
Nearly 30 directors have worked on Coronation Street, many of them have become famous names. We would be grateful for any information you could supply on missing names or details.
NB: Dates refer to on-screen credits.
Stuart Latham (December 1960 - 1961)
Derek Granger (1961 - 1962)
Derek directed the first episode in December 1960
H.V. Kershaw (1962 - 1963)
Harry started as script editor on the programme
Margaret Morris (1963 - 1964)
Margaret cast the characters for the first episode
Tim Aspinall (1964)
H.V. Kershaw (1964 - 1965)
Howard Baker (1965)
Had previously been a Coronation Street director
H.V. Kershaw (1965 - 1966)
Peter Eckersley (1966)
H.V. Kershaw (1966 - 1967)
Jack Rosenthal (1967)
Jack had already written over 150 episodes, before he
became Producer in 1967. He is now one of Britain's major dramatists,
with credits including The Lovers, Bar Mitzvah Boy,
Spend, Spend, Spend and London's Burning.
Michael Cox (1967 - 1968)
Richard Everitt (1968)
Richard was floor manager for the first episode. He has
also produced Lovejoy, Bulman, Strangers, The XYY Man, The
Corridor People and has produced and directed The Man in
Room 17 as well as directing The Odd Man. He was also
an actor in the film If
Richard Doubleday (1968)
John Finch (1968 - 1969)
John's first Coronation Street script was commissioned
in November 1960 for episode 24. He became Script Editor for a
year in 1961. He wrote roughly 100 scripts in the first eight
years when two episodes a week were being transmitted. He became
Producer in 1968 and is probably the only person to have done
all three jobs for The Street.
Whilst he was writing for Coronation Street he also wrote several plays for BBC television and some adaptations for Granada. He was an early contributor to The Power Game and other series of that period. He devised and produced City 68 and The System for Granada in 1968-69, and then famously created, edited and wrote A Family At War (52 hours), followed by Sam (39 hours) which won Broadcasting Press Guild and Writers Guild Awards. These were follwed by This Year Next Year (13 hours), Spoils of War (20 hours) and then for the BBC Flesh and Blood (20 hours). He also wrote for The Hard Word (Thames).
John has also written several plays and one novel. He is currently writing/editing a selection of prose/poetry about the war at sea in World War II based on his experiences in the Merchant Navy
H.V. Kershaw (1969 - 1970); Executive Producer ??
June Howson (1970 - 1971)
Brian Armstrong (1971 - 1972)
Brian went on to become head of comedy at Granada
Eric Prytherch (1972 - 1974)
Previously a director on Coronation Street, Eric
also produced and directed The Life of Riley
Leslie Duxbury (1974)
Leslie was already an established Coronation Street
writer by the time he briefly took over as Producer in 1974.
Susi Hush (1974 - 1976)
Susi Hush was born in Yorkshire in 1945. She attended
Sussex University and started her television career in 1969 as
an interviewer and current affairs producer for Granada. In the
early 1970s she transferred her interest to drama and became a
script editor. During her time as Coronation Street producer,
Hush tried to imbue the narrative with gritty, controversial social
realism. She tried to extend the parameters of the genre and to
deepen the connection with the audience. Hush went on to produce
Crown Court, also writing several of the episodes. In the
late 1970's, Hush left Granada to go freelance and later became
an independent producer. She produced two series of the BBC's
Grange Hill, for which she won a Bafta. Susi Hush died
after illness, in London on 27 October 1995.
Bill Podmore (1976 - 1977)
Bill is the producer credited with reviving Coronation
Street's fortunes and was responsible for some of the most
famous storylines.
Leslie Duxbury (1977)
Leslie took over for a second spell as Coronation Street
Producer for a few months in 1977. By the time he retired from
the writing teamin November 1991, he had written 413 scripts.
Bill Podmore (1977 - 1982); Executive Producer (1982
- 1987)
In 1982 Bill became Coronation Street's Executive Producer
and also went on to produce Brass and the Brothers McGregor
Pauline Shaw (1982)
Mervyn Watson (1982 - 1985)
He left to produce First Among Equals
John G Temple (1985 - 1987)
John produced The Cuckoo Waltz, and went on to
produce Take the High Road
Bill Podmore (1987 - 1988)
David Liddiment - Executive Producer (1988 - 1992)
David was one
of the most widely known names at Granada. He is currently in
charge of drama for ITV
Mervyn Watson (1988 - 1991)
Mervyn went on to be producer of Emmerdale and
masterminded its' most successful period.
Carolyn Reynolds (1991 - 93); Executive Producer
(1993 - 1997; September 1998 - 2000)
In 1991 Carolyn
became Producer of Britain's most successful drama serial, Coronation
Street. She was promoted to Granada's Head of Drama Serials
in 1993 and Controller of Drama Serials in 1996. She was Executive
Producer on the award-winning series Reckless for ITV in
1997, the most popular drama series on ITV during 1997. The same
team then produced Reckless - the Movie for transmission
in October 1998. She also executive produced a film of the play
Macbeth starring Greta Scacchi, and a 26 part drama, Springhill,
both for Channel Four.
Early in 1998, Carolyn Reynolds became Controller of Drama
at Yorkshire Television, and worked as Executive Producer of Verdict.
In December 1998 she returned to be Executive Producer of Coronation
Street to coincide with David Hanson becoming Producer.
Tony Wood (1994)
Tony went on to become head of comedy at Granada
Sue Pritchard (1994 - 1997)
Sue was Production Assistant for Brideshead Revisited
in the early 1980's
Brian Park (March 1997 - August 1998)
Having previously produced
September Song, True Love, My Wonderful Life and the Emmy-winning
Prime Suspect 4, Brian was quickly dubbed the "Freddy
Kruger of Coronation Street", taking over at one of the crucial
points in the Street's history. It was lagging far behind EastEnders
in the viewing figures and had become moribund. In an attempt
to revitalise the show and attract younger viewers he killed off
Derek Wilton, introduced the Battersbys and brought in more dramatic
storylines such as the jailing of Deirdre Rachid. He's most proud
of his mature introduction of Hayley Patterson - the first transexual
character in a British soap opera.
With Coronation Street consistantly topping the viewing
figures once again, he left in August 1998 to form his own production
company - Shed Productions - with Street story editor Ann McManus.
He has since produced Channel 5's Family Affairs and Shed's
own Bad Girls.
David Hanson (September 1998 - October 1999)
After finishing as Producer, David worked on Coronation
Street special projects and for Granada Media Consumer Products
(which included the Official Coronation Street web site). In 2002
he became Producer of C4's Brookside.
Jane Macnaught (October 1999 - late 2000); Executive
Producer (late 2000 - March 2002)
Although only
credited on-screen from October 1999, Jane had already been working
with David Hanson for some months. Her first on-screen impact
was to revamp the programme credits, and for the first time credit
the writer and director in the opening credits. She had previously
worked as Producer of Granada's Star in Their Eyes for
nearly 10 years and also as Producer for University Challenge.
In late 2000 her title changed to Executive Producer.
Macnaught oversaw a dramatic change in The Street - in an attempt
to compete with soaps such as EastEnders, strong and controversial
issue-led storylines were introduced such as Toyah's rape, Roy
& Hayley abducting their foster child and Sarah's Internet
chatroom abduction. However, Macnaught's stated aim of one 'blockbuster'
storyline each month clearly wasn't working, alienating existing
viewers with issue-led storylines but failing to attract new viewers.
It is said she also alienated some cast members and saw the resignation
of long-standing scriptwriters such as John Stevenson and Ken
Blakeson. In October 2001 Macnaught was abruptly moved to producer
in Granada's New Dramas - a sideways move, but effectively a demotion,
and Carolyn Reynolds again took over the day-to-day running of
the show.
Carolyn Reynolds Executive Producer (March 2002 - )

Kieran Roberts (March 2002 - 2004)
Granada acted
quickly to replace Jane Macnaught. As Executive Producer, Carolyn
Renolds took interim control from October 2001 but within a month
had appointed Kieran Roberts as new Producer. Roberts had previously
worked as producer for The Krypton Factor, You've Been
Framed and was Producer for Emmedale during one of
its' most successful spells when it moved from three to five episodes
a week. The new management team aimed to re-introduce "gentle
storylines and humour" after deciding that The Street shouldn't
try and compete with other soaps, and although the new team were
in place at the turn of the year, they chose to wait until March
2002 - when their storylines aired - before being credited.
Tony Wood (2004 - )
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