''Coronation Street'' Live is a live episode of the British soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'', which was first broadcast on Thursday 9 December 2010 on ITV. The special live edition was to celebrate fifty years of the programme being on air. The sixty-minute episode was directed by Tony Prescott, who had directed the soap's 40th anniversary live episode in December 2000. The episode, the 7487th in the series, was written by Jan McVerry and produced by

Phil Collinson Philip Collinson (born 26 August 1970) is a British television producer. He was initially an actor, before switching to working behind the cameras in the industry as a script editor and writer on programmes such as ''Springhill'' and ''Emmerdale ...

for

ITV Studios ITV Studios Limited is a British multinational television media company owned by British television broadcaster ITV plc. It handles production and distribution of programmes broadcast on the ITV network and third-party broadcasters, and is ba ...

. It was filmed at the

Granada Studios Granada Studios was a television studio complex and events venue on Quay Street in Manchester, England, with the facility to broadcast live and recorded television programmes. The studios were the headquarters of Granada Television from 1956 to ...

complex in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. To celebrate the show's 50th anniversary, episodes were broadcast every day during the week 6–10 December 2010 under the advertisement banner "Four Funerals and a Wedding". An episode broadcast the preceding Monday showed a gas explosion in local bar The Joinery, causing a

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

to crash from the viaduct into the Corner Shop and The Kabin opposite. The live episode continued to depict the aftermath of the accident, such as the rescue attempts and deaths of the characters

Ashley Peacock Ashley Peacock is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Steven Arnold, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 1 February 1995. Ashley was a victim of the tram cras ...

(

Steven Arnold Steven Arnold (born 12 December 1974) is an English actor best known for his role as butcher Ashley Peacock in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Early life He was educated at Sir Thomas Boteler in Warrington, where his drama teach ...

) and

Molly Dobbs Molly Dobbs (also Compton) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Vicky Binns, she debuted on 5 September 2005. Introduced as the daughter of a local baker, she is the love interest and later ...

(

Vicky Binns Victoria Jane Binns (born 27 August 1982) is an English actress, known for her two roles in the two veteran ITV soap operas ''Emmerdale'' and ''Coronation Street''. She had a lead role in ''Von Trapped'' opposite Caroline Quentin and also appea ...

), an emergency marriage between Peter Barlow (

Chris Gascoyne Chris Gascoyne (born 31 January 1968) is an English film, theatre and television actor. He is best known for his role as Peter Barlow in the soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Making his first appearance in December 2000 during a live, 50 minut ...

) and

Leanne Battersby Leanne Battersby (also Tilsley and Barlow) is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Jane Danson. It was announced in February 1997 that a "fam ...

(

Jane Danson Jane Danson (born Jane Elizabeth Dawson, 8 November 1978) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Leanne Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', between 1997 and 2000, and from 2004 onwards. Her other television ...

) on Peter's hospital bed, Fiz Stape (

Jennie McAlpine Jennie Elizabeth McAlpine (born 12 February 1984) is an English television actress, comedian and businesswoman. She is known for her roles as Michelle Morley in Emmerdale and Fiz Brown in the ITV (TV channel), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street' ...

) giving birth prematurely to her daughter

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

, and Molly's revelation to

Sally Webster Sally Webster (also Seddon and Metcalfe) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Sally Dynevor. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 27 January 1986, when Kev ...

(

Sally Dynevor Sally Jane Dynevor (née Whittaker; born 30 May 1963) is an English actress, she is best known for her role as Sally Metcalfe in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she has played since 1986. In 2022, Dynevor competed in the fourt ...

) that her husband

Kevin Kevin is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; ; ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicised from , an Irish diminutive form.''A Dictiona ...

(

Michael Le Vell Michael Robert Turner (born 15 December 1964), known professionally as Michael Le Vell, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as mechanic Kevin Webster in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', a role he has played ...

) fathered Molly's recently born baby

Jack Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, incl ...

. The episode attracted an average of 14 million viewers, peaking at 14.9 million, the show's highest audience for seven years. Critical reception was mainly positive. According to Daniel Kilkelly of the

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...

website, the opening of the episode featured the first

computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...

in live television.

(who plays Fiz Stape) also became the first actress ever to act out a birth live on a soap opera.

Plot summary

The special anniversary was marked with a storyline in which the residents had to deal with a tragic accident and its aftermath. In the storyline,

Nick Tilsley Nick Tilsley (also Platt, also known as Nicky) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. He was born off screen during an episode broadcast on 31 December 1980, but made his first appearance on 5 January 1 ...

(

Ben Price Ben Price (born 30 June 1971) is an English actor, director and writer. He has played the role of Nick Tilsley in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and has made four films as a writer/director, the first of which, ''I'm Sorry To Tell Y ...

) and

's (

) bar – The Joinery – explodes during Peter Barlow's (

) stag party. As a result, the viaduct running above the restaurant is destroyed, sending a

careering onto the street, destroying D&S Alahan's Corner Shop and '' The Kabin''. Two characters,

(

) and

(

), and an unnamed taxi driver perished as a result of the disaster.

Rita Sullivan Rita Tanner (also Littlewood, Bates, Fairclough and Sullivan) is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by veteran actress Barbara Knox, the charac ...

(

Barbara Knox Barbara Knox (''née'' Brothwood, formerly Mullaney; born 30 September 1933) is an English actress, best known for her long-running portrayal of Rita Tanner in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She first appeared as Rita Littlewood fo ...

) survives despite being trapped under the rubble of her destroyed shop. At the same time Fiz Stape (

) prematurely gives birth to a baby girl,

, after her husband

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(

Graeme Hawley Graeme Hawley (born 25 February 1975) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Dave then as DC Martin Crowe in ''Emmerdale'' and John Stape in the British soap ''Coronation Street''. Career Hawley graduated from Manchester Metrop ...

) strikes his stalker

Charlotte Hoyle Charlotte Hoyle is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Becky Hindley. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 9 April 2010 and departed on 10 December 2010 after bei ...

(

Becky Hindley Rebecca "Becky" Hindley (born 11 August 1965) is an English television, stage and radio actress based in Lancaster, England. She is best known for her eight-month stint in ''Coronation Street'' as Charlotte Hoyle in 2010; her performance as th ...

) with a hammer to silence her. He later poses as

Colin Fishwick The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 2010, by order of first appearance. Trevor Dean Enid Crump Enid Crump, played by June Broughton, arrives on the Stre ...

(

David Crellin David Crellin (born 1961) is an English actor. Crellin, who was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, is known for roles in ''Emmerdale'' as Billy Hopwood, BBC 2's BAFTA Award-winning series '' The Cops'' as Alan Wakefield, and ''Coronation St ...

), Charlotte's supposed partner, attempting to turn off her life support. Peter marries Leanne in an emergency hospital ceremony shortly before going into cardiac arrest, although he later rallies and makes a slow recovery.

Production

Origins

Early episodes of ''Coronation Street'' were broadcast live. A live episode was produced in December 2000 to celebrate the programme's 40th anniversary. As the show's 50th anniversary approached, speculation began to grow as to whether another live edition would be broadcast, particularly after rival soap ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' aired its own live edition to celebrate its 25th anniversary on air in February 2010. In April 2010,

William Roache William Patrick Roache (born 25 April 1932) is an English actor. He is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and is the longest-serving cast member in the series, having appeared in the show continuousl ...

, who has portrayed

Ken Barlow Kenneth "Ken" Barlow is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by William Roache. He was created by Tony Warren as one of ''Coronation Street''s original characters and December 2020 marked Ken' ...

since the show's first episode, said that ITV would not be airing another live edition of ''Coronation Street'', saying, "We're not going to do a live episode, we did that in the Millennium year he show's 40th anniversary we don't want to do that again." Reflecting upon the 2000 episode in November 2010, Roache said that he was glad when it was over and that "they won't do that again". He joked, "anyone who said that they enjoyed the live episode are either not telling the truth or they're masochists." However, on 29 August, actor

Keith Duffy Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mik ...

said that ''Coronation Street'' would air a live episode to celebrate its 50th anniversary, something which was confirmed on 1 September by ITV. It was later confirmed that the episode would be aired as part of a week-long celebration of the soap's 50th birthday.

, who had only recently taken over as producer, explained:

I thought we wouldn't go live, but quickly realised we should. I think we can deliver the most spectacular piece of live television people have ever seen. ''Coronation Street'' has such a heritage – the first episodes were filmed that way, and we did it ten years ago. My ambition is for the episode to be like a disaster movie with stunts. It'll be action-packed. I want people to sit at home and think, 'There's no way they did that live, not in a million years!'

The anniversary was celebrated with a storyline involving an explosion in The Joinery, causing a tram to crash from the viaduct into the Kabin and Corner Shop. According to producer Phil Collinson, the storyline was a sign that TV shows now have to strive harder to make an impact. "Television has changed. Programmes like ''Coronation Street'' have to stand up against massive pieces of

event television Event television (sometimes used in verb form as the buzzword "eventize") is a television network marketing concept which arose in the early 2010s and is characterized by a shift in priorities towards enticing audiences to watch programming immedia ...

like ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...

'' and ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

''. So we had to do something extraordinary. When drama pushes the boat out, it has to push it out really far. I think the days are over when television drama can sit back and leave it to your imagination. We have to compete against those great big juggernauts." The tram crashed during an episode broadcast on Monday 6 December, with episodes later that week, including the live episode, depicting the rescues and aftermath.

Filming

The live show involved 65 actors and a 300-strong crew. The episode opened with a wide shot of other streets in the fictional Weatherfield, reported by Digital Spy's Daniel Kilkelly to have been the first

to be produced live. In reality, the Coronation Street set is surrounded by the

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

complex in

Manchester city centre Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England, within the confines of Great Ancoats Street, A6042 Trinity Way, and A57(M) Mancunian Way, which collectively form an inner ring road. The City Centre ward had a ...

. The special effect was produced by The Mill, the post-production company that had worked on the tram crash. Collinson had worked with The Mill during his tenure as producer of ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

''. The episode was directed by Tony Prescott, who had directed the 40th anniversary live episode in December 2000. Prescott also directed the two episodes surrounding this live episode to gain continuity. The live episode provided some challenges for dressing the set. The other episodes during the 50th anniversary week, including the tram crash, were filmed in October. As episodes are usually filmed weeks in advance, the tram had to be removed from sight for the filming of the Christmas and New Year episodes and then put back in place over the weekend 4–5 December, in time for rehearsals and transmission. Also, the cast and crew had to deal with extreme cold on the outdoor set during the days of rehearsals and broadcast as the UK was plunged into record levels of cold weather for the time of year. The producers reportedly banned the actors from drinking alcohol for 24 hours before the transmission to reduce the chances of accidents. Producers also banned the

sweepstake In the United States, a sweepstake is a type of contest where a prize or prizes may be awarded to a winner or winners. Sweepstakes began as a form of lottery that were tied to products sold. In response, the FCC and FTC refined U.S. broadcast ...

that some cast members were running to bet on who would "fluff" their lines first.

''The Sun'' false story

On the day of transmission, tabloid newspaper ''

The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...

'' claimed that police were "throwing a ring of steel" around the filming.

Greater Manchester Police Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England. , Greater Manchester Police employed 6,866 police officers, 3,524 memb ...

issued a statement saying that they "have categorically not been made aware of any threat from Al-Qaeda or any other proscribed organisation." The statement said that Granada had approached the police to assist a private security firm to help ensure that the "live programme went ahead without outside interference", but "to reiterate there is no specific intelligence threat to ''Coronation Street'' or any such event" ''The Sun'' published a correction on 28 December. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' pointed out that the apology had been negotiated by the

Press Complaints Commission The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC closed on Monday 8 September 2014, and was replaced by the Ind ...

Characters and cast

Sue Nicholls Susan Frances Harmar Nicholls (born 23 November 1943) is an English actress. She is best known for her long-running role as Audrey Roberts in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1979–1982, 1984–present). Her other roles on British tele ...

Audrey Roberts Audrey Roberts (also Potter) is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Sue Nicholls. Audrey made her first appearance on 16 April 1979 and appeared on a recurring basis for three years until April 1982. ...

Malcolm Hebden Malcolm Hebden (born 21 December 1939) is an English retired actor. He is known for portraying the role of Norris Cole in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' on and off between 1994 and 1997, regularly from 1999 to 2017, and intermitten ...

Norris Cole Norris Gene Cole II (born October 13, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Osos de Manatí of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall point guard, he is a two-time NBA champion, winning back-to-b ...

Brooke Vincent Brooke Levi Vincent (born 4 June 1992) is an English actress, known for her portrayal of Sophie Webster in the ITV soap-opera ''Coronation Street'', which she played from 2004 to 2019. Early life Vincent was born in Audenshaw, Greater Manch ...

Sophie Webster Sophie Webster is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. She was born on-screen during the episode broadcast on 4 November 1994. She was played by Ashleigh Middleton from 1994 until 1997 and by Emma Woodwar ...

Helen Flanagan Helen Joyce Flanagan (born 7 August 1990) is an English actress, model, and television personality. She is best known for playing the role of Rosie Webster in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2000 to 2012; she returned to the rol ...

Rosie Webster Rosie Webster is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. The character has been played by two actresses: Emma Collinge from 1990 to 1999, and Helen Flanagan from 2000 to 2012, and from 2017 to 2018. Rosie is the e ...

* Andy Whyment as Kirk Sutherland *

Alison King Alison Rosamund King (born 3 March 1973) is an English actress and model. She is known for her roles as Lynda Block in the Sky One drama series '' Dream Team'' (1998–2003, 2005–2007), and Carla Connor in the long-running ITV soap opera '' ...

Carla Connor Carla Connor (also Gordon and Barlow) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Alison King. She made her first appearance on screen during the episode airing on 1 December 2006 and introduced a ...

Samia Smith Samia Maxine Longchambon (''née'' Ghadie, previously Smith; born 13 July 1982) is an English actress. She has played the role of Maria Connor in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since 2000. She also appeared as a contestant on the ei ...

Maria Connor Maria Connor (also Sutherland) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Samia Longchambon. The character made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 May 2000. During her time ...

* Jack P. Shepherd as David Platt *

Craig Gazey Craig Gazey (born 24 February 1982) is a British stage and television actor, best known for his portrayal of Graeme Proctor in the ITV soap ''Coronation Street''. Early life Gazey attended Our Lady's Roman Catholic High School in Royton, Old ...

Graeme Proctor Graeme Proctor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Craig Gazey, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 18 April 2008. The character is also noted for his e ...

Sacha Parkinson Sacha Louise Parkinson (born 11 March 1992) is an English actress, known for her role as Sian Powers on the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Early life Parkinson was educated at Walkden High School. Personal life On 22 February 2018, ...

Sian Powers Sian Powers is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Sacha Parkinson. Sian was introduced as a love interest for Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent). Sian joined the cast of ''Coronation Street'' a ...

John Stape John Stape is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Graeme Hawley. He made his first on-screen appearance during the episode airing on 6 May 2007. The character departed on 3 June 2011 after four years on ...

as Fiz Stape *

Antony Cotton Antony Cotton (born Antony Dunn; 5 August 1975) is an English actor and comedian, known for portraying the role of Sean Tully in ''Coronation Street'', as well as portraying Alexander Perry in the original '' Queer as Folk'' series. In 2007, C ...

Sean Tully Sean Tully is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Antony Cotton. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 13 July 2003. Following that appearance, the character returned f ...

Katy Cavanagh Kathryn Sarah Collins Jupe (born 12 December 1973), known professionally as Katy Cavanagh, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Julie Carp in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2008–2015, 2025). She also had ...

Julie Carp Julie Carp is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Katy Cavanagh. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 25 April 2008 and was originally introduced as a new girlfriend of ...

Vicky Entwistle Victoria Entwistle (born 15 September 1968) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Janice Battersby in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Early life Entwistle grew up in Accrington; her father owned a newsagen ...

Janice Battersby Janice Battersby (also Lee) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997. On 2 August 2010, it was ...

as Leanne Barlow *

as Peter Barlow *

Julia Haworth Julia Haworth is an English actress. She is known for playing the role of Claire Peacock in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2003 to 2011. Early and personal life Haworth was born in Burnley, Lancashire. She attended St Christo ...

Claire Peacock Claire Peacock (also Casey) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Julia Haworth, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 9 April 2003, as the new nanny of establis ...

Simon Gregson Simon Alan Gregory (born 2 October 1974), better known by his stage name, Simon Gregson, is a British actor from Manchester, England. He is best known for his portrayal of Steve McDonald (Coronation Street character), Steve McDonald in the long- ...

as Steve McDonald * Katherine Kelly as

Becky McDonald Becky McDonald (also Granger) is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Katherine Kelly. Becky was created by producer Tony Wood, and made her debut in the episode airing on 5 February 2006. Kelly was ...

Paula Lane Paula Lane (born 17 April 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the roles of Kylie Platt in ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2010–2016), and Ella Forster in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2024–2025). Early l ...

as Kylie Turner *

Kevin Webster Kevin Webster is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 19 October 1983. Le Vell was suspended from the soa ...

Alan Halsall Alan David Halsall (born 11 August 1982) is an English actor, best known for portraying the role of Tyrone Dobbs in ''Coronation Street'', a role he has played since 1998. Early life Halsall was brought up in Walkden, Salford and attended W ...

Tyrone Dobbs Tyrone Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melo ...

Julie Hesmondhalgh Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh ( ;) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role she won "Best Serial Drama Performance" at the 20 ...

Hayley Cropper Hayley Cropper (also Hayley Patterson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Julie Hesmondhalgh. The character first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 26 January 1998. Hayley was the ...

David Neilson David Neilson (born 13 March 1949) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as cafe owner Roy Cropper in the long running ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which he has played since 1995. Early life Neilson wa ...

Roy Cropper Roy Cropper is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by David Neilson. He first appeared on-screen on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by ...

Sue Cleaver Susan Owen (née Cleaver, born 2 September 1963) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Eileen Grimshaw on the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', which she played from 2000 to 2025. In 2024 Cleaver became a pan ...

Eileen Grimshaw Eileen Grimshaw (also Phelan) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Played by Sue Cleaver, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 3 May 2000. Her storylines have often incl ...

Ryan Thomas Ryan James Thomas (born 10 June 1984) is a British former actor. He is known for playing the role of Jason Grimshaw on ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2000 until 2016. In 2018, he played Rafael Humphreys in Australian soap opera ''N ...

Jason Grimshaw Jason Grimshaw is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Ryan Thomas, the character first appeared on screen on 25 December 2000. It was announced in October 2015 that Thomas had quit the role ...

Patti Clare Patti Clare (born 3 March 1976) is a British actress from Manchester, England, best known for playing Mary Taylor in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since 2008. She is a three-time winner of the British Soap Award for Best Comedy Per ...

as Mary Taylor *

Ciaran McCarthy Ciaran McCarthy is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Keith Duffy. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 August 2002, before departing in 2005. He returned in 2010 until Duffy tempora ...

Craig Charles Craig Joseph Charles (born 11 July 1964) is an English actor, comedian and radio presenter. He is best known for his roles as Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2 ...

Lloyd Mullaney Lloyd Mullaney is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Craig Charles. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 June 2005. The character departed on 23 July 2006, while Charles was suspended ...

Michelle Keegan Michelle Keegan (born 3 June 1987) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tina McIntyre in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2008–2014) and Georgie Lane in the BBC military drama '' Our Girl'' (2016–2020). Keegan h ...

Tina McIntyre Tina McIntyre is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Michelle Keegan, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode that was shown 7 January 2008. The character was central to m ...

Steve Huison Steve Huison (born 2 December 1962) is a British actor who is mostly seen on television and occasionally in films. He is best known for his roles as “Lomper” in the film ''The Full Monty'' (1997), Steve Greengrass in the Victoria Wood situa ...

Eddie Windass Eddie Windass is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Steve Huison, the character's first appearance on-screen was broadcast on 14 November 2008. On 5 December 2010, it was announced that Ed ...

Debbie Rush Debbie Rush (born 29 March 1966) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Anna Windass in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2008 to 2018. Career Early career After training at the Manchester School of Acting when s ...

Anna Windass Anna Windass is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Debbie Rush. The character was introduced in the episode first broadcast on 14 November 2008. Rush announced her decision to leave the series in ...

Holly Quin-Ankrah Holly Quin-Ankrah (born 27 August 1987), known professionally as RAHH, is an actress and singer from Warrington, England. She began her acting career as a teenager, playing Karen Young in the long-running CBBC (TV channel), CBBC drama series ''G ...

as Cheryl Gray *

Ian Puleston-Davies Ian Puleston-Davies (born 6 September 1958) is a Welsh actor. He is best known for his role as builder Owen Armstrong in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2010 to 2015. In November 2014, ITV announced that Puleston-Davies was leav ...

Owen Armstrong Owen Armstrong is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Ian Puleston-Davies. He made his first on-screen appearance on 9 June 2010 and left the show on 15 April 2015. During his time on the sho ...

Georgia May Foote Georgia May Foote (born 11 February 1991) is an English actress and model. She is best known for playing Alison Simmons in the BBC school drama series ''Grange Hill'' from 2005 to 2008 and Katy Armstrong in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation St ...

as Katy Armstrong *

Sam Aston Samuel David Aston (born 7 June 1993) is an English actor, who has portrayed the role of Chesney Brown on the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since 2003. Career Aston made his television debut at the age of five, as an extra in ''Eddi ...

Chesney Brown Chesney Brown (also Battersby-Brown and Winter-Brown) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Sam Aston. He made his first on-screen appearance on 10 November 2003. The character is named afte ...

Mikey North Michael "Mikey" North (born 27 September 1986) is an English actor best known for his roles as Helmsley in '' Waterloo Road'' and Gary Windass in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' since 2008. Early life North was born in the Cayton ...

Gary Windass Gary Windass is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Mikey North. The character first appeared on 14 November, 2008, along with his parents, Eddie (Steve Huison) and Anna Windass ( Debbi ...

Jimmi Harkishin James "Jimmi" Harkishin (born 19 March 1959) is an actor best known for his role as shopkeeper Dev Alahan in ''Coronation Street'', which he has played continuously since 10 November 1999. He also played Ranjit in the film '' Bhaji on the Beach ...

Dev Alahan Dev Alahan is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Jimmi Harkishin, the character's first appearance was broadcast on 10 November 1999. He i ...

Shobna Gulati Shobna Gulati (born 7 August 1966)www.shobnagulati.co.uk
Shobna Gulati official website is an English ...

Sunita Alahan Sunita Alahan (also Parekh) was a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Shobna Gulati. They made their first screen appearance on 23 March 2001 and remained in the show until 2006, when the charact ...

Cherylee Houston Cherylee Martina Houston (born 20 August 1974) is a British actress. She grew up in Morecambe, Lancashire, in the United Kingdom. She plays Izzy Armstrong in ''Coronation Street'', a role she has portrayed since April 2010. She also plays Maz i ...

Izzy Armstrong Izzy Armstrong is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Cherylee Houston. The character first appears on-screen on 16 April 2010; she is introduced as a new love interest for Kirk Sutherland ( ...

Will Thorp William Francis Thorp (born 21 June 1977) is an English actor. Early life Thorp attended St Augustine's Catholic College in Trowbridge. He studied at Bath College and joined Musical Youth Theatre Company. Thorp was also a member of the Nati ...

as Chris Gray *

Arnold makes an uncredited voiceover as Ashley.

Reception

The hour-long episode averaged 14.03 million viewers (52.1%), peaking at 14.9 million. It was the series' most-watched episode in seven years, and drew an additional 2.04 million viewers (14.1%) when repeated at 10.35 pm. Viewing figures did not surpass those of " ''EastEnders'' Live", a live episode of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

soap opera ''

'' watched by 16.6 million viewers in February 2010. Following the live broadcast, the second part of a two-part documentary, ''Coronation Street: 50 Years, 50 Moments'', averaged 6.81 million viewers (27.2%). Live episodes are prone to mishaps and actors fluffing their lines. This episode was commended for how smoothly it seemed to have gone. Critic

Mark Lawson Mark Gerard Lawson is an English journalist, broadcaster and author. Specialising in culture and the arts, he is best known for presenting the flagship BBC Radio 4 arts programme '' Front Row'' between 1998 and 2014. He is also a '' Guardian'' ...

commented that "the producers were clever in setting every scene among characters under stress or grief, so any flapping might have been taken as acting." The only mistake the press pointed out was the character Sally Webster being allowed into the wreckage of Dev's shop without a safety helmet. ''EastEnders'', ''Coronation Street'' biggest rival, supported the anniversary by having its character

Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Cotton (also Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in f ...

(

June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Inside ...

) reveal that she is a "massive ''Corrie'' fan", although another character,

Kat Moon Kat Slater (also Moon and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the ...

(

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series ''The Bill'' and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC so ...

) complained that she'd "rather watch a lot of dirty laundry going round". ''The Live episode'' along with all the ''50th Anniversary'' episodes and also included special features. which included: • The Making of Anniversary week,• The Filming of the tram crash,• The filming of the Live episode,• Tram Crash News Flash (dramatised ITV News),• Farewell Ashley,• Richard Arnold Blog ' What's Next for the Websters',• Ken Barlow – A Life on the Street,• 50 Years of Corrie Stunts hosted by Craig Charles. were released on DVD by ITV Home Entertainment as a two-disc set on 21 February 2011. ''The 50th Live episode'' was repeated on 11 December 2020 on

ITV3 ITV3 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first launched on Monday 1 November 2004 at 9 pm, replacing Plus (British TV channel), Plus ...

; this will also be the first classic episode to be produced and re-transmitted in

1080i In high-definition television (HDTV) and video display technology, 1080i is a video display format with 1080 lines of vertical resolution and Interlaced video, interlaced scanning method. This format was once a standard in HDTV. It was particular ...

High Definition High definition or HD may refer to: Visual technologies *Blu-ray Disc, the universal optical High Definition disc format *HD Photo, former name for the JPEG XR image file format *HDV, format for recording high-definition video onto magnetic tap ...

, as part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations of ''Coronation Street''.

Footnotes

References

External links

{{Coronation Street Coronation Street episodes 2010 British television episodes Anniversary television episodes Fiction set in 2010 Television episodes about human pregnancy Television episodes about murder Television episodes about weddings Television episodes set in the 2010s Television episodes set in hospitals