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) they wed on-screen in 1992, the marriage lasting seven years. It has been suggested in a 2006 ITV documentary that Mike, an antagonistic womanising character, met his match in Alma. William Roache who plays Ken Barlow has stated that of all Mike's many women in the serial, he always felt that Alma was Mike's true love, the one that was right and good for him. Briggs has stated that he always enjoyed watching the scenes between Mike and Alma, because Alma knew how to handle Mike. Barrie has discussed the way she approached playing the romance between Mike and Alma,