The Whip and the River Caves. A ballroom was constructed on the site of the Skating Rink in 1920 and in 1923 a Variety Cinema was built on the site. Between 1920 and 1935 over £500,000 was invested in the site, constantly adding new rides and facilities and culminating in the construction of the Dreamland Cinema complex in 1934 which stands to this day. Until 2011

1560-782: A source of fantasy and escape from real life. By the early 1900s, hundreds of amusement parks were operating in the United States and Canada. Trolley parks stood outside many cities. Parks like Atlanta's Ponce de Leon and Idora Park, near Youngstown, OH, took passengers to traditionally popular picnic grounds, which by the late 1890s also often included rides like the Giant Swing, Carousel , and Shoot-the-Chutes . These amusement parks were often based on nationally known parks or world's fairs : they had names like Coney Island , White City , Luna Park , or Dreamland . The American Gilded Age was, in fact, amusement parks' Golden Age that reigned until

1664-531: A special Coronation Street scene in the Rovers Return with the main characters, using the chroma key process. Also, a ride named MotionMaster was developed whereby people could watch a short adventure film while being strapped into chairs which moved in synchronisation with the action on the large screen. One such film was based upon the film Aliens , when the squad entered the base in a transporter. Latterly other fairground-style rides were installed, including

1768-461: A standalone attraction next to Disney World (especially now as Disney built one in Disney-MGM). So it divided up the segments of its California tour into individual attractions, such as Jaws , Disaster! , and Kongfrontation . Disney-MGM Studios opened it on May 1, 1989, with two major attractions: The Backlot Tour and The Great Movie Ride. The concept for the park started out as an EPCOT pavilion, but

1872-689: A time when Granada were discussing a move to a smaller location in Trafford Park. In March 2009, it was announced Coronation Street would stay on the Quay Street site "for the foreseeable future". Also, Granada's studios had become the home of shows displaced by the reorganisation of the Yorkshire Television studios in Leeds , including Channel 4 's Countdown . However, following a change of hands at ITV management, talks between ITV and The Peel Group for

1976-434: Is a British television drama series, written by Paul Abbott and directed by David Yates , that was first broadcast on BBC One in 2003. The series tells the story of a newspaper's investigation into the death of a political researcher, and centres on the relationship between the leading journalist, Cal McCaffrey, and his old friend, Stephen Collins, who is a Member of Parliament and the murdered woman's employer. The series

2080-507: Is ace and Paul Abbott's script is outstanding. His ear for dialogue, and for different voices, is exceptional. The exposition is swift, nifty and joyously unclunky. The characters are credible and rounded. If you can count the best dramas of recent years on the fingers of both hands, it's time to grow a new finger." Other newspaper critics were similarly impressed with the opening instalment. In The Times , Paul Hoggart wrote that "Two excellent performances [from Morrissey and Simm] ensure that

2184-601: Is open to the public. Amusement park Amusement parks evolved from European fairs , pleasure gardens , and large picnic areas , which were created for people's recreation . World's fairs and other types of international expositions also influenced the emergence of the amusement park industry. Bakken ("The Hill") in Klampenborg , Denmark, Wurstelprater in Vienna, Austria, and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark are

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2288-512: Is primarily set in London and was produced in-house by the BBC in association with the independent production company Endor Productions. The series stars David Morrissey , John Simm , Kelly Macdonald , Polly Walker , Bill Nighy , and James McAvoy in the main roles. The series was Abbott's first attempt to write a political thriller, and he initially made the majority of the plot up as he went along. He

2392-460: Is the Bartholomew Fair . By the 18th and 19th centuries, they had evolved into places of entertainment for the masses, where the public could view freak shows , acrobatics , conjuring and juggling , take part in competitions and walk through menageries . A wave of innovation in the 1860s and 1870s created mechanical rides, such as the steam-powered carousel (built by Thomas Bradshaw, at

2496-675: Is the world's oldest amusement park, Bakken ("The Hill"), which opened in mainland Europe in 1583. It is located north of Copenhagen in Klampenborg, Denmark . Another early garden was the Vauxhall Gardens , founded in 1661 in London. By the late 18th century, the site had an admission fee for its many attractions. It regularly drew enormous crowds, with its paths often noted for romantic assignations; tightrope walkers, hot air balloon ascents, concerts and fireworks providing amusement. Although

2600-458: Is themed after stories based on the ocean and nautical adventure. It was constructed at a cost of ¥335 billion and opened on September 4, 2001. The park's two signature attractions are a modernized version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Center of The Earth . In the early 90s, Michael Eisner wanted to make Disneyland in the image of Walt Disney World 's resort style. Plans were made for multiple hotels (such as one based on

2704-550: The Gladiators television series, and was the only roller coaster constructed by Skytrak International, a subsidiary of Fairport Engineering. It was a "solo coaster", having only one rider per car which along with a complicated boarding process limited capacity to between 200 and 240 riders per hour. The ride also suffered from reliability issues, and closed in 1998. Bill Bryson visited the Tours and wrote about it in his book Notes from

2808-490: The Aylsham Fair ), and its derivatives, notably from Frederick Savage of King's Lynn , Norfolk whose fairground machinery was exported all over the world; his "galloping horses" innovation is seen in carousels today. This inaugurated the era of the modern funfair ride, as the working classes were increasingly able to spend their surplus wages on entertainment. The second influence was the pleasure garden . An example of this

2912-581: The Blackpool Pleasure Beach ranked among the top free of charge attractions in Britain. Blackpool Pleasure beach was developed continuously, requiring frequent large-scale investments. The construction of many new rides could be counted on. Rides included the Virginia Reel, Whip, Noah's Ark, Big Dipper and Dodgems. In the 1920s the "Casino Building" was built, which remains to this day. In 1923, land

3016-624: The British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his role. The series also won a Peabody Award in 2004 and won BAFTAs for Best Sound (Fiction/Entertainment) and Best Editing (Fiction/Entertainment) . It was nominated, but did not win, in the Best Actor category again, for Morrissey; in the Best Drama Serial category; Best Original Television Music and Best Photography and Lighting . It also won major awards from

3120-939: The Disneyland Resort and Universal Orlando Resort to thrilling coaster parks such as the Six Flags parks and Cedar Fair parks. Countless smaller ventures exist across the United States and around the world. Simpler theme parks directly aimed at smaller children have also emerged, such as Legoland . Examples of amusement parks in shopping malls exist in West Edmonton Mall , Pier 39 and Mall of America . Family fun parks starting as miniature golf courses have begun to grow to include batting cages, go-karts, bumper cars, bumper boats and water slides. Some of these parks have grown to include even roller coasters, and traditional amusement parks now also have these competition areas in addition to their thrill rides. In 2015, theme parks in

3224-635: The Grand Floridian Hotel ) and a new west coast version of EPCOT , called WESTCOT. WESTCOT never came to be due to local opposition from residents, rising costs, and the financial fallout of Disneyland Paris. After a corporate retreat in Colorado, Disney executives decided to make a park themed to California so that guests could experience all of California within the confines of the Disneyland Resort and would be built across from Disneyland on its 100-acre parking lot. Disney's California Adventure would be

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3328-591: The ONdigital service (which, under the name ITV Digital , soon failed). As a result, the Granada Studios Tour closed to the public in 1999, and for good in 2001. The Coronation Street set – part of the original theme park – was temporarily reopened to the public in April 2014 for a six-month period, and its popularity meant it stayed open until December 2015. The park was the brainchild of Granada Television producer David Plowright , who had long been interested in developing

3432-537: The Royal Television Society , Banff Television Festival , Broadcasting Press Guild , Cologne Conference , Directors Guild of Great Britain , Edgar Awards , and the Monte Carlo TV Festival . State of Play was adapted into an Americanized feature film that was released in the United States in April 2009. The plot retained substantial similarities to the original six-hour series, retaining

3536-671: The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks also offer educational experiences, with each of the parks housing several thousand animals, fish and other sea life in dozens of attractions and exhibits focusing on animal education. Created in 1977, the Puy du Fou is a much-celebrated theme park in Vendée , France. It is centered around European, French and local history. It received several international prizes. Some theme parks did evolve from more traditional amusement park enterprises, such as Knott's Berry Farm . In

3640-655: The 1870s along the Connecticut River . The trick was getting the public to the seaside or resort location. For Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, on the Atlantic Ocean, a horse-drawn streetcar line brought pleasure seekers to the beach beginning in 1829. In 1875, a million passengers rode the Coney Island Railroad , and in 1876 two million visited Coney Island. Hotels and amusements were built to accommodate both

3744-474: The 1920s, Walter Knott and his family sold berries from a roadside stand, which grew to include a restaurant serving fried chicken dinners. Within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter Knott built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from real old west towns such as the Calico, California , ghost town and Prescott, Arizona . In 1968,

3848-449: The Casino building to name a few. The Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II during the 1940s saw the decline of the amusement park industry. War caused the affluent urban population to move to the suburbs, television became a source of entertainment, and families went to amusement parks less often. By the 1950s, factors such as urban decay , crime , and even desegregation in

3952-518: The Dark Arts class with one shop and one restaurant in the former submarine lagoon at Magic Kingdom. She was also displeased with the lack of creative control she had and exited the deal. She went to Universal next and was also displeased with the initial plan to redress the Islands of Adventure's Lost Continent area. To remedy this, J.K Rowling wrestled creative control from Universal and forced them to make

4056-525: The Golden Age of roller coasters, being the decade of frenetic building for these rides. In England, Dreamland Margate opened in 1880 with Frederick Savage's carousel the first amusement ride installed. In 1920 the Scenic Railway rollercoaster opened to the public with great success, carrying half a million passengers in its first year. The park also installed other rides common to the time including

4160-568: The Granada Television hierarchy, such as John Williams and commercial director Chris Mather, which managed to convince Granada Group to invest in the park. A key part of the tour would be for visitors to walk down Coronation Street , but the Tour would also include the former bonded warehouse adjacent to the main Granada House building. Plowright ordered the renovation of the Victorian warehouse for

4264-494: The Herald team begins to bear fruit, in particular thanks to information from an executive at U-EX, who subsequently takes his own life. After the revelation concerning Sonia, Collins decides to help the journalist by revealing everything he knows, preferring to refuse a post of minister after realizing that the leaders of the party were aware of Sonia's activities. But following an involuntary revelation from Collins, McCaffrey understands

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4368-503: The Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became a theme park. Because of its long history, Knott's Berry Farm currently claims to be "America's First Theme Park." Knott's Berry Farm is now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, may be the true oldest continuously operating amusement park in

4472-572: The North West and nationally. The application included the Coronation Street set and Granada House building where the majority of Granada programmes have been produced since 1962. However, in June 2012, English Heritage announced that the request for Listed status had been rejected. The Coronation Street set was reopened to the public from 2014 to 2015. In August 2015, developers Allied London submitted

4576-660: The Starlight Theatre) for additional studio and warehousing space. For a short while before its final, abrupt closure in December 1999, the complex was open only to pre-booked parties, such as corporate events, fan club visits, and Manchester Mardi Gras' "Treat on the Street", a themed night time event during the August Bank Holiday weekend. In 2000, one year after its closure, parts of the tour were demolished allowing Granada

4680-573: The Studio Tour at a cost of £3m. The Granada Studios Tour opened in July 1988 and quickly surpassed all expectations. A feasibility study prior to its opening estimated first year visitor figures of 250,000 to 275,000, but within 8 months the Tour had 600,000 visitors. The exterior of the complex was a New York street setting replicating Times Square , complete with yellow cabs , large neon advertisements and entertainers role-playing police officers. This area

4784-547: The United States had a revenue of US$ 8 billion and theme parks in China had a revenue of US$ 4.6 billion , with China expected to overtake the United States by 2020. Some parks use rides and attractions for educational purposes. There are also Holy Land USA and the Holy Land Experience , which are theme parks built to inspire Christian piety. Dinosaur World entertains families with dinosaurs in natural settings, while

4888-521: The United States, open since 1846. Santa Claus Town, which opened in Santa Claus, Indiana , in 1935 and included Santa's Candy Castle and other Santa Claus-themed attractions is considered the first themed attraction in the United States: a precursor to the modern day theme park. Santa Claus Land (renamed Holiday World in 1984) opened in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana , and many people will argue that it

4992-482: The beginnings of the Wurstelprater as an amusement park. The concept of a fixed park for amusement was further developed with the beginning of the world's fairs . The first World fair began in 1851 with the construction of the landmark Crystal Palace in London, England. The purpose of the exposition was to celebrate the industrial achievement of the nations of the world and it was designed to educate and entertain

5096-694: The boardwalk out over the ocean. The first of several was the Ocean Pier in 1891, followed later by the Steel Pier in 1898, both of which boasted rides and attractions typical of that time, such as Midway-style games and electric trolley rides. The boardwalk also had the first Roundabout installed in 1892 by William Somers, a wooden predecessor to the Ferris Wheel . Somers installed two others in Asbury Park , New Jersey and Coney Island , New York. Another early park

5200-521: The early 2000s, the Harry Potter book series written by J.K Rowling had become a pop culture phenomenon. Universal and Disney entered a bidding war over the theme park rights to the books, but Disney seemed to have won after Rowling signed a letter of intent with Disney. However, Rowling was disappointed with Disney's small-scale plans to install an omnimover attraction themed to the Defense Against

5304-413: The early 90s after the opening of Universal Studios Florida, Universal sought to build a second theme park, one aimed more towards children and their families. Universal acquired the theme park rights to many properties including Marvel and Dr. Seuss to build the park around. In 1999, Universal Studios opened Universal Studios Islands of Adventure under the new resort name Universal Studios Escape. The park

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5408-627: The end of June, but Jaws had to be rebuilt and reopened three years later. However, Universal learned from opening day and started conducting exit surveys and special ticket deals. In 1992, Disney opened its first European park, Euro Disneyland , outside of Paris, France, designed to be like the Magic Kingdom in Florida, yet it caters to the European tastes through changes, including removing Tomorrowland and replacing it with Discoveryland , themed to

5512-610: The experience of the enclosed ideal city with wonder, rides, culture and progress (electricity), was based on the creation of an illusory place. The " midway " introduced at the Columbian Exposition would become a standard part of most amusement parks, fairs, carnivals, and circuses. The midway contained not only the rides, but other concessions and entertainments such as shooting galleries , penny arcades , games of chance , and shows. Many modern amusement parks evolved from earlier pleasure resorts that had become popular with

5616-414: The final episode: "I'm not sure that a thriller can end in anything other than anti-climax. If it has been good you're sad it's over, and if it ends badly you're quite likely to feel that you've been duped. Paul Abbott's State of Play , which has had me swallowing double doses on a Sunday evening whenever the schedules allowed, left us with the first kind of let-down rather than the second." Bill Nighy won

5720-410: The gardens were originally designed for the elites, they soon became places of great social diversity. Public firework displays were put on at Marylebone Gardens , and Cremorne Gardens offered music, dancing, and animal acrobatics displays. Prater in Vienna, Austria, began as a royal hunting ground which was opened in 1766 for public enjoyment. There followed coffee-houses and cafés, which led to

5824-623: The ghettos led to changing patterns in how people chose to spend their free time. Many of the older, traditional amusement parks closed or burned to the ground. Many would be taken out by the wrecking ball to make way for suburb and housing and development . In 1964, Steeplechase Park , once the king of all amusement parks, closed down for good. The traditional amusement parks which survived, for example, Kennywood , in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania , and Cedar Point , in Sandusky, Ohio , did so in spite of

5928-444: The giant room from Return of the Antelope , where furniture was designed on a much larger scale to create the illusion of small humans. The lounge of 'Home Farm' from Emmerdale , and the café from Coronation Street were also mocked up for the tour. In the early days of the Tours, a bus took visitors through a mockup of Checkpoint Charlie , and then down Baker Street towards Coronation Street, where they disembarked. This feature

6032-431: The great futuristic thinkers of European culture such as H. G. Wells and Jules Verne . A recession in the French economy and the immense public backlash against the park led to financial hardship, putting the park into debt. However, this did not stop Disney from expanding Disney-MGM Studios with The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror , in 1994, and building their fourth Walt Disney World park, Disney's Animal Kingdom . In

6136-458: The ground. Most of Ingersoll's Luna Parks were similarly destroyed, usually by arson , before his death in 1927. During the Gilded Age , many Americans began working fewer hours and had more disposable income. With new-found money and time to spend on leisure activities, Americans sought new venues for entertainment. Amusement parks, set up outside major cities and in rural areas, emerged to meet this new economic opportunity. These parks served as

6240-553: The land a full scale, realistic re-creation of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts without being a refurbishment of an existing area. The project was announced in 2007 and in 2010 the land was opened to the public and made Universal Orlando a must visit destination. Today, there are over 475 amusement parks in the United States, ranging from mega-parks and those that are operated by Warner Bros., Disney , Six Flags and NBCUniversal . The amusement park industry's offerings range from immersive theme parks such as Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi ,

6344-412: The land around the Granada Studios complex in Manchester. Much of the land that Granada owned was derelict and underused. Plowright's aim was to create a "Hollywood-on-the-Irwell", a reference to the River Irwell which runs through Manchester. Granada Group , the parent company of Granada Television, was initially pessimistic about Plowright's plans. Fortunately for Plowright, he gained the support of

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6448-461: The larger, more popular rides. Later, the "D-ticket" was added, then finally the " E-ticket ", which was used on the biggest and most elaborate rides, like Space Mountain . Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides so that for example two or three A-tickets would equal a single B-ticket. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, abandoned this practice in 1982. State of Play (TV serial) State of Play

6552-408: The largest disaster Disney ever created because unlike Disneyland, it would be set in the modern day and spoof modern-day California with its cheap, insincere, and flat backdrops. The park would be adult focused, sell fine food, and serve alcohol. When the park opened on February 8, 2001, it received a chilly reception for its lack of attractions, poor environment (for example, Hollywood Studios Backlot

6656-403: The late 1920s. The Golden Age of amusement parks also included the advent of the kiddie park. Founded in 1925, the original Kiddie Park is located in San Antonio, Texas , and is still in operation as of 2022 . The kiddie parks became popular all over America after World War II. This era saw the development of new innovations in roller coasters that included extreme drops and speeds to thrill

6760-437: The main characters, but with its location changed to Washington, D.C., and with certain aspects condensed and changed in order to fit the two-hour format. The film was directed by Kevin Macdonald from a screenplay written by Matthew Michael Carnahan , Tony Gilroy , Peter Morgan , and Billy Ray . Ben Affleck , Russell Crowe , Rachel McAdams and Helen Mirren appear in the lead roles. In an April 2009 interview to promote

6864-414: The modern, competitive amusement park industry. In the late 1950s, Wynne visited Disneyland and was inspired to create an affordable, closer, and larger amusement park that would be filled with fantasy. He followed in the steps of Disney and had subdivisions within the park that reflected different lands. The subdivisions included the Old South and other sections that referenced Wynne's background. By 1968,

6968-414: The motivation for entrepreneurs to build accommodation and create new attractions, leading to more visitors and a rapid cycle of growth throughout the 1850s and 1860s. In 1879, large parts of the promenade at Blackpool were wired. The lighting and its accompanying pageants reinforced Blackpool's status as the North of England's most prominent holiday resort, and its specifically working class character. It

7072-400: The move to the Trafford Park site reopened in January 2010 leading to a deal which was finally announced in December 2010, under which Granada Television would vacate the Quay Street complex by 2013, and the area be sold off. In 2012, it was reported that an application for heritage listing had been made to English Heritage on the premise that the site was important to the cultural history of

7176-427: The odds. Inspired by the layout of Tivoli Gardens theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1951, Walt Disney came up with the idea of having an amusement park next to the studios in Burbank. The park would have been called Mickey Mouse Park , built across the street with a western area featuring a steam driven paddleboat, a turn of the century town, and a midway. It was rejected by the Burbank city council in fear of

7280-415: The opportunity to expand the set of Coronation Street . Work included a new viaduct (to allow filming on Rosamund Street without exposing the Quay Street Studios which run adjacent to the rear of the set), Roy's Rolls café, the renovation of the derelict Graffiti Club into a new medical centre, a new building yard, two shops joining the café and a few new houses. After the closure of the tour, the exterior set

7384-466: The park opened, it welcomed its one millionth guest. Because of the financial success of Disneyland, the amusement industry was reinvigorated. What became Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a garden and bird sanctuary. Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961, themed to the six different countries that ruled over Texas. In 1964, Universal Studios Hollywood opened to the public with a studio tour of their backlot that had multiple adventure scenes and became

7488-580: The park. In 1897, Sea Lion Park was joined by Steeplechase Park , the first of three major amusement parks that would open in the Coney Island area. George Tilyou designed the park to provide thrills and entertainment. The combination of the nearby population center of New York City and the ease of access to the area made Coney Island the embodiment of the American amusement park. Coney Island also featured Luna Park (1903) and Dreamland (1904). Coney Island

7592-426: The park. Other revenue sources include parking fees, food and beverage sales and souvenirs. Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles: In amusement parks using the pay-as-you-go scheme, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then purchase rides individually, either at the attraction's entrance or by purchasing ride tickets (or a similar exchange method, like

7696-503: The pay-as-you-go format. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Within a short time, the problems of handling such large amounts of coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park lexicon. In this new format, guests purchased ticket books that contained a number of tickets, labeled "A", "B" and "C." Rides and attractions using an "A-ticket" were generally simple, with "B-tickets" and "C-tickets" used for

7800-483: The public at large, who always saw the Coronation Street visit as the most important part of the whole complex. The formation of 3sixtymedia, a joint venture facilities company based primarily at Granada's Quay Street studios and co-owned by BBC Resources and Granada, spelled the final end for the Tours, as the company moved into the bonded warehouse on the site, and started using some of the other buildings (such as

7904-543: The public for day-trips or weekend holidays, for example, seaside areas such as Blackpool , United Kingdom and Coney Island , United States. In the United States, some amusement parks grew from picnic groves established along rivers and lakes that provided bathing and water sports, such as Lake Compounce in Connecticut, first established as a picturesque picnic park in 1846, and Riverside Park in Massachusetts, founded in

8008-452: The public on October 1, 1971. Meant to be a larger east coast version of Disneyland, it had copies of most of the attractions from Disneyland (except for Liberty Square and the Hall of Presidents ), yet it was financially the most ambitious project Walt Disney Productions had ever undertaken, and succeeded once the holiday crowds came in during Thanksgiving. In 1982, Walt Disney Productions opened

8112-484: The relationship has a turbulent dynamism that is credible and engaging." James Walton in The Daily Telegraph was more cautious, feeling that the opening episode had been promising but the serial as a whole still had the potential to go wrong. "At this stage however, the programme is certainly good enough to make me hope not and to ensure that I'll be back next week to find out." The consensus appeared to be that

8216-467: The riders. By the end of the First World War, people seemed to want an even more exciting entertainment, a need met by roller coasters. Although the development of the automobile provided people with more options for satisfying their entertainment needs, the amusement parks after the war continued to be successful, while urban amusement parks saw declining attendance. The 1920s is more properly known as

8320-406: The same time, Foy is arrested by the police as he prepares to flee England. The relationship between Cal and Anne comes to an end when the former cannot bear that the latter, who ignores everything, feels ready to return to Stephen. Reviewing the first episode for The Guardian newspaper the day after it had aired, Gareth McLean wrote that "...it's bloody magic. The story is gripping, the acting

8424-833: The second Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Georgia , opened, and in 1971, Six Flags Over Mid-America (now Six Flags St. Louis ) opened near St. Louis , Missouri. Also in 1971 was the opening of the Walt Disney World resort complex in Florida . In 1991 Warner Bros. in partnership with Village Roadshow, opened their own Warner Bros. Movie World . It is the only Movie-Related theme park in Australia. Warner Bros. continued their theme park ventures and opened Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in UAE and Parque Warner Madrid in Spain. Amusement parks collect much of their revenue from admission fees paid by guests attending

8528-528: The second Walt Disney World park, EPCOT Center, based on Walt Disney's futurist ideals and World Fairs. Like a World's Fair, the park would display the latest technologies in an area called Future World, and the cultural pavilions in World Showcase. In 1987, Disney announced that it would open its third Disney World park, Disney-MGM Studios in 1989, which would have a working backlot. However, Universal knew that its Californian backlot tour would not work as

8632-516: The serial maintained its quality to the end. Previewing episode four, Jonathan Wright of "The Guide" section in The Guardian described it as "a political conspiracy thriller that's as buttock-clenchingly tense as Edge of Darkness , as cynical about the British political system as House of Cards , and stands comparisons to both." The television critic of The Independent , Tom Sutcliffe , wrote of

8736-537: The series ran in the United States on the BBC's BBC America cable channel. In 2005, the series was released on DVD by BBC Worldwide , in a two-disc set. Episode one features an audio commentary from Abbott and Yates, and episode six a commentary from Yates, producer Hilary Bevan-Jones and editor Mark Day . The success of the series and its favourable impression on BBC executives led to Abbott being commissioned to write

8840-459: The series. The six-part series was broadcast on BBC One on Sunday evenings at 9:00pm from 18 May to 22 June 2003. Episodes two to five were initially premiered on the digital television station BBC Four at 10:00pm on the nights of the preceding episodes' BBC One broadcast; however episode six was held back for a premiere on BBC One, so as not to allow the final twists to be spoiled for those who did not have access to digital television. In 2004,

8944-527: The set would otherwise have been destroyed and he feared it would take too long to get the necessary money from the BBC. Abbott kept the set in storage in Oxford . Visitors could also enjoy a drink in a replica of the Rovers Return , the pub in Coronation Street . In the adjacent cafeteria, a mockup of the bar from Emmerdale' s Woolpack was also included. Other attractions included the opportunity to appear in

9048-565: The sites, expanding them from picnic groves to include regular entertainments, mechanical amusements, dance halls, sports fields, boat rides, restaurants and other resort facilities. Some of these parks were developed in resort locations, such as bathing resorts at the seaside in New Jersey and New York . A premiere example in New Jersey was Atlantic City , a famous vacation resort. Entrepreneurs erected amusement parks on piers that extended from

9152-540: The theme park, Silver Dollar City . The park is still owned and operated by the Herschends and the family has several other parks including Dollywood , Kentucky Kingdom and Wild Adventures . The first regional amusement park, as well as the first Six Flags park, Six Flags Over Texas was officially opened in 1961 in Arlington, Texas . The first Six Flags amusement park was the vision of Angus Wynne Jr. and helped create

9256-530: The three oldest operating amusement parks in the world. Lake Compounce opened in 1846 and is considered the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in North America. The amusement park evolved from traditions in the European Middle Ages . An amusement park is a contemporary arrangement, designed to combine components of a fair, carnival, and theme park. An early example of an amusement park

9360-423: The truth about his friend MP : he enlisted the services of a former soldier he knew during his service, Robert Bingham, in order to monitor the deeds and actions by Sonia. But according to Collins, Bingham began to act alone out of admiration for him, resulting in the murder of Sonia and Kelvin Stagg. In shock, McCaffrey hands the recording of Collins' confession to Della and Cameron, who inform Inspector Bell. At

9464-522: The upper classes and the working class at the beach. The first carousel was installed in the 1870s, the first roller coaster , the " Switchback Railway ", in 1884. In England, Blackpool was a popular beachside location beginning in the 1700s. It rose to prominence as a seaside resort with the completion in 1846 of a branch line to Blackpool from Poulton on the main Preston and Wyre Joint Railway line. A sudden influx of visitors, arriving by rail, provided

9568-476: The visitors. American cities and businesses also saw the world's fair as a way of demonstrating economic and industrial success. The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago , Illinois was an early precursor to the modern amusement park. The fair was an enclosed site, that merged entertainment, engineering and education to entertain the masses. It set out to bedazzle the visitors, and successfully did so with

9672-570: Was a huge success and by the year 1910 attendance on days could reach a million people. Fueled by the efforts of Frederick Ingersoll who borrowed the name, other " Luna Parks " were quickly erected worldwide and opened to rave reviews. The first amusement park in England was opened in 1896 – the Blackpool Pleasure Beach by W. G. Bean. In 1904, Sir Hiram Maxim 's Captive Flying Machine was introduced; he had designed an early aircraft powered by steam engines that had been unsuccessful and instead opened up

9776-546: Was allegedly designed by former Disney Imagineers who left after the financial disaster of Disneyland Paris. In the late 80s, the Oriental Land Company (the owners and operators of Tokyo Disneyland resort which opened in 1983) wanted a second park. None of the current non-Magic Kingdom parks satisfied the Japanese, but one concept thrown away for Disneyland's second gate inspired a new one: DisneySea . Tokyo DisneySea

9880-497: Was later discarded, and the Baker Street set had a warehouse-style building erected around the outdoor set, creating an indoor street. The focal point of the tour was the opportunity to walk down the actual cobbled street used in Coronation Street since 1982. The tour was closed on Mondays, as this was the day that the set was used for filming at the time. Live action shows were performed at intervals throughout each day, including

9984-521: Was prompted to write the series after BBC Head of Drama Jane Tranter asked him whether he would consider writing a piece "bigger" than anything he had written so far in his career. The serial was Abbott's third major writing project for the channel, following Clocking Off and Linda Green . The series was also a major turning point in David Yates ' directorial career, as he began to direct various high-profile television projects following his work on

10088-493: Was reclaimed from the sea front. It was at this period that the park moved to its 44-acre (18 ha) current location above what became Watson Road, which was built under the Pleasure Beach in 1932. During this time Joseph Emberton, an architect famous for his work in the amusement trade was brought in to redesign the architectural style of the Pleasure Beach rides, working on the "Grand National" roller coaster, "Noah's Ark" and

10192-401: Was seen more often in the soap. The former Baker Street building was turned into a new studio for Coronation Street , named Stage Two, containing more studio sets. In 2008, a rumour was circulated that ITV were considering reopening the tour as well as licensing real 'Rovers Return' pubs. These reports came to nothing, as it would have involved a considerable amount of site reorganisation, at

10296-551: Was the Eldorado Amusement Park that opened in 1891 on the banks of the Hudson River , overlooking New York City . It consisted of 25 acres. The first permanent enclosed entertainment area, regulated by a single company, was founded in Coney Island in 1895: Sea Lion Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn. This park was one of the first to charge admission fee to get into the park in addition to sell tickets for rides within

10400-474: Was the first true Theme Park despite Knott's history. In the 1950s the Herschend family took over operation of the tourist attraction, Marvel Cave near Branson, Missouri . Over the next decade they modernized the cave, which led to large numbers of people waiting to take the tour. The Herschend family opened a recreation of the old mining town that once existed atop Marvel Cave. The small village eventually became

10504-645: Was the forerunner of the present-day Blackpool Illuminations . By the 1890s, the town had a population of 35,000, and could accommodate 250,000 holidaymakers. The number of annual visitors, many staying for a week, was estimated at three million. In the final decade of the 19th century, electric trolley lines were developed in many large American cities. Companies that established the trolley lines also developed trolley parks as destinations of these lines. Trolley parks such as Atlanta 's Ponce de Leon Park , or Reading's Carsonia Park were initially popular natural leisure spots before local streetcar companies purchased

10608-531: Was the site of the first exterior set of Coronation Street , used from 1968 until 1982 (chosen for the Victorian viaduct which lay behind the New York facade). The guided tour itself, which lasted around an hour, comprised various mock sets from Granada productions including a recreation of Downing Street , the Sherlock Holmes -era Baker Street backlot set from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series, and

10712-489: Was themed to a modern-day movie backlot of modern-day Hollywood), and overemphasis on retail and dining. When John Hench (an original Imagineer who worked with Walt and was a chief creative executive at Imagineering since Imagineering was founded) was asked for his opinion on the park, he reportedly said, "I preferred the parking lot." Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris was the second Disneyland Paris park. Disney had to build

10816-604: Was turned into a park as a "half day" attraction—a complement to the rest of the resort. The rest of the park was themed to 1930s Hollywood and featured lost parts of Hollywood like the Brown Derby. Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990 (delayed by one year) to great fanfare, but the primary attractions were experiencing severe technical difficulties. All three of the park's major attractions (Jaws, Disaster!, and Kongfrontation) were not working and suffered major technical difficulties. Disaster! and Kongfrontation were fixed by

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