Streets ahead a Show still strong at 60
On its 1960 debut, ‘The Daily Mirror’ confidently predicted it wouldn’t last more than three weeks. Sixty years later and the soap’s still going strong, writes James Rampton.
WARNING: CONTAINS CORONATION STREET SPOILERS.
It was not an auspicious start. When Coronation Street was first broadcast on December 9, 1960, the critics came not to praise the soap, but to bury it. The Daily Mirror predicted that the show, which at first had been commissioned for only a
13-episode run, was unlikely to last more than three weeks, adding: ‘‘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.’’
Now, 60 years later, Coronation Street will air its
10,000th episode on TVNZ1 on Valentine’s Day. On September 17, 2010, it entered the Guinness World Records as the longest-running TV soap anywhere on the planet. Over those six decades, Coro has quite simply become part of the cultural furniture in the United Kingdom.
And it is now universally lauded by critics. The reviewer Chris Diamond summarised the view of many of his British colleagues when he wrote:
‘‘Coronation Street, I have always maintained, is the best television soap and has been since its beginnings in 1960.
‘‘No other soap has its depth, lent in part by its extraordinarily long tenure, but also fleshed out by superb characters and great writing which has often lurched beyond the excellent into the brilliant.’’
But it is not just popular in its native UK. The show has been a huge hit all over the world, as the Canadian critic Danielle Groen confirmed in an article headlined Craving Corrie: ‘‘The light is dim in this crowded Toronto diner, the voices loud and steady.
‘‘The bartender fiddles with the bass on the stereo, while six of us, our ages spanning five decades, cosy up in the corner booth . . . We have come to discuss Coronation Street – its stellar writing, its dry humour, its brisk pacing and relatable cast.’’
All in all, reaching the landmark of 10,000 episodes is a quite remarkable achievement. As
Corrie producer Iain MacLeod puts it: ‘‘10,000 episodes! Not bad for a programme which one newspaper said in 1960 was ‘doomed from the outset’.’’
The Street has catalysed a whole industry of spinoffs, including books, magazines, films and TV
shows such as Pardon the Expression, Turn Out the
Lights, The Brothers McGregor and Albion Market.
It has even prompted a stage play with the inevitable title of Corrie!
Meanwhile, Rogues, Angels, Heroes & Fools ,a 2010 album of songs sung by the cast to celebrate the soap’s 50th anniversary, was later turned into a musical. Fans can also go on a tour of the
Coronation Street set in Manchester.
To underline Coronation Street’s penetration into all aspects of popular culture, the celebrated video for Queen’s 1984 single I Want to Break Free is an homage to the strong female characters in the soap, including Bet Lynch (played in the video by
‘‘Coronation Street, I have always maintained, is the best television soap and has been since its beginnings in 1960. No other soap has its depth, lent in part by its extraordinarily long tenure, but also fleshed out by superb characters and great writing which has often lurched beyond the excellent into the brilliant.’’
Chris Diamond, reviewer
Freddie Mercury) and Hilda Ogden (Brian May). The show’s influence even extends abroad. The German soap opera, Lindenstrasse, which began in 1985, is inspired by Coronation Street.
In addition, the soap has been the springboard for many actors who have progressed to an even higher profile such as Davy Jones (who ended up as lead singer of The Monkees), Joanna Lumley and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Corrie has also given a first break to many young writers who went on to great things, such as Jack Rosenthal, Sally Wainwright, Jimmy McGovern, Kay Mellor, Russell T Davies, Paul Abbott, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Paula Milne. It
also launched the career of the award-winning feature film director Michael Apted.
So why has the soap conceived by Tony Warren in 1960 continued to thrive while other pretenders – such as Brookside and El Dorado – have fallen by the wayside? My contention is that it has enjoyed such longevity for a number of reasons.
To start with, Coronation Street has managed the feat (which is much harder than it looks) of creating a very relatable community, a street full of recognisable characters where viewers would like to live themselves. We would all enjoy being served a pint by Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) in the Rovers Return, or having a chat on the Weatherfield street corner with Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander.)
William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the very first episode in 1960 (also a world record), underscores how important it is that all the characters in Coronation Street are identifiable and share a common warmth.
‘‘Tony Warren set the heart of the Street asa community that cares – and you can’t go far wrong with that.’’
In addition, the soap has always been marked by a notable sense of humour, so that even the most serious moments are leavened by a rare lightness of touch. Brits will forgive almost anyone if they have a sense of humour.
Over the years, characters such as the sharptongued Evelyn Plummer (played by Maureen Lipman) and writer Mel Hutchwright (Sir Ian McKellen), author of the racy novel Hard
Grinding, have emphasised the witty tone of Coronation Street.
But that does not mean that Coro has shied away from difficult subjects. It has always recognised its responsibility to tackle controversial subjects and try to help people in the process.
When, for instance, the soap portrayed the devastating effect of rape on David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) in 2018, the national charity helpline Male Survivor, which supports survivors of sexual abuse, rape and sexual exploitation, witnessed a 1700 per cent increase in calls.
The 10,000th episode itself highlights many of the qualities that have made Corrie so enduringly popular over the last six decades.
Rita Tanner (Barbara Knox) is shocked when a parcel arrives with her estranged husband Dennis’ (Philip Lowrie) ashes. The package contains a note requesting that she scatter them in Blackpool.
The Lancashire town has sad memories for Tanner because her abusive ex Alan Bradley (Mark Eden) was killed there by a tram 20 years ago. The episode where Bradley – subsequently voted one of Corrie’s best ever villains – died was watched by more than 21 million viewers, the sort of figure producers would now sell their granny for.
Trying to process Dennis’ death, Tanner asks Barlow to escort her on this mission to Blackpool. Sensing that a day out would give people a welcome boost, Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews) hires a coach and asks several
Coronation Street inhabitants to accompany them on this pilgrimage.
However, as this is a soap, things immediately go awry on the coach driven by the crotchety Des (John Henshaw), and the day turns into something of a comedy of errors. But, by the end of the trip to Blackpool, some lives will be turned upside down and one resident will decide to leave the Street and begin a new life elsewhere.
MacLeod sums up the episode. ‘‘I am first and foremost a massive fan of the show – and I watched this landmark episode with absolute glee.
‘‘It is uniquely Corrie: funny, poignant, characterful – and a glorious homage to the comedic charabanc trips of times past, packed with strong female characters and sparkling dialogue. It’s a really great exhibition of Coronation Street’s classic qualities, as we start a new decade on the cobbles.’’
So, 60 years in, Coronation Street is not showing its age in the slightest. In fact, it is obviously in very rude health indeed. As MacLeod and his team embark on the next 10,000 episodes, it is clear that this is a soap which remains very much up the audience’s Street.