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
Episode 1 (Coronation Street) These include Corrie Controversies, The Stars Of Coronation Street; 50 Years, 50 Classic Characters; The First Colour Episode and the 40th anniversary live episode from 2000. Episode 1 (Coronation Street) The first episode of the British television soap opera "Coronation Street" was broadcast live on the 9 December 1960, it was broadcast in black-and-white. Episode 2 was video taped shortly after the airing. The series first introduces Florrie Lindley (Betty Alberge), who has bought up the local Corner Shop from Elsie Lappin (Maudie Edwards), who has now retired after working there for many years. Elsie warns Florrie about the residents