C792 Media Guide for Radio, Television & Modern Life

Short History

Coronation Street is a British television soap opera that was first broadcast on Granada Television on 9 December 1960. The programme centres on the lives of the residents of Coronation Street in the fictional town of Weatherfield, a town based on Salford. In the show's fictional history, the street was built in the early 1900s and named in honour of the coronation of King Edward VII.The programme was devised in 1960 by scriptwriter Tony Warren at Granada Television in Manchester. Warren's initial kitchen sink drama proposal was rejected by the station's founder Sidney Bernstein but he was persuaded by producer Harry Elton to produce the programme for thirteen pilot episodes. It was first broadcast on 9 December 1960 and within six months had become the most-watched programme on British television. It has been one of the most financially lucrative programmes on British commercial television, underpinning the success of Granada Television and ITV. It is shown in all ITV regions as well as internationally. On 17 September 2010, it became the world's longest-running TV soap opera in production. Coronation Street is noted for its depiction of a down-to-earth working class community and strong female characters.

 

Key Facts

-The show is known as "Corrie" by its fans.

-The British rock band Queen produced a single "I Want to Break Free" in 1984 which reached number 3 position in UK charts and which is largely known for its music video for which all the band members dressed in women's clothes, which parodied the characters and is considered as a homage to the show.

-For 50 years, Coronation Street has remained at the centre of ITV's prime time schedule.