Storylines of Coronation Street
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Storylines of Coronation Street, the British ITV soap opera, have spanned five decades, from the programme's inception in 1960, until present-day 2007. Coronation Street has covered a number of storylines that created dispute and debate in the media and caused public outcry from viewers. Popular storylines have also seen an increase in viewer numbers, such as the jailing of Deirdre Rachid in 1998[1] as well as large media coverage, such as the sacking of Peter Adamson (Len Fairclough) in 1983.[2] Some storylines are seen as having caused controversy among viewers and in the media due to the sudden sacking of an actor by the programme's producer or as a result of a topic or theme that openly shocked viewers or was seen as taboo.
Although the programme is recognised as a drama serial, Coronation Street is known on occasions for its light humour and comic characters (see Humour in Coronation Street).
Contents |
[edit] Controversial sackings
[edit] Killing of Martha Longhurst
In 1964, Coronation Street appointed new producer, Tim Aspinall.[3] Aspinall decided on a new broom policy and 'The Bloody Purge' of 1964 began, with nine actors being sacked in total.[4][5]
The first cast member to be written out was Lynne Carol, who had played Martha Longhurst since episode two of the programme.[6] Martha Longhurst was a popular character, and formed part of the trio of 'Ena, Minnie & Martha' who were regularly seen drinking milk stout in the Snug bar of the Rovers Return and gossiping about the other residents. Her sacking was so controversial that fellow actress Violet Carson (Ena Sharples) threatened to quit, but she was eventually talked round.[7] The media reported extensively on the storyline, and when Lynne Carol took a private trip to the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition in London, she was mobbed by fans and asked to leave on the grounds of public safety.[8]
On 13 May 1964, the show aired Martha's death, dying of a heart attack in the Snug of the Rovers Return.
Many, including Coronation Street writer H.V. Kershaw, saw the killing of Martha as a desperate move to boost viewer ratings.[9]
[edit] Sacking of Jennifer Moss
During the 1960s and early 1970s, core cast member Jennifer Moss (who had played Lucille Hewitt since episode four) had struggled with alcohol addiction.[10] In 1974 new producer Susi Hush fired Moss rather abruptly. Moss was a fan favourite and many viewers were not happy at the turn of events, with Lucille suddenly disappearing to live in Ireland with no explanation.[11]
While actors in the 1990s might have been helped through such a period by Coronation Street production company Granada Television, Moss was offered no such support.[12]
[edit] Killing of Ernest Bishop
In September 1977 the News of the World quoted actor Stephen Hancock (Ernest Bishop) as saying 'The Street kills an actor. I'm just doing a job, not acting. The scriptwriters have turned me into Ernie Bishop. I've tried to resist it but it is very hard not to play the part all the time, even at home.' [13] This was the first sight the public had of a bitter argument between Hancock and Granada Television. Hancock objected to the cast payment system, and threatened to quit the show to safeguard his principles.[14] The main dispute was between Hancock and the show's producer at the time, Bill Podmore, with Podmore being nicknamed 'The Godfather' by the British media.[15]
The basis of Hancock's argument was that different actors were guaranteed different numbers of episode appearances per year, thus some were paid more than others. Actors from the earliest days of the programme, including Pat Phoenix, Doris Speed and Peter Adamson, were guaranteed payment for every one of the year's episodes, regardless of them actually appearing.[16] Podmore was not willing to change what he called a 'complex and well-established system',[17] leading Hancock to stand by his principles and resign.
The problem now shifted, and writers had to write Ernie out, but save his wife Emily. The decision was made for Ernest to be killed off in a bungled robbery at Mike Baldwin's factory, where he worked as a wages clerk. Ernest was killed by a single gunshot to the stomach on 11 January 1978.[18] It was the first time that violence on such a scale had been shown on Coronation Street and after the episode was aired, Granada's switchboard was jammed by angry viewers. Letters of complaint arrived in their hundreds, and the Lobby Against TV Violence fiercely objected Granada's decision to broadcast the episode.[19] Granada stated that the storyline was not about violence, but that it aimed to show the desolation and loss felt by Ernest's wife, Emily.[20]
28 years later, in 2006 Thomas Edward 'Ed' Jackson, known only as Ed, befriended Emily Bishop, having met her at a local church. Ed revealed to Emily that he was one of the men involved in the armed robbery, and that he had shot and killed her husband.
[edit] Killing of Len Fairclough
Peter Adamson, who had played Len Fairclough since February 2 1961,[21] was sacked in 1983 for breach of contract. He had been warned by Granada Television for writing unauthorized newspaper articles criticising the show and cast. Coronation Street producer Bill Podmore sacked Adamson when it was revealed he had sold his memoirs after the previous warning.[22]
The sacking coincided with allegations of Adamson having indecently assaulted two young girls. In April 1983, a Sunday newspaper reported that Adamson had been arrested for indecently assaulting two eight-year old girls in a swimming pool.[23] The police complaint was that Adamson's hands had strayed while giving the girls swimming lessons. Granada Television gave Adamson financial support through his legal problems, with a Crown Court jury finding him not guilty in July 1983.[24]
Adamson's dispute over his memoirs and newspaper articles was not known to the public, and the media reported that Adamson had been dismissed because of the shame indecent assault allegations had brought on Granada and the Coronation Street brand.[25]
Len Fairclough was killed off-screen in a motorway crash on 7 December 1983. To demonise the character, it was revealed that he had been returning home from an affair, cheating on wife Rita (Barbara Knox).[26]
Adamson celebrated the character's death by delivering an obituary on TV-am dressed as an undertaker.[27]
[edit] Killing of Brian Tilsley
In 1988, actor Christopher Quinten, who had played Brian Tilsley since 27 December 1978,[28] told bosses at Granada that he was going to move to the United States to marry his then-fiancée, American talk show host Leeza Gibbons and to build an acting career in Los Angeles.[29] In announcing his resignation, Quinten tried to ensure that his role would be left open for him to return in the event that his American career failed.
At the time, his character Brian Tilsley was married to Gail (Helen Worth), and the story conference called to write Brian out struggled to find a justifiable way to write him out while still leaving enough scope for a possible return. The decision was made that Brian should die.[30]
Chris Quinten was in L.A. when the storyline was decided, and on returning to the United Kingdom he was shocked at Brian's fate and threatened to fly back to America so that scenes could not be filmed.[31] He was talked round by co-star Helen Worth, who pointed out that he may be blacklisted by Equity if he quit the programme abruptly.[32]
Brian Tilsley's death aired on 15 February 1989. After the breakdown of his marriage to Gail, Brian started to spend his evenings going to discos and meeting a selection of women. He tried to protect a young lady from a group of thugs outside a nightclub and was stabbed in the stomach. He died from his injuries.[33] The stabbing brought massive complaints from viewers and Mary Whitehouse delivered an angry sermon about television violence.[34]
[edit] Controversial themes
[edit] Valerie Barlow's attack
In 1968, Coronation Street scriptwriters developed one of the programme's most dramatic storylines to date.[35] While Ken Barlow was working on a school play, his wife Valerie was kept hostage after a convicted rapist, Frank Riley, who had escaped from prison, forced his way into the Barlow flat. The Barlow twins were asleep in their bed, with Valerie insisting that she was alone, only for one of the twins to wake up crying allowing Riley to use them as a threat to Val if she did not comply to his wishes. The story was spread across two episodes, the second seeing the police surround the Barlow flat and Riley tell Valerie that he may as well have some fun with her now he had been caught. The storyline saw a turning-point in the Barlow marriage, as Ken refused to believe that Val had not been raped.[36]
[edit] Parentage of Gordon Clegg
In 1974, Irene Sutcliffe decided to leave the show, having played corner chop owner Maggie Clegg since 1 April 1968.[37] Maggie emigrated to Zaire in 1974 with old-flame, Ron Cooke. Producer of the time, Susi Hush, decided to write a storyline where Gordon Clegg, was revealed to be not the son of Maggie, but the illegitimate son of her sister, Betty Turpin.[38]
Sutcliffe made it known that she felt very hurt by the storyline, since she believed it tore apart the foundation of the character she had spent six years building.[39] In an attempt to extend an olive branch in an informal apology, Hush invited Sutcliffe to return for Christmas festivities in a couple of episodes at the end of the year, which she accepted.
[edit] Deirdre's attack
In 1977, the writers of the show wrote a controversial storyline turn for actress Anne Kirkbride and her character, Deirdre Langton. In the story, Deirdre walked home from her exercise class, and was attacked by a man who tried to rape her. He molested her, but she managed to run home. Filled with guilt and shame, she would not tell her husband, Ray, what had happened. Eventually, her thoughts turned to suicide. Deirdre decided to jump off a bridge, but was distracted when a passerby asked for directions. At that time, she had an epiphany and told Ray what had transpired.
Although the subject matter was very controversial, the storyline's execution taught many other women who had been in the same situation to tell the police, a loved one, or both, about their respective ordeals.
[edit] Ken, Deirdre and Mike
In late 1982, writer Adele Rose came up with the idea that Deirdre, quickly bored in new marriage to Ken Barlow, would have an affair with Mike Baldwin. In Rose's line of reasoning, Deirdre would strongly believe that Ken was neglecting her, and that being with Mike made her feel alive. In the widely-viewed episode in which Deirdre confessed all to Ken, she told him that she felt like "the wallpaper, or a piece of furniture that's been around forever... it's like [they've] been married for twenty years". In an unscripted move, Ken, blinded by anger, grabbed Deirdre by the throat and started to strangle her. Anne Kirkbride, who did not know of the sudden change in direction, reacted with more conviction, she admitted later, than had she known of the action beforehand. Eventually, Deirdre began to have doubts about staying with Mike Baldwin. The writers of the series scheduled the episode in which Deirdre reconciled with Ken, effectively ending her relationship with Mike Baldwin, on the night that popular football teams Manchester United and Arsenal F.C. played at Old Trafford. At the end of the episode, which aired on February 23, 1983, Deirdre slammed the door of No. 1 in Mike's face. Dejected and with a shattered hubris, Mike drove away from the Street. As soon as the credits finished rolling, the scoreboard at the stadium read "Deirdre and Ken United Again!" and "Ken 1 Mike 0" in big letters, to the excitement of cheering fans. The episode was one of the highest-rated in Corrie's history.
[edit] First transsexual person in a British soap
In 1998, the Street introduced the first transsexual person in British soap history. Its handling of the story, and Hayley Patterson (Julie Hesmondhalgh) ultimately "marrying" bookish nerd Roy Cropper, proved immensely popular, and was praised by transgendered groups, not least in how it highlighted transgender issues, such as how she remained registered for tax purposes as a man called "Harold", leading to ridicule from her boss, Mike Baldwin.
Coronation Street did not feature a gay resident, unlike EastEnders which has had a number, and Emmerdale which has a lesbian vet and a number of other gay characters, both male and female. Only recently, in 2003 and 2007, has the soap featured any kind of homosexual activity.
[edit] Deirdre Rachid jailed
On the 29 March 1998, Deirdre Rachid was sent to prison after a former lover implicated her in a bank fraud scheme. A campaign led by tabloid newspapers and the occasional graffiti artist, with the slogan of "Free the Weatherfield One!", petitioned the Home Secretary to become involved on Deirdre's behalf. Even Tony Blair called for Deirdre to be freed. After three weeks, Deirdre was released from prison and four different newspapers claimed victory for themselves and their readers. However, the producers of the programme had planned Deirdre to stay in prison for three weeks the entire time.
[edit] Illegal Immigration
In Spring 2007 Coronation Street is due to broadcast one of its most politcally sensitive storylines for some time with an illegal immigration storyline. Polish workers will be taken on at the Underworld factory co-owned by Connor brothers Paul and Liam. The storyline is due to culminate with the police raiding the factory only to declare all the polish workers legal but end up discovering that factory worker Joanne Jackson (Zarah Abrahams) to be an illegal immigrant due to her being a Liberian national. She is arrested and placed in a deportation centre. The outcome of the storyline and Joanne's fate is yet to be revealed.
[edit] Other Storylines
[edit] Death of Valerie Barlow
Anne Reid joined the cast of Coronation Street in August 1961 on a temporary basis. She left the soap in November but her character had been popular, especially the storyline centered around her and Ken Barlow's romance. She returned in June 1962 and on August 1 she married Ken. Over the next eight years fans would watch their stories, including two separations, the birth of twins, and Val's affair with Ken's best friend. Ken and Valerie were a very early example of a television supercouple. But late in 1970, Anne Reid asked to be released from her contract. She had married one the soap's producers and was pregnant.[citation needed] The show's main producer reluctantly agreed and Val was killed off on January 27, 1971 in one of the show's most famous episodes. She died of a massive electric shock after attempting to repair her hairdryer. The story had wide media coverage and many angry viewers wrote to Granada. On February 3, 1971 more than 15 million viewers tuned in for Valerie's funeral.
[edit] Rovers Return fire
The programme moved to modernise its sets in 1986. One way the producers and writers chose to do this was to have the Rovers Return set ablaze. Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) was on the upper storey of the pub at the time, and failed to fully execute her escape. Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) remarked sarcastically that she was "probably smokin' in bed again," when in reality, Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey) had attempted to repair a fuse and, in failing to do so, accidentally sparked a fire in the fusebox which spread to the rest of the establishment.
Kevin and Sally Webster, coming home from a late-night rock concert, happened to walk past at the time, noticed the fire, and alerted the neighbours. The fire brigade eventually rescued Bet when Kevin could not, and she recovered from a case of smoke inhalation. Afterwards, she decided to knock the main area, the Select, and the Snug into one bar.
[edit] The serial killer: Richard Hillman
In 2002–3, Coronation Street featured storyline of Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), who entered as a relative of the late Alma Sedgewick. Initially the character was seen offering financial advice to residents and buying the house of Emily Bishop, in an arrangement where she would have the right to live in it for her lifetime, but on her death, Hillman would inherit the house. He then married Gail Platt (Helen Worth). Over the months, questions were raised about his trustworthiness, with suggestions of some irregularities in his dealings with people elsewhere. He left a business partner, Duggie Ferguson to die after falling over a balcony. Hillman then murdered his second wife and buried her under concrete at a housing development he owned. In late 2002, Hillman subtly made his wealthy mother-in-law, Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), question whether she was experiencing the onset of dementia, through such things as unlocking doors she had locked, hanging out washing that she could not remember hanging out, putting on lights she had switched off and taking a dress in to be dry-cleaned, which she could not remember taking. Finally, he tried to kill her in a house fire, made to look like the result of her dementia, with Hillman removing the battery from the smoke alarm. She was saved by taxi driver Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson).
In 2003, Hillman was in severe financial trouble, and failing in his attempt to get his hands on Audrey's considerable wealth, he planned to to murder Emily Bishop and thus claim her house. While Emily was babysitting Joshua Peacock, he planned to kill her and frame his step-daughter, Sarah-Louise's, former boyfriend, Aidan Critchley, who was sleeping rough nearby. Richard broke into the Peacock's house and struck Emily round the head with a crowbar, but unfortunately Maxine Peacock returned to check on her son, and Richard brutally attacked her with the crowbar. Maxine died instantly, but Emily survived.
Following Maxine's murder, February 2003 saw a number of street residents, along with Audrey Roberts, suspect Hillman of Maxine's murder, with Audrey challenging him at Maxine's funeral. Audrey had realised he had made two slip ups with her; knowing there was no battery in a smoke alarm before the fire brigade had checked it, and leaving in the dress to be cleaned on a day when she had independent witnesses to confirm that she had been with them all that day. Emily's lodger Norris Cole had also suspected that Richard was less-than honest in his financial dealings with his elderly clients. Meanwhile, Ken Barlow, having seen the drunken state of Critchley on the night of the murder, doubted his ability to carry out the crime. However, Audrey, Norris and Ken were boycotted by other residents, especially Richard's wife, Gail, who became estranged from her mother, Audrey, after she accused him of lighting the fire in her house. Maxine's family and Emily (who survived with no memory of the attack) all saw Hillman as a perfect husband, neighbour and friend.
Hillman himself was racked by guilt at his actions, all the more so when it turned out that someone else whose house he owned had died the previous week, meaning that his financial problems were already solved before he tried to murder Emily and murdered Maxine. Hillman's trusting wife, Gail, finally twigged and challenged him, leading to his full and frank admission, in the belief that she would stand by him and not reveal his actions. She however refused to protect him and Hillman disappeared, pursued by the police, who eventually found the remains of his second wife. He returned to kidnap his family and try to gas them in the family car, before being discovered, and driving off and crashing the car into a canal, where Hillman died but Gail, Sarah, David and Bethany survived. In the aftermath, Hillman's financial dealings saw his wife and family face the possible loss of their home, as did Emily Bishop, while the Duckworths lost their entire life savings.
[edit] Mad Maya
In 2004 Maya Sharma was unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, Corner Shop owner Dev Alahan. He discovered that his all time love Sunita Parekh had been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Maya who had shown glimpses of her true self on a few previous occasions including dog napping Tyrone's pet greyhound Monica and dumping it on the Red Rec, stealing an expensive vase on impulse from a designer shop and driving high speed with Dev into the countryside in her characteristic red MG sports car, refusing to stop until he proposed to her, was hell bent on revenge. She trashed the apartment he shared with her in the quays causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. She disappeared for a few weeks but returned by posing as Sunita and arranging illegal marriages to immigrants seeking residency in the UK. She then tipped off the police and had both Sunita and Dev arrested on their wedding day in front of most of the shocked residents with Maya lurking in the background. Maya then began a campaign of destruction against Dev's business empire. One of his employees working in his Eccles shop called Dev saying it was on fire. It soon became clear his shops were being targeted and Dev knew from that point that Maya was behind the arson attacks. He soon realised that Sunita herself might be in danger and when he called home his worst fears were realised when Maya answered the phone saying she had Sunita hostage. When Dev returned to the apartment he discovered Maya and Sunita were nowhere to be seen and he drove straight to the final shop not yet targeted, the Coronation Street shop in Weatherfield. Maya tied up Sunita in the upstairs flat (number 15A) and when Dev entered she hit him over the head with a fire extinguisher. She then tied and gagged them both before turning on the gas on the cooker in the flat. She then moved downstairs and started a fire in the shop itself. They were rescued by Ciaran McCarthy and Charlie Stubbs as the building sensationally exploded. In desperation Maya then tried to run down the couple in front of virtually all the Street residents but missed and crashed into the viaduct. While attempting her second go she was hit by a bin lorry and seriously injured. Both Dev and Sunita survived the ordeal and Maya was admitted to hospital under police guard.
[edit] Other storylines
- On September 11, 1961, Ida Barlow was struck by a bus and killed.
- In 1961 Else Tanner received a poison pen letter during her affair with a married man.
- In 1967, Elsie Tanner wed former GI Steve Tanner (his surname was almost changed at the last minute; no one would have changed Elsie's, since she was such a popular character) in the Street's first lavish wedding shoot. Steve Tanner was played by Canadian actor Paul Maxwell.
- In 1969, in time to usher in colour television transmissions, the show planned an outing to the Lake District, so the viewers could see the autumn foliage in all its glory. However, there was no colour film available for the episode (leading the videotaped studio footage in colour, and the filmed exterior footage in black & white), and the first full colour episode aired was after the core cast members had been involved in a car accident on the way back from the Lake, while they were all in hospital.
- In 1975 a warehouse fire killed Edna Gee.
- In 1980, Renee Roberts (Madge Hindle) was killed off after public opinion polls showed the character (as well as her marriage to Alf Roberts, played by actor Bryan Mosley) to be very unpopular. She died when a lorry hit her car head-on while Alf was giving her driving lessons.
- In 1984, Bernard Youens's character, Stan Ogden, died in hospital (in conjunction with Youens's real-life death). The episode featuring his funeral (filmed only months following Youens's funeral) ended with his grief-stricken widow, Hilda, crying over his glasses case.
- In 1998 Ann Malone froze to death after being accidentally locked in a store freezer at Firmans Freezers. She was plotting a smear campaign against Curly Watts.
- In 2000 a hostage siege occurred at Frescho's supermarket. Characters including Ken Barlow, Fred Elliot and Mike Baldwin were being held hostage by Dean Sykes the brother of Mike's fiancee Linda. Police woman Emma Watts fatally shot him as the hostages were rescued.
- In 2001, it featured the rape of Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor), Les Battersby's teenage step-daughter.
- In 2001 Alma Sedgewick died from cervical cancer (Amanda Barrie), the ex-wife of Mike Baldwin.
- In 2000–2, it featured the pregnancy of thirteen year old Sarah Louise Platt (Tina O'Brien), daughter of Gail Platt.
- In 2003–4, the soap featured its first homosexual kiss when Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley) kissed Nick Tilsley (played by Adam Rickitt). In the story. The storyline continued as Todd could no longer deny his sexuality and fell into a relationship with Karl Foster, a co-worker, even though he was engaged to Sarah-Louise were and expecting a child.
- In 2005 Katy Harris (Lucy-Jo Hudson) beat her father, Tommy Harris, to death with a wrench. Katy and her mother Angela Harris decided it was best if they denied all knowledge of the murder. The police arrested Angela on suspicion of the murder of her husband. When in court Angela believes Katy wouldn't survive in jail so she takes the blame. Angela is sentenced to prison. Katy, who is diabetic, is feeling overwhelmed with the guilt of killing her father and sending her mother to jail, she commits suicide by drinking a bag of sugar mixed with cola and not taking her insulin. Katy's brother Craig has now lost his mother, father and sister in just one month. Katy had fallen out with her father after she commenced a relationship with Martin Platt who was at least 20 years older than her.
- 2005: Craig Harris and Rosie Webster have underage sex and are caught by Rosie's mother, Sally.
- In 2006 Mike Baldwin died from after suffering from Alzheimers Disease for many months. The disease first showed signs after he arrived back from holiday with long term partner Penny King. While he was suffering from the illness his son Danny Baldwin (Bradley Walsh) and his girlfriend Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) attempted to convince Mike to change his will leaving Danny as the main beneficiary leaving his other two sons Mark and Adam out of the picture completely. Mike died in the arms of arch nemesis Ken Barlow outside his beloved Underworld factory on Coronation Street.
- In January 2007 Tracy Barlow hit Charlie Stubbs round the head with an ornament, the conclusion of a storyline where Tracy was out for revenge against Charlie, and feigned domestic violence. Charlie expired in hospital, and Tracy faces a murder charge.
[edit] References
- ^ Little, Daran. p.241-242.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.153.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.28.
- ^ Tinker, Jack. p.31.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.28.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.6.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.28.
- ^ Tinker. p.31.
- ^ Tinker. p.31.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.93.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.96.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.93.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.114.
- ^ Podmore. p.33.
- ^ Podmore. p.33.
- ^ Podmore. p.34.
- ^ Podmore. p.34.
- ^ Little. (2000) p.21.
- ^ Podmore. p.33.
- ^ Podmore. p.36.
- ^ Little. p.10.
- ^ Podmore. p.78.
- ^ Podmore. p.77.
- ^ Podmore. p.78.
- ^ Podmore. p.78.
- ^ Little. p.153.
- ^ Podmore. p.76.
- ^ Little. p.121.
- ^ Podmore. p.135.
- ^ Podmore. p.136.
- ^ Podmore. p.136.
- ^ Podmore. p.136.
- ^ Little. p.190.
- ^ Podmore. p.136.
- ^ Little. (1995) p.84.
- ^ Little. (1995) p.85.
- ^ Little. p.51.
- ^ Little. p.93.
- ^ Little. p.93.
[edit] Print References
- Little, Daran. 40 Years of Coronation Street, Granada Media, 2000. (ISBN 0-233-99806-3)
- Tinker, Jack. Coronation Street; A fully-illustrated record of television's most popular serial, Treasure Press, 1987. (ISBN 1-85051-229-9)
- Podmore, Bill. (with Peter Reece). Coronation Street: The Inside Story London: Macdonald, 1990 (ISBN 0-356-17971-0)
