Coronation Street in 1996

1996 was Coronation Street's thirty-seventh year.

Main characters

Ranking	Character	Played by	Duration	Number of Episodes	Running total	Previous year's ranking
1	Vera Duckworth	Elizabeth Dawn	Full year	113	1363	2
2	Liz McDonald	Beverley Callard	Full year	105	698	8
3	Andy McDonald	Nicholas Cochrane	Full year	102	518	17
4	Jack Duckworth	William Tarmey	Full year	100	1221	9
5	Ken Barlow	William Roache	Full year	95	2529	11
5	Deirdre Rachid	Anne Kirkbride	Full year	95	1655	30
7	Bill Webster	Peter Armitage	Full year	92	219	32
8	Rita Sullivan	Barbara Knox	Full year	91	1883	13
9	Don Brennan	Geoff Hinsliff	Full year	89	687	15
9	Jim McDonald	Charles Lawson	Full year	89	637	3
11	Mike Baldwin	Johnny Briggs	Full year	86	1385	20
11	Mavis Wilton	Thelma Barlow	Full year	86	1711	15
13	Alma Baldwin	Amanda Barrie	Full year	85	735	12
13	Fiona Middleton	Angela Griffin	Full year	85	302	1
13	Audrey Roberts	Sue Nicholls	Full year	85	960	20
16	Des Barnes	Philip Middlemiss	Full year	84	591	5
17	Alec Gilroy	Roy Barraclough	From April	82	610	53
17	Curly Watts	Kevin Kennedy	Full year	82	1001	18
17	Kevin Webster	Michael Le Vell	Full year	82	960	24
20	Maureen Holdsworth	Sherrie Hewson	Full year	80	325	20
20	Judy Mallett	Gaynor Faye	Full year	80	95	52
22	Gail Platt	Helen Worth	Full year	79	1595	4
22	Sally Webster	Sally Whittaker	Full year	79	798	37
24	Tricia Armstrong	Tracy Brabin	Full year	76	146	28
25	Betty Williams	Betty Driver	Full year	75	1972	10
26	Maud Grimes	Elizabeth Bradley	Full year	74	251	23
26	Derek Wilton	Peter Baldwin	Full year	74	703	27
28	Gary Mallett	Ian Mercer	Full year	72	88	51
29	Alf Roberts	Bryan Mosley	Full year	67	1737	30
29	Percy Sugden	Bill Waddington	Full year	67	930	28
31	Raquel Watts	Sarah Lancashire	Until November	64	531	7
32	Martin Platt	Sean Wilson	Full year	63	766	18
33	Joyce Smedley	Anita Carey	From February	61	61	-
34	Emily Bishop	Eileen Derbyshire	Full year	60	2186	33
34	Maxine Heavey	Tracy Shaw	Full year	60	110	36
36	Daniel Osbourne	Lewis Harney	January to May, July and October to November	58	95	41
37	Tony Horrocks	Lee Warburton	Full year	56	67	53
37	Steve McDonald	Simon Gregson	Until August and from December	56	522	6
39	Anne Malone	Eve Steele	Full year	53	61	58
39	Kelly Thomson	Sarah Moffett	From February to December	53	53	-
41	Fred Elliott	John Savident	Full year	51	64	58
42	Jamie Armstrong	Joseph Gilgun	Full year	49	83	43
42	Vicky McDonald	Chloe Newsome	Until June	49	253	13
44	Josie Clarke	Ellie Haddington	Until August	47	101	35
44	Claire Palmer	Maggie Norris	From May	47	47	-
46	Samantha Failsworth	Tina Hobley	From July	43	43	-
47	Ashley Peacock	Steven Arnold	February to May, July and from October	40	42	61
48	Roy Cropper	David Neilson	Full year	39	48	56
49	Norris Cole	Malcolm Hebden	March, May to June, August to October and December	36	72	50
50	Becky Palmer	Emily Aston	From May	35	35	-
51	Sean Skinner	Terence Hillyer	January to April and from August	33	80	45
52	Sarah Louise Platt	Lynsay King	Full year	31	345	39
53	David Platt	Thomas Ormson	January to February, May, July to October and December	28	295	42
54	Sophie Webster	Ashleigh Middleton	Full year	26	63	43
54	Ida Clough	Helene Palmer	February to September and December	26	230	62
56	Billy Williams	Frank Mills	Full year	26	55	46
57	Rosie Webster	Emma Collinge	January to April and July to December	23	260	49
58	Stephen Reid	Todd Boyce	January to February, June and August to September	22	22	-
59	Nick Tilsley	Warren Jackson	January to March and July to September	21	547	38
60	Denise Osbourne	Denise Black	Until February and from November	15	266	25
61	Alan McKenna	Glenn Hugill	From November	10	10	-
62	Terry Duckworth	Nigel Pivaro	June only	8	301	-
62	Tommy Duckworth	Darryl Edwards	June only	8	120	55
64	Phyllis Pearce	Jill Summers	January to February and May	6	505	39
65	Tracy Barlow	Dawn Acton	November only	4	583	47
66	Angie Freeman	Deborah McAndrew	December only	3	236	-
67	Blanche Hunt	Maggie Jones	November only	2	100	-
67	Robert Preston	Julian Kay	November only	2	2	-
69	Mark Redman	Chris Cook	August only	1	63	-

Production

Jim McDonald hits Liz when she confesses to an old affair with his friend Johnny Johnson. The episode drew the biggest audience of the year with 19.8 million viewers

Sue Pritchard spent her third year as Coronation Street's producer, with Carolyn Reynolds continuing as (often uncredited) executive producer.

In response to the channel's declining share of the audience, ITV ordered an increase in Coronation Street's weekly output to four episodes. To achieve this, rehearsal and studio days were dropped and a system adopted whereby individual scenes would be rehearsed and immediately recorded. Generally, scenes set in one location would be shot in bulk, in the same manner as location scenes such as those set in Firman's Freezers had been since 1989. This resulted in reduced rehearsal time for the actors but allowed recording to take place on multiple episodes at the same time, with different camera crews.

The new instalment was scheduled on Sundays at 7.30pm and the first episode was screened on 24th November. The main storyline saw Ken Barlow - recently reconciled with Deirdre Rachid after seven years - rush to No.1 to stop Denise Osbourne snatching their son Daniel. Denise Black returned to the programme after nine months for a custody battle between Ken and Denise over Daniel, before leaving again in January 1997.

In September, confectionery giant Cadbury become Coronation Street's first official sponsor. Starting with Episode 4062, the top and tail end of each episode carried adverts for Cadbury products, usually with a Coronation Street theme.

Roy Barraclough returned full-time as Alec Gilroy, four years after he quit the series. As Jack and Vera Duckworth were now running the Rovers, writers created another outlet for Alec's talents; Sunliners Travel Agency in Rosamund Street, a new fixture of the programme which also employed Deirdre Rachid as well as cleaner Joyce Smedley, Judy Mallett's mother played by Anita Carey. Meanwhile, Alec's previous appearance in Coronation Street - The Feature Length Special was given an airing on television on 24th March, thus breaking a promise to consumers that the VHS release would not be transmitted within a specified time period. Although it was an abridged version, ITV was criticised for the move and later gained a fine for not keeping to this promise.

Other cast additions included Tina Hobley as barmaid Samantha Failsworth, Sarah Moffett as Daniel Osbourne's child minder Kelly Thomson, Glenn Hugill as detective Alan McKenna, boyfriend of Fiona Middleton, and Maggie Norris and Emily Aston as mother and daughter Claire and Becky Palmer, who formed a family with Des Barnes. Meanwhile, Steven Arnold and John Savident's roles of Ashley Peacock and his uncle (later revealed to be father) Fred Elliott were expanded, Deborah McAndrew returned as Angie Freeman for three episodes before coming back full-time in 1997, and Helene Palmer's role of Ida Clough became recurring for the first time since 1988. Ida once again worked for Mike Baldwin at his new factory Baldwin's Sportswear.

Sarah Lancashire was the main departee, quitting the programme after five years as Raquel Watts. The episode in which Raquel told Curly she was leaving Weatherfield to take a modelling job in Kuala Lumpur was hour-long and also featured the wedding of Tracy Barlow and Robert Preston, with Dawn Acton making a short return as Tracy and Maggie Jones appearing as Blanche Hunt for the first time in 15 years.

Jill Summers played Phyllis Pearce for the last time in Episode 4007 on 1st May. Despite ill-health, she had refused to leave the programme but her appearances had become sporadic in recent months and she passed away on 11th January 1997. After Summers's death, Phyllis's fate was left ambiguous, and the character was simply no longer mentioned.

Other departures included Chloe Newsome as Vicky McDonald, Ellie Haddington as Josie Clarke and Warren Jackson as Nick Tilsley. Jackson intended to return as Nick the following year, but the part was recast with Adam Rickitt instead. Lastly, Nigel Pivaro made a short return as Terry Duckworth, his first for three years.

Viewers were given a chance to watch old episodes of Coronation Street starting with Episode 1588, originally shown on 5th April 1976, on the new satellite channel Granada Plus. Shown under the title Classic Coronation Street, the repeats continued until the channel went defunct in 2004. Jean Alexander reprised the role of Hilda Ogden in a special trailer advertising the repeats.

Viewing figures

Ratings chart for the year

Overall aggregated ratings were down for the fourth year in a row, by a slightly smaller factor than the previous two years. The average for 1996 was 15.76 million viewers, a drop of 300k on 1995. February, March, May and August saw increases year-on-year, though none significant. The biggest drops occurred in October and December, each of almost two million viewers. The latter drop was the result of the new Sunday episode struggling to build an audience and a disastrous performance by the Christmas Day episode, whose audience was 10.32 million viewers and which only reached 30th place for the week, despite being an aggregated figure.

The highest-rated episode of the year was Episode 3980 on 28th February, which was seen by 19.8 million viewers - the highest peak in a year since 1993. Meanwhile, the programme continued to rate excellently in the charts, with 45 episodes reaching number one.

Episodes

#	Ep. No.	Date	Writer	Director	Viewing Figures (With omnibus)	Chart Position
1	3955	Monday 1st January	Tom Elliott	Penelope Shales	16,400,000	7
2	3956	Wednesday 3rd January	Patrea Smallacombe	Penelope Shales	18,380,000	1
3	3957	Friday 5th January	Peter Whalley	Penelope Shales	17,950,000	3
4	3958	Monday 8th January	Sally Wainwright	Jon Woods	18,560,000	1
5	3959	Wednesday 10th January	Phil Woods	Jon Woods	17,120,000	3
6	3960	Friday 12th January	Stephen Mallatratt	Jon Woods	17,910,000	2
7	3961	Monday 15th January	John Stevenson	John Michael Phillips	18,420,000	2
8	3962	Wednesday 17th January	Stephen Lowe	John Michael Phillips	17,720,000	3
9	3963	Friday 19th January	Mark Wadlow	John Michael Phillips	18,480,000	1
10	3964	Monday 22nd January	Tom Elliott	Brian Mills	18,200,000	3
11	3965	Wednesday 24th January	John Stevenson	Brian Mills	18,640,000	2
12	3966	Friday 26th January	Adele Rose	Brian Mills	19,250,000	1
13	3967	Monday 29th January	Stephen Lowe	Mervyn Cumming	18,980,000	1
14	3968	Wednesday 31st January	Julian Roach	Mervyn Cumming	18,200,000	2
15	3969	Friday 2nd February	Barry Hill	Mervyn Cumming	17,940,000	3
16	3970	Monday 5th February	Stephen Mallatratt	Jon Woods	19,300,000	2
17	3971	Wednesday 7th February	Patrea Smallacombe	Jon Woods	19,510,000	1
18	3972	Friday 9th February	Peter Whalley	Jon Woods	19,290,000	3
19	3973	Monday 12th February	Martin Allen	John Michael Phillips	18,340,000	2
20	3974	Wednesday 14th February	Tom Elliott	John Michael Phillips	18,580,000	1
21	3975	Friday 16th February	Phil Woods	John Michael Phillips	18,180,000	3
22	3976	Monday 19th February	Julian Roach	Brian Mills	19,570,000	1
23	3977	Wednesday 21st February	Peter Whalley	Brian Mills	18,550,000	2
24	3978	Friday 23rd February	Stephen Lowe	Brian Mills	18,440,000	3
25	3979	Monday 26th February	John Stevenson	Mervyn Cumming	19,050,000	3
26	3980	Wednesday 28th February	Adele Rose	Mervyn Cumming	19,800,000	1
27	3981	Friday 1st March	Stephen Mallatratt	Mervyn Cumming	19,110,000	2
28	3982	Monday 4th March	Stephen Mallatratt	Colin Cant	18,120,000	1
29	3983	Wednesday 6th March	Patrea Smallacombe	Colin Cant	14,050,000	8
30	3984	Friday 8th March	Barry Hill	Colin Cant	17,980,000	2
31	3985	Monday 11th March	Adele Rose	John Michael Phillips	17,580,000	2
32	3986	Wednesday 13th March	Tom Elliott	John Michael Phillips	18,740,000	1
33	3987	Friday 15th March	Sally Wainwright	John Michael Phillips	17,510,000	3
34	3988	Monday 18th March	John Stevenson	Brian Mills	18,100,000	1
35	3989	Wednesday 20th March	Peter Whalley	Brian Mills	15,220,000	6
36	3990	Friday 22nd March	Peter Whalley	Noreen Kershaw	17,270,000	2
37	3991	Monday 25th March	John Stevenson	Mervyn Cumming	18,470,000	1
38	3992	Wednesday 27th March	Adele Rose	Mervyn Cumming	17,530,000	2
39	3993	Friday 29th March	Peter Whalley	Mervyn Cumming	17,260,000	3
40	3994	Monday 1st April	Tom Elliott	Colin Cant	16,420,000	1
41	3995	Wednesday 3rd April	Stephen Mallatratt	Colin Cant	12,740,000	7
42	3996	Friday 5th April	Julian Roach	Colin Cant	14,540,000	4
43	3997	Monday 8th April	Mark Wadlow	Richard Signy	15,850,000	3
44	3998	Wednesday 10th April	Barry Hill	Richard Signy	16,450,000	2
45	3999	Friday 12th April	Martin Allen	Richard Signy	17,360,000	1
46	4000	Monday 15th April	Barry Hill	Noreen Kershaw	16,130,000	1
47	4001	Wednesday 17th April	Adele Rose	Noreen Kershaw	13,370,000	6
48	4002	Friday 19th April	Julian Roach	Brian Mills	15,750,000	2
49	4003	Monday 22nd April	John Stevenson	Mervyn Cumming	17,170,000	1
50	4004	Wednesday 24th April	Peter Whalley	Mervyn Cumming	16,480,000	2
51	4005	Friday 26th April	Tom Elliott	Mervyn Cumming	15,040,000	3
52	4006	Monday 29th April	Patrea Smallacombe	Colin Cant	16,550,000	2
53	4007	Wednesday 1st May	Stephen Mallatratt	Colin Cant	16,870,000	1
54	4008	Friday 3rd May	Phil Woods	Colin Cant	15,920,000	3
55	4009	Monday 6th May	Mark Wadlow	Richard Signy	13,780,000	5
56	4010	Wednesday 8th May	Tom Elliott	Richard Signy	16,010,000	1
57	4011	Friday 10th May	Stephen Lowe	Richard Signy	15,920,000	2
58	4012	Monday 13th May	John Stevenson	Brian Mills	15,520,000	3
59	4013	Wednesday 15th May	Barry Hill	Brian Mills	16,430,000	1
60	4014	Friday 17th May	Frank Cottrell Boyce	Noreen Kershaw	15,710,000	2
61	4015	Monday 20th May	Sally Wainwright	Mervyn Cumming	15,820,000	1
62	4016	Wednesday 22nd May	Adele Rose	Mervyn Cumming	13,370,000	6
63	4017	Friday 24th May	Peter Whalley	Mervyn Cumming	15,550,000	2
64	4018	Monday 27th May	Barry Hill	Colin Cant	16,020,000	1
65	4019	Wednesday 29th May	Stephen Mallatratt	Colin Cant	15,410,000	2
66	4020	Friday 31st May	Martin Allen	Colin Cant	14,350,000	4
67	4021	Monday 3rd June	Peter Whalley	Richard Signy	14,930,000	1
68	4022	Wednesday 5th June	Sally Wainwright	Richard Signy	13,800,000	3
69	4023	Friday 7th June	Stephen Lowe	Richard Signy	13,770,000	4
70	4024	Monday 10th June	Phil Woods	Brian Mills	13,440,000	2
71	4025	Wednesday 12th June	John Stevenson	Brian Mills	13,710,000	1
72	4026	Friday 14th June	Adele Rose	Brian Mills	9,990,000	9
73	4027	Monday 17th June	John Stevenson	Mervyn Cumming	14,070,000	4
74	4028	Wednesday 19th June	Sally Wainwright	Mervyn Cumming	12,160,000	10
75	4029	Friday 21st June	Patrea Smallacombe	Mervyn Cumming	13,640,000	6
76	4030	Monday 24th June	Adele Rose	Noreen Kershaw	13,310,000	4
77	4031	Wednesday 26th June	Peter Whalley	Noreen Kershaw	12,320,000	9
78	4032	Friday 28th June	Stephen Mallatratt	Noreen Kershaw	15,250,000	3
79	4033	Monday 1st July	Julian Roach	Colin Cant	13,870,000	3
80	4034	Wednesday 3rd July	Tom Elliott	Colin Cant	14,590,000	1
81	4035	Friday 5th July	Mark Wadlow	Colin Cant	14,350,000	2
82	4036	Monday 8th July	Barry Hill	Brian Mills	14,230,000	1
83	4037	Wednesday 10th July	Adele Rose	Brian Mills	13,430,000	3
84	4038	Friday 12th July	Phil Woods	Brian Mills	13,100,000	5
85	4039	Monday 15th July	Frank Cottrell Boyce	Kay Patrick	14,160,000	1
86	4040	Wednesday 17th July	Martin Allen	Kay Patrick	13,030,000	3
87	4041	Friday 19th July	Julian Roach	Kay Patrick	13,000,000	4
88	4042	Monday 22nd July	Stephen Mallatratt	Simon Massey	14,220,000	2
89	4043	Wednesday 24th July	Peter Whalley	Simon Massey	14,300,000	1
90	4044	Friday 26th July	John Stevenson	Simon Massey	13,170,000	3
91	4045	Monday 29th July	Sally Wainwright	Noreen Kershaw	14,640,000	1
92	4046	Wednesday 31st July	Barry Hill	Noreen Kershaw	14,390,000	2
93	4047	Friday 2nd August	Stephen Lowe	Noreen Kershaw	13,550,000	5
94	4048	Monday 5th August	Jim Hitchmough	Colin Cant	14,010,000	3
95	4049	Wednesday 7th August	Peter Whalley	Colin Cant	14,670,000	1
96	4050	Friday 9th August	John Stevenson	Colin Cant	14,670,000	1
97	4051	Monday 12th August	Phil Woods	Mervyn Cumming	14,420,000	1
98	4052	Wednesday 14th August	Adele Rose	Mervyn Cumming	14,180,000	2
99	4053	Friday 16th August	Stephen Mallatratt	Mervyn Cumming	13,570,000	3
100	4054	Monday 19th August	Stephen Mallatratt	Simon Massey	14,100,000	3
101	4055	Wednesday 21st August	Stephen Lowe	Simon Massey	14,180,000	2
102	4056	Friday 23rd August	Peter Whalley	Simon Massey	14,880,000	1
103	4057	Monday 26th August	Tom Elliott	Noreen Kershaw	12,990,000	6
104	4058	Wednesday 28th August	Patrea Smallacombe	Noreen Kershaw	15,480,000	1
105	4059	Friday 30th August	Barry Hill	Noreen Kershaw	14,170,000	2
106	4060	Monday 2nd September	Frank Cottrell Boyce	Brian Mills	15,640,000	1
107	4061	Wednesday 4th September	Julian Roach	Brian Mills	14,850,000	2
108	4062	Friday 6th September	Adele Rose	Brian Mills	12,900,000	8
109	4063	Monday 9th September	Martin Allen	Mervyn Cumming	15,880,000	1
110	4064	Wednesday 11th September	Adele Rose	Mervyn Cumming	13,790,000	6
111	4065	Friday 13th September	Jim Hitchmough	Mervyn Cumming	13,710,000	7
112	4066	Monday 16th September	Patrea Smallacombe	Simon Massey	15,600,000	1
113	4067	Wednesday 18th September	Peter Whalley	Simon Massey	15,190,000	4
114	4068	Friday 20th September	Phil Woods	Simon Massey	14,040,000	6
115	4069	Monday 23rd September	Sally Wainwright	Kay Patrick	16,680,000	1
116	4070	Wednesday 25th September	Mark Wadlow	Kay Patrick	13,550,000	9
117	4071	Friday 27th September	Julian Roach	Kay Patrick	14,930,000	6
118	4072	Monday 30th September	Stephen Lowe	Brian Mills	15,930,000	2
119	4073	Wednesday 2nd October	Barry Hill	Brian Mills	15,720,000	3
120	4074	Friday 4th October	Julian Roach	Brian Mills	15,350,000	5
121	4075	Monday 7th October	Phil Woods	Mervyn Cumming	16,710,000	4
122	4076	Wednesday 9th October	Adele Rose	Mervyn Cumming	15,940,000	7
123	4077	Friday 11th October	Peter Whalley	Mervyn Cumming	15,300,000	9
124	4078	Monday 14th October	Sally Wainwright	Colin Cant	17,190,000	2
125	4079	Wednesday 16th October	Stephen Mallatratt	Colin Cant	13,720,000	10
126	4080	Friday 18th October	John Stevenson	Colin Cant	15,410,000	7
127	4081	Monday 21st October	Barry Hill	Noreen Kershaw	16,650,000	4
128	4082	Wednesday 23rd October	John Stevenson	Noreen Kershaw	16,190,000	7
129	4083	Friday 25th October	Tom Elliott	Noreen Kershaw	15,200,000	8
130	4084	Monday 28th October	Adele Rose	Brian Mills	17,510,000	1
131	4085	Wednesday 30th October	Jim Hitchmough	Brian Mills	13,940,000	7
132	4086	Friday 1st November	Peter Whalley	Brian Mills	14,530,000	6
133	4087	Monday 4th November	Peter Whalley	Mervyn Cumming	17,390,000	1
134	4088	Wednesday 6th November	Martin Allen	Mervyn Cumming	16,360,000	3
135	4089	Friday 8th November	Stephen Lowe	Mervyn Cumming	15,580,000	4
136	4090	Monday 11th November	Phil Woods	Colin Cant	17,590,000	2
137	4091	Wednesday 13th November	Julian Roach	Colin Cant	18,260,000	1
138	4092	Friday 15th November	Adele Rose	Colin Cant	16,480,000	5
139	4093	Monday 18th November	Tom Elliott	Noreen Kershaw	17,600,000	1
140	4094	Wednesday 20th November	Patrea Smallacombe	Noreen Kershaw	14,280,000	7
141	4095	Friday 22nd November	John Stevenson	Noreen Kershaw	15,690,000	5
142	4096	Sunday 24th November	Sally Wainwright	Brian Mills	15,670,000	6
143	4097	Monday 25th November	Sally Wainwright	Brian Mills	17,570,000	1
144	4098	Wednesday 27th November	Martin Allen	Brian Mills	16,910,000	3
145	4099	Friday 29th November	Adele Rose	Brian Mills	15,480,000	8
146	4100	Sunday 1st December	Tom Elliott	Mervyn Cumming	14,690,000	10
147	4101	Monday 2nd December	Tom Elliott	Mervyn Cumming	17,360,000	2
148	4102	Wednesday 4th December	Patrea Smallacombe	Mervyn Cumming	13,440,000	10
149	4103	Friday 6th December	Julian Roach	Mervyn Cumming	15,420,000	6
150	4104	Sunday 8th December	Sally Wainwright	Colin Cant	13,670,000	9
151	4105	Monday 9th December	Adele Rose	Colin Cant	16,890,000	1
152	4106	Wednesday 11th December	Barry Hill	Colin Cant	16,290,000	3
153	4107	Friday 13th December	Phil Woods	Colin Cant	15,540,000	5
154	4108	Sunday 15th December	Patrea Smallacombe	Noreen Kershaw	14,110,000	10
155	4109	Monday 16th December	Tom Elliott	Noreen Kershaw	16,820,000	1
156	4110	Wednesday 18th December	Peter Whalley	Noreen Kershaw	15,960,000	2
157	4111	Friday 20th December	Julian Roach	Noreen Kershaw	15,240,000	5
158	4112	Sunday 22nd December	Tom Elliott	Brian Mills	13,110,000	9
159	4113	Monday 23rd December	Phil Woods	Brian Mills	16,250,000	7
160	4114	Wednesday 25th December	John Stevenson	Brian Mills	10,320,000	30
161	4115	Friday 27th December	Mark Wadlow	Brian Mills	16,260,000	6
162	4116	Sunday 29th December	Patrea Smallacombe	Mervyn Cumming	14,300,000	11
163	4117	Monday 30th December	Martin Allen	Mervyn Cumming	17,140,000	3

Storylines

January

• A series of misfortunes hit the Malletts as they settle into No.9, including a leaky radiator and Gary getting a shock from Percy Sugden's electric fire. With the house needing rewired at an estimated cost of £685, Judy asks the Duckworths for the sum due to Jack having handled the wiring at No.9 himself when they lived there. Vera refuses, and bars the Malletts from the Rovers Return after Gary invites Jack over to No.9 to watch satellite TV and plies him with drink. Although Jack later unbars them, the families remain at loggerheads.
• Alf Roberts destroys the video of him and Betty Williams at Buckingham Palace, after which Audrey forgives him for making her miss out on meeting the Queen.

Ken discovers the truth about Denise and Brian Dunkley

• Denise Osbourne and Ken Barlow throw a party for Daniel's first birthday, where Denise ends her secret affair with brother-in-law Brian Dunkley. Denise then proposes marriage to Ken and he accepts. However, Brian doesn't believe that she really wants Ken and leaves Denise's sister Alison in the hope that Denise will break off the engagement. When she doesn't, Brian tells Ken about their affair. Ken reacts by throwing Denise out of No.1 and vowing to fight her for Daniel. Without Ken, Denise feels she cannot give Daniel stability and so she leaves him with Ken as she leaves Weatherfield with Brian. Afterwards, Ken receives a plea from Alison to take Denise back so that Brian will return to her, but he refuses.
• Sally Webster becomes Daniel's childminder on a temporary basis while Ken adjusts to life as a single father, determined not to repeat the mistakes he made with Peter and Susan. Kevin doesn't like the arrangement, feeling that Sally is taking too much on.
• Mike Baldwin hires Bill Webster and Jim McDonald to convert a large flat into two smaller ones. While working, the builders find a cast iron fireplace and decide to sell it. Jamie Armstrong gets £5 out of them in exchange for his silence.
• Charged with receiving stolen goods, Steve McDonald learns from solicitor Nick Wilding that his supplier, Malcolm Fox, was arrested and informed on him. Steve pressures his wife Vicky to offer Fox £3,000 to change his statement, which she does, using her own money. After Fox accepts the bribe, he tells the police that Steve thought the scotch was clean, and the charges against Steve are dropped.
• The battle for No.5 continues, with Don Brennan accusing Gail Platt of plotting to use his phone calls to Denise against him in court. Gail assures him that she would never do so, and together the pair come up with an amicable solution: Don will buy the house, left to Nick Tilsley by his grandmother Ivy, from Nick for £12,000. Don pays the sum, which is put in trust until Nick is eighteen, minus the solicitor's bill of £1,200. Finally able to put Ivy to rest, Don goes away to the Canary Islands with Josie Clarke to celebrate.
• Curly Watts interviews for an assistant manager at Firman's Freezers. He wants Anne Malone, and persuades her to apply when she considers leaving the firm. Anne gets the job, while fellow applicant Liz McDonald is passed over.
• Raquel Watts decides to only work dinnertimes at the Rovers so she can spend time with Curly.
• Sally makes it up with Rita Sullivan after Mavis Wilton tells her that Rita is upset over their falling out.
• Jobless Tricia Armstrong becomes so desperate for money that she offers Mike sex for cash. Mike refuses and warns her against using her flat for the purpose. Taking pity on them, Maud Grimes gives Jamie a chocolate bar, but Tricia assumes it's stolen and hits him. Meanwhile, having ignored a letter from the courts, Tricia is sentenced by the magistrates to a week in Styal Prison for non-payment of her TV licence. Jamie is put into foster care pending her release, but runs away and asks Deirdre Rachid to put him up. When he threatens to run away again, social services allows him to remain with Deirdre. Tricia is released after serving her sentence.
• Roy Cropper gets a new job washing up in a big hotel.
• Liz returns to the Rovers as a barmaid. When her old job at Skinner's Bookies is filled, despite Liz being supposedly let go due to overstaffing, it fuels Jim McDonald's paranoia about Liz and Des Barnes. Liz admits that Des comforted her during their rocky patch the previous year, but denies sleeping with him. Though Jim initially believes her, he can't resist checking up on her when she goes to Southport to settle her mother into a new flat.
• An excited Audrey awaits the arrival of her son Stephen Reid as he makes a business trip from Canada. Alf overcomes his lingering resentment towards Stephen's father Malcolm to welcome his stepson into his home. Meeting Stephen at Liverpool Airport, Audrey finds that he hadn't planned to impose on her but he nevertheless visits Weatherfield and is introduced to half-sister Gail and family, who are charmed by him.
• Maud tells Phyllis Pearce that the man of her dreams is hers for the taking, before discovering that she read her own tea leaves, not Phyllis's. When both Maud and Phyllis propose to Percy, he thinks they're playing a joke on him and turns them down.
• Curly and Raquel matchmake Anne and Andy McDonald by inviting them over to No.7 for dinner.
• With Denise gone, Fiona Middleton assumes charge of the salon.
• Maureen Holdsworth continues to divide her time between Weatherfield and Lowestoft. When the corner shop is broken into and ransacked, Maud blames Maureen for being away all the time. Their rowing puts off a potential buyer.
• At No.5 to plan a Rovers' outing, Vera sees Ivy's ghost on the landing.

February

• Ivy's ghost becomes a hot topic in the street after the candles on Sarah Louise Platt's birthday cake blow out by themselves. Most dismiss it as nonsense, but Vera becomes convinced that her friend's soul is not at rest and looks into ways of contacting her, against the advice of a visiting Ida Clough. When Sarah tells Gail and Martin that she's seen Ivy too, Vera heads off a backlash from the Platts by asking the girl to tell only her if Ivy appears again. Maud eventually agrees to help Vera contact Ivy's spirit at No.5, though they're seen off by a disbelieving Don. To get Vera off his back, Don gets Eddie Baines to pose as a Catholic priest and perform a fake exorcism at No.5. Vera falls for the charade, but when Jack snaps a rosary from Eddie's bag in the Rovers, she turns icy cold and concludes that Ivy's ghost has moved to the pub. Though a sceptic, Jack uses the ghost story to pull punters in, telling reporter Charlie Figgiss that he's seen Ivy himself to make sure the story makes the Gazette and printing staff T-shirts saying "Come & try our Spirits". However, a disapproving Josie sets Vera straight about the fake exorcism, and Jack gets a pint thrown over him for exploiting Ivy.
• When Kevin tells Ken that Sally won't be minding Daniel any more, Ken takes on an ex-pupil of his who has trained in nursery nursing, Kelly Thomson, as a full-time childminder. Emily Bishop doesn't approve of the choice, feeling that Kelly is too young, but backs off after being caught snooping on her. When Ken catches Kelly at No.1 with a couple of her friends, Kelly fears for her job but Ken just warns her to be more discreet in future.
• Denise visits Ken and returns her house keys. Before leaving the area with Brian, she accosts Kelly at the Red Rec and holds Daniel one last time.
• Fiona sacks Maxine Heavey from the salon due to her poor timekeeping. Meanwhile, Tony Horrocks invites Fiona to move in with him to get out of Maxine's way and finishes with her when she turns him down. Both Tony and Maxine realise that Fiona needs their support and apologise, with Fiona taking them back on.
• Jon Welch returns to the salon with the bombshell that Denise has sold him the lease over Fiona's head. Confronting Denise, Fiona is offered the chance to buy the lease herself for £4,500. Refused a bank loan, Fiona turns to her successful brother Lee who agrees to lend her the money for a year. Denise's then becomes Hair by Fiona Middleton, with the former owner making one final visit before heading south.

Alma is tempted by Stephen Reid

• Stephen asks Alma Baldwin to cater at a presentation for local businesses. Alma is pushed to accept by Mike, who wants to do business with Stephen. Going out several times to showcase her menu, Alma falls for Stephen but when she makes a pass at him in his hotel room, he rejects her. To save her honour, Stephen agrees not to tell anyone what happened. However, she's seen running from the hotel by Audrey, who questions her son. Stephen tells Audrey that he tried it on with Alma, but Alma tells her friend that she was the one who made the pass. Alma also confides in Gail as she considers whether or not to tell Mike.
• Mike and Steve vie for a contract with Stephen's firm Kbec to be their sportswear manufacturer in the North West. Steve and Vicky ultimately lose out due to the smallness of their operation, and Mike gets the contract.
• Audrey has an official photograph taken of all the family, including Stephen. Stephen and his colleague Carrie Meyer fly back to Canada.
• Roy helps out at Jim's Cafe whilst Alma is busy with her Kbec contract.
• Vera decides to take on a cleaner at the Rovers. Both Tricia and Judy's mother Joyce Smedley apply, with Joyce getting the job. Afterwards, Tricia discovers that Jack never told Vera she was interested, as he was fearful of her husband Carl. She threatens to tell Carl that Jack has been pestering her.
• Jim continues to check up on Liz, going as far as to spy on her during a night out at The Hour Glass with Deirdre and Tricia. When she interviews for a job at the wine bar, Jim does some digging and finds out that they are not holding interviews, but Liz explains that the interviews were being held at the Chequers Hotel. He remains suspicious of Des, accusing Liz of lining her fancy man's pockets when she loans Andy £50 to pay Des his rent arrears. When he catches Deirdre at No.11 waiting for the electricity man after Liz said she'd be home all day, Jim confronts his wife, only for her to produce ferry tickets she's just booked for them to visit his mother as a surprise. The McDonalds later attend an army reunion in Macclesfield, where Jim's old friend Johnny Johnson drops heavy hints that he has history with Liz. On the way home, Liz admits that she had a fling with Johnny years ago. Enraged, Jim stops the car, violently ejects Liz from the vehicle and drives off without her.
• Anne tells Andy that she won't have sex with him until she's ready.

March

• Deirdre shelters a bruised Liz, who lodges a formal complaint against Jim with domestic violence officer Lyn Hargreaves. Jim, while sorry for hitting Liz, remains obsessed with her affairs and is aggrieved when Andy and Steve shun him. Initially on Liz's side, the twins are despondent when she announces that she's divorcing Jim, and try to change her mind, with Andy earning a slap from his mother after challenging her over her feelings for Des. After spending a few days at his mother's in Belfast, Jim discovers that Liz has moved back into No.11 and changed the locks. Determined to see her and put things right, he smashes the back window to get into the house and chases a terrified Liz out onto the street, where the police apprehend him. Following a statement from Liz, Jim is charged with assault and granted bail on the condition that he stays away from his wife. However, after moving in with with Bill at Crimea Street, Jim continues to hound Liz, resulting in her calling the police. His bail revoked, Jim is sent to Strangeways for three weeks until his case is heard. Andy and Steve blame Liz for Jim's fall from grace, viewing her actions as vindictive.
• Liz begins looking for a new job when Jack sacks her for arguing with Jim over the bar. She becomes upset when Sean Skinner tries to get her to take a job with strings attached, and when Andy makes insinuations about the pair.

Jack and Vera confront an intruder

• The Duckworths catch Roy ghost-hunting in their cellar during the night.
• Fiona moves into the salon flat after Lee threatens to put a tenant in. Tony is annoyed when she opts to spend her first night in the flat alone and not with him. She ends up keeping Liz company at No.11. Meanwhile, Maxine returns to her parents' rather than live by herself at Jim's Cafe flat.
• Mike sets up Baldwin's Sportswear, leasing a factory unit and taking out out a mortgage on the Baldwins' flat in order to furnish it. Meanwhile, Josie gets the job of manager and Ida Clough returns to work for Mike as a machinist after promising not to cause trouble like she did at Baldwin's Casuals.
• To raise capital, Mike decides to sell MVB Motors and gives Kevin first refusal. With Sally's encouragement, Kevin applies for a bank loan to buy the garage at £40,000. He's approved, but the Websters need to put up a 10% deposit. While they try to secure the funds, Josie pushes Don to make an offer by taking out a loan on No.5.
• Vera expands Joyce's cleaning duties to include the Rovers' upstairs. When Jack catches her with an old radio she found in a cupboard and accuses her of stealing it, Judy stands up for her and lets slip that Joyce is her mother. Vera is annoyed that the women weren't forthcoming about their relationship, but keeps Joyce on, with the pair bonding over their love for their children.
• Having a clear-out at No.7, Raquel gives a dress to Judy and is put out when she wears it in the Rovers. She also returns Percy's old cap to the pensioner to get rid of it after he gave it to Curly.
• Curly convinces himself that Raquel is pregnant when she starts showing an interest in babies. Although it turns out she has actually joined an aromatherapy course, Raquel tells Curly she'd like children and they agree to begin trying.
• In anticipation of the Square Dealers' Ladies Night, Norris Cole invites an eager Derek and Mavis along, while Fred Elliott goes on a charm offensive to persuade Rita to escort him. Rita eventually agrees, and enjoys being centre of attention in her role of Master's Lady, upstaging Mavis and Audrey. Curly acts as Master Cube, while Derek tries in vain to find someone who will nominate him to join. Afterwards, Rita decides that she likes Fred and agrees to go out with him occasionally.
• Derek negotiates a stationary deal with Mike, but after a row with Norris Mike backs out. Derek rescues the deal but Norris cuts the price, losing Derek his commission and furthering his antipathy towards his superior. At the Square Dealers' Ladies Night, Derek is intrigued to observe Norris arriving late and alone after a row with Angela Hawthorne.
• Deirdre baby-sits Daniel so that Ken can socialise, but, lonely without a partner, he returns home early and spends the evening with Deirdre.
• Fiona holds a grand opening for her new salon, at which her father Clive rows with Lee for refusing him a loan despite helping Fiona. Meanwhile, Maxine throws herself at an interested Lee.
• Jamie plays a trick on several residents, punturing their bicycle tyres and then repairing them for a fee. Josie cottons on when she finds out that Jamie mended Derek's puncture days after repairing hers.
• Maureen runs out of petrol when driving to Lowestoft to visit Reg, and has to be rescued by Curly. Tired of conducting a long-distance marriage, Maureen tells Reg she's never going to Lowestoft again. Shortly thereafter, she receives a letter from Reg and rushes to see him.
• Sally tries to match-make between former school friends Kelly and Ashley Peacock. Kelly is pleased to discover that Ashley is single.
• Jack organises a men-only pub outing to a racecourse.
• Des offers to assist the Wiltons in getting an allotment.

April

• Reg goes missing from his flat in Lowestoft after resigning from Firman's Freezers. Maureen, thinking that their marital problems have caused him to have a breakdown, blames herself for not moving south with him. However, Curly finds out from Eric Firman that Reg has left Maureen and run off with wages clerk Yvonne Bannister. Maureen learns the truth when Raquel lets slip, thinking she already knows. With encouragement from Maud and Bill, Maureen soldiers on at the shop, but keeps breaking down in tears. Maud asks some of the women to help boost her daughter's spirits, prompting Liz to entertain Maureen, along with Audrey, Deirdre and Alma, to a girls' night in at No.11.
• Des sets Derek and Mavis up with the man in charge of the allotments, Tim Hedges. However, due to the man's name and it being April Fools' Day, the Wiltons believe it to be another one of his pranks and poke fun at Tim when they meet him. When Billy Williams informs them that Tim is genuine, they're horrified and apologise to Tim. He sees the funny side and lets the Wiltons have the allotment after all.
• Rita offers to loan the Websters the money they need for the garage. Kevin turns her down and pulls out of the race, as he doesn't think the business is worth what Mike is asking for it. Meanwhile, Josie's appetite is whetted when she sees a letter to Mike's solicitor saying that the garage is worth £50,000. From an initial offer of £38k, Mike pushes Don up to £43k before agreeing to sell. He later admits to Alma that the letter Josie read was bogus and deliberately left at the factory where she would see it. Just as the new owners take possession of the garage, the compressor breaks down, forcing them to shell out £5k for a replacement. Kevin and Tony are kept on but Don forces his own ideas on them, including offering taxi drivers cut prices for pre-test services, which slows down the rest of the work. With the mechanics working flat out, Don is puzzled by how low the profits are.
• Liz is taken on as a barmaid at the Hour Glass.

A day at the races

• Jack, Bill, Alf, Fred, Gary, Billy, Martin and Roy go to the races. When their horse, "Betty's Hot Shot", comes in at 50-1, the men win £250 each. Buoyed by their victory, all of them apart from Roy put their winnings together to buy the stallion. However, in the cold light of day, Martin and Bill sell their shares to Fred, with a shamed Bill using the £250 to pay back part of his loan from the Websters. The others are faced with a £600 bill from the horse's trainer Hilary Forrest, with Fred and Alf begrudgingly covering the costs after Hilary parks the horse in the street and threatens to leave him if she doesn't get paid. When Betty's Hot Shot is pulled up in a race and doesn't finish, Vera and Judy order their husbands to get rid of the horse. The remaining shareholders go along with Fred's idea of selling the stallion for horsemeat, but when Ashley gives their plans away to Judy, she, Vera and Betty demand that the group find a humane alternative. The men are able to vote Fred down, but with no one interested in buying the horse, the shareholders are forced to carry on paying for his upkeep.
• Andy plans to spend the night with Anne at No.6 but the couple fall out when Anne takes Liz's side against Jim. They later make up and arrange a dinner date.
• Jamie sees Josie's bike being stolen from No.5's backyard and gives chase. He recovers the bike, but is accused by Don of being the one who stole it in the first place. Josie backs up Don by telling Tricia about her son's puncture scam.
• Joyce talks Vera into taking Judy on to help out in the evening behind the bar.
• Deirdre stops working at the shop, planning to get full-time temping work, but discovers that her secretarial skills are outdated.
• Alec Gilroy arrives to stay with Steve and Vicky, telling them that he'll be running the north-west side of Sunliners Travel Agency. However, when Vicky sees the shop on Rosamund Street, she discovers that it's a dump. Alec later confides in Rita that he clashed with a new, younger, manager while working on the cruises and took the transfer to get out of his way. Receiving a hostile reception from Steve, Alec quickly moves out of the McDonalds' flat and into a B&B run by ex-chorus girl Jessie Wilcox.
• Ashley plucks up the courage to kiss Kelly. When Ken asks Kelly to move into No.1 for a few days to look after Daniel while he goes on a course in Keele, Ashley joins her and they spend the night together.
• Vicky worries that the police know about the bribe when DC Cannon questions her about Malcolm Fox's statement. When she's arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, she confesses everything to Nick Wilding and begs Steve to come clean about the stolen whisky. With Steve demanding that Vicky keep her mouth shut to protect him, Nick warns her that if she does so, she faces a jail sentence. Meanwhile, Steve visits Fox in prison and learns that Fox's wife told the police everything to spite him. Out of loyalty to Steve, Vicky decides to take the blame, but Alec and Nick make her see that Steve is throwing her to the wolves and she instead tells the police the truth about the bribe being Steve's idea. Vicky moves in with Alec as she attempts to rid herself of Steve, clearing out their joint account and cancelling the lease on the flat. Steve, arrested for handling stolen goods and perverting the course of justice, claims that Vicky bribed Fox behind his back.
• Maureen moves into No.12, claiming it as her marital home, to retaliate against Reg when he puts the flat up for sale.
• Jim is released from prison and ordered to pay Liz £140 compensation. Moving in with Bill, Jim promises Liz that she has nothing to fear from him, though she remains wary.

May

• Ken returns from his course and catches Ashley at No.1 wearing his dressing gown. When Emily tells him that Ashley stayed the night, he warns Kelly to respect his privacy. Meanwhile, tired of living with her parents, Kelly suggests that she moves into No.1 and becomes a live-in nanny to Daniel. To push the issue, she brings her mother Lorraine over to meet Ken. Both he and Daniel pass inspection after a tense meeting.

Steve is sentenced to two years in prison

• Vicky and Steve plead guilty and not guilty respectively as they go before the magistrates charged with perverting the course of justice. They're bailed until the Crown Court case. Once released, Steve starts working on Vicky, invoking her sympathy in the hope that she'll go easy on him in court. Much to Alec's consternation, Vicky refuses to report Steve to the police for harassment and breaching the conditions of the court. The other McDonalds, though hopeful that Steve can avoid prison, don't doubt his guilt. After a last-minute decision not to testify, Vicky summons the strength to give evidence against Steve, with her husband maintaining that he knew nothing about the bribe. Judge Parrish sentences Fox to an additional twelve months and Vicky to twelve months suspended, while Steve is handed a two-year custodial sentence at Strangeways.
• Alec takes Deirdre on at the travel agency and tries to make the shop work.
• Kevin gets sick of Don watching over him at the garage and considers quitting.
• Andy moves out of No.6 and back into No.11 when Des insults Jim. When Anne invites Andy to meet her parents only to cancel at the last minute, Andy discovers that her parents don't approve of him as he's from a rough family. Anne assures him that she doesn't care.
• Betty's Hot Shot falls sick, costing Jack and Fred £200 in vet's bills. Jack puts a collection box on the Rovers bar to raise funds but is forced to remove it when customers complain that it's not a charity.
• Fred continues to court Rita, with them attending the funeral of shopkeeper Charlie Hunter together, much to Alf's chagrin. When Rita agrees to watch an act Alec is interested in and give her opinion, Fred worries that he has a rival and questions the pair on their relationship. Rita warns Fred that he's overstepping the mark but nevertheless agrees to go on a daytrip to York with him.
• The Duckworths book a holiday in Lloret de Mar and arrange for the Williamses to look after the Rovers in their absence. On their first day in charge, Billy shows Betty up by accepting drinks from the customers instead of tips and getting slowly drunk. The following day, an aromatherapy message from Raquel improves Betty's mood and she stuns Billy by kissing him in public. When Jack and Vera return, they go through the books and discover that the takings were up £200 while they were away. Betty suggests it's because the Duckworths are always dipping into the till.
• Des starts seeing recently-widowed Claire Palmer. He has doubts about his new relationship when Claire hides him from her late husband Jeff's parents in order to spare their feelings. He also receives a cold reception from Claire's 13-year-old daughter Becky, who misses her father.
• With Dun 2 A T finished as a business, Vicky cancels the lease on Unit 14. Mike hires Tricia to clean out the premises, which results in Tricia's benefits being stopped after DSS men Peter Bryant and Andrew Turner photograph her being paid for her work. With Tricia unable to pay her rent to Mike, Josie guilts Mike into interviewing the single mother for a job at the factory. He takes her on as a machinist and assigns Ida to train her.
• Bill takes Jamie to watch Weatherfield County FC, feeling sorry for the boy.
• Yvonne Bannister visits Maureen and asks her to give Reg a divorce. Maureen guesses that she's pregnant and agrees to a quick divorce and Reg getting No.12 if she can keep the shop. Reg accepts her terms without a fight.
• Derek starts growing prize turnips in his garden to enter into horticulture shows. Des winds his neighbour up by telling him he's doing the same.
• Jim and Liz blame themselves for Steve's predicament. Jim goes on the wagon in order to save money for Steve when he's released, while Liz passes on a request for Fiona to visit him at Strangeways.
• After avoiding prison, Vicky decides to leave Weatherfield. With some persuasion from Betty, Alec gives her his blessing and sets her up with a course in hotel management in Switzerland.
• Fred fires Ashley from the Butcher Shop after he pulls a sickie to help Kelly move into No.1. At Kelly's request, Rita asks Fred to give his nephew another chance and Ashley is reinstated.
• Ken reluctantly agrees to teach Kelly how to drive.
• Norris declares war on Angela when she bends his golf clubs following a disastrous game against Derek. Dumping himself on the Wiltons, Norris is enraged when Angela gives one of his big customers to Derek, and swears revenge.
• Joyce befriends Percy in the hope that he'll recommend her to the British Legion as a barmaid. Not realising her ulterior motive, Percy bores her silly with his war stories.
• Roy helps out at the cafe again and implements a no-smoking policy, impressing Alma. He demonstrates his people skills by hiring Jamie's baseball cap at £1 an hour so that the hungry lad can afford to eat.

June

• Fiona feels sorry for Steve and goes to see him, without telling Tony. He apologises for everything that went wrong between them. She agrees to make further visits but is wary of his intentions.
• Vicky leaves the street for Lausanne after a farewell gathering at the Rovers.
• Mavis reluctantly takes Norris in at No.4 after he sleeps outside the house in his car. Norris announces that he's left Angela, but Derek begins to suspect that he's actually murdered her after Angela is absent from work and Derek goes round to their house and detects a moribund atmosphere. When they hear that Norris has been digging on the allotment, they fear he's buried Angela's body there and go to exhume it, instead discovering Angela's golf bag and clubs which Norris buried as a symbolic gesture. Later, when Angela phones to speak to Norris, the couple are able to set aside their differences.
• Percy tells Joyce that the Legion has a new barmaid. He's hurt when she admits that she pretended to be his friend to get the job.
• Andy tells Anne's parents that they've no right to judge him based on his family's reputation. Although he wins them round, Anne is angry with Andy for speaking to them against her wishes and dumps him. They get back together when Anne makes the first move. Andy tells Anne he'd like for them to live together, but she refuses to be rushed into it when he takes her to view the cafe flat.

The prodigal son returns

• Terry Duckworth turns up at No.9 with Tommy, looking for the Duckworths. He tells Jack and Vera that he's sorted himself out and is settling in Sheffield with his son and a new job. When Jeff and Doreen Horton arrive, the Duckworths discover that Terry took Tommy away when they failed to pay the annual £2,000. Terry insists that he did so because he wants to raise his son himself. Vera believes Terry to be sincere, especially when Terry deals with a thug in the Rovers (a man later paid £20 by Terry for his performance), but Jack is unconvinced. He relents only to stop Terry from leaving with Tommy, asking his son to move into the Rovers to please Vera. Meanwhile, Terry investigates the Duckworths' finances and is annoyed to learn that all of their savings went into the Rovers. He realises they have nothing to give him and offers to return Tommy to the Hortons for a price. Jeff offers £10,000 if Terry signs a Residency Order meaning that he'll never be able to take Tommy again, to which Terry agrees. Losing her son and grandson once again, Vera throws away Terry's picture and cuts him out of her will.
• While in Weatherfield, Terry uses a willing Tricia for casual sex.
• Raquel decides to practice aromatherapy and hires out the back room of the salon for massages. However, she struggles to drum up trade and loses her access to the salon when she and Fiona argue over a poster Raquel made advertising her business. Meanwhile, Raquel rudely turns down Terry's advances at the Rovers, leading Terry to manipulate Vera into sacking her over her refusal to work evenings by positioning himself as her replacement. Carrying on with her aromatherapy at home, Raquel annoys Curly by giving massages in their living room.
• Mike receives word that Stephen is making an inspection of the factory. After rowing with Josie over the fact that he overproduces in order to sell behind Kbec's back, Mike brags about conning her and Don into paying over the odds for the garage, causing Josie to resign. When Stephen arrives, he refuses to pass the order as the work is shoddy. Mike is forced to slow down production in order to turn out better quality products, which satisfies Stephen.
• Anticipating Stephen's arrival, Alma pretends to have a dentist appointment to get out of meeting him. However, she's forced to see him when Mike pairs Stephen off with Deirdre and arranges several double dates. When Audrey hints that she's going to tell Mike about her pass, Alma does so first. Mike admits that he guessed she had feelings for Stephen but wasn't bothered about it. His dismissive reaction leads Alma to question how much he cares about her. They make up when Mike gives Alma jewellery for their anniversary.
• Don is puzzled by how much equipment needs replacing at the garage, and orders Kevin to buy second-hand to save money. When Josie spends £850 on a new welder and reveals that the valuation of the garage was a trick by Mike, Don blames her for the mess he's in. Josie leaves Don and demands he buy her out of the garage. With Josie away, Don is unable to pay Kevin and Tony's wages as he needs her signature on the cheque.
• Alec buys No.12 for £29,500, becoming Rita's neighbour.
• Fellow pensioner Lily Dempsey shops for a sickly Phyllis.
• Selling kitchenware from a catalogue for a 10% commission, Joyce palms a load of gadgets off on Judy, including two deep fat fryers. Gary demands she sends the clutter back to the catalogue.
• Weatherfield Council decides to honour Alf by naming the old folks' home, Mayfield Court, after him. The OAPs are furious when Audrey announces the plans.
• Jamie seeks Deirdre's advice on how to behave with girls. Deirdre tells him to respect them.
• Liz seeks an agreement with Jim on how to split the furniture. Jim tells her she can have it all.

July

• Mike mucks in as the factory staff sell the reject sweatshirts at the market.

The pensioners protest the renaming of Mayfield Court

• Percy and the other OAPs form an action group against the renaming of Mayfield Court. Alf's meeting with a German delegation is spoiled when the OAPs march on the Town Hall and Audrey gets an egg thrown at her by Lily Dempsey. When the local press take an interest, the council backs down and asks Alf to pick a road to give his name to instead. After making his decision, Alf holds a party for the residents where he announces that Coronation Street will become Alfred Roberts Place. None of them like the idea.
• Maureen renames the shop "Maureen's Mini Market".
• Alec moves into No.12 and takes Joyce on to clean the flat and Sunliners. They become friends when they share a meal Joyce has cooked.
• After paying his mechanics two weeks late, Don tries to interest Kevin in buying Josie's share of the garage, but Kevin refuses to invest in a failing business. Tony offers Don a deal with financial backing from his father, only to pull out when his dad looks at the books and refuses to provide the cash. The lad then quits the garage when Don shouts at him. Worried for his job, Kevin tells Don he'll invest if Don puts more money into the business. Don asks the bank for another £10,000, but the manager instead calls Don's outstanding loan of £6,000. In desperation, Don takes Nick on to replace Tony and offers his grandson half of the business for £10,000. Nick naively agrees, keen to follow in Brian's footsteps, but Gail and Martin refuse to release the funds. After seven days, the receivers take over the garage and Kevin is made redundant. Don becomes mired in self-pity, and is thrown out of the Rovers after accusing Mike of cheating him. Kevin and Tony fare better, getting jobs at Fast Fitters Exhaust Centre.
• Annoyed at Kevin's lack of ambition, Sally is taken on at Baldwin's, hiring Kelly to look after Sophie.
• Ken tells Kelly he has to lay her off as he can't afford her anymore. With Kelly minding Sophie and Daniel at the same time, her job is saved as it means Ken only has to pay half her wages.
• Fiona continues to visit Steve behind Tony's back. When she belatedly comes clean, Tony finishes with her for lying to him and Fiona, angered when Steve gloats at the turn of events, stops her prison visits. Liz begs her to reconsider when Steve is injured in a prison fight, but Fiona refuses.
• After a failed attempt to get Fiona and Tony back together, Maxine comes on to Tony and they end up in bed together. The girls' friendship is threatened when Maxine tells Fiona that she's now going out with Tony.
• Jim's mother passes away and he receives his inheritance of £4,250. Meanwhile, Liz attempts to buy Jim's share of No.11 but fails to get a mortgage. Jim decides to use his money to buy Liz out instead, but she rejects his offer as it would mean that he's won.
• Raquel wants to enrol on a ten-week aromatherapy course in Maidenhead but the Wattses can't afford both that and their holiday to Bali. Curly pretends he can't spare the time for a holiday so that Raquel can go on the course guilt-free.
• The Malletts take delivery of a conservatory when Joyce wins a competition in Judy's catalogue. Gary starts to dig the foundations in the yard but, after hearing from Emily that No.7 collapsed in 1965, he decides to sell the conservatory instead. When Des shows an interest, the Wiltons gazump him, afraid that it'll block out their sun if it's installed at No.6 (the couple being unaware that Des was working with Gary to trick them into buying it). Once the conservatory is erected - with Gary slicing through Derek's prize turnip in the process - the Wiltons throw a party to toast it in champagne.
• Alec holds a talent night at the Rovers.
• Jack takes on Samantha Failsworth as a barmaid while Vera is in Blackpool. Samantha wins Vera's approval by treating her as the boss and Jack as her subordinate.
• Des and Claire plan their first holiday together. Becky insists that she'll go too.
• Nick opts out of a family holiday in Prestatyn, and is allowed to stay behind at No.8 when Audrey offers to keep an eye on him. The lad quickly tires of his gran fussing around him and disappears, posting his keys through No.8's letterbox. Initially assuming that Nick is staying away to get at her, Audrey's anger turns to worry as he fails to get in touch. After four days, Alf summons Martin from Prestatyn. Martin tells Gail to come home when he finds Nick's keys on the floor.
• Bill pays back the last of Kevin's loan.
• Tricia reveals to Des that she's pregnant with Terry's baby and asks for his help tracking him down, certain that he'd stand by her if he knew. Des gets Terry's address in Sheffield from the Hortons, but Terry's girlfriend there, Nicola Owens, hasn't seen him in months. Tricia then turns to Vera, who refuses to believe that her baby is Terry's. Jack is more accepting, but doesn't want to get involved. Tricia considers getting an abortion if she can't find Terry.
• Anne takes Andy on as a shelf-stacker for the holidays.

August

• Gail returns and reports Nick as a missing person. The Platts discover that Nick has taken his passport with him and a sum of money was withdrawn from his bank account on the day he disappeared. The family blame each other for Nick running away, with Audrey copping flak for taking so long to act, and Don initially excluded from their search efforts. When Martin puts money in Nick's account, the family learn that his card was used near Leeds and Martin goes there to look for him, without success. Their fears grow when the police show Gail a video of a boy who isn't Nick using her son's cash card. After Gail views the body of a boy who died in Stoke-on-Trent, Nick shows up at No.8, oblivious to the hell he's put the family through. He tells his parents that he fancied a holiday and got a job in a cafe in London after a while sleeping rough.
• The Wiltons have a tough time delivering Nick's papers, with Mavis getting a stiff neck and Derek's back going.
• Alf gives his name to Docker's Wynd instead after he learns that Coronation Street may be demolished to build a new link road. He doesn't tell the residents why he changed his mind.
• Jim pulls out of his joint mortgage in order to force Liz to sell him her half of No.11. Andy convinces his mum that giving in isn't a defeat; she moves into a flat at 170 Park Street with Jim returning to No.11. Her divorce bill already at £500, Liz decides to go after Jim for costs.
• Jack offers Tricia money for a private abortion, but she decides to have the baby. Forging closer ties to the Duckworths, Tricia remains determined to find Terry, even after Jack and Vera tell her that he sold Tommy.
• Andy starts at Firman's and finds out that Anne is tyrannical in her role of assistant manager. Meanwhile, Anne puts in an offer on a house, 16 Orchard Close, with the expectation that Andy will be her lodger. Andy is annoyed that she made the offer without consulting him and says he's not moving in, but she's able to talk him round.

Des gains a family in Claire and Becky Palmer

• Des sets off on his boating holiday with the Palmers. Becky misses her dad and throws Des's camera into the water, upset that he and Claire are all over each other. Des makes headway with the girl when he tells her about Lisa Duckworth's death and how he was able to move on. Back home, Claire cools things with Des rather than tell Jeff's parents about them. Des calls on Charlie and Carol Palmer himself and tells them that he respects their son's memory. Claire joins them and, getting into a row with the Palmers, walks out with Becky and moves in with Des. Living in the street, Becky hears about Des's reputation as a womaniser.
• Josie returns to the street to find the garage in the hands of the receivers. Desperate to recover some of her investment, she offers the garage to the Websters for £25,000. Kevin and Tony go halves and buy the garage as partners. Meanwhile, Don becomes further embittered and accuses the men of running the garage down in order to steal it from him.
• Gary lets Samantha have a ride on his bike, with him on pillion, but doesn't tell Judy. Joyce gives the game away when she sees them and, assuming that Judy was the driver, tells her daughter off for riding the motorbike without a licence. Judy starts to suspect that Samantha is after Gary. To set her mind at ease, Gary says that Samantha is buying the bike, but Judy only swallows the lie after the bike has changed hands. After nearly going for Samantha at the Rovers, Judy confides in Vera that she fears Gary will stray because he wants children and she doesn't.
• Mike shows Mark Redman his factory.
• Alec invites Joyce to go away to the Lake District with him, sleeping in separate rooms. Joyce accepts, partly because she thinks Sunliners is picking up the tab. After she runs up a huge bill, Alec admits that it wasn't a freebie but refuses to let her pay, glad that she's enjoyed herself. Joyce is disappointed when he doesn't make a move on her.
• Jim asks Steve to go into business with him when he's released. Steve accepts, only to agree to do a job for Malcolm Fox.
• Derek suspects that Mavis is organising a surprise party for his sixtieth birthday. When she doesn't throw one, and only gives him blinds for the conservatory, he's furious to learn that she thought it was only his 59th birthday. Derek feels he has nothing in life to look forward to. When Square Dealer Tommy Mook dies, he and Jack both vie for his place.
• Mike goes away for a few days and leaves Sally in charge of the factory. Her promotion angers Ida who, feeling that she should have the job, gives Sally an especially hard time in Mike's absence. When Ida admits to clocking Tricia in, Sally doesn't tell Mike so that Tricia's wages aren't docked. Mike is impressed with Sally and recruits her as his second-in-command.
• Norris begins pranking Derek again, putting one of his wellies in a hanging flowerpot at Derek's front door.
• Stephen arrives unannounced at the factory. Finding that the quality of work has improved, he places an additional order. Meanwhile, Gail refuses his invitation for the Platts to come back to Canada with him on holiday, as it would be rewarding Nick for his recent behaviour.

September

• Jamie considers running away to London after hearing about Nick's adventures in the capital. A row between Tricia and Gail over their sons prompts Nick to confess that he only spent two hours in London before heading to Torquay, and that he returned because he was bored. The Platts decide to accept Stephen's offer of a holiday after all, hoping that Canada will give Nick the excitement he craves.
• Stephen takes Deirdre out on her first date since Samir's death. A jealous Alma angers Stephen by questioning him about their relationship.

A promotion for Sally, while Tricia's bad luck continues

• Sally cracks down on Tricia's poor timekeeping at the factory by refusing to let her work overtime. Tricia attacks Sally for letting herself be Mike's lackey, but is contrite when Kevin informs her that Sally stopped Mike from sacking her.
• Alec realises that Joyce has designs on him and explains that ever since Bet broke his heart he's chosen not to get involved with anyone. They agree to be friends.
• Alec is offered Tommy Mook's place at the Square Dealers but turns down the honour. He teases Jack by revealing some of the pledges he's picked up. When Jack repeats them to Norris, the Inner Rectangle looks for the source of the leak. Curly is accused of revealing the sacred oath after Norris and Fred spy on him talking in secret with Jack, and ordered to perform the forty-nine tasks.
• Andy moves in with Anne at 16 Orchard Close.
• Bill angers Jim by refusing to employ Steve when he leaves prison. With Liz demanding half of his earnings, Jim declares that his partnership with Bill is over and he is no longer going to work. He starts spending his days boozing and arguing with the neighbours. After Andy manages to get through to him, Jim makes reparations with Bill, who takes him back on as long as he stays sober.
• Judy drops her opposition to children and the Malletts start trying for a baby.
• Des makes No.6 more family friendly, giving his dope plant to Mavis and telling her it's a rare pot plant. He lets Becky spend time with Beauty at No.4, hoping she'll annoy the Wiltons, however it backfires when Mavis gives Becky a budgie of her own. Meanwhile, Claire decides not to display a framed photograph of Jeff that Carol gave her.
• The Square Dealers choose Alf as the man to head Weatherfield's Millennium.
• Alec plots a return to showbusiness when he's hired to provide five acts to perform at Shirelle's. With nobody left on his books, he holds auditions at Sunliners but struggles to find enough talent. In desperation, he lets Maxine sing despite previously telling her that she wasn't good enough. Maxine does well, but Fiona steals the show when Shirelle drags her up on stage to sing. Alec begins grooming Fiona for success, bringing in Rita to coach her. A reluctant star, Fiona eventually signs a contract with Alec.
• The Wiltons receive a request by the Weatherfield Historical Society to feature No.4 as part of a guided tour. They approve, without asking why their house is so famous. The truth emerges when Mavis joins a tour group and hears the guide, James Pilling, talking about Ernest Bishop's murder at Baldwin's Casuals on the site of No.4 in 1978. Overhearing the talk, Emily is upset and accuses Mavis of cheapening Ernie's death. Derek has the house removed from the tour but Emily is unmoved by Mavis's offer of chocolates as a peace offering.
• Mavis fills the conservatory with furniture, annoying Derek who plans to grow chrysanthemums.
• When Bill does some work at 7 Nightingale Street, Maud decides that he'd be the perfect man for Maureen. Meanwhile, Maureen has a disastrous blind date after responding to a "lonely hearts" advert. Bill offers to follow her to her next date and interrupt if it goes wrong, but Maureen and Simon the dentist hit it off. When Simon stands her up, Bill comforts Maureen with a kiss. She is surprised and pulls back. Maureen admits that she's scared to get involved again after Reg.
• Jamie overhears Tricia telling the Duckworths that her husband Carl in incarcerated miles away, when in fact he is at Strangeways. He writes to his dad, giving him their number and address. To keep out of his reach, Tricia asks Jack and Vera if she can move into the Rovers, but at their suggestion she visits him at Strangeways instead and makes it clear that she'll never take him back. Carl calls Tricia slut for getting pregnant and thumps her. When he sees her busted lip, Jamie assumes that one of Tricia's boyfriends did it.
• Ken is put upon to direct the school drama production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Headmistress Sue Jeffers confides in him that her husband has left her.
• Raquel returns from Maidenhead.
• The Platts return from Canada without Nick, who has used his inheritance from Ivy to enrol in a private school there. Audrey and Don accuse Gail and Martin of driving Nick away.

October

• Curly begins the forty-nine tasks, which are being made up on the fly by Norris and Fred. Angry that he is going along with the charade, Raquel speaks to Jack and establishes that Alec was the one who revealed the sacred oath to him, not Curly. Under pressure from Raquel, Curly agrees to resign from the Square Dealers, but he changes his mind when Alec clears his name and he's promised elevation to the Inner Rectangle.

Maureen and Bill have a rocky start to their relationship

• Bill blows his chances with Maureen by discussing her private affairs with Jim. With encouragement from Maud, Maureen forgives Bill and they have a date at Maureen's house, which ends with them heading for the bedroom. However, Maud unintentionally scuppers the proceedings by returning early from the bingo.
• Jamie refuses to believe that Carl hit Tricia and longs for his dad to return. When he runs out of school to try and get to Strangeways, Tricia decides to take him to see Carl and dispel his illusions about him. However, she receives a letter from Carl denying that he's Jamie's father, which Jamie later finds. Tricia burns the letter and decides to divorce Carl, further alienating Jamie. Jack puts a stop to the lad's truancy by threatening to withdraw the promise of his own pigeon.
• Mrs Jeffers continues to lean on Ken for emotional support. Although obliging, Ken is worried that she is attracted to him and is on his guard as he attends a teachers' conference in Southport with her. Their stay at the hotel overlaps with Derek and Norris's, with the salesmen forced to share a double room when they're in Southport for a trade fair. When Sue brings wine to Ken's room and falls asleep, Ken leaves her and sleeps in her room. However, in the morning he finds Sue unconscious, having slipped and banged her head in his bathroom. She's seen being carried out on a stretcher by Norris, leading to all and sundry back in Weatherfield gossiping about what Ken got up to. Sue returns to school after getting stitches in hospital.
• Des finds out from Billy that Claire will lose Jeff's RAF pension if she lives with him. He discovers that the pension is worth £16,000 a year and, uncomfortable with her sacrificing so much for him, suggests that she moves out but remains his girlfriend. After nearly splitting up over the issue, they agree that Claire and Becky will rent the bookies flat for appearances' sake and will sleep there but live at No.6 during the day.
• Raquel starts applying for jobs, disappointing Curly by announcing that she wants to postpone having children and focus on her career for a while. She's taken on at the Imperial Hotel as a beautician, and makes new friends which helps boost her confidence. Curly feels left out of her new life and worries that they're growing apart.
• Alf celebrates his 70th birthday. The neighbours do him proud with a party at the Rovers, but – showing up in his old suit from his Teddy boy days – Alf is surprised when his present from Audrey isn't tickets to see Grease, but a three-day stay at a health farm for two costing £800. Horrified by the expense, Alf orders Audrey to cancel it, but she goes ahead with it taking Alma in his place. Alf's woes continue when sees Dr Stirling before applying for an extension on his driving licence, which expired on his birthday. In the car park, he reverses into Stirling's car.
• Vera finds out that Jack is covering Don's share of Betty's Hot Shot's upkeep and suggests to Don that he takes in a lodger. He agrees, and Ashley takes the room after being pushed out of his mother's home by her new boyfriend, Trevor. Even though Ashley is only two doors down, Kelly doesn't like the arrangement as Don gives her the creeps. Don starts including Ashley in poker games and advising him on his love life, telling him to be more masterful with Kelly. Kelly doesn't like the new Ashley, and shuts the door in his face when he tries to be forceful with her.
• Mavis books a holiday in Ertoril, Portugal.
• Andy and Anne entertain the Malones and Jim at their house. To Andy's relief, Jim behaves himself.
• Jim and Liz try to resolve their differences through a mediator, Mrs Bardsley. The couple end up rowing over Jim's mother's money and Liz storms out. Bill makes Jim see that he's prolonging the agony in order to hold onto Liz, and he offers her a cheque for £500 to settle up. However, Liz considers the amount an insult. She later accepts his increased offer of £1,000.
• Sean tries to chat up Samantha but she isn't interested.

November

• Claire moves her and Becky back into No.6 after a week when the flat arrangement harms her relationship with Des.
• Ken acts as master of ceremonies at the school fete. He's accused of tittle-tattling when Sue discovers that Fred knows about her being carried out of his hotel room. Ken upbraids Derek for spreading rumours.
• Samantha finally agrees to a date with Sean, but cancels after Liz warns her that he sexually harassed her. Liz feels guilty for ruining Sean's romantic prospects and has a drink with him. They begin seeing each other.
• Jim gives Liz the £1,000, but stops the cheque when his and Bill's van breaks down so that he can buy a new vehicle. Liz accepts the money in instalments.
• Bill is disappointed when Maureen spends his birthday looking after a sickly Maud, but they finally spend the night together afterwards.

It's the end of the road for Raquel and Curly

• After losing her job at the Imperial Hotel due to overstaffing, Raquel applies at Berkeley International with her friend Lorraine Mason. Lorraine doesn't get the job, but Raquel gets through to the second interview. To increase her chances, Raquel removes her wedding ring and tells the interviewers that she has no commitments. She's offered a job in Kuala Lumpur and accepts it, even though it means leaving Curly. Curly is devastated and, as he leaves for a sales conference, he tells Raquel to be gone by the time he returns. Judy promises to keep an eye on Curly for Raquel as she leaves the street. Curly starts wallowing in self-pity, bitter that Raquel never grew to love him as he loved her. He embarrasses Anne by getting drunk at her house and staying the night.
• Fiona continues with her singing career but walks off stage at Shirelle's when the audience talks over her song. At Rita's suggestion, she sings to one member of the audience at her next engagement. Afterwards, her eye contact, Alan McKenna, begins pursuing her. Meanwhile, Alec gets Fiona a booking at Victoria's to impress a London agent, but when the agent doesn't appear she leaves to sing at the Hour Glass, breaking her contract. Alec extracts an apology from Fiona before lining up her next gig in Scunthorpe, but is again left in the lurch when she stays the night in a posh hotel with Alan instead, telling her agent that she has the flu.
• Tracy Barlow visits Ken and Deirdre and announces that she's engaged to her boyfriend Robert Preston. Initially planning a London wedding, Tracy books the Weatherfield Register Office so that Ken can walk her down the aisle. Ken and Deirdre meet Robert as well as his parents Shirley and Maurice, who aren't keen on Tracy. As the day arrives, Robert is unaccounted for, having been locked in a shipping container in a stag night prank gone wrong. The families are reeling from the news that he may have been sent to Saudi Arabia when he turns up at No.1, having let himself out of the container during the night. His best man Paul Davies is also missing with the rings, so Deirdre gives Samir's wedding ring to Tracy for the ceremony. Among the witnesses are Blanche Hunt, making her first visit to the street since 1981 for the occasion.
• Samantha teases Gary about the fact that Judy still isn't pregnant. Judy warns Samantha not to discuss their sex lives with Gary, while privately worrying that she may be unable to conceive.
• Jack offers to set Alec up with Harvey Nuttall in the hope of earning commission from any bookings Nuttall makes with him. However, Alec goes direct to Harvey and sets up the acts himself.
• Fred takes Rita to an owners' open day at the stables to see Betty's Hot Shot. In his element, he's humiliated when Jack, Gary, Don and Jamie show up uninvited. Jack decides to pose for a photo on the horse, but is knocked off when Jamie startles the stallion causing it to bolt. He has a broken arm, a fractured femur and a slipped disc, and is in hospital for weeks. Jamie looks after Jack's pigeons while he's bed-bound.
• Liz visits Steve at Strangeways and tells him about her cash flow problems. Fellow inmate Fraser Henderson sees her there and, without ever meeting her, sends her a package containing £1,000. Developing an unhealthy obsession with Liz, Fraser sends further gifts via Gerry Turner, his man on the outside. Liz becomes increasingly scared of her mystery benefactor.
• Closer since Tracy's wedding, Ken and Deirdre sleep together. They're interrupted by a call from Kelly warning that Denise and Brian have turned up at No.1 to take Daniel away. Denise waits for Ken to arrive before handing him a solicitor's letter saying that she has absolute rights to their son. Ken is forced to let them leave, but he immediately applies for custody of Daniel citing Denise's flighty behaviour. Preparing his case, he lays Kelly off and distances himself from Deirdre. Kelly moves back in with her parents.
• Fred surprises Rita with a marriage proposal. While she thinks about it, the Wiltons try to nudge her towards Fred due to him being Master Dealer.
• Alf's medical woes continue as he sprains his ankle during the school sponsored walk. He fears losing his driving licence when Dr Stirling tells the DVLA that he isn't fit to drive, and when the prospect of Rita marrying Fred causes him to drive the wrong way into a one-way street and smash into a police car, but the renewal goes through.
• A cash-strapped Joyce borrows £45 from Judy for a new jacket.
• Gary wires the outside of No.9 with Christmas lights as a surprise for Judy, even though they're meant to be saving.

December

• Alan tells Alec that he's a detective in order to put him off suing Fiona. Alec takes the bait, but cuts professional ties with Fiona.
• Angie Freeman, now a designer with Kbec, visits the street to go over the summer designs with Mike. She's saddened to find Curly embittered over Raquel.
• Fred tells Derek that Tommy Mook's slot in the Square Dealers has gone to his son Timmy. Derek rows with him over dinner with Rita and Mavis, accusing him of using him to get to Rita. The argument causes so much ill-feeling that Fred tells Rita he's proposed to two other women at the same time in order to release her from having to marry him.
• Alec works evenings at the Rovers to help her out while Jack is in hospital. He hosts a successful Irish night at the pub, but vows never to set foot inside again when Vera accuses him of taking money from the till. Jack returns home on crutches and finds out what's been going on when a customer thinks Alec is the landlord. He becomes suspicious that Alec is scheming to take the Rovers and Vera from him. Vera enjoys his jealousy and horrifies Jack by trying to seduce him.
• Steve informs Liz that the gifts came from Fraser and begs her to accept them. Liz becomes even more frightened when Gerry lets himself into her flat and leaves jewellery on the table. She's appalled when Gerry warns Sean off Liz and Sean obliges, afraid of upsetting Fraser. Sean is later mugged and beaten up outside the bookies, and knows that it was done on Fraser's orders as the mugger didn't take the £2,000 cash he had on him. When Liz tells Andy what she's been going through, he tells Jim, who makes clear that he won't be springing to her aid. Liz visits Fraser to tell him to stop hounding her. She's surprised to find him charming, and starts to think that she's misunderstood him. Fraser offers to have Malcolm Fox seen to to stop him from getting Steve into trouble.
• Kelly drops Sophie and agrees to work for Denise in Scotland in order to give Daniel continuity of care. She and Ashley bid a sad farewell.
• Sally refuses to quit her job to care for Sophie, and takes her into work instead, angering Mike. Meanwhile, Mike guesses that Tricia is pregnant but when she tries to discuss maternity leave with him, he tells her she's sacked. Thinking Mike is getting rid of Tricia to avoid paying maternity, Sally resigns in protest. However, when it becomes clear that the girls need a supervisor, Mike convinces Sally to return rather than promote Ida.
• Judy suspects Joyce of dipping into her catalogue payments when Vera and Betty receive letters chasing up money that they've already paid. Joyce produces the jacket she borrowed money off Judy to buy to show that she's trustworthy, but when it emerges that she only bought it after winning £100 on a scratchcard, mother and daughter have a falling out. Joyce is forced to accept her daughter's help when she's thrown out of her lodgings owning £450 back-rent. Gary and Judy take her in, but when Gary rumbles her story that the landlord was sexually harassing her, she finally admits that she can't handle money. Meanwhile, money has gone missing from the Rovers and Sunliners, leading a suspicious Alec to mark £5 notes in his coat pocket to expose Joyce's thieving. Initially sympathetic, he sacks her when she threatens to blackmail him for getting Sunliners to pay her to clean his flat. Gary and Judy pay off her rent arrears before flying to Marbella for Christmas.
• Des buys a new canal cruiser.
• Fiona has a 21st birthday party at the Hour Glass. She's thrilled when Lee writes off his loan to her as a birthday present.
• Tony finishes with Maxine.
• Ken turns down Sue's offer of early retirement to focus on Daniel. Building his case for custody, he reconciles with Deirdre to show that he can provide Daniel with stability. He and Denise meet to see if they can arrange custody without going to court. Ken argues that Denise abandoned Daniel and is outraged when she claims that it was always agreed she would return for Daniel once she'd got herself sorted. A full court hearing is arranged.
• The Wiltons take Des's plant to the allotment holders to identify and are horrified when they're told that it's cannabis. They accidentally spoil Becky's fourteenth birthday party when they burst into No.6 and tell the Palmers about Des keeping drugs.
• Claire realises she's been shopped to the RAF when she receives a letter asking to discuss her pension. Des accuses Derek of doing so as retaliation over the cannabis prank, but Charlie Palmer's guilt is exposed when he suggests that Des used the pension to buy his boat. Claire's pension is stopped and she's told to return the balance, but she's relieved that it's all over and cancels the lease on the flat. She gets a job at the shop to supplement her income.
• Alec tries to sign Roy to showcase his incredible photographic memory. Roy resists, feeling he'd be seen as a freak, but Alec continues to badger him. Finally, Roy invites Alec to his flat and scares him off by telling him he's in contact with the spirit world and talks to his dead auntie.

Don reaches his darkest hour

• Don is aggrieved when the Platts choose Roy over him as their Christmas guest. After getting drunk on whisky, he starts his shift and is breathalysed when the police see him arguing with Mike. Knowing that he'll lose his licence and job, he falls further into depression. He breaks into the garage, gets into Martin's car and turns on the engine. The residents are alerted to his suicide attempt when he becomes overcome with smoke and his head falls against the horn, allowing Martin and Kevin to rescue him. Afterwards, he's angry at them for intervening and maintains that he has nothing to live for. He refuses to let the Platts pamper him and returns to No.5, where Jack and Ashley try to bring him out of himself.
• Seeing what Angie has done with her life, Curly makes the decision to sell up and leave Weatherfield. He keeps hold of No.7, letting the house to Samantha, and sells his car to Martin. On Christmas Day, he and Maureen comfort each other over their broken marriages - Maureen having just learned that Reg's daughter has been born - and end up in bed together. Both regret their night of passion afterwards, with Curly encouraging Maureen to make amends with Bill. Meanwhile, Anne becomes temporary manager of Firman's and, getting drunk at Curly's farewell party, reveals her true feelings for him. They kiss, but Curly rejects Anne. Finally, he has a surprise party at the Rovers, after which Maxine makes a play for him. He takes her to No.7 and they sleep together. The next day, Curly changes his mind about leaving.
• Maud arranges to spend Christmas at No.3 with Percy, allowing Bill and Maureen to book a holiday in Gran Canaria over the festive season. However, when Elaine Webster brings Bill's son Carl to Bristol, Bill drops Maureen to spend Christmas with him, selling the Spanish holiday to Gary. After he returns, Maureen confesses that she slept with Curly.

Who lives where

Coronation Street

• Rovers Return Inn - Jack and Vera Duckworth.
• 1 Coronation Street - Ken Barlow. Denise Osbourne (January only). Daniel Osbourne (until November). Kelly Thomson (May to November).
• 2a Coronation Street - Fiona Middleton (from March).
• 3 Coronation Street - Emily Bishop. Percy Sugden.
• 4 Coronation Street - Derek and Mavis Wilton.
• 5 Coronation Street - Don Brennan. Josie Clarke (until June). Ashley Peacock (from October).
• 6 Coronation Street - Des Barnes. Andy McDonald (until May). Claire and Becky Palmer (both from August).
• 7 Coronation Street - Curly Watts. Raquel Watts (until November). Samantha Failsworth (from December).
• 8 Coronation Street - Martin, Gail, Sarah Louise and David Platt. Nick Tilsley (until September).
• 9 Coronation Street - Gary and Judy Mallett.
• 10a Coronation Street - Rita Sullivan.
• 11 Coronation Street - Jim McDonald (January to April and from August onwards). Liz McDonald (until August). Andy McDonald (May to September).
• 12 Coronation Street - Maureen Holdsworth (April only). Alec Gilroy (from July).
• 13 Coronation Street - Kevin, Sally, Rosie and Sophie Webster.
• 15a Coronation Street - (Empty).

Rosamund Street

• Jim's Cafe flat - Fiona Middleton. Maxine Heavey (both until March).

Victoria Street

• 17 Victoria Street - Claire and Becky Palmer (first week of November only).

Others

• 5 Crimea Street - Deirdre Rachid. Tricia and Jamie Armstrong. Roy Cropper. Bill Webster. Jim McDonald. (April to August).
• 2 Douglas Road - Maxine Heavey (from March).
• Gable Street - Joyce Smedley.
• 5 Grasmere Drive - Alf and Audrey Roberts.
• 37 Hillside Crescent - Billy and Betty Williams.
• Mayfield Court - Phyllis Pearce.
• No. 4 Montreal House, Weatherfield Quays - Mike and Alma Baldwin.
• No. 6 Montreal House, Weatherfield Quays - Steve and Vicky McDonald (both until May).
• 7 Nightingale Street - Maud Grimes. Maureen Holdsworth (except April).
• 16 Orchard Close - Andy McDonald. Anne Malone (both from September onwards).
• B&B, 15 Park Road - Alec Gilroy. Vicky McDonald (both from April to June).
• 170 Park Street - Liz McDonald (from August).
• 23 Seymour Drive, Oakhill - Fred Elliott.

Awards and nominations

CITV Awards

• Best Other ITV Show: Coronation Street (Nominee)

National Television Awards
Ceremony held on 9th October 1996

• Most Popular Serial Drama: Coronation Street (Nominee)
• Most Popular Newcomer: Tracy Shaw (Nominee)
• Most Popular Actress: Sarah Lancashire (Nominee)

Royal Television Society (North West) Awards

• Best Network Programme: Coronation Street (Nominee)
• Best Actress in a Network Programme made in the region: Sarah Lancashire (Nominee)
• Best Actor in a Network Programme made in the region: William Tarmey (Nominee)