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Logo 1969

1974 was Coronation Street's fifteenth year.

Main characters[]

Ranking Character Played by Duration Number of Episodes Running total Previous year's ranking
1 Betty Turpin Betty Driver Full year 85 413 2
2 Len Fairclough Peter Adamson Full year except for May 81 1114 1
3 Bet Lynch Julie Goodyear Full year 79 335 3
4 Rita Littlewood Barbara Mullaney Full year except for November 73 195 7
5 Ray Langton Neville Buswell Full year 71 497 4
5 Annie Walker Doris Speed Full year 71 1133 7
7 Jerry Booth Graham Haberfield Full year 69 594 5
8 Ken Barlow William Roache Full year 68 954 7
8 Billy Walker Kenneth Farrington Full year 68 297 24
10 Deirdre Hunt Anne Kirkbride Full year 67 100 23
11 Emily Bishop Eileen Derbyshire Full year 65 794 17
12 Alf Roberts Bryan Mosley Full year 63 266 13
13 Stan Ogden Bernard Youens Full year 61 701 10
14 Ernest Bishop Stephen Hancock Full year except for May 57 229 20
14 Hilda Ogden Jean Alexander Full year 57 719 6
16 Minnie Caldwell Margot Bryant Full year except for March 53 929 17
16 Mavis Riley Thelma Barlow January, April and from July 53 89 22
18 Albert Tatlock Jack Howarth Full year except for August 51 863 15
19 Maggie Clegg/Cooke Irene Sutcliffe Until July and from December 41 412 19
20 Idris Hopkins Richard Davies From July 38 38 -
21 Granny Hopkins Jessie Evans From July 36 36 -
22 Lucille Hewitt Jennifer Moss Until July 31 747 14
23 Tricia Hopkins Kathy Jones From July 30 32 28
24 Janet Barlow Judith Barker Until June 26 60 25
25 Vera Hopkins Kathy Staff February to March, July and September to December 24 25 29
26 Ena Sharples Violet Carson Until February and in December 13 946 20
27 Blanche Hunt Patricia Cutts and Maggie Jones August to October and from December 12 12 -
28 Gail Potter Helen Worth July to August and November 10 10 -
29 Ivy Tilsley Lynne Perrie August and November 8 28 -
29 Gordon Clegg Bill Kenwright July and from December 8 82 -
31 Sheila Crossley Eileen Mayers September and October 4 161 -
32 Norma Ford Diana Davies July only 2 122 10
32 Alan Howard Alan Browning January only 2 255 16
32 Eddie Yeats Geoffrey Hughes From December 2 2 -
35 Vera Duckworth Elizabeth Dawn August only 1 1 -
35 Peter Barlow Linus Roache March only 1 25 26
35 Susan Barlow Wendy Jane Walker March only 1 26 26

Production[]

A poisoned chalice[]

Eric Prytherch

Eric Prytherch produced Coronation Street from 1972 to 1974

Eric Prytherch completed his two-year stint as producer in May after a three-week handover period between Prytherch and Susi Hush. The rest of the year's episodes beginning with Episode 1386 were produced by Hush, except for episodes 1416 to 1421 which Leslie Duxbury produced.

Following Patricia Phoenix's resignation, Alan Howard made a brief re-appearance in January to tie up the Howards' affairs, after which he too left the series. A month later, Violet Carson suffered a stroke, resulting in Ena Sharples disappearing from screens until the end of the year. Carson's stroke was the end of Ena as a full-time character; upon her return in December, Ena's role was reduced due to the actress's continuing health problems and she appeared much less than the rest of the cast.

While Coronation Street soldiered on without two of its most recognisable stars, some housekeeping took place. Cyril Turpin was killed off in February, two years after William Moore last played the role, when it became clear that the actor had no interest in coming back. Billy Walker became owner of the Canal Garage again with the return of Kenneth Farrington, and Mavis Riley was back on-screen in April after Thelma Barlow signed a longer contract, though her familiar post at The Kabin would be held by Lucille Hewitt for several months.

Susi Hush[]

Susi Hush was a Granada drama producer who had joined the company in 1969 as a researcher. She was one of the few Coronation Street producers of the period who came to the programme not having worked on it before in some capacity, and she would prove to be one of its most polarizing.

Irene Sutcliffe had recently quit the show after six years and Hush arrived while Maggie Clegg's departure storyline was being scripted. Maggie left Weatherfield in July, after marrying her old flame Ron Cooke and emigrating to Zaire. Bill Kenwright agreed to return as Gordon for the wedding, and a reunion between Gordon and Lucille Hewitt was planned to take place afterwards. However, the latter storyline was aborted when Jennifer Moss was fired from the programme shortly after recording Episode 1404. Hush made the decision with regret due to Moss's heavy drinking which had caused numerous problems both on-set and in the writers' room. Moss was dismissed with immediate effect and an off-screen exit for Lucille was added two episodes later, where Annie Walker revealed that her ward had gone to Ireland to stay with stepmother Concepta Regan.

With the loss of three popular characters, Hush faced the challenge of plugging the gap. Rita Littlewood, Deirdre Hunt and Bet Lynch rose in prominence, starring in heavier storylines akin to the heyday of Elsie Tanner. Deirdre's mother Blanche Hunt debuted, played initially by Patricia Cutts and then by Maggie Jones. The role was recast when Cutts committed suicide after recording two episodes. The Mark Brittain Warehouse re-appeared after a two year absence, with Ivy Tilsley and Edna Gee returning alongside Vera Duckworth, played by Elizabeth Dawn who had previously worked as an extra in the programme.

Hopkins family

The Hopkins family: the beginning of a new era?

The Corner Shop, left empty by Maggie, housed new arrivals the Hopkins family. Vera and her teenage daughter Tricia had appeared in 1973, with three further appearances by Vera sprinkled throughout the first half of 1974. Tricia was played by Granada starlet Kathy Jones, and her mother by Kathy Staff. Joining them were Vera's husband Idris, a Welsh foundry worker on nights, and Idris's mother, callous pensioner Megan Hopkins, generally known as Gran. Granny Hopkins was in some ways reminiscent of the still-absent Ena in her earliest days. As well as Coronation Street, Staff was appearing in Last of the Summer Wine on the BBC and filming commitments on the latter caused Vera to be absent for two months from July to September. By the end of the year, the Hopkins' central storyline was underway, in which Vera and Granny Hopkins found Gordon Clegg's birth certificate stuck to the back of a drawer and discovered that he was actually Betty Turpin's illegitimate son. The decision to rewrite established Coronation Street history greatly upset Irene Sutcliffe, who had always played Maggie as Gordon's real mother. Maggie and Gordon returned over Christmas as the story built up to Gordon finding out his true parentage.

Another character brought in with Tricia was her friend Gail Potter, with Helen Worth making her debut appearance in July. Other comings and goings included the debut of Geoffrey Hughes as Scouse jailbird Eddie Yeats, a flying visit for Maggie's wedding by Norma Ford, and a longer one by Sheila Crossley, with Diana Davies and Eileen Mayers taking their final bows as those characters. Janet Barlow was also written out following the breakdown of her doomed marriage to Ken. Peter and Susan Barlow made one appearance in March, with Susan's being her last until 1979.

Hush was also behind the Street's first foreign location shoot as Bet, Deirdre, Rita, Mavis, Betty, Emily, Annie and Hilda went to Majorca.

No episode was transmitted on 25th December, even though it fell on a Wednesday. This was because Coronation Street traditionally rated low on Christmas Day (and other public holidays), a situation which would remain until the late 1980s.

Viewing figures[]

1974 ratings

Ratings chart for the year

The 1973 turnaround in ratings continued in 1974, increasing by 300k to an average of 15.56 million viewers. Eight months were up year-on-year, with only August and September dropping significantly. The biggest rise occurred in December, which was above 1973 by 2.4 million viewers, while five of the first six months rose by more than 5%.

Episode 1375 was the most-watched episode of the year, with 8.3 million homes watching (or 18.26 million viewers). In the charts, five episodes reached number one.

Episodes[]

# Ep.
No.
Date Writer Director Viewing
Figures
(homes/
viewers)
Chart
Position
1 1353 Wednesday 2nd January Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 6,950,000
15,290,000
14
2 1354 Monday 7th January Leslie Duxbury June Wyndham Davies 7,650,000
16,830,000
5
3 1355 Wednesday 9th January Julian Roach June Wyndham Davies 7,200,000
15,840,000
11
4 1356 Monday 14th January Adele Rose Roland Joffe 7,450,000
16,390,000
6
5 1357 Wednesday 16th January Malcolm Lynch Roland Joffe 7,150,000
15,730,000
11
6 1358 Monday 21st January Leslie Duxbury Stephen Butcher 7,800,000
17,160,000
5
7 1359 Wednesday 23rd January Barry Hill Stephen Butcher 7,400,000
16,280,000
8
8 1360 Monday 28th January Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 7,700,000
16,940,000
6
9 1361 Wednesday 30th January Susan Pleat Bill Gilmour 7,850,000
17,270,000
5
10 1362 Monday 4th February Lal Sands Roland Joffe 7,800,000
17,160,000
6
11 1363 Wednesday 6th February Julian Roach Roland Joffe 7,550,000
16,610,000
8
12 1364 Monday 11th February Bernard Aspen Stephen Butcher 7,850,000
17,270,000
7
13 1365 Wednesday 13th February Julian Roach Stephen Butcher 8,050,000
17,710,000
5
14 1366 Monday 18th February Leslie Duxbury Bill Gilmour 7,950,000
17,490,000
8
15 1367 Wednesday 20th February Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 7,700,000
16,940,000
10
16 1368 Monday 25th February Susan Pleat Nick Burrell-Davis 7,850,000
17,270,000
5
17 1369 Wednesday 27th February H.V. Kershaw Nick Burrell-Davis 7,550,000
16,610,000
7
18 1370 Monday 4th March H.V. Kershaw Eric Prytherch 7,950,000
17,490,000
8
19 1371 Wednesday 6th March H.V. Kershaw Eric Prytherch 7,750,000
17,050,000
9
20 1372 Monday 11th March Lal Sands Bill Gilmour 8,200,000
18,040,000
6
21 1373 Wednesday 13th March Barry Hill Bill Gilmour 7,750,000
17,050,000
9
22 1374 Monday 18th March Leslie Duxbury Nick Burrell-Davis 7,950,000
17,490,000
6
23 1375 Wednesday 20th March Brian Finch Nick Burrell-Davis 8,300,000
18,260,000
3
24 1376 Monday 25th March Leo Knowles Laurence Moody 7,800,000
17,160,000
5
25 1377 Wednesday 27th March Julian Roach Laurence Moody 7,350,000
16,170,000
10
26 1378 Monday 1st April Julian Roach Bill Gilmour 7,850,000
17,270,000
6
27 1379 Wednesday 3rd April Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 7,050,000
15,510,000
11
28 1380 Monday 8th April Leo Knowles Nick Burrell-Davis 7,300,000
16,060,000
10
29 1381 Wednesday 10th April Leslie Duxbury Nick Burrell-Davis 7,550,000
16,610,000
7
30 1382 Monday 15th April Kay McManus Laurence Moody 5,900,000
12,980,000
16
31 1383 Wednesday 17th April H.V. Kershaw Laurence Moody 7,500,000
16,500,000
4
32 1384 Monday 22nd April Brian Finch Quentin Lawrence 7,350,000
16,170,000
7
33 1385 Wednesday 24th April Brian Finch Quentin Lawrence 8,050,000
17,710,000
3
34 1386 Monday 29th April Julian Roach Nick Burrell-Davis 7,358,000
16,187,600
6
35 1387 Wednesday 1st May Leslie Duxbury Nick Burrell-Davis 7,787,000
17,131,400
4
36 1388 Monday 6th May Kay McManus Bill Gilmour 7,151,000
15,732,200
7
37 1389 Wednesday 8th May H.V. Kershaw Bill Gilmour 7,731,000
17,008,200
4
38 1390 Monday 13th May David Anderson Laurence Moody 6,872,000
15,118,400
10
39 1391 Wednesday 15th May Barry Hill Laurence Moody 7,400,000
16,280,000
3
40 1392 Monday 20th May H.V. Kershaw Nick Burrell-Davis 6,460,000
14,212,000
10
41 1393 Wednesday 22nd May Adele Rose Nick Burrell-Davis 7,105,000
15,631,000
2
42 1394 Monday 27th May Leslie Duxbury Bill Gilmour 5,103,000
11,226,600
n/k
43 1395 Wednesday 29th May Leo Knowles Bill Gilmour 6,190,000
13,618,000
7
44 1396 Monday 3rd June Leslie Duxbury Laurence Moody 6,345,000
13,959,000
10
45 1397 Wednesday 5th June Adele Rose Laurence Moody 6,836,000
15,039,200
6
46 1398 Monday 10th June H.V. Kershaw Nick Burrell-Davis 6,776,000
14,907,200
1
47 1399 Wednesday 12th June H.V. Kershaw Nick Burrell-Davis 6,177,000
13,589,400
5
48 1400 Monday 17th June Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 6,431,000
14,148,200
3
49 1401 Wednesday 19th June Kay McManus Bill Gilmour 6,788,000
14,933,600
2
50 1402 Monday 24th June Barry Hill Laurence Moody 6,787,000
14,931,400
2
51 1403 Wednesday 26th June Leo Knowles Laurence Moody 7,081,000
15,578,200
1
52 1404 Monday 1st July Leslie Duxbury Ronald Fouracre 6,400,000
14,080,000
3
53 1405 Wednesday 3rd July H.V. Kershaw Ronald Fouracre 7,300,000
16,060,000
1
54 1406 Monday 8th July Adele Rose Bill Gilmour 6,100,000
13,420,000
5
55 1407 Wednesday 10th July Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 7,250,000
15,950,000
1
56 1408 Monday 15th July Lal Sands
H.V. Kershaw
Laurence Moody 6,700,000
14,740,000
2
57 1409 Wednesday 17th July Leslie Duxbury Laurence Moody 6,450,000
14,190,000
4
58 1410 Monday 22nd July Adele Rose Ronald Fouracre 7,150,000
15,730,000
1
59 1411 Wednesday 24th July H.V. Kershaw Ronald Fouracre 6,500,000
14,300,000
5
60 1412 Monday 29th July Barry Hill Bill Gilmour 6,450,000
14,190,000
3
61 1413 Wednesday 31st July Brian Finch Bill Gilmour 6,400,000
14,080,000
4
62 1414 Monday 5th August Leslie Duxbury Laurence Moody 5,500,000
12,100,000
9
63 1415 Wednesday 7th August Anthony Couch Laurence Moody 5,950,000
13,090,000
3
64 1416 Monday 12th August Barry Hill Nick Burrell-Davis 6,050,000
13,310,000
4
65 1417 Wednesday 14th August Leo Knowles Nick Burrell-Davis 6,600,000
14,520,000
3
66 1418 Monday 19th August Julian Roach Bill Gilmour 6,300,000
13,860,000
3
67 1419 Wednesday 21st August Kay McManus Bill Gilmour 6,100,000
13,420,000
4
68 1420 Monday 26th August Brian Finch Laurence Moody 5,287,000
11,631,400
16
69 1421 Wednesday 28th August H.V. Kershaw Laurence Moody 6,764,000
14,880,800
2
70 1422 Monday 2nd September Leslie Duxbury Nick Burrell-Davis 6,800,000
14,960,000
3
71 1423 Wednesday 4th September Adele Rose Nick Burrell-Davis 6,260,000
13,772,000
8
72 1424 Monday 9th September Julian Roach Bill Gilmour 6,506,000
14,313,200
4
73 1425 Wednesday 11th September Leslie Duxbury Bill Gilmour 5,215,000
11,473,000
n/k
74 1426 Monday 16th September H.V. Kershaw Laurence Moody 6,237,000
13,721,400
9
75 1427 Wednesday 18th September Leslie Duxbury Laurence Moody 5,668,000
12,469,600
n/k
76 1428 Monday 23rd September Julian Roach Nick Burrell-Davis 7,013,000
15,428,600
3
77 1429 Wednesday 25th September Barry Hill Nick Burrell-Davis 6,232,000
13,710,400
15
78 1430 Monday 30th September Brian Finch Quentin Lawrence 6,700,000
14,740,000
5
79 1431 Wednesday 2nd October Leo Knowles Quentin Lawrence 6,300,000
13,860,000
11
80 1432 Monday 7th October Julian Roach Laurence Moody 7,000,000
15,400,000
3
81 1433 Wednesday 9th October H.V. Kershaw Laurence Moody 6,750,000
14,850,000
8
82 1434 Monday 14th October Adele Rose Quentin Lawrence
Nick Burrell-Davis
7,550,000
16,610,000
2
83 1435 Wednesday 16th October Adele Rose Quentin Lawrence
Nick Burrell-Davis
7,050,000
15,510,000
6
84 1436 Monday 21st October Brian Finch Brian Mills 7,450,000
16,390,000
4
85 1437 Wednesday 23rd October Leslie Duxbury Brian Mills 6,750,000
14,850,000
14
86 1438 Monday 28th October Julian Roach Peter Plummer 7,700,000
16,940,000
2
87 1439 Wednesday 30th October Leo Knowles Peter Plummer 7,350,000
16,170,000
5
88 1440 Monday 4th November H.V. Kershaw Nick Burrell-Davis 7,850,000
17,270,000
2
89 1441 Wednesday 6th November Leslie Duxbury Nick Burrell-Davis 7,450,000
16,390,000
5
90 1442 Monday 11th November Brian Finch Ken Grieve 7,450,000
16,390,000
10
91 1443 Wednesday 13th November Adele Rose Ken Grieve 7,600,000
16,720,000
7
92 1444 Monday 18th November H.V. Kershaw Brian Mills 7,400,000
16,280,000
12
93 1445 Wednesday 20th November Leo Knowles Brian Mills 7,450,000
16,390,000
11
94 1446 Monday 25th November Kay McManus Nick Burrell-Davis 7,543,000
16,594,600
7
95 1447 Wednesday 27th November Brian Finch Nick Burrell-Davis 7,087,000
15,591,400
13
96 1448 Monday 2nd December Julian Roach Ken Grieve 7,557,000
16,625,400
7
97 1449 Wednesday 4th December Leslie Duxbury Ken Grieve 7,652,000
16,834,400
6
98 1450 Monday 9th December Brian Finch Brian Mills 7,660,000
16,852,000
6
99 1451 Wednesday 11th December Barry Hill Brian Mills 7,524,000
16,552,800
7
100 1452 Monday 16th December Leo Knowles Nick Burrell-Davis 7,762,000
17,076,400
3
101 1453 Wednesday 18th December Leslie Duxbury Nick Burrell-Davis 7,444,000
16,376,800
7
102 1454 Monday 23rd December Julian Roach Ken Grieve 5,817,000
12,797,400
n/k
103 1455 Monday 30th December H.V. Kershaw Ken Grieve 8,000,000
17,600,000
3

Storylines[]

Who lives where[]

Coronation Street

Rosamund Street

Victoria Street

Others

Coronation Street in the 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
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