Plot[]
Part One: Michelle shows signs of thawing towards Robert as she brings him a cup of coffee in the bistro van on Christmas morning. Jenny collects Rita from the hospital. Gary finds the furniture shop door ajar and the gun and ammo missing. He suspects the thief had a key as there's no sign of forced entry but his and Fiz's keys are accounted for. The Barlows have Christmas dinner at the bistro. Michelle implores Vicky to call a truce with Robert. Vicky thinks she's pathetic. Shona prepares a treasure hunt at the Winter Wonderland for David's birthday. Gary hunts down the thief on his own, refusing to get the police involved. He thinks he's found the culprit when Maria tells him that Ali was hinting that there's more to the furniture shop than meets the eye. Fiz is concerned that Hope took her key when she went missing yesterday and opened the shop door. Hope throws a tantrum when Fiz asks her if she did. Bethany says hello to Daniel in the street and gets short shrift. Michelle tells Robert that Vicky has agreed to hear him out provided Michelle is with him. Robert discovers Vicky is moving to Ireland tomorrow with Tyler and the baby. Gary demands Ali hand the gun back. Ali doesn't know what he's talking about. From his car, Derek aims the gun at Gary but is thwarted when he enters the Rovers.
Part Two: At the Winter Wonderland, Shona hides inside one of the Christmas boxes carrying David's present, with David having to find her. Robert excitedly tells the Connors that he's moving to Ireland as well to be near his son. He goes out to the van to pick up the baby's present. The Connors throw a private party at the pub in Rita's honour. Tracy is furious when Steve presents Emma with a £500 phone for Christmas. Gary collars Ali in the gents as a half-cut Derek enters the pub, demanding whisky. When he doesn't get served, he takes out the gun and calls for Gary. Gary finds out what's going on when Steve hides Emma in the gents. Derek goes on about his marital problems as he waits for Gary to show his face. Gary ventures into the bar and tells Derek that the gun is an antique and doesn't work. Derek shoots at the front door, showing that the weapon works perfectly. Outside, Robert stumbles to the ground, having been shot through the chest.
Part Three: Ali leaps at Derek and is hit in the face with the gun. Gary goads Derek, calling him a loser, and flees through the back with Derek giving chase. Gary escapes through the ginnel and Derek finds Robert dying on the pavement just as Aggie and James exit No.3. Derek forces Aggie at gunpoint to help Robert but loses interest when he spots Gary heading for the Winter Wonderland, where the Platts are busy with the treasure hunt. They're trapped there when Derek pursues Gary. At No.1, Michelle believes Robert has stood her up. Carla is disapproving when she tells her that she helped Vicky fake her death. They hear what's happened to Robert from James. David, Sarah, Adam and Harry hide from Derek. David rings Shona to warn her there's a gunman on the loose but she thinks it's a trick to get her to reveal her location. Bethany and Michael walk in, oblivious to the danger, and take refuge as well. Shona lifts the lid of the box and sees that she's in real danger. Harry wanders out in front of Derek, prompting Gary to leave his hiding place and usher the boy back to safety. Derek takes a shot at Gary, grazing him on the arm. An armed response team arrives outside, along with the police and ambulance. As they hide, Adam tells Sarah they should get married. She whispers yes. Derek fires at Gary again but misses. The partygoers are not allowed to leave the Rovers. Gary calls Fiz to ask how many bullets the gun takes. Fiz thinks it's four but isn't sure. Derek climbs the helter-skelter to get a clear view of the area, yelling down that the next thing that moves gets shot.
Part Four: As the armed response team move in, he leaves a message for his ex-wife telling her that he's going away for a bit and has left presents for the kids. Gary sneaks up on him and attempts to wrest control of the gun. In the struggle, the gun goes off, hitting the box Shona is hiding in. It then discharges again, hitting Derek, who hangs off the top of the tower. Gary attempts to rescue him but he falls to his death. Shona has been shot. Daniel momentarily fears that Bethany was hit. Michelle sits with a conscious Robert in hospital. At his request, she rings Vicky to explain why he missed their rendezvous. Vicky's number has been disconnected but Michelle pretends she's speaking to her for Robert's benefit. Robert tells Michelle he never deserved her as he goes into shock. She is removed from the room as the doctors try to save him. As the residents reel from the day's events, Sarah tells Gary he's the bravest man she ever met for saving Harry. Shona needs surgery but has avoided major injury. Max blames himself for what happened as he wished Shona dead. Gary sees first-hand the misery he has brought to his neighbours. The residents decamp to the bistro as the Rovers is cordoned off. Seb tells Emma he's no longer in love with Alina. Ed leads the residents in a sing-song at the bistro. Claudia suggests Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. They raise their glasses to Shona and Robert as Michelle is told that Robert has died.
Cast[]
Regular cast[]
- Johnny Connor - Richard Hawley
- Michelle Connor - Kym Marsh
- Ali Neeson - James Burrows
- Robert Preston - Tristan Gemmill
- Maria Connor - Samia Longchambon
- Gary Windass - Mikey North
- Jenny Connor - Sally Ann Matthews
- Rita Tanner - Barbara Knox
- Evelyn Plummer - Maureen Lipman (9961 only)
- Fiz Stape - Jennie McAlpine
- Tyrone Dobbs - Alan Halsall
- Hope Stape - Isabella Flanagan (9961 only)
- Ruby Dobbs - Macy Alabi (9961 only)
- Adam Barlow - Samuel Robertson
- Ken Barlow - William Roache
- Carla Connor - Alison King
- Claudia Colby - Rula Lenska
- Peter Barlow - Chris Gascoyne (9962 only)
- Ed Bailey - Trevor Michael Georges
- Aggie Bailey - Lorna Laidlaw
- James Bailey - Nathan Graham
- Michael Bailey - Ryan Russell
- Shona Platt - Julia Goulding
- Sarah Platt - Tina O'Brien
- Bethany Platt - Lucy Fallon
- Daniel Osbourne - Rob Mallard
- Liz McDonald - Beverley Callard
- David Platt - Jack P. Shepherd
- Emma Brooker - Alexandra Mardell
- Tracy McDonald - Kate Ford
- Steve McDonald - Simon Gregson
- Amy Barlow - Elle Mulvaney (9961 only)
- Izzy Armstrong - Cherylee Houston
- Seb Franklin - Harry Visinoni
- Gail Rodwell - Helen Worth (9962 only)
- Max Turner - Harry McDermott (9962 only)
- Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls (9962 only)
- Lily Platt - Brooke Malonie (9962 only)
- Bertie Osbourne - Ellis Blain (9961 only, uncredited)
- Harry Platt - Freddie & Isaac Rhodes (Uncredited)
Guest cast[]
- Jade Rowan - Lottie Henshall (9961 only)
- Vicky Jefferies - Kerri Quinn (9961 only)
- Derek Milligan - Craige Els
- Julia Milligan - Maxine Dubois (9962 only, voice only, uncredited)
Places[]
Location | 9961 | 9962 |
---|---|---|
Coronation Street | Main street view | Main street view and ginnel |
Rovers Return Inn | Public and gents' toilets | Public, hallway and yard |
1 Coronation Street | N/A | Back room, kitchen and hallway |
2a Coronation Street | Living room/kitchen and hallway | N/A |
3 Coronation Street | Downstairs rooms | N/A |
8 Coronation Street | N/A | Downstairs rooms |
9 Coronation Street | Back room/kitchen and hallway | N/A |
Viaduct Street | Main street view | |
Viaduct Bistro | Restaurant | |
Furniture Shop | Shop | N/A |
Rosamund Street | Main street view | |
Brewery Lane | Main street view | |
Weatherfield General | N/A | Robert's room, Shona's room and corridor |
Heffernan Lodge Hotel | Room 11 | N/A |
Notes[]
- This hour-long Christmas Day episode was broadcast at 8.00pm and has two production codes, P694/9961 and P694/9962.
- Death of Robert Preston and final appearance of Tristan Gemmill in the role. This was the first occasion that the death of a regular character had taken place in an episode broadcast on Christmas Day.
- The fight between Gary Windass and Derek Milligan at the Weatherfield Winter Wonderland and the latter's fall from the helter-skelter in 9962 featured work by stunt doubles Samuel Stefan, Matthew Paine, Stephanie Carey, Crispin Layfield and Robert Jarman, all co-ordinated by Dani Biernat.
- The closing scenes of the episode at Weatherfield General in which Michelle Connor and Carla Connor are informed that Robert has passed away are set to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Michael Bublé, which continues over the end credits. Shots of Coronation Street at Christmas replace the usual black background during the credit sequence.
- TV Times synopsis: Gary is stunned to find the furniture shop door open, and the gun missing; a worse-for-wear Derek lurches into The Rovers looking for Gary, pulls out a gun and fires a shot; and Shona's plan for David's treasure hunt is soon forgotten when she and the residents of Weatherfield find themselves in the middle of a shootout.
- Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast: 6,879,951 viewers (8th place).
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