| Coronation Street (1960) | |
|---|---|
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Granada Television |
| Original release | 9 December – 30 December 1960 |
| Season chronology | |
Coronation Street is a British soap opera, set in the fictitious Northern town of Weatherfield, Coronation Street takes the viewer into the lives of a colourful variety of characters. The compulsive nature of Coronation Street and the way it evolves and adapts to the taste of its audience, have made it an institution. Coronation Street is the story of working people and the city street in which they live. It is a story of local life and the detail of local life and has been seen around the world in countries as far apart as Finland and Sierra Leone. In the history of television no programme has been as consistently successful as Coronation Street. Coronation Street has remained in the top viewing ratings throughout its long life. The show broadcast its first episode on 9 December 1960, with Stuart Latham as producer. Coronation Street aired 7 episodes in 1960, with the typical week comprising two half-hour episodes on Granada Television, in a time slot of 7:00 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The show's original characters include Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix), Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie), Frank Barlow (Frank Pemberton), Ida Barlow (Noel Dyson), Ken Barlow (William Roache), David Barlow (Alan Rothwell), Florrie Lindley (Betty Alberge), Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), Annie Walker (Doris Speed), Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth), all of whom are introduced in the first episode, and Harry Hewitt (Ivan Beavis), Esther Hayes (Daphne Oxenford), Jack Walker (Arthur Leslie), Martha Longhurst (Lynne Carol), Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant), Leonard Swindley (Arthur Lowe), Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss) and Concepta Riley (Doreen Keogh), who appeared after the first episode. Characters who made recurring appearances in the year include Linda Cheveski (Anne Cunningham), Ivan Cheveski (Ernst Walder), Ron Bailey (Ray Mort) and Vera Lomax (Ruth Holden). Maudie Edwards, Patricia Shakesby, Joan Heath and Anthony Booth guest starred throughout the year as Elsie Lappin, Susan Cunningham, May Hardman and Malcolm Wilkinson respectively.
Cast and characters
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Tony Warren was responsible for penning twenty-one characters in the original transmission of Coronation Street. His initial outline was quite flamboyant. Annie Walker and Jack Walker are the licensees of the Rovers Return Inn pub, and reside there along with their lodger and barmaid Concepta Riley. Cantankerous Albert Tatlock lives at No.1 alone, followed by the Barlow family (Frank Barlow, Ida Barlow, Ken Barlow and David Barlow) at No.3. Benign Esther Hayes also lives alone at No.5, living next door to bus driver Harry Hewitt and his daughter Lucille. Elsie and Dennis Tanner live at No.11, and are joined by Elsie's daughter Linda Cheveski and her husband Ivan Cheveski in the year. Christine Hardman lives at No.13 along with her mother May Hardman who has not long been taken out of hospital. Florrie Lindley is the owner of the Corner Shop and battleaxe Ena Sharples resides at the Glad Tidings Mission Hall. Other characters living outside of Coronation Street include Martha Longhurst (Lynne Carol) and Minnie Caldwell (Margot Bryant).
Student Ken Barlow, ashamed of his working class background, gets into trouble when he dates a posh girl. Meanwhile Elsie Tanner, a woman of loose morals according to Ena Sharples, struggles with her children's problems. Daughter Linda Cheveski leaves her Polish husband, and bad boy son Dennis Tanner is suspected of burglary. The street features strong women characters - Ena Sharples, Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst who regularly meet up in the local pub, The Rovers Return, and gossip about the neighbours. The Rovers is run by Annie and Jack Walker. The street also deals with its first death in the shape and form of May Hardman.
The following is a full list of the Coronation Street 1960 cast.
Regular cast
edit- Betty Alberge as Florrie Lindley
- Ivan Beavis as Harry Hewitt
- Margot Bryant as Minnie Caldwell
- Lynne Carol as Martha Longhurst
- Violet Carson as Ena Sharples
- Noel Dyson as Ida Barlow
- Christine Hargreaves as Christine Hardman
- Jack Howarth as Albert Tatlock
- Doreen Keogh as Concepta Riley
- Arthur Leslie as Jack Walker
- Arthur Lowe as Leonard Swindley
- Philip Lowrie as Dennis Tanner
- Jennifer Moss as Lucille Hewitt
- Daphne Oxenford as Esther Hayes
- Frank Pemberton as Frank Barlow
- Pat Phoenix as Elsie Tanner
- William Roache as Ken Barlow
- Alan Rothwell as David Barlow
- Doris Speed as Annie Walker
Recurring and guest characters
edit- Anthony Booth as Malcolm Wilkinson
- Anne Cunningham as Linda Cheveski
- Maudie Edwards as Elsie Lappin
- Joan Heath as May Hardman
- Ruth Holden as Vera Lomax
- Ray Mort as Harry Bailey
- Patricia Shakesby as Susan Cunningham
- Ernst Walder as Ivan Cheveski