Plot
Annie wakes up after a sleepless night and tearfully tells Jack that Joan has left Gordon, though she admits she doesn't know the reason why. She fully takes Joan's side in the matter though Jack has his doubts as to who is to blame. Elsie puts pressure on Dennis to get a job but he refuses to take notice of the vacancies she's marked up in the paper. Ken and Dave disparage the conditions at the school and the danger that a new roundabout being built has caused to the amount of traffic on Rosamund Street. Jerry tells a disappointed Val that a lot of work needs doing on Frank's flat. With Emily away on holiday, Myra helps at Gamma Garments preparing for the sale. Dennis has ideas to expand Dennis Tanner Enterprises and open a club but he needs capital. He thinks of asking Swindley, Jack and Len but Swindley is too busy with PPOP business. Jack thinks Joan should be sent home, putting him against Annie who thinks they should shelter their daughter. He resolves to have it out with Joan. Joan visits Concepta and tells her that Gordon is against them having children and won't let her work. He treats her like a child. Jack, Len and Frank refuse to invest with Dennis. Jack tells Joan she must take a stand against the Davies' and makes her see that her marriage will not be a bed of roses. He convinces her and she agrees to return to Gordon. Martha and Minnie refuse Val's offer to be Dave's cleaner. Swindley also refuses Dennis's request with some harsh home truths about his work ethic, although he praises his ambition. Dennis manages to salvage his pride before walking out of the shop, saying he's not afraid of a day's hard work. Harry walks in on the end of the conversation and follows him home, telling him there's a labouring job going at Amalgamated Steel in the despatch department. Stung by Elsie's derision, Dennis shocks her by agreeing to go for it.
Cast
Regular cast
- Annie Walker - Doris Speed
- Jack Walker - Arthur Leslie
- Frank Barlow - Frank Pemberton
- Ena Sharples - Violet Carson
- Minnie Caldwell - Margot Bryant
- Martha Longhurst - Lynne Carol
- Concepta Hewitt - Doreen Keogh
- Harry Hewitt - Ivan Beavis
- Valerie Barlow - Anne Reid
- Kenneth Barlow - William Roache
- Elsie Tanner - Patricia Phoenix
- Len Fairclough - Peter Adamson
- Dennis Tanner - Philip Lowrie
- Jerry Booth - Graham Haberfield
- Myra Booth - Susan Jameson
- Mr Swindley - Arthur Lowe
Guest cast
Places
- Rovers Return Inn - Public, back room and hallway
- 7 Coronation Street - Back room
- 9 Coronation Street - Back room/kitchen
- 11 Coronation Street - Back room
- Gamma Garments
Notes
- From Episode 172 (6th August 1962) to Episode 459 (5th May 1965) the programme featured a standardised cast list for the regular characters. This means that in this episode the following were credited but did not appear: Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth), Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss), Florrie Lindley (Betty Alberge) and Miss Nugent (Eileen Derbyshire).
- TV Times synopsis: The New Year brings problems for Annie and a chance of promotion for Kenneth (Note: This latter plot point didn't feature in the finished version of this episode)
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 9,092,000 homes (2nd place). For the first time since November 1961, Coronation Street was beaten to the first place by an episode of another regular television programme as Steptoe and Son claimed 9,481,000 homes viewing for the BBC.
| January 1964 episodes |
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