Coronation Street's lost 'spin-off' that wasn't set on the cobbles and featured a future Only Fools and Horses star

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

One appearance on an episode of Coronation Street sparked a 'spin-off' series for two characters that wasn't set on the cobbles.

The Brothers McGregor first aired in 1985 and followed two-half brothers from Liverpool, who ran a second-hand car lot in the city.

But some will remember that neither brother was satisfied and had aspirations for a different life.

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Cyril, played by Philip Whitchurch, saw himself as 'the next Frank Sinatra' and Wesley, played by Paul Barber who later starred as Denzil in Only Fools and Horses , had hopes of becoming a successful businessman.

But some television fans may be unaware that the idea for the sitcom came after the characters first appeared on ITV's Corrie.

In the 1980s, the McGregor brothers made their debut as friends of Eddie Yeats, a character also originally from Liverpool, who was played by Geoffrey Hughes.

In the Corrie episode, Cyril and Wesley arrive at the Rovers Return to celebrate Eddie's engagement.

The brothers were originally played by Tony Osoba and Carl Chase and from there the idea of a 'spin-off' was sparked by Brass authors Julian Roach and John Stevenson, who were writing episodes of Coronation Street at the time.

In 1985, the Liverpool ECHO reported how "Eddie Yeat's old mates" were to "strike out with a comedy series all their own".

Stevenson told Granada he would like to develop a comedy series starring brothers, but Osoba and Chase did not reprise their roles.

Philip Whitchurch was instead cast as Cyril McGregor and Paul Barber as brother, Wesley.

The show followed the lives of the two Scouse half-brothers running a second hand car lot, called Rathbone