Tony Warren, who died today, was the godfather of Coronation Street. He created an ordinary row of terraced houses with one pub and a shop where all hell could break loose. Strong women, solid storylines and a whole load of humour were his trademarks and the long-running soap still has all three today. Here are some of the greatest plots.
Tracy Barlow murders Charlie Stubbs (2007)
Vixen-lipped beauty Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) has done some wicked deeds in her time, and she’s still scheming today. But her best moment came when she got her claws into boyfriend Charlie Stubbs. First, she faked a pregnancy and made him finance an abortion, then spent the cash on shoes. After that, she murdered him using a heavy brass ornament, which she reached for while lapdancing to Oasis.
Free the Weatherfield One (1998)
Anne Kirkbride’s Deirdre Barlow (nee Hunt, formerly Langton and Rachid) was banged up for 18 months on a fraud charge when she tried to retrieve her savings from a conman who’d romanced her. Fans were outraged and as viewers backed the Weatherfield One campaign, Tony Blair intervened. She was eventually freed, but not due to government help.
Richard Hillman: Serial killer (2003)
Gail’s husband Richard Hillman (Brian Capron) was the epitome of soap evil, or as she called him, “Norman Bates with a briefcase”. He beat Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw) to death with a crowbar and eventually drove Gail and her children, Sarah-Lou and David, into the canal to the soundtrack of The Wannadies You and Me Song. The cockroach-like Platts survived, but he didn’t.
The life and death of Hayley Cropper (1998-2014)
Hayley (played by Julie Hesmondhalgh) was born Harold. She was soapland’s first transgender character and one of soap’s nicest characters. She found love with Roy (David Neilson), but discovered she had terminal cancer after a routine test. With great warmth, she ticked off her bucket list and gently persuaded Roy to help her end her life, bringing the voluntary euthanasia debate to Corrie.
Who killed Tina? (2014)
Motormouth Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) had the face of a supermodel and the attitude of a wasp-stung toddler. Her affair with Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) consisted of afternoon delight in the bookies’ flat and whispered conversations in the Rovers’ ginnel. Her enemies were many, but it was Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis) who killed her by throwing her off a balcony. The most brutal moment came when she survived and got up to give him more backchat, so he finished the job with a metal pipe. Her last words: “I was born gobby.”
The tram crash (2010)
Corrie celebrated its 5oth anniversary with a live episode, complete with stunts and a character cull, when a tram crashed into the nightclub on Peter Barlow’s stag night. Hangdog-faced Ashley Peacock and Tyrone’s cheating wife Molly Dobbs died, while Fiz gave birth in the chaos.
Kirsty v Tyrone (2013-14)
Corrie has seen many evil women, but Natalie Gumede’s portrayal of boyfriend-beating Kirsty Soames was one of the most chilling. Her mind games with Tyrone went from banning him from taking their daughter to playgroup to cutting up his birthday cards. She accused Tyrone of assault, but later admitted the truth and was eventually jailed for a year.
Todd kisses Nick Tilsley (2003)
There was controversy when scheming minx Todd Grimshaw (Bruno Langley) chanced a kiss with Nick Tilsley (then played by heartthrob of the moment Adam Rickitt). He’d mis-read the signs, but it gave Corrie its first gay kiss.
Sarah-Lou’s teenage pregnancy (2000)
The force that is Sarah-Louise Platt (nee Tilsley, played by Tina O’Brien) got a shock when she took time out from being a stroppy teenager to take a pregnancy test. She was only 13 and it was positive. Soap’s first “gymslip mum” gave birth to baby Bethany, who’s now causing trouble on the cobbles like her mother before her.
The Deirdre/Ken/Mike love triangle (1983)
Deirdre had a busy love life, but she caused the most trouble when she had two men on the go at once. Mild-mannered husband Ken Barlow, who Tony Warren introduced in the first ever episode of Corrie, showed his feisty side when he discovered Deirdre was enjoying a “sordid little bit on the side with a spiv like Baldwin”.
