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Coronation Street

Coronation Street is an award-winning British soap opera. It is the longest-running television soap opera in the United Kingdom, first broadcast on Friday, 9 December 1960 in the Granada region of ITV. The programme is consistently the highest-rated programme on British television.

The show was created by Tony Warren and is produced by Granada Television (now branded ITV Productions), holder of the ITV franchise for the northwest of England, and was shown by most of the ITV stations then operating (See Scheduling details below). It became fully networked on 6 March 1961, when ATV, the only remaining franchise, began airing it.

Coronation Street (commonly nicknamed and written as Corrie or the Street) is set in a fictional street in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based loosely on Salford. The programme focuses on the experiences and driving forces behind the residents of Coronation Street, and examines families and individuals within the community who are of different ages, classes, and social structures.

Coronation Street itself consists of a row of seven early 20th century terraced houses on its northern side with a public house, the Rovers Return Inn, at one end, and a corner shop at the other. The southern side of the street consists of a factory, two shop units, a garage and three houses, all constructed in the late 1980s. The programme also incorporates the residents of neighbouring streets, including Rosamund Street, Victoria Street, and Viaduct Street.

The working title of the show was Florizel Street, but a tea lady named Agnes remarked that "Florizel" sounded like a brand of disinfectant so the name was changed. The choice of new name was between Jubilee Street and Coronation Street, with Granada executives Harry Latham, Harry Elton and H.V. Kershaw deciding on the latter.

As of 2007, Coronation Street is broadcast in the United Kingdom at 19.30 and 20.30 Monday, and at 19.30 Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on terrestrial network ITV. In the Republic of Ireland, Coronation Street is simulcast on TV3. Repeat episodes and specials can be seen on ITV's main digital channel, ITV2, with an omnibus edition shown on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. However, sometimes due to sporting events such as football, Formula 1 and rugby, it has sometimes had to either alter its air time or not air at all.

Since its launch the programme has aired in many countries worldwide including Canada, Australia, Belgium and The Netherlands.

Characters and characterisations
See also: List of characters from Coronation Street
Since 1960, Coronation Street has featured many characters, whose popularity with viewers and critics has differed. The original cast was created by Tony Warren, with the characters of Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), Elsie Tanner (Patricia Phoenix) and Annie Walker (Doris Speed) as central figures. These three women remained with the show for 20 years or more, and became archetypes of British soap opera, often being emulated by other serials, with Ena as the street's busybody, battleaxe and self-proclaimed moral voice; Elsie as the tart with a heart, who was constantly hurt by men in the search for true love; and Annie Walker, landlady of the Rovers Return Inn, who had delusions of grandeur and saw herself as better than other residents of Coronation Street.

For a number of years, Coronation Street became known for the portrayal of strong female characters, with characters like Ena Sharples, Annie Walker, Elsie Tanner and Hilda Ogden becoming household names during the 1960s. Tony Warren created a programme that was largely matrifocal, which some commentators put down to the female-dominant environment in which he grew up. As a consequence, the show also has a long tradition of hen-pecked husbands, most famously Stan Ogden and Jack Duckworth, husbands of Hilda and Vera respectively.

Of the characters in the original episodes, only one remains: Ken Barlow (William Roache). Barlow entered the storyline as a young radical, reflecting the youth of 1960s Britain, where figures like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and the model Twiggy were to reshape the concept of youthful rebellion. Though the rest of the original Barlow family were killed off, Ken has remained the constant link throughout 46 years of Coronation Street.

Bet Gilroy (née Lynch) from a 1994 episode of Coronation Street.1964 saw the introduction of Stan and Hilda Ogden, with Hilda (Jean Alexander) becoming one of the most famous British soap characters of all time. In a 1982 poll, Hilda was voted the fourth most recognizable woman in Britain, after Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales. Hilda's best-known attributes were her pinny, hair curlers, and the "muriel" in her living room with three "flying" duck ornaments. Hilda Ogden's final episode on 25 December 1987, remains the highest-rated episode of Coronation Street ever, with nearly 27 million viewers.

Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) first appeared in 1966, before becoming a regular in 1970, and would go on to become one of the most famous Corrie characters. Bet stood as the central character of the show from 1987 until departing in 1995, often being dubbed as "Queen of the Street" by the media, and indeed herself.

Coronation Street and its characters often rely heavily on archetypes, with the characterisation of some its current cast based loosely on past characters. Blanche Hunt (Maggie Jones) embodies the role of the acid-tongued busybody, which was originally held by Ena Sharples. Sally Webster (Sally Whittaker) has grown snobbish, like Annie Walker, while a number of the programme's female characters mirror the vulnerability of Elsie Tanner and Bet Lynch. Other recurring archetypes include the war veteran (Albert Tatlock, Percy Sugden), the bumbling retail manager (Leonard Swindley, Reg Holdsworth, 'Chuck' Norris Cole), and the perennial losers (Stan and Hilda Ogden, Jack and Vera Duckworth, and Les Battersby-Brown).

History
1960s - Ken Barlow in the first episode of Coronation Street.The serial began on 9 December 1960 and was not initially a critical success. Granada Television commissioned only 13 episodes and some inside the company doubted the show would last its planned production run. Despite the negativity, viewers were immediately drawn to the serial, won over by Coronation Street's 'ordinary' characters. The programme also made use of Northern English language and dialect; affectionate local terms like "eh, chuck?", "nowt" and "by heck!" became widely heard on British television for the first time.

Early episodes told the story of student Kenneth Barlow, who had won a place at university and thus found his background something of an embarrassment. The character is one of the few to have experienced life 'outside' of Coronation Street, and in some ways predicts the growth of globalisation and the decline of similar communities. In a 1961 episode, Barlow declares: "You can't go on just thinking about your own street these days. We're living with people on the other side of the world. There's more to worry about than Elsie Tanner and her boyfriends."

Ena Sharples and Elsie Tanner argue in a 1965 episode of Coronation Street.Also at the centre of many early stories was Ena Sharples, caretaker of the Glad Tidings Mission Hall, and her friends: timid Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant) and bespectacled Martha Longhurst (Lynne Carol). The trio were likened to the Greek chorus, and the three witches in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, as they would sit in the snug bar of the Rovers Return, passing judgement over family, neighbours and frequently each other. Headstrong Ena often clashed with Elsie Tanner, whom she believed espoused a rather disgusting set of morals. Elsie resented Ena's interference and gossip, which, most of the time, had little basis in reality.

In September 1961, Coronation Street reached No.1 in the television ratings and remained there for the rest of the year. Earlier in 1961, a Television Audience Measurement (TAM) showed that 75% of available viewers (15 million) tuned into Corrie and by 1964 the programme had over 20 million regular viewers, with ratings peaking on December 2, 1964, at 21.36 million viewers.

Storylines throughout the decade included: a mystery poison-pen letter received by Elsie Tanner, the 1962 marriage of Ken Barlow and Valerie Tatlock, the death of Martha Longhurst in 1964, the birth of the Barlow twins in 1965, Elsie Tanner's wedding to Steve Tanner as well as a train crashing from the viaduct (both in 1967), the murder of Steve Tanner in 1968, and a coach crash in 1969.

In spite of rising popularity with viewers, Coronation Street was criticised by some for its outdated portrayal of the urban working-class, and its representation of a community that was a nostalgic fantasy. After the first episode in 1960, the Daily Mirror printed: "The programme is doomed from the outset... For there is little reality in this new serial, which apparently, we have to suffer twice a week." By 1967, critics were suggesting that the programme no longer reflected life in 1960s Britain, but reflected how life was in the 1950s. Granada hurried to update the programme, with the hope of introducing more issue-driven stories, including drugs, sex, homosexuality and out of wedlock pregnancy, but all of these ideas were dropped for fear of upsetting viewers.

1970s - Val Barlow in her final scene mending the plug of a hairdryer before she was electrocuted.The show's production team was tested when many core cast members left the programme in the early 1970s. When Arthur Leslie died suddenly in 1970, his character, Rovers landlord Jack Walker, died with him.Anne Reid quit as Valerie Barlow, and was killed off in 1971, electrocuting herself with a faulty hairdryer. Ratings reached a low of 8 million in February 1973, Pat Phoenix quit as Elsie Tanner, Violet Carson (Ena Sharples) was written out for most of the year due to illness, and Doris Speed (Annie Walker) took two months’ leave.ITV daytime soap Crossroads saw a marked increase in viewers at this time, as its established cast, such as Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon), grew in popularity. These sudden departures forced the writing team to quickly develop characters who had previously stood in the background. The roles of Bet Lynch, Deirdre Hunt (Anne Kirkbride), Rita Littlewood (Barbara Knox) and Mavis Riley (Thelma Barlow) were built up between 1972 and 1973 with characters such as Gail Potter (Helen Worth), Blanche Hunt (Patricia Cutts and Maggie Jones) and Vera Duckworth (Elizabeth Dawn) first appearing in 1974. These characters would remain at the centre of the programme for many years.

The 1970s was also the decade when Coronation Street began to include more comedy in its storylines, at the insistence of new producer Bill Podmore who joined in 1976, having worked on Granada comedy productions prior to his appointment. Stan and Hilda Ogden were often at the centre of overtly funny story lines, with other comic characters including Eddie Yeats (Geoffrey Hughes), Fred Gee (Fred Feast) and Jack Duckworth (William Tarmey) all making their first appearances during the decade.

Brian Tilsley marries Gail Potter in a 1979 episode of Coronation Street.In 1976, Pat Phoenix returned to her role as Elsie Tanner and, after a spate of ill health, Violet Carson returned as Ena. Coronation Street's stalwart cast slotted back into the programme alongside the newcomers, examining new relationships between characters of different ages and backgrounds: Eddie Yeats became the Ogdens' lodger, Gail Potter and Suzie Birchall moved in with Elsie, Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) arrived in 1976 as the tough factory boss, and Annie Walker reigned at the Rovers with her trio of staff Bet Lynch, Betty Turpin and Fred Gee.

Storylines throughout the decade included: a warehouse fire in 1975, the birth of Tracy Langton in 1977, the murder of Ernest Bishop in 1978, a lorry crashing into the Rovers Return in 1979, and the marriage of Brian Tilsley and Gail Potter (also in 1979).

Coronation Street had little competition within its prime time slot, and certain critics suggested that the programme had grown complacent, moving away from socially-viable story lines and again presenting a dated view of working-class life.

1980s - Between 1980 and 1989, Coronation Street underwent some of the biggest changes since its launch. By May 1984, Ken Barlow stood as the only original cast member, after the departures of Ena Sharples (in 1980), Annie Walker (in 1983), Elsie Tanner (in 1984) and Albert Tatlock (also 1984). In 1983, antihero Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson), one of the show's central male characters since 1961, was killed off, and in 1984, Bernard Youens (Stan Ogden) died. While the press predicted the end of Corrie, H.V. Kershaw reminded viewers that "There are no stars in Coronation Street. Writers drew on the show's many archetypes, with previously established characters stepping into the roles left by the original cast. Phyllis Pearce (Jill Summers) was hailed as the new Ena Sharples in 1982, the Duckworths moved into No.9 in 1983 and slipped into the role once held by the Ogdens, while Percy Sugden (Bill Waddington) appeared in 1983 and took over the grumpy war veteran role from Albert Tatlock. The question of who would take over the Rovers Return after Annie Walker's 1983 exit was answered in 1985 when Bet Lynch (who also mirrored the vulnerability and strength of Elsie Tanner) was installed as landlady. In 1983, Shirley Armitage became the first major black character in her role as machinist at Baldwin's Casuals.

Ken and Deirdre Barlow row after the revelation of Deirdre's affair with Mike Baldwin in a 1983 episode of Coronation Street.Ken Barlow married Deirdre Langton on 27 July 1981. The episode was watched by over 24 million viewers - more ITV viewers than the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana two days later. The 1980s also saw the cementing of relationships between established characters: Alf Roberts (Bryan Mosley) married Audrey Potter (Sue Nicholls) in 1985, Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) married Sally Seddon (Sally Whittaker) in 1986. Bet Lynch married Alec Gilroy in 1987 and the marriages of Ivy Tilsley and Don Brennan, and Derek Wilton and Mavis Riley took place in 1988.

The arrival of Channel 4 and its edgy new serial Brookside in 1982 was one of the biggest changes for Coronation Street, as well as the BBC's new prime time soap opera, EastEnders in 1985. While ratings for Coronation Street remained consistent throughout the decade, EastEnders regularly obtained higher viewing figures. With prime time competition, Corrie was again seen as being old fashioned, with the introduction of the 'normal' Clayton family in 1985 being failure with viewers. Between 1988 and 1989, many aspects of the show were modernised by new producer, David Liddiment. A new exterior set had been built in 1982 and in 1989 it was redeveloped to include new houses and shops. Production techniques were also changed, with a new studio being built and the inclusion of more location filming, which had moved from being shot on film to videotape in 1988. New pressures also saw introduction of the third weekly episode on 20 October 1989, broadcast each Friday at 19:30.

The 1980s featured some of the most prominent storylines in the programme's history, such as Deirdre Barlow's affair with Mike Baldwin in 1983, the first soap story line to receive widespread media attention. The feud between Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin would continue for many years, with Mike even marrying Ken's daughter, Susan. In 1986 there was a fire at the Rovers Return, and between 1986 and 1989, the story of Rita Fairclough's psychological abuse at the hands of Alan Bradley (Mark Eden), and his subsequent death under the wheels of a Blackpool tram, was played out. The show's highest rated episode (26.6 million viewers) came in 1987, when Hilda Ogden left the show. Other stories included: the birth of Nicky Tilsley in 1980, Elsie Tanner's departure and Stan Ogden's funeral in 1984, the birth of Sarah-Louise Tilsley in 1987, and Brian Tilsley's murder in 1989.

New characters were introduced, such as Kevin and Sally Webster, Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy), Martin Platt (Sean Wilson), Reg Holdsworth (Ken Morley) and the McDonald family.

1990s - In spite of updated sets and production changes, Coronation Street still received criticism. In 1992, chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Council, Lord Rees-Mogg, criticised the low-representation of ethnic minorities and the programme's portrayal of the cosy familiarity of a bygone era. Some newspapers ran headlines such as 'Coronation Street shuts out blacks' (The Times) and 'Put colour in t'Street' (Daily Mirror). Patrick Stoddart of The Times wrote: "The millions who watch Coronation Street – and who will continue to do so despite Lord Rees-Mogg – know real life when they see it […] in the most confident and accomplished soap opera television has ever seen". Black and Asian characters had appeared, but it wasn't until 1999 that show featured its first regular non-white family, the Desai family.

New characters Des and Steph Barnes moved into one of the new houses in 1990, being dubbed by the media as 'Yuppies'. Raquel Wolstenhulme (Sarah Lancashire) first appeared in 1991 and went on to become one of the most popular characters. The McDonald family were developed and the fiery relationships between Liz, Jim, Steve and Andy interested viewers. Other newcomers were Maud Grimes (Elizabeth Bradley), Roy Cropper (David Neilson), Judy and Gary Mallett, Fred Elliot (John Savident) and Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold). The amount of slapstick and physical humour in storylines increased during the 1990s, with comic characters such as Reg Holdsworth and his water bed.

Storylines in the early part of the decade included: the death of newborn Katie McDonald in 1992, Mike Baldwin's wedding to Alma Sedgewick (Amanda Barrie) in 1992, Tommy Duckworth being sold by his father Terry in 1993, Deirdre Barlow's marriage to Moroccan Samir Rachid, and the rise of Tanya Pooley (Eva Pope) between 1993 and 1994.

Deirdre Rachid being jailed in a 1998 episode of Coronation Street.In 1997, Brian Park took over as producer, with the idea of promoting young characters as opposed to the older cast. On his first day he axed the characters of Derek Wilton, Don Brennan, Percy Sugden, Bill Webster, Billy Williams and Maureen Holdsworth. Thelma Barlow, who played Derek's wife Mavis, was angered by the sacking of her co-star and resigned, while the production team also lost some of its key writers when Barry Hill, Adele Rose and Julian Roach all resigned.

In line with Park's suggestion, younger characters were introduced: Nick Tilsley was recast, played by Adam Rickitt, single mother Zoe Tattersall first appeared, and the Battersbys moved into No.5. Storylines focussed on tackling 'issues', such as drug dealers, eco-warriors, religious cults and a transsexual. Park quit in 1998, after deciding that he had done what he intended to do; he maintained that his biggest achievement was the introduction of Hayley Patterson (Julie Hesmondhalgh), the first transsexual character in a British soap.

Viewers were alienated by the new-look Coronation Street, and the media voiced disapproval. Having received criticism of being too out of touch, Corrie now struggled to emulate the more modern Brookside and EastEnders. In the Daily Mirror, Victor Lewis-Smith wrote: "Apparently it doesn't matter that this is a first-class soap opera, superbly scripted and flawlessly performed by a seasoned repertory company."

One of Coronation Street's best known storylines took place in 1998, with Deirdre Rachid being wrongfully imprisoned after a relationship with con-man Jon Lindsay. 19 million viewers watched Deirdre being sent to prison, and 'Free the Weatherfield One' campaigns sprung up in a media frenzy. Prime Minister Tony Blair even passed comment on Deirdre’s sentencing in Parliament. Deirdre was freed after three weeks, with Granada stating that they had always intended for her to be released, in spite of the media interest.

2000s - On 8 December 2000, the show celebrated its fortieth year by broadcasting a live, hour-long, episode. The Prince of Wales made a cameo in the episode, appearing in a pre-recorded segment as himself in an ITV News bulletin report, presented by Trevor McDonald. Earlier in the year, 13-year old Sarah-Louise Platt (Tina O'Brien) had fallen pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl, Bethany, on 4 June. The episode where Gail was told of her daughter's pregnancy being watched by 15 million viewers. The year also saw the programme's first two-hander, between Curly and Raquel Watts.

From 1999-2001, Jane MacNaught was Coronation Street's executive producer, and received harsh criticism from both viewers and critics. In an attempt to compete with EastEnders, issue-led story lines were introduced such as Toyah Battersby's rape, Roy and Hayley Cropper abducting their foster child, Sarah Platt's Internet chat room abduction and Alma Halliwell's death of cervical cancer. Such storylines were unpopular with viewers and ratings dropped and in October 2001, Macnaught was abruptly moved to another Granada department and Carolyn Reynolds took over. Corrie continued to struggle in the ratings, with EastEnders introducing some of its strongest stories. In 2002, Kieran Roberts was appointed as producer and aimed to re-introduce "gentle story lines and humour", after deciding that the Street shouldn't try and compete with other soaps.

Karen McDonald and Tracy Barlow feuding at Karen's wedding to Steve in a 2004 episode of Coronation Street.In 2002, one of Coronation Street's best-known storylines began, which culminated in 2003. Gail Platt married Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), a financial advisor, who would go on to leave Duggie Ferguson to die, murder his ex-wife Patricia, attempt to murder his mother-in-law, Audrey Roberts, murder Maxine Peacock and attempt to murder Emily Bishop. After confessing to the murder of Maxine and his ex-wife, Hillman attempted to kill Gail, her children Sarah and David, and her grand-daughter Bethany, by driving them into a canal. The storyline received wide press attention, and viewing figures peaked at 19.4 million, with Hillman dubbed a "serial killer" by the media.

Todd Grimshaw began to question his sexuality in 2003, becoming Corrie's first regular homosexual character, after years of criticism about non-representation. The character of Karen McDonald (Suranne Jones) was developed, with her fiery marriage to Steve and warring with Tracy Barlow. Tracy would go on to receive a life sentence in March 2007 for murdering lover Charlie Stubbs.

In 2004, Coronation Street retconned the Baldwin family when Mike's nephew Danny Baldwin and his wife Frankie moved to the area from Essex, with their two sons Jamie and Warren. Until this time, Mike Baldwin had been portrayed as an only child, with his father appearing in the programme between 1980 and 1982 confirming the fact.

Between 2000 and 2007, a range of other storylines featured, such as the bigamy of Peter Barlow, Maya Sharma's revenge on former lover Dev Alahan, Katy Harris murdering her father and subsequently committing suicide, Charlie Stubbs's psychological abuse of Shelley Unwin and the deaths of Mike Baldwin and Fred Elliott, Two new families were also introduced into the show, The Connors and The Mortons, The Mortons where not as popular as the Connors when introduced, but soon settled in as regulars.

In 2007, several groundbreaking storylines took place on Coronation Street, such as Leanne Battersby becoming a prostitute and the first bi-sexual love triangle, The Connors were central to most storylines at the beginning of 2007, an accidental death at Underworld, due to overworking, Michelle Connor finding out her brothers Paul and Liam were the cause of her husband's death, Paul Connor using an escort service and his kidnapping of Leanne and subsequent death. Many big names have left or are due to leave in 2007 and untill Spring 2008, including Charlie Stubbs, Tracy Barlow and Vera Duckworth

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