Coronation Street reached a low of eight million in February 1973, when Pat Phoenix quit as Elsie Tanner, Violet Carson (battleaxe Ena Sharples) was written out for most of the year due to illness, and Doris Speed (haughty landlady Annie Walker) took two months' leave due to bereavement. The audience of ITV's other flagship soap opera "Crossroads" increased markedly at this time, as its established cast, such as Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon), grew in popularity. These sudden departures forced the writing team to quickly develop characters who had previously stood in the background. The roles of Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), Deirdre Hunt
Jackie Dobbs some of Corrie's 'energy' that it's been lacking of late." TV critic Christine Klabacher added, "Actress Margi Clarke threw herself into the role as always and brightened a rather dull week in the soap [...] characterisation was called for, and Margi obliged in bucketloads." Jackie Dobbs Jackie Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street", played by Margi Clarke. She was introduced in 1998, but written out in 1999 due to the personal problems of the actress who played her. Nine years later, in 2008, the character was reintroduced, once again played by Clarke, who