CORONATION ST

Among the noted directors who started out on Coronation Street are Mike Newell (Into the West, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission) and Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist, Extreme Measures). Actors who have appeared include Ben Kingsley and Joanna Lumley (she had an affair with Ken Barlow).

Only two actors, William Roche (Ken Barlow) and Eileen Derbyshire (Emily Bishop) remain from the original 1960 cast.

Characters can be swiftly and brutally removed at the whim of the producers. In 1971, Granada was displeased at the decision of Anne Reid, to leave the series - so 22 million viewers saw her die after being electrocuted by a faulty hairdresser plug. In 1978, Ernie Bishop was murdered during an armed robbery on Mike Baldwin's factory. It was whispered that Stephen Hancock, who played Ernie, had been in dispute with Granada over his wages. The violent death of Deirdre's Moroccan boyfriend Samir at the hands of muggers in 1993 was at the behest of donor groups, who objected when it was rumoured that his death was going to be caused by an organ transplant.

The most popular Corrie stories have been about relationships, and the most gripping cliffhanger of all was the Deirdre-Ken-Mike love triangle of 1983. Ken Barlow and Deirdre Langton had married in 1981, but by 1983 the relationship had soured, and Deirdre embarked on a prolonged affair with Mike Baldwin. On February 22nd, 1983, almost 20 million people tuned in for Deirdre's final decision. Council meetings all over Britain ended early to catch the programme, and it was reported that the Queen, who was on a state visit to Mexico, had instructed Buckingham Palace to send out a videotape. When the scoreboard at a Manchester United-Arsenal cup tie flashed the message "Deirdre and Ken reunited", some say that the cheer was louder than for United's first goal.