Coronation Street VHS and DVD releases

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many selected episodes, and specially-produced episodes, of the British television soap opera Coronation Street have been released on video and DVD.

Contents

[edit] 1980s

The Magic of Coronation Street: Part One, with the character Ena Sharples on the front of the cover.
Enlarge
The Magic of Coronation Street: Part One, with the character Ena Sharples on the front of the cover.

[edit] The Magic of Coronation Street

In 1982, two VHS videos entitled The Magic of Coronation Street were released by Vestron Video, each containing three episodes. Each were introduced by specially shot sequences featuring Len Fairclough, Elsie Tanner and Annie Walker reminising about "early days" on the street. It included six complete episodes of the programme between 1960 and 1964.

Episodes featured:

Part one: Episode 1 (9 December 1960); Gas Main Leak (9 February 1961); Christmas Day 1961
Part two: Elsie discovers that Bill Gregory is married (11 July 1962); This is Your Life (12 December 1962); Cinderalla (23 December 1964)

[edit] The Jubilee Years

In 1985, to celebrate the serial's 25th anniversary, two video tapes were released (again on Vestron Video), entitled "The Jubilee Years - Part One" and "The Jubilee Years - Part Two". These featured a previously unseen character Alice Hughes revisit the Street to recall upon characters like Ena and Elsie and catch up on 'current happenings'.

[edit] The Lives and Loves of Elsie Tanner

In 1987 The Lives and Loves of Elsie Tanner was released, with the characters of Mike Baldwin, Emily Bishop and Elsie's daughter, Linda, recalling Elsie's time on the Street. In this production it is hinted that Elsie has died, an event not referred to in the series proper. (Emily tells Linda that she was "sorry to hear about her mother"). Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie, had died the previous year.

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 30th anniversary set

The 1986 edition of the 1990s releases from Windsong
Enlarge
The 1986 edition of the 1990s releases from Windsong

In 1990, as a celebration for the serial's 30th anniversary, ten video tapes were released by Windsong Video Productions, each featuring four episodes from a specific year and introduced by someone who was close to the stories that year (for example, Betty Turpin's husband Cyril died in 1974, therefore Betty Driver hosted the 1974 tape). These tapes were distributed by Granada Video for viewing in the UK.

Year Host Episodes
1961 William Roache The First Episode; Blackpool; Ida's funeral; Harry marries Concepta
1962 Dennis' concert; Christine's breakdown; Ken marries Valerie; The Walker's Silver Wedding
1964 Eileen Derbyshire Martha's death; Emily jilts Swindley; The Evacuation; Wrestling
1968 Elsie and Len; Dennis marries Jenny; Hilda vs Elsie; Val's ordeal
1974 Betty Driver Cyril's death; The Importance of Being Earnest; Majorca; Eddie's Christmas
1977 Helen Worth The Community Centre Dance; Len marries Rita; Jubilee; The Ogden's second honeymoon
1983 Johnny Briggs Ken, Deirdre, Mike; Car in Lake; Ogden's 40th; Len's Death
1984 Thelma Barlow Elsie's departure; Street Olympics; Mavis jilts Derek; Stan's funeral
1986 Sally Whittaker Peter and Susan Barlow's 21st; The Rover's Fire; The New Rovers; Kevin marries Sally
1989 Barbara Knox Factory demolition; Alan's trial; The Tram; Christmas Eve

[edit] Time Life releases

Many VHS tapes were made in the 1990s for the British market, from mail-order company Time-Life Distribution, with each tape consisting of a compilation of footage featuring a particular character (for example, Gail, Rita, the Duckworths). They were made only in PAL format and not distributed in the United States or Canada.

[edit] 2000s

[edit] This Is Coronation Street

In 2003, a special DVD set called This is Coronation Street was released on Region 1 DVD. On the two-disc set is the 40 Years on Coronation Street one-off special as well as the first five episodes of the programme. In 2004, a Coronation Street: Secrets DVD box set of televised specials was released in both the United Kingdom and Canada, but not in the United States, despite a Region 1 release in Canada.

[edit] Network releases

Network DVD, in association with Granada, have released a series of DVDs for each decade of the programme, each featuring eight episodes from a specific year. They are all available in box sets of 10, with the 1970s available individually.

[edit] 1960s

The 1960s box set was released on July 31, 2006.

[edit] 1970s

The 1970s box set was released on 25 July 2005.

Year Released Episodes
1970 25 Jul 2005 1. Ena and Minnie ask Cyril to help get Albert out of his house but they didn't realise that he would do it by breaking into the place! Bill tells Elsie that Phyllis is dead and he is buying a bar in Portugal. He asks her to marry him.
1971 25 Jul 2005 The maisonettes burn down after Val electrocutes herself the night before she and Ken are to leave for Jamaica; Stan finds out that Ray Langton was the one who got him nearly sacked at the Yard; Ray pretends Irma is his French girlfriend on a business date, which backfires when the girlfriend of Ray's partner is actually French; Emily gets drunk after trying to pick the best wine in a Street contest; Ernest and Emily get engaged; Annie and Ernest celebrate their birthdays, and Ernest gives Emily her engagement ring; Ena refuses to go to Blackpool with Minnie and Dave, causing Minnie to call Ena a bigot; When Annie leaves for a day, Lucille and Bet go-go dance on top of the bar for the regulars.
1972 19 Sep 2005 Emily and Ernest's wedding; Billy attempts to sell the Rovers behind Annie's back; Len, Elsie and Rita enjoy a night on the town; Stan is accused of peeping on ladies undressing; Alf's feelings for Maggie are complicated after the death of his wife; Stan drinks in the pub Olympics despite having alcohol poisoning; Rita gets into a fight at the Capricorn after a woman calls her a bitch; Elsie realizes Alan is developing an addiction to alcohol as the residents perform a Christmas show in the Select.
1973 19 Sep 2005
1974 7 Nov 2005
1975 7 Nov 2005
1976 16 Jan 2006 A man attempts to keep Gail hostage in her flat until Emily and Tricia call the police and have the man arrested; Stan attempts to hide his unlicenced TV and breaks it, just as Hilda returns home with the licence; Stan and Albert are locked in the Rovers cellar and have free drinks; The gossip on the Street is that Deirdre is pregnant — until she sets the busybodies straight; Ernest and Emily's financial troubles are exacerbated when he is refused a loan by the bank; Ernest agrees to play musical accompaniment to a stripper and Emily walks in whilst she is practising her routine; Len threatens to give Rita the sack and she hits him, knocking him unconscious; Handel returns to the Street and informs Ena that Minnie will be living at Whaley Bridge permanently, whilst Hilda curses her husband and their miserable lives after finding that Stan stole part of the Christmas money.
1977 16 Jan 2006
1978 6 Mar 2006
1979 6 Mar 2006 Despite Eddie's well-meaning help, a rat in the café causes Gail distress and Emily customers, and whilst Annie and Deirdre are discussing knitting patterns in the back room, a lorry crashes into the Rovers (and presumably a pram carrying little Tracy); Fred buys a toupée, and Alf lashes out at Annie as a result of his injuries following the lorry crash; Brian marries Gail

[edit] 1980s

The 1980s box set was released on 14 November 2005.

Year Episodes
1980 Elsie Tanner sets fire to her living room; Gail Tilsley has a baby.
1981 After Emily reports Arnold to the police, he wants them to commit suicide together; Stan, Eddie and Hilda search for their laundry; After spending a night at another man's house, Elsie finds that she has been robbed; Eunice bosses everyone around at the Rovers while Beattie accuses Ken of abandoning Uncle Albert; Hilda suspects Stan has been cheating on her again; Mike is upset that Deirdre is marrying Ken, but does not stop them; Annie is horrified when Bet commandeers the Mr. and Mrs. Rovers contest; Mike no longer has a denim buyer, Audrey infuriates Eunice by letting her know that she thinks Fred is attractive.
1982 Betty Turpin is mugged; Eddie Yeates and Marion get engaged
1983 Deirdre Barlow has an affair with Mike and Ken finds out; the Ogden's 40th wedding anniversary; Len Fairclough dies in a car accident
1984 Elsie's departure; Stan Ogden's funeral
1985 Tracy Barlow runs away; Alf marries Audrey
1986 Rovers fire; the new Rovers; Ken has a punch-up with Mike; Kevin marries Sally
1987 Gail gives birth to Sarah Louise, who is premature; Mavis fears Alan is taking over the Kabin just as he is doing to Rita, and Alan tells Derek and Mavis to mind their business; Mike's new neon sign for the factory keeps everyone awake at night; Susan returns to Mike whilst Alan is shocked to find Alf, Audrey and Mavis intent on stopping his registry-office wedding to Rita; Bet Lynch marries Alec Gilroy; Jack attempts to clean his chimney himself, covering Vera in soot; Ken and Mike nearly come to blows about Susan; Hilda leaves the Street on Christmas Day
1988 Mavis marries Derek; Don marries Ivy; Deirdre's constant council work worries Ken when she cancels a shopping excursion with Tracy; A destitute man holds Deirdre hostage and she escapes into the night
1989 Alan tries to murder Rita; Alan is killed by a Blackpool tram; Ken Barlow has an affair

[edit] Straight to video

Granada has also produced a number of straight-to-video spin-off productions, which were screened on television only after having been available in shops for some time, as an incentive to buyers. The first "exclusive" tape, released in 1995 featuring a storyline aboard the QE2, caused a legal controversy when it was later broadcast. Subsequent releases have included carefully worded statements concerning future television broadcasting.

Further releases have included a crossover with Emmerdale, and a United States-set special, Viva Las Vegas!, released on VHS in 1999 and screened on ITV the following year. Written by Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk, The Second Coming, Doctor Who), the special featured a guest cameo from actor Neville Buswell, who was then living in America, briefly reprising his role as Ray Langton.

Coronation Street
Characters
Ken Barlow | Emily Bishop | Rita Sullivan | Betty Williams | Deirdre Barlow | Vera Duckworth | Blanche Hunt | Gail Platt | Tracy Barlow | Audrey Roberts | Jack Duckworth | Kevin Webster | Bill Webster | Sally Webster | Sarah-Louise Platt | Steve McDonald | Liz McDonald | Rosie Webster | David Platt | Norris Cole | Sophie Webster | Roy Cropper | Ashley Peacock | Janice Battersby | Les Battersby-Brown | Hayley Cropper | Tyrone Dobbs | Dev Alahan | Bethany Platt | Eileen Grimshaw | Maria Sutherland | Kirk Sutherland | Jason Grimshaw | Fiz Brown | Adam Barlow | Joshua Peacock | Claire Peacock | Bev Unwin | Charlie Stubbs | Sean Tully | Cilla Battersby-Brown | Chesney Battersby-Brown | Amy Barlow | Frankie Baldwin | Jamie Baldwin | Kelly Crabtree | Violet Wilson | Joanne Jackson | Molly Compton | Amber Kalirai | Vernon Tomlin | Becky Grainger | Cameron McIntyre | Freddy Peacock | Michelle Connor | Ryan Connor | Liam Connor | Paul Connor | Carla Connor
Media
VHS and DVD releases
Related topics
Weatherfield | Rovers Return Inn | Coronation Street sets | Coronation Street timeline | Humour in Coronation Street | List of character deaths on Coronation Street | Most controversial storylines of Coronation Street