Coronation Street Very First Episode P3

[littleniyah]

@oloud1 do you know, that theme tune has a story: originally, Coronation St was only six episodes, to see if it would catch on. The guy that wrote the theme was given a choice: accept a lump sum, not a vast amount, or take the risk Corrie would be popular and be paid a royalty every time it was played. The guy watched the pilot episode and thought "This'll never make it" and he took the lump sum.

and 50 years later it's played...how many times a week? Four?

Fail. It's all you can say.

[kevinastraw]

I watched this and I wept at the end - not just for the girl coming to see Ken, but also for the dear dead days of yore.

[MattPicton96]

imagine the episode where Ken dies. i wonder how that comes about

[MeBenHalpin]

@MattPicton96 Thought they were gonna kill the character off in the 50th birthday tram crash, in December, but even when that day comes, Ken Barlow will never really die in many viewers hearts as he's an out and out street legend.

[relyanddefy]

YES KEN IS ROGER MOOREING IT UP

[UglySean]

My wife started waatching this. I am having trouble followint it. After this episode, I still can't. But hey, I'm a dope.

[kevinastraw]

@UglySean Why do you want to admit to such stupidity?

[anonUK]

1960 was a very different time- most people remembered the war (most men of 35-60 had fought in it) and the cultural dominance of the Boomers was still 7-8 years in the future. Many people, particularly working-class people, had no cars and a TV was a status symbol.

Things were starting to change in London- but Manchester was still essentially postwar and the fall of the British Empire meant that industrial export markets were beginning to dry up, meaning Manchester was in a slow tailspin.

[jamierourketen]

why would his dad not want him to meet a girl?

[kevinastraw]

@jamierourketen Class!

[alvinfor3v3r]

i think patricia shakesby is very pretty there :L

[gf1001]

Albert reminds me of my dad getting ideas above your station lol lol. Oh how I remember life like this thanks for posting this gem. Jack Howarth went to school with Gracie Fields now theres a nostalgia trip.

[Scrabbler27]

The should be a film made of Coronation called Coronation Street: The Movie

[bbzcakez101]

anyone know where I could watch all thee episodes?

[jamierourketen]

@bbzcakez101 it'll take you about 5 years to watch the amount of them! lol

[Icon0uk]

Thanks for uploading. Wish life was as simple now as it was back in the day !

[claudiak100]

Thank to whom ever uploaded this , it was before I was born which as in 1971 and I started watching the street when I was 11 years old I still watch it now I am 39 years old and I love it

[MeBenHalpin]

@claudiak100 I was born in 1984, but have watched Corrie since i was 5 and all the old repeats on Granada Plus and dvd, so feel like in some ways i have grown up with all these legendary characters like Annie Walker,Ena Sharples,Elsie Tanner,Hilda Ogden and co.

[RassilonsArmy]

It's amazing that 50 years on, we can still see the episode that started it all. Thanks for the upload!

Jamie

[DarrenT1990]

yes val died from a electric shock via her hair dryer

[DarrenT1990]

that is kens girlfriend... she writs to ken this week to sy he has a new son and grandson!

[MeBenHalpin]

@DarrenT1990 Yeah it was so cleverly written that they introduced character, who only appeared in the first couple of episodes more than 50 years ago, coming out with revelation like that.

[martynslife]

Incredible! It's made me want to watch it from the start now!

[yotcral66]

I vaguely remember Coronation street in the early 70's in the United States.  I was a very little girl at the time. My mom was into soup operas.

[PeterannaProductions]

@yotcral66 Soup operas? :)

[MeBenHalpin]

@yotcral66 I was told America was one of the only Countries, not to pick up The Street on air, my sources must be wrong.

[KittyKattyYukiLvr]

@MeBenHalpin Yeah, That's a bit wrong.

[MeBenHalpin]

@KittyKattyYukiLvr Sorry my mistake, just something i heard.

[KittyKattyYukiLvr]

@MeBenHalpin Oh! No, I didn't mean it was a bad thing! I just wanted to reinforce that it was picked up. I'm really sorry, if I came off rude.

[MeBenHalpin]

@KittyKattyYukiLvr No offence taken my friend.

[MattJonesSK6]

wow, it's so depressing to see how much Manchester has changed in just 50 years - there just aren't enough terraced houses any more, not to mention the values we've got now compared

[TheAz59]

when did deirdres mum first come into the street?

[MrBooojangles]

1974 around the time Deidre came in it. Then after many man friends she left with a bookie in 1976. I think these recent years she has been in it is her second spell in the programme.

[hunnibud]

wow ken IS a snob. i never realised. also tell me...do women still wear those aprons and pinnys nowadays??

[fwebword]

Ken mentioned the other night he kept a lock of Susan's hair. So I assume she is Peter's mother?

[h8thatcherluvblair]

You assume incorrectly. Susan was Peter's twin sister. Their late mother was Val(erie,) played by the exceedingly gifted Anne Reid who was killed off in 1971.

[Bilbone]

The Anne Reid from Dinnerladies? I like her.

[ftwecw]

@Bilbone  yes the same Anne Reid

[jenidh]

Susan was Peter's twin. Val was their mother, played by Anne Reid. She died by way of an iron & the twins were sent to Scotland to live with their grandparents. They appeared incidentally throughout the years with Scottish accents until cast as adults when they had Manchester accents again. Susan was married for a while to Mile Baldwin.

[MsMarquesa]

I'm almost certain Val's death was caused by a faulty hair dryer. ?????

[TotalHitman]

@jenidh val died by trying to fix a hairdryer. she got electrecuted

[Amosis55]

Thanks so much for posting this.