Episode 1202 (24th July 1972)

Plot[]

Going to Rita's flat to fix a washer on a tap, Len is somewhat off with her for taking the job with Benny and for spending the evening at his flat. Amused, she easily parries his objections. Benny shows off his flat to Billy who is unimpressed with its decor and doesn't understand its reference to Come Blow Your Horn. Jacko tells Ernie that he is worried that Cyril has told Betty about his jail record thus putting his job at risk. Annie pushes Billy to sort out his and Bet's accidental joint holiday arrangements. Ernie tells Minnie that Ena was right to interfere in her gambling but Maggie is on Minnie's side. Betty warns Maggie that she is sheltering a jailbird and is shocked to find that her sister already knew. Rita has lunch with Benny and tells him that he's not her type of man, though she likes him and wants to be friends. She isn't bothered what Len thinks of the two of them being together. Bet is livid with Annie for interfering in her holiday plans and tells her she's not changing her arrangements - Billy can instead. Ena avoids drinking with Minnie in the snug. Albert overhears Alan and Elsie saying they've been invited to see Benny's flat and invites himself along. Jacko confides his worries to Maggie. Benny is surprised to see Albert arrive with the Howards but is delighted when the old man says the flat reminds him of Come Blow Your Horn. Len asks Rita how long she is going to keep seeing Benny. She asks him for a commitment from him to her which he is unwilling to give. As the Rovers is closed for the night, Jacko confesses to Annie that he’s done time. Shocked, she tells him to leave the premises and not return.

Cast[]

Regular cast[]

Guest cast[]

Places[]

Coronation Street
Rovers Return Inn - Public/snug and back room
Corner Shop
Rita Littlewood's flat - Living room/kitchen
Benny Lewis's flat - Living room

Notes[]

No episode with a production code of P694/202 exists in the ITV archive. Instead, copies marked in the catalogues with the latter number on 1" tape, digi and as a 16mm black and white telerecording all contain a contemporary studio countdown clock with the production code of P694/203A (pictured right). It would appear that soon after transmission of Episode 1202 in 1972, the only copy of it was either lost, destroyed or erased. Realising that the gap would preclude a sale abroad of other episodes of the programme, Granada seems to have re-shot some eight minutes of material to cover the narrative gap and inserted them at the start of an abridged version of Episode 1203 (26th July 1972), creating a single episode of standard length. With the exception of the end scene where Annie Walker sacks Jacko Ford, none of this material closely follows what had been recorded for Episode 1202. The re-shot material only features the following actors: Doris Speed, Betty Driver, Stephen Hancock, Robert Keegan, Peter Adamson, Barbara Mullaney, Irene Sutcliffe and Jeremy Young and only three sets: The Rovers, Rita Littlewood’s flat and Benny Lewis’s flat. This revised version has never been transmitted in the United Kingdom and, presumably, the complete version of Episode 1203 has never been sold abroad.
The episode image above is taken from the re-shot material within P694/203A.
No script is currently known to exist for P694/202 but a ten-page storyline does. This document is a very detailed scene by scene breakdown and also features the cast list, the sets used, the details of an OB shot on the Grape Street set and a recording date (7th July 1972). The plot, cast and places detailed on this page have been taken from this document.
This is the only standard episode of Coronation Street missing from the archive though the dry runs, the two pilot programmes for the spin-off Pardon the Expression, all six episodes of Turn out the Lights and the inserts for the 1969 and 1970 All Star Comedy Carnival are also lost.
As the scenes on the Grape Street set in Episode 1203 were OB recorded, the one scene storylined to be set on the street in this episode must have been recorded the same way.
TV Times synopsis: Pressure builds up on Jacko - and Len.
Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast - 5,550,000 homes (6th place).

July 1972 episodes
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