Coronation Street in 2008



2008 was Coronation Street's forty-ninth year. During the year, Kim Crowther succeeded Steve Frost as producer, while in January the regular Sunday episode was dropped and a new 8.30pm episode added to the weekly lineup.

Main storylines included the death of Vera Duckworth, the hit-and-run murder of Liam Connor orchestrated by Tony Gordon, David Platt pushing his mum Gail down the stairs and Michelle Connor finding out her son Ryan was mixed up in the hospital after being born and isn't her biological son. A few characters were featured in a DVD-exclusive spin-off, Coronation Street: Out of Africa.

258 new episodes were broadcast on ITV in 2008.

Main cast

 * Bill Webster - Peter Armitage
 * Ashley Peacock - Steven Arnold
 * Chesney Battersby-Brown - Sam Aston
 * Kayleigh Morton - Jessica Barden
 * Molly Compton - Vicky Binns
 * Liz McDonald - Beverley Callard
 * Amy Barlow - Amber Chadwick
 * Lloyd Mullaney - Craig Charles
 * Eileen Grimshaw - Sue Cleaver
 * Sean Tully - Antony Cotton
 * Dan Mason - Matthew Crompton
 * Leanne Battersby - Jane Danson
 * Vera Duckworth - Elizabeth Dawn (January)
 * Emily Bishop - Eileen Derbyshire
 * Darryl Morton - Jonathan Dixon
 * Kelly Crabtree - Tupele Dorgu
 * Betty Williams - Betty Driver
 * Roger Stiles - Andrew Dunn
 * Mel Morton - Emma Edmondson
 * Harry Mason - Jack Ellis
 * Janice Battersby - Vicky Entwistle
 * Lauren Wilson - Lucy Evans
 * Rosie Webster - Helen Flanagan
 * Steve McDonald - Simon Gregson
 * Tyrone Dobbs - Alan Halsall
 * Dev Alahan - Jimmi Harkishin
 * John Stape - Graeme Hawley (January)
 * Claire Peacock - Julia Haworth
 * Norris Cole - Malcolm Hebden
 * Jamie Baldwin - Rupert Hill
 * Paul Clayton - Tom Hudson
 * Liam Connor - Rob James-Collier
 * Blanche Hunt - Maggie Jones
 * Tina McIntyre - Michelle Keegan
 * Becky Granger - Katherine Kelly
 * Carla Connor/Gordon - Alison King
 * Deirdre Barlow - Anne Kirkbride
 * Rita Sullivan - Barbara Knox
 * Jim McDonald - Charles Lawson (January)
 * Kevin Webster - Michael Le Vell
 * Michelle Connor - Kym Marsh


 * Fiz Brown - Jennie McAlpine
 * Roy Cropper - David Neilson
 * Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls
 * Tony Gordon - Gray O'Brien
 * Amber Kalirai - Nikki Patel
 * Terry Duckworth - Nigel Pivaro (January)
 * Violet Wilson - Jenny Platt
 * Finlay Bryant - Ramone Quinn
 * Vernon Tomlin - Ian Reddington
 * Ken Barlow - William Roache
 * David Platt - Jack P. Shepherd
 * Maria Sutherland/Connor - Samia Smith
 * Jerry Morton - Michael Starke
 * Jack Duckworth - William Tarmey
 * Jason Grimshaw - Ryan Thomas
 * Ryan Connor - Ben Thompson
 * Sophie Webster - Brooke Vincent
 * Sally Webster - Sally Whittaker
 * Gail Platt - Helen Worth
 * Kirk Sutherland - Andrew Whyment

Cast notes

 * Tina O'Brien made a voice-only appearance as Sarah Grimshaw in two episodes.

January

 * Steve McDonald tells his dad Jim to leave Weatherfield for good - Jim's attempt to stop his ex-wife Liz from marrying Vernon Tomlin was the last straw. A sorrowful Jim embarks on a new life.
 * While hillwalking in the Lake District, Liam Connor falls into a gorge. His fiancé Maria Sutherland finds help and he is airlifted to safety by Mountain Rescue, but when semi-conscious in hospital it's not Maria that Liam calls out for, it's Carla Connor. Maria becomes convinced this means he is in love with Carla so when he regains consciousness Maria suggests they bring their wedding date forward to February. Liam agrees, although when Carla finds out she is angry and questions Maria's motives, accusing her of pushing Liam into marriage, although when he recovers Liam insists he loves Maria and wants to marry her. Maria is incensed when Carla books a double bedroom for Carla and Liam's business trip and pretends it's a mix-up, but Carla's boyfriend Tony Gordon shows up at the hotel before anything can happen between them and Liam decides to leave early. He lets Maria think he left because he was missing her.
 * John Stape is desperate to win Fiz Brown back after his affair with Rosie Webster, but when Fiz sees Rosie she's reminded of the pain John caused and tells him it's over. John leaves for pastures new.
 * Jack and Vera Duckworth are putting their plan to retire and move to Blackpool into action and decide to put an offer on a bungalow. However it's not to be - six weeks before they plan to leave, Vera dies of heart failure while Jack's in the Rovers. The neighbours rally round to help Jack but he's devastated and puts off preparations for the funeral. When he gets a condolence card from his son Terry, Jack decides to invite him to the funeral as Vera would have wanted him there. Jack struggles to bring himself to speak at the funeral, but delivers a touching eulogy for Vera.
 * David Platt meets Tina McIntyre and they immediately hit it off. David's mum Gail approves of Tina, but when she finds out he's having sex with Tina, she embarrasses him by leaving condoms on the table to make sure he is taking the right precautions.
 * Kevin Webster is given a custodial sentence of 28 days for assaulting John Stape. Sisters Rosie and Sophie Webster won't speak to each other but when Kevin returns the Websters agree to put 2007 behind them.
 * Michelle Connor postpones a DNA test which will determine whether or not Ryan is her biological son. Ryan thinks Nick Neeson is a stalker rather than quite possibly his father, with Ryan and Alex Neeson mixed up in the hospital after they were born. Ryan finds out about Nick's allegations on his 16th birthday, and runs off when he finds out everybody knew except him. When he ends up fighting with Alex, Michelle decides to take the DNA test and then Ryan and Alex can make up their own minds about seeing their biological parents. The test proves Ryan isn't Michelle's son, but Ryan wants things to stay as they are. However, Michelle can't resist going to see Alex, and tells him she's there if he ever wants to talk to her.
 * Wiki Dankowska has a party to sell underwear. Kelly Crabtree is surprised by how much she earns.
 * Darryl Morton is thrilled to be going out with Lauren Wilson, unaware she is stringing him along.

Who lives where
Coronation Street residents Rosamund Street residents Victoria Street residents Victoria Court residents Others Unknown residence - Kelly Crabtree, Tony Gordon
 * Rovers Return Inn - Steve McDonald and Amy Barlow, Michelle and Ryan Connor, Liz McDonald, Vernon Tomlin
 * 1 Coronation Street - Ken and Deirdre Barlow and Blanche Hunt
 * Salon flat (No.2a) - Fiz Brown
 * 3 Coronation Street - Emily Bishop and Norris Cole
 * 4 Coronation Street - Ashley Peacock, Claire Peacock, Joshua Peacock and Freddie Peacock
 * 5 Coronation Street - Kirk Sutherland and Chesney Battersby-Brown
 * 6 Coronation Street - Jerry Morton, Darryl Morton, Mel Morton, Kayleigh Morton, Finlay Bryant
 * 7 Coronation Street - Liam Connor and Maria Connor
 * 8 Coronation Street - Gail Platt, David Platt and Tina McIntyre
 * 9 Coronation Street - Jack Duckworth, Vera Duckworth (until her death in January), Tyrone Dobbs, Molly Compton and Paul Clayton
 * Kabin flat (No.10a) - Rita Sullivan
 * 11 Coronation Street - Eileen Grimshaw, Jason Grimshaw, Sean Tully, Lauren Wilson
 * 12 Coronation Street - Jamie Baldwin and Violet Wilson
 * 13 Coronation Street - Kevin Webster, Sally Webster, Rosie Webster, Sophie Webster, Bill Webster
 * Corner Shop flat (No.15a) - Dev Alahan, Amber Kalirai
 * Bookies flat (No.9a) - Harry Mason, Dan Mason
 * 14a Victoria Street - Janice Battersby, Roger Stiles, Leanne Battersby
 * Roy's Rolls flat (No.16a) - Roy Cropper, Becky Granger
 * Street Cars flat - Lloyd Mullaney
 * 37 Hillside Crescent - Betty Williams
 * 5 Grassmere Drive - Audrey Roberts
 * Weatherfield Quays - Carla Connor