Coronation Street [06/07/92] (Coronation Street)
Eldorado vs Coronation Street!
Opening on a rowdy darts match in The Rovers Return pub, this one hour special episode of Coronation Street was reportedly ITV’s ‘spoiler’ – broadcast at the same time as the BBC’s new sunny Spanish-set soap Eldorado. How exactly was this well-established Manchester-based soap meant to compete with the BBC’s promised saucy tales of sun, sea and sangria?
Don Brennan lies in a hospital bed facing a leg amputation after his dramatic car crash. His estranged wife Ivy is clueless about his predicament. Ivy later finds out, but the information comes from an unwelcome source. High drama ensues as she dashes to his bedside beside herself with worry. Meanwhile, Street stalwarts Alf Roberts, Reg Holdsworth and Bet Gilroy begin to get suspicious about Rita Fairclough’s new relationship with Ted - who seems just too good to be true. Elsewhere Percy Sugden frets about his landlady Emily Bishop who is returning home from hospital following a nervous breakdown.
This episode typifies what audiences have come to expect from Coronation Street. It showcases the show’s narrative strengths by putting a variety of well-rounded characters and a sense of community at the centre of the episode. The storylines strike a balance between high tension and heartfelt drama, rowdy community spirit and quiet moral support. The qualities that Eldorado couldn’t possibly manufacture in its opening episode.
Who won the audience tug of war? Press reports at the time declared Corrie the winner with 14.5 million viewers tuning in for Coronation Street versus the 6.5 million who switched on to Eldorado’s pilot episode. Ultimately Eldorado’s promised sizzle fizzled out and the soap was axed in 1993. Coronation Street, meanwhile, continues to be broadcast on ITV. Created in 1960 by Tony Warren, Coronation Street is the longest running television soap opera in the world. Set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester, the soap follows the dramatic lives of those living on Coronation Street and its immediate area.
There are some intermittent sound and picture issues at the start of the episode. These were present when the programme was originally broadcast on Thames Television. An on-screen message appears at approximately 12:35 after which the issue is resolved.
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Coronation Street: The 80s and 90s
Going strong…
A terraced street filled with characters loved by generations; Coronation Street is the longest running television soap opera in the world. Created in 1960 by Tony Warren, Coronation Street is set in fictional Manchester town Weatherfield and follows the dramatic lives of those living on the street and its local area.
Having established itself in its first 20 years, this collection features episodes of Coronation Street in the 1980s and 1990s. The 80s saw the appearance of characters such as nightclub owner Alec Gilroy, busy-body pensioner Percy Sugden and villain Alan Bradley. The 90s introduced audiences to barmaid Raquel Watts, domineering butcher Fred Elliot and Deidre Barlow’s acid-tongued mother Blanche Hunt. This was also the decade Coronation Street introduced its first transgender character Hayley Cropper.
19 videos in this collection
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Coronation Street (19.10.80)
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Coronation Street [09/11/81]
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Coronation Street Special[20.07.82]
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Coronation Street [03/11/82]
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Coronation Street [25/02/85]
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Coronation Street [11/08/86]
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Coronation Street [13/08/86]
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Coronation Street [08/10/86]
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Coronation Street [13/05/87]
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Coronation Street [03/07/91]
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Coronation Street [30/12/91]
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Coronation Street [05/06/92]
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Coronation Street [06/07/92]
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Coronation Street [28/12/92]
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Coronation Street [01/01/93]
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Coronation Street [15/02/93]
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Coronation Street [17/02/93]
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