Mike Baldwin (Coronation Street) Jones). Making his first appearance in 1976 as a Cockney businessman with an eye for the ladies, Mike was the son of an occasional character, Frank "Frankie" Baldwin, a former docker and Cockney wide boy. Mike Baldwin became chiefly known for his ruthlessness in business and his string of ruined relationships. During his time on the show, Mike had 25 girlfriends and four wives. Mike Baldwin's family history was retconned in 2004 when his nephew Danny Baldwin was introduced. Prior to this, Mike was always referred to as an only child. Mike and Alma's romance stemmed back to 1989 and
Mike Baldwin (Coronation Street) suggesting that as Alma she treated Mike in the same way that she [Barrie] treated Briggs off-set, poking fun at him. Television researcher Helena Robson has discussed the appeal of soap operas and suggested that "many soap stories are never finally resolved and conflicts between characters may run throughout the programme's history". She used the "undying hatred" between Mike Baldwin and Ken Barlow (William Roach) as an example of this, suggesting that viewers "welcome the sense of stability this offers although the element of change offers as much enjoyment for viewers." It was suggested in an ITV documentary in 2006