Coronation Street He had worked on Granada comedy productions prior to his appointment. Stan (Bernard Youens) and Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) were often at the centre of overtly funny storylines, with other comic characters including Eddie Yeats (Geoffrey Hughes), Fred Gee (Fred Feast), and Jack Duckworth (William Tarmey) all making their first appearances during the decade. In 1976, Pat Phoenix returned to her role as Elsie Tanner and, after a spate of ill health, Violet Carson returned on a more regular basis as Ena. "Coronation Street's" stalwart cast slotted back into the programme alongside the newcomers, examining new relationships between characters of
Coronation Street soap opera, "EastEnders" in 1985. Like "Brookside", "EastEnders" had a more gritty premise than "Coronation Street", although unlike "Brookside" it tended to steer clear of blue language and politicised stories. While ratings for "Coronation Street" remained consistent throughout the decade, "EastEnders" regularly obtained higher viewing figures due to its omnibus episodes shown at weekends. The "Coronation Street" episode broadcast on 2 January 1985 attracted 21.40 million viewers, making it the most-watched episode in the shows history based on a single showing. Subsequent episodes would achieve higher figures when the original broadcast and omnibus edition figures were combined. With prime time