1976 was Coronation Street's seventeenth year.
Main characters
Ranking | Character | Played by | Duration | Number of Episodes | Running total | Previous year's ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Len Fairclough | Peter Adamson | Full year | 82 | 1286 | 1 |
2 | Bet Lynch | Julie Goodyear | Full year | 78 | 497 | 1 |
3 | Betty Turpin | Betty Driver | Full year | 76 | 572 | 4 |
4 | Annie Walker | Doris Speed | Full year | 70 | 1276 | 9 |
5 | Ray Langton | Neville Buswell | Full year | 68 | 649 | 1 |
5 | Hilda Ogden | Jean Alexander | Full year | 68 | 858 | 6 |
7 | Ken Barlow | William Roache | Full year | 66 | 1097 | 8 |
8 | Elsie Howard | Patricia Phoenix | From April | 64 | 1111 | - |
9 | Deirdre Langton | Anne Kirkbride | Full year | 62 | 232 | 7 |
9 | Gail Potter | Helen Worth | Full year | 62 | 109 | 22 |
9 | Alf Roberts | Bryan Mosley | Full year | 62 | 390 | 10 |
12 | Rita Littlewood | Barbara Mullaney | Full year | 60 | 332 | 5 |
13 | Emily Bishop | Eileen Derbyshire | Full year | 58 | 913 | 14 |
13 | Ernest Bishop | Stephen Hancock | Full year | 58 | 349 | 11 |
15 | Stan Ogden | Bernard Youens | Full year | 56 | 813 | 16 |
16 | Mavis Riley | Thelma Barlow | Full year | 55 | 198 | 17 |
17 | Albert Tatlock | Jack Howarth | Full year | 54 | 969 | 19 |
18 | Fred Gee | Fred Feast | From March | 52 | 55 | 32 |
19 | Terry Bradshaw | Bob Mason | February to December | 48 | 48 | - |
20 | Renee Bradshaw | Madge Hindle | From May | 44 | 44 | - |
21 | Ena Sharples | Violet Carson | Full year | 42 | 1035 | 20 |
22 | Eddie Yeats | Geoffrey Hughes | From June | 40 | 82 | 20 |
23 | Tricia Hopkins | Kathy Jones | Until June | 30 | 123 | 12 |
24 | Mike Baldwin | Johnny Briggs | From October | 16 | 16 | - |
25 | Derek Wilton | Peter Baldwin | February to March, June and August | 12 | 12 | - |
26 | Blanche Hunt | Maggie Jones | January only | 7 | 80 | 12 |
27 | Vera Duckworth | Elizabeth Dawn | July and December | 6 | 7 | - |
28 | Ivy Tilsley | Lynne Perrie | December only | 4 | 39 | 26 |
29 | Minnie Caldwell | Margot Bryant | March to April | 3 | 987 | 17 |
30 | Gordon Clegg | Bill Kenwright | March only | 2 | 93 | 24 |
Production
Susi Hush completed her two-year run as Coronation Street producer with Episode 1571. Her final episodes saw the exit of Blanche Hunt - serviced by the brief return of Reginald Marsh as Dave Smith - and the arrival of chippie Terry Bradshaw. Four subsequent episodes were also produced by Hush - 1586 and 1587 in March and 1636 and 1637 in September.
Hush's replacement was one Bill Podmore, a Granada comedy producer who had worked on the soap as a director. Podmore didn't want the job but, assigned to Coronation Street by David Plowright, he agreed to do a year and move on. He went on to become one of the programme's most celebrated producers, remaining in the job until he retired in 1989 (with a period as executive producer).
Upon watching recent episodes, Podmore observed that the programme's natural flair for comedy was all but gone, and instructed the writers to include more humour in scripts. Podmore sought out the areas "crying out for a facelift or even a face change" and began to put his stamp on the show; Geoffrey Hughes was brought back full-time, with Eddie Yeats becoming a regular fixture at the Ogden household, Fred Gee became the new Rovers potman, bringing a balance to the sexes behind the bar, Madge Hindle was introduced as Corner Shop proprietress Renee Bradshaw, befitting Podmore's belief that the shop - as a focal point of gossip - needed an older woman in charge, and the defunct warehouse was re-opened as denim sweatshop Baldwin's Casuals, run by shrewd Cockney Mike Baldwin. The factory maintained a greater presence in storylines than its predecessors on the site, and heralded more regular appearances by machinists Ivy Tilsley and Vera Duckworth. The cast was expanded to accommodate the new arrivals, with only Tricia Hopkins, played by Kathy Jones, written out.
Patricia Phoenix returned as Elsie Howard after an absence of over two years. Elsie came back to Weatherfield after separating from Alan, who was not brought back with her. As one 1960 veteran returned, another left; returning after a three-month break, an increasingly ill Margot Bryant found it difficult to remember her lines to such an extent that it was affecting her performances. Minnie Caldwell was written out until further notice, and Bryant retired shortly thereafter, spending the rest of her life in a nursing home.
The programme's fifth title sequence made its debut with Episode 1596. The new sequence was a modification of the old one, with fewer shots and one significant addition: a cat, which became a staple from thereon in.
Viewing figures
The highest-rated episode of the year was Episode 1589 (7th April 1976), the episode after Elsie Howard's surprise re-appearance at the end of the previous episode, which was seen in 8.8 million homes (translating to 16.83 million viewers). This was the highest audience for Coronation Street since 1970.
Despite Elsie's return which boosted figures for April and May, the average rating for the year was 15.39 million viewers, a drop of 70,000 viewers from 1975 and the third lowest of the decade. Seven months saw gains on 1975, scattered across the year with no major trends.
The programme's absence at the top of the viewing charts continued, with only one episode reaching number one.
Episodes
# | Ep. No. |
Date | Writer | Director | Viewing Figures (homes/ viewers) |
Chart Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1562 | Monday 5th January | Adele Rose | Laurence Moody | 7,450,000 16,390,000 |
8 |
2 | 1563 | Wednesday 7th January | Leo Knowles | Laurence Moody | 7,400,000 16,280,000 |
9 |
3 | 1564 | Monday 12th January | Leo Knowles | Richard Stroud | 7,700,000 16,940,000 |
5 |
4 | 1565 | Wednesday 14th January | Adele Rose | Richard Stroud | 7,700,000 16,940,000 |
5 |
5 | 1566 | Monday 19th January | Leslie Duxbury | Alan Grint | 7,700,000 16,940,000 |
8 |
6 | 1567 | Wednesday 21st January | Brian Finch | Alan Grint | 7,550,000 16,610,000 |
11 |
7 | 1568 | Monday 26th January | Barry Hill | Laurence Moody | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
8 |
8 | 1569 | Wednesday 28th January | H.V. Kershaw | Laurence Moody | 7,400,000 16,280,000 |
10 |
9 | 1570 | Monday 2nd February | Kay McManus | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
8 |
10 | 1571 | Wednesday 4th February | Barry Hill | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,650,000 16,830,000 |
7 |
11 | 1572 | Monday 9th February | H.V. Kershaw | Alan Grint | 7,350,000 16,170,000 |
13 |
12 | 1573 | Wednesday 11th February | Adele Rose | Alan Grint | 8,000,000 17,600,000 |
3 |
13 | 1574 | Monday 16th February | Julian Roach | Bill Gilmour | 7,450,000 16,390,000 |
8 |
14 | 1575 | Wednesday 18th February | Leslie Duxbury | Bill Gilmour | 8,150,000 17,930,000 |
3 |
15 | 1576 | Monday 23rd February | Barry Hill | June Wyndham Davies | 7,750,000 17,050,000 |
4 |
16 | 1577 | Wednesday 25th February | Leslie Duxbury | June Wyndham Davies | 7,350,000 16,170,000 |
9 |
17 | 1578 | Monday 1st March | Adele Rose | Derek Lister | 7,550,000 16,610,000 |
7 |
18 | 1579 | Wednesday 3rd March | Julian Roach | Derek Lister | 8,150,000 17,930,000 |
3 |
19 | 1580 | Monday 8th March | Tony Warren | Bill Gilmour | 7,400,000 16,280,000 |
9 |
20 | 1581 | Wednesday 10th March | H.V. Kershaw | Bill Gilmour | 8,000,000 17,600,000 |
3 |
21 | 1582 | Monday 15th March | Janey Preger | Brian Mills | 7,100,000 15,620,000 |
15 |
22 | 1583 | Wednesday 17th March | Leslie Duxbury | Brian Mills | 7,150,000 15,730,000 |
11 |
23 | 1584 | Monday 22nd March | Adele Rose | Alan Grint | 7,350,000 16,170,000 |
10 |
24 | 1585 | Wednesday 24th March | H.V. Kershaw | Alan Grint | 7,950,000 17,490,000 |
4 |
25 | 1586 | Monday 29th March | H.V. Kershaw | Stephen Butcher | 7,515,000 16,533,000 |
8 |
26 | 1587 | Wednesday 31st March | Leslie Duxbury | Stephen Butcher | 7,895,000 17,369,000 |
5 |
27 | 1588 | Monday 5th April | Leslie Duxbury | Bill Gilmour | 7,650,000 16,830,000 |
5 |
28 | 1589 | Wednesday 7th April | Leslie Duxbury | Bill Gilmour | 8,818,000 19,399,600 |
3 |
29 | 1590 | Monday 12th April | Adele Rose | Baz Taylor | 7,488,000 16,473,600 |
8 |
30 | 1591 | Wednesday 14th April | H.V. Kershaw | Baz Taylor | 8,344,000 18,356,800 |
2 |
31 | 1592 | Monday 19th April | H.V. Kershaw | Laurence Moody | 4,570,000 10,054,000 |
n/k |
32 | 1593 | Wednesday 21st April | Julian Roach | Laurence Moody | 8,396,000 18,471,200 |
3 |
33 | 1594 | Monday 26th April | Kay McManus | Richardstroud | 7,700,000 16,940,000 |
4 |
34 | 1595 | Wednesday 28th April | Barry Hill | Richardstroud | 8,400,000 18,480,000 |
3 |
35 | 1596 | Monday 3rd May | Adele Rose | Derek Lister | 7,650,000 16,830,000 |
2 |
36 | 1597 | Wednesday 5th May | Julian Roach | Derek Lister | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
3 |
37 | 1598 | Monday 10th May | Leslie Duxbury | Laurence Moody | 7,100,000 15,620,000 |
5 |
38 | 1599 | Wednesday 12th May | John Stevenson | Laurence Moody | 7,500,000 16,500,000 |
2 |
39 | 1600 | Monday 17th May | H.V. Kershaw | Bill Gilmour | 7,050,000 15,510,000 |
3 |
40 | 1601 | Wednesday 19th May | Leslie Duxbury | Bill Gilmour | 6,950,000 15,290,000 |
4 |
41 | 1602 | Monday 24th May | Paula Milne | Derek Lister | 6,750,000 14,850,000 |
8 |
42 | 1603 | Wednesday 26th May | Leslie Duxbury | Derek Lister | 6,700,000 14,740,000 |
10 |
43 | 1604 | Monday 31st May | H.V. Kershaw | June Wyndham Davies | 5,450,000 11,990,000 |
19 |
44 | 1605 | Wednesday 2nd June | Julian Roach | June Wyndham Davies | 6,250,000 13,750,000 |
8 |
45 | 1606 | Monday 7th June | Adele Rose | Laurence Moody | 5,850,000 12,870,000 |
14 |
46 | 1607 | Wednesday 9th June | John Stevenson | Laurence Moody | 6,700,000 14,740,000 |
3 |
47 | 1608 | Monday 14th June | Janey Preger | Richard Stroud | 5,750,000 12,650,000 |
19 |
48 | 1609 | Wednesday 16th June | Adele Rose | Richard Stroud | 7,000,000 15,400,000 |
1 |
49 | 1610 | Monday 21st June | H.V. Kershaw | Bill Gilmour | 6,200,000 13,640,000 |
2 |
50 | 1611 | Wednesday 23rd June | Julian Roach | Bill Gilmour | 5,850,000 12,870,000 |
5 |
51 | 1612 | Monday 28th June | Leslie Duxbury | Oliver Horsbrugh | 5,686,000 12,509,200 |
11 |
52 | 1613 | Wednesday 30th June | H.V. Kershaw | Oliver Horsbrugh | 5,941,000 13,070,200 |
6 |
53 | 1614 | Monday 5th July | Kay McManus | Laurence Moody | 5,624,000 12,372,800 |
11 |
54 | 1615 | Wednesday 7th July | John Stevenson | Laurence Moody | 5,659,000 12,449,800 |
9 |
55 | 1616 | Monday 12th July | Brian Finch | Bill Gilmour | 5,975,000 13,145,000 |
11 |
56 | 1617 | Wednesday 14th July | Julian Roach | Bill Gilmour | 5,381,000 11,838,200 |
n/k |
57 | 1618 | Monday 19th July | H.V. Kershaw | Richard Stroud | 6,035,000 13,277,000 |
5 |
58 | 1619 | Wednesday 21st July | Leslie Duxbury | Richard Stroud | 5,867,000 12,907,400 |
7 |
59 | 1620 | Monday 26th July | Barry Hill | Laurence Moody | 6,043,000 13,294,600 |
4 |
60 | 1621 | Wednesday 28th July | Brian Finch | Laurence Moody | 5,832,000 12,830,400 |
8 |
61 | 1622 | Monday 2nd August | Julian Roach | Stephen Butcher | 6,119,000 13,461,800 |
5 |
62 | 1623 | Wednesday 4th August | John Stevenson | Stephen Butcher | 5,764,000 12,680,800 |
14 |
63 | 1624 | Monday 9th August | Adele Rose | Richard Stroud | 5,756,000 12,663,200 |
13 |
64 | 1625 | Wednesday 11th August | H.V. Kershaw | Richard Stroud | 5,510,000 12,122,000 |
16 |
65 | 1626 | Monday 16th August | Brian Finch | Bill Gilmour | 6,197,000 13,633,400 |
6 |
66 | 1627 | Wednesday 18th August | Adele Rose | Bill Gilmour | 5,361,000 11,794,200 |
20 |
67 | 1628 | Monday 23rd August | H.V. Kershaw | Ronald Fouracre | 5,822,000 12,808,400 |
11 |
68 | 1629 | Wednesday 25th August | Leslie Duxbury | Ronald Fouracre | 5,307,000 11,675,400 |
n/k |
69 | 1630 | Monday 30th August | Julian Roach | June Wyndham Davies | 4,951,000 10,892,200 |
n/k |
70 | 1631 | Wednesday 1st September | John Stevenson | June Wyndham Davies | 6,167,000 13,567,400 |
11 |
71 | 1632 | Monday 6th September | Adele Rose | Laurence Moody | 6,722,000 14,788,400 |
13 |
72 | 1633 | Wednesday 8th September | H.V. Kershaw | Laurence Moody | 6,233,000 13,712,600 |
16 |
73 | 1634 | Monday 13th September | John Stevenson | Oliver Horsbrugh | 6,919,000 15,221,800 |
13 |
74 | 1635 | Wednesday 15th September | Leslie Duxbury | Oliver Horsbrugh | 6,127,000 13,479,400 |
n/k |
75 | 1636 | Monday 20th September | Brian Finch | June Wyndham Davies | 6,848,000 15,065,600 |
16 |
76 | 1637 | Wednesday 22nd September | Janey Preger | June Wyndham Davies | 6,812,000 14,986,400 |
17 |
77 | 1638 | Monday 27th September | Paula Milne | Ronald Fouracre | 7,191,000 15,820,200 |
9 |
78 | 1639 | Wednesday 29th September | John Stevenson | Ronald Fouracre | 6,073,000 13,360,600 |
n/k |
79 | 1640 | Monday 4th October | Barry Hill | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,448,000 16,385,600 |
8 |
80 | 1641 | Wednesday 6th October | Leslie Duxbury | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,198,000 15,835,600 |
14 |
81 | 1642 | Monday 11th October | H.V. Kershaw | June Wyndham Davies | 7,018,000 15,439,600 |
15 |
82 | 1643 | Wednesday 13th October | Adele Rose | June Wyndham Davies | 6,615,000 14,553,000 |
n/k |
83 | 1644 | Monday 18th October | Kay McManus | Ronald Fouracre | 7,637,000 16,801,400 |
8 |
84 | 1645 | Wednesday 20th October | Paula Milne | Ronald Fouracre | 6,412,000 14,106,400 |
19 |
85 | 1646 | Monday 25th October | John Stevenson | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,621,000 16,766,200 |
10 |
86 | 1647 | Wednesday 27th October | Brian Finch | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,580,000 16,676,000 |
10 |
87 | 1648 | Monday 1st November | H.V. Kershaw | June Wyndham Davies | 7,650,000 16,830,000 |
10 |
88 | 1649 | Wednesday 3rd November | Leslie Duxbury | June Wyndham Davies | 7,900,000 17,380,000 |
7 |
89 | 1650 | Monday 8th November | John Stevenson | Derek Lister | 8,000,000 17,600,000 |
6 |
90 | 1651 | Wednesday 10th November | Adele Rose | Derek Lister | 7,550,000 16,610,000 |
12 |
91 | 1652 | Monday 15th November | Kenneth Eastaugh | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,700,000 16,940,000 |
13 |
92 | 1653 | Wednesday 17th November | Brian Finch | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
15 |
93 | 1654 | Monday 22nd November | H.V. Kershaw | June Wyndham Davies | 7,650,000 16,830,000 |
8 |
94 | 1655 | Wednesday 24th November | Leslie Duxbury | June Wyndham Davies | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
9 |
95 | 1656 | Monday 29th November | Paula Milne | Michael Simpson | 7,700,000 16,940,000 |
8 |
96 | 1657 | Wednesday 1st December | H.V. Kershaw | Michael Simpson | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
12 |
97 | 1658 | Monday 6th December | Janey Preger | Alan Bromly | 7,600,000 16,720,000 |
12 |
98 | 1659 | Wednesday 8th December | Leslie Duxbury | Alan Bromly | 7,350,000 16,170,000 |
16 |
99 | 1660 | Monday 13th December | Brian Finch | June Wyndham Davies | 7,650,000 16,830,000 |
9 |
100 | 1661 | Wednesday 15th December | John Stevenson | June Wyndham Davies | 7,450,000 16,390,000 |
14 |
101 | 1662 | Monday 20th December | H.V. Kershaw | John Black | 7,250,000 15,950,000 |
11 |
102 | 1663 | Wednesday 22nd December | David Crane | John Black | 7,950,000 17,490,000 |
4 |
103 | 1664 | Monday 27th December | Brian Finch | Oliver Horsbrugh | Not known | n/k |
104 | 1665 | Wednesday 29th December | Leslie Duxbury | Oliver Horsbrugh | 7,350,000 16,170,000 |
7 |
Storylines
Who lives where
Coronation Street
- Rovers Return Inn - Annie Walker. Fred Gee (from March).
- 1 Coronation Street - Albert Tatlock. Ken Barlow (from June).
- 3 Coronation Street - Ernest and Emily Bishop.
- 5 Coronation Street - Minnie Caldwell (until October). Mike Baldwin (from November) and Bet Lynch (from December).
- 9 Coronation Street - Len Fairclough.
- 11 Coronation Street - Ken Barlow (until June). Wendy Nightingale (May to June). Elsie Howard and Gail Potter (from June).
- 13 Coronation Street - Stan and Hilda Ogden.
- Corner Shop (No.15) - Elsie Howard (April to June). Renee Bradshaw (from May).
- Corner Shop flat (No.15a) - Tricia Hopkins and Gail Potter (until May). Terry Bradshaw (from June to December).
- Community Centre flat - Ena Sharples.
- 20 Victoria Street - Blanche Hunt (until January). Ray and Deirdre Langton.
- 44 Victoria Street - Bet Lynch (Until December).
Others
- 37 Hillside Crescent - Betty Turpin.
- Inkerman Street - Ivy Tilsley, Vera Duckworth.
- 23 Jubilee Terrace - Mavis Riley.
Coronation Street in the 1970s |
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