Coronation Street has been on our screens for nearly 65 years, making it the longest-running soap in history. It predates rival soaps EastEnders and Emmerdale.

Beginning in 1960, it was the brainchild of Tony Warren, who was a young scriptwriter at the time.

The location was based on Salford in Greater Manchester, where Tony was from, and the vision was to create a working-class drama set in the fictional town of Weatherfield.  

The show started with kitchen-sink realism and quickly became renowned for showing everyday life in a working-class neighbourhood. Six decades later, Coronation Street is still recognised for its mixture of drama and comedy.

A history of Coronation Street – how it all began

Coronation Street first aired on December 9, 1960. It was created by Warren and produced by Granada Television.

In fact, the show has never changed production companies and is now produced by ITV Studios, which succeeded Granada.

Coronation Street was conceived after Granada bosses wanted more TV drama based in northern England, partly to employ local actors and crew.

Warren’s concept was initially turned down by Granada’s founder but another producer (called Harry Elton) persuaded them to approve a run of 13 pilot episodes for ITV.

Originally called Florizel Street, Coronation Street was eventually brought to life, with Warren writing the first twelve episodes. He created original characters such as Ken Barlow, Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, and Annie Walker. 

In fact, Ena, Elsie and Ken were all introduced in the very first episode.

Although it received mixed reviews at first, Coronation Street quickly gained popularity and became a staple of our television culture. 

When the show launched, it was broadcast twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7pm.  A third weekly episode was added on a Wednesday in 1989, and by 1996, Coronation Street was gaining so much popularity that a Sunday night episode was added too.

In 2002, a fifth episode was added, and in 2017, it increased to six episodes a week.  Coronation Street was broadcast in black-and-white until 1969.

The cast and characters of Coronation Street

Coronation Street is famous for its many iconic characters. 

The original cast includes the likes of William Roache as Ken Barlow,  Pat Phoenix as Elsie Tanner and Doris Speed as Annie Walker.

However, the only character from the very first episode of Coronation Street who is still on the show today is Ken. He has been in the show since it started in 1960, making him the longest-running actor in soap history. No other original characters from the first episode are still part of the current cast.

Rita Tanner, played by Barbara Knox, is the second longest-running character, having been on the show since 1964.

When Coronation Street first began back in the 60s, the original cast of characters – such as Ken, Elsie and Annie – quickly became household names and still are even now. 

Over the years, families like the Platts, McDonalds and Websters have all become part of the Corrie furniture. Sarah and David Platt were both born on screen and have grown up to be central characters in their own right. Sophie and Rosie Webster were also born on screen back in the 90s, while Ken’s son Daniel Osborne was born on screen in 1995 and later returned as an adult. 

Theme tunes and opening titles

Coronation Street‘s theme tune has become synonymous with the show.

It was written by Eric Spear in 1960, who called it ‘Lancashire Blues’ and earned just £6 for writing it.

The music is a cornet piece, accompanied by a brass band, and it appears four times during the show (at the start, end and for buffering the ad break). Believe it or not, the identity of the trumpeter was not public knowledge until 1994, when it was revealed to be Surrey musician Ronnie Hunt.

The theme tune has been updated over the years, including an orchestral version for the show’s 50th anniversary in 2010. However, the core sound has always remained.

In 2010, the tune got a fresh revamp for the HD launch, with a  re-recorded version of the theme tune replacing the original. It was also accompanied with montage-style credits showing off Manchester and Weatherfield.

A history of Coronation Street: Filming locations

The iconic ITV soap is set at MediaCityUK in Salford, just outside of Manchester city centre.

It was previously filmed at Granada TV studios on Quay Street in Manchester for more than 50 years. 

After changing locations, the current set has been home to the cobbles since 2014.

The purpose-built set is based at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, just across the Manchester Ship Canal.  This expansive site replaced the original one and has an outdoor set with fully working buildings, cobbles, and interiors.

The indoor scenes are filmed in studios right next to the exterior set.

This includes the Rovers Return, The Kabin and Roy’s Rolls, as well as the locals’ homes and other businesses.

In 2018, the Coronation Street set expanded to include Victoria Street – which had been previously referenced but never seen. 

Coronation Street’s fictional universe expanded again in 2022 with the introduction of the Weatherfield Precinct.

Once again, the precinct had long been mentioned and visited by residents of Coronation Street. However, viewers were now able to actually see their favourite characters on their shopping trips.

A history of Coronation Street – production team

The first episode of Coronation Street was written by Tony Warren. It was produced by Derek Granger and the script editor was Harry Kershaw.

The longest-serving producer of Coronation Street was Bill Podmore, who was in charge of the show from 1976 to 1988.

Coronation Street is currently led by Iain MacLeod, who became ITV’s Executive Producer for Continuing Drama in January 2024, overseeing both Corrie and Emmerdale. 

The day-to-day running of Coronation Street is handled by Kate Brooks, who took over as series producer in April 2024.