Coronation Street in 1976



1976 was Coronation Street's seventeenth year. Bill Podmore became the programme's producer with Episode 1572 (9th February 1976). Previous episodes, and four subsequent episodes, were produced by Susi Hush. 104 episodes were shown that year.

Storylines of 1976 included Renee Bradshaw buying the Corner Shop and applying for an off-licence (a move opposed by Annie Walker), Ken Barlow's affair with married woman Wendy Nightingale, Stan Ogden leaving Hilda, Ernest Bishop's camera shop going out of business and his struggle to find work, Annie learning to drive in order to upstage her rival Nellie Harvey, the return of Elsie Howard, the first meeting of Mavis Riley and Derek Wilton, Mike Baldwin setting up Baldwin's Casuals, Gail Potter having an affair with Roy Thornley, Hilda getting her "muriel", and Minnie Caldwell leaving the Street to live with her friend Handel Gartside in Whaley Bridge.

Production
Susi Hush completed her two-year run as Coronation Street producer with Episode 1571. Her final episodes saw the exit of Blanche Hunt - serviced by the brief return of Reginald Marsh as Dave Smith - and the arrival of chippie Terry Bradshaw. Four subsequent episodes were also produced by Hush - 1586 and 1587 in March and 1636 and 1637 in September.

Hush's replacement was one Bill Podmore, a Granada comedy producer who had worked on the soap as a director. Podmore didn't want the job but, assigned to Coronation Street by David Plowright, he agreed to do a year and move on. He went on to become one of the programme's most celebrated producers, remaining in the job until he retired in 1989 (with a period as executive producer).

Upon watching recent episodes, Podmore observed that the programme's natural flair for comedy was all but gone, and instructed the writers to include more humour in scripts. Podmore sought out the areas "crying out for a facelift or even a face change" and began to put his stamp on the show; Geoffrey Hughes was brought back full-time, with Eddie Yeats becoming a regular fixture at the Ogden household, Fred Gee became the new Rovers potman, bringing a balance to the sexes behind the bar, Madge Hindle was introduced as Corner Shop proprietress Renee Bradshaw, befitting Podmore's belief that the shop - as a focal point of gossip - needed an older woman in charge, and the defunct warehouse was re-opened as denim sweatshop Baldwin's Casuals, run by shrewd Cockney Mike Baldwin. The factory maintained a greater presence in storylines than its predecessors on the site, and heralded more regular appearances by machinists Ivy Tilsley and Vera Duckworth. The cast was expanded to accommodate the new arrivals, with only Tricia Hopkins, played by Kathy Jones, written out.

Patricia Phoenix returned as Elsie Howard after an absence of over two years. Elsie came back to Weatherfield after separating from Alan, who was not brought back with her. As one 1960 veteran returned, another left; returning after a three-month break, an increasingly ill Margot Bryant found it difficult to remember her lines to such an extent that it was affecting her performances. Minnie Caldwell was written out until further notice, and Bryant retired shortly thereafter, spending the rest of her life in a nursing home.

The programme's fifth title sequence made its debut with Episode 1596. The new sequence was a modification of the old one, with fewer shots and one significant addition: a cat, which became a staple from thereon in.

Viewing figures
The highest-rated episode of the year was Episode 1589 (7th April 1976), the episode after Elsie Howard's surprise re-appearance at the end of the previous episode, which was seen in 8.8 million homes (translating to 16.83 million viewers). This was the highest audience for Coronation Street since 1970.

Despite Elsie's return which boosted figures for April and May, the average rating for the year was 15.39 million viewers, a drop of 70,000 viewers from 1975 and the third lowest of the decade. Seven months saw gains on 1975, scattered across the year with no major trends.

The programme's absence at the top of the viewing charts continued, with only one episode reaching number one.

Who lives where
Coronation Street Rosamund Street Victoria Street Others
 * Rovers Return Inn - Annie Walker. Fred Gee (from March).
 * 1 Coronation Street - Albert Tatlock. Ken Barlow (from June).
 * 3 Coronation Street - Ernest and Emily Bishop.
 * 5 Coronation Street - Minnie Caldwell (until October). Mike Baldwin (from November) and Bet Lynch (from December).
 * 9 Coronation Street - Len Fairclough.
 * 11 Coronation Street - Ken Barlow (until June). Wendy Nightingale (May to June). Elsie Howard and Gail Potter (from June).
 * 13 Coronation Street - Stan and Hilda Ogden.
 * Corner Shop (No.15) - Elsie Howard (April to June). Renee Bradshaw (from May).
 * Corner Shop Flat (No.15a) - Tricia Hopkins and Gail Potter (until May). Terry Bradshaw (from June to December).
 * Community Centre Flat - Ena Sharples.
 * The Kabin - Rita Littlewood.
 * 20 Victoria Street - Blanche Hunt (until January). Ray and Deirdre Langton.
 * 44 Victoria Street - Bet Lynch (Until December).
 * 37 Hillside Crescent - Betty Turpin.
 * Inkerman Street - Ivy Tilsley, Vera Duckworth.
 * 23 Jubilee Terrace - Mavis Riley.