Coronation Street in 1979. In 1982, the arrival of Channel 4, and its edgy new soap opera "Brookside", was one of the biggest changes for "Coronation Street". Unlike "Coronation Street", which had a very nostalgic view of working-class life, "Brookside" brought together working and middle-class families in a more contemporary environment. The dialogue often included expletives and the stories were more hard-hitting, and of the current Zeitgeist. Whereas stories at this time in "Coronation Street" were largely about family affairs, "Brookside" concentrated on social affairs such as industrial action, unemployment, and the black market. The BBC also introduced a new prime time
Mike Baldwin (Coronation Street) Woodley. As an employer, Mike was uncompromising, quick to threaten his machinists with the sack if they slacked and taking a dim view of workers getting above themselves. Mike's relationship with florist Maggie Dunlop foundered when she became pregnant and she ended things with him when he refused to buy the florist's she worked in. She married Harry Redman shortly before the birth of her son, Mark. The Redmans moved away and Mike did not see Mark for years. One major storyline involving Mike came in 1983 when he had an affair with Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride). Before her marriage