John Finch

1962 writers — John Finch on the right in 1962 with, from left, Harry Driver, Jack Rosenthal and H.V. Kershaw.

John Finch (born 12th February 1925 in Liverpool, died 13th February 2022) was the first trainee writer of Coronation Street, contributing 140 scripts from 1961 to 1970, and as well as writing was also the programme's script editor from for 33 episodes from October 1961 to February 1962 during the period of the problematical Equity actors' strike and later producing the show for five months between 4th November 1968 and 26th February 1969. He also wrote episodes of the spin-offs Pardon the Expression and Turn out the Lights and script-edited the farce play Coronation Street on the Road which was presented to its 1964 audiences under the title Firm Foundations.

He created and contributed most of the scripts of the highly successful Granada series A Family at War (1970 - 1972) and both created and wrote all thirty-nine episodes of Sam (1973 - 1975), basing it on his own childhood experiences in a South Yorkshire mining town. He also created This Year, Next Year, Flesh and Blood, The Spoils of War and Capstick's Law. He also contributed many scripts for series such as The Villains, City 68, The Plane Makers and The Verdict is Yours.

He wrote of the debt he owes of H.V. Kershaw for getting him started and trained as a writer and was one of the editors of the book Granada - the First Generation which contained essays from many of the people who worked on Coronation Street in the 1960s and 1970s.

He was sometimes credited on other programmes as John Ellison.