Episode 9952 (16th December 2019)

Plot
Paula drives Robert back from the police station after he is released temporarily without being charged. He sees a “for sale” sign has been up outside the bistro. Paul has slept a disturbed night at No.5 after he has been helping Gemma and Chesney with the quads but all three of them are exhausted. Michael rings contacts to improve the Weatherfield Winter Wonderland. He tells a startled Ed and James that he's roping them in. Michelle is startled to find that Robert has let himself into the bistro, demanding to know why she’s put the business up for sale. He threatens to get an injunction, and in return, she tells him her plan to leave the area for a fresh start. Roy takes his model railway to show Richard. Imran tells Tim his plan to divorce Charlie and quickly remarry Sally will raise a red flag with the authorities. Robert smashes the “for sale” sign down, just before DS MacKinnon turns up to tell him that they’ve examined the sat nav in his van and in shows it was in the woods on the night Vicky disappeared. Kirk and Emma also step in to assist Chesney and Gemma. Kirk thinks they ought to look after the babies using production line methods, including him singing them to sleep. Paula asks Robert who else could have had access to the van who would want to hurt Vicky. Her words make him realise something. Classier attractions start to be delivered to the Wonderland at Michael’s orders. Robert confronts Michelle with the accusation that she is the one who drove the van and she is the one who has done something to Vicky. Tim comes clean to a shocked Sally. Kirk’s methods work brilliantly, and he hands over a CD of his singing for them to use for when the babies next wake up. Robert and Michelle argue, and she mentions him dumping the body in the woods - an accusation he hadn’t previously made her aware of. Richard is initially underwhelmed by the railway as his boyhood interest was in Subbuteo. Sally is numbed at the thought they aren’t married and everything they have is a sham. Roy is given an idea when Paul tells him of his continuing interest in football and how he follows County’s fortunes. Tara Swift rings up Chesney asking them to attend a photoshoot now that the quads are home. They have no option but to agree to keep to the terms of the contract, even though they’re exhausted. Michelle tells a furious Robert that one of the policemen told her of the development when the flat was being searched. He’s not convinced and grabs her arms, demanding the truth, just as Peter and Carla walk into the bistro.

Regular cast

 * Robert Preston - Tristan Gemmill
 * Paula Martin - Stirling Gallacher
 * Chesney Brown - Sam Aston
 * Gemma Winter - Dolly-Rose Campbell
 * Paul Foreman - Peter Ash
 * Michael Bailey - Ryan Russell
 * Ed Bailey - Trevor Michael Georges
 * James Bailey - Nathan Graham
 * Michelle Connor - Kym Marsh
 * Sally Metcalfe - Sally Dynevor
 * Tim Metcalfe - Joe Duttine
 * Shona Platt - Julia Goulding
 * Roy Cropper - David Neilson
 * Imran Habeeb - Charlie De Melo
 * Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne
 * Carla Connor - Alison King
 * Kirk Sutherland - Andrew Whyment
 * Emma Brooker - Alexandra Mardell


 * Aled, Carys, Llio and Bryn Brown - Charlotte & James Holt, Arthur, Lily & Lucy Taylor (Uncredited)

Guest cast

 * DS MacKinnon - Sandra Huggett
 * Richard Lucas - Paul Bown

Places

 * Coronation Street
 * Rovers Return Inn - Public
 * 3 Coronation Street - Downstairs rooms
 * 4 Coronation Street - Downstairs rooms
 * 5 Coronation Street - Downstairs rooms
 * Viaduct Street
 * Viaduct Bistro - Restaurant and kitchen
 * Rosamund Street
 * Victoria Street
 * Roy's Rolls
 * Richard Lucas's flat - Living room/kitchen

Notable dialogue
Kirk Sutherland (singing to make the quads sleep): "So goodbye lovely Pricilla, my heart hurts so much I've taken a painkiller, you'll be out of my system and I feel nice, like after a vindaloo with too much spice."