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 was a "Street" storyliner in the early 1970s before becoming producer (also Script Associate) on Geoffrey Lancashire's THE CUCKOO WALTZ. He went on to produce other Granada comedies, including FOXY LADY (another Lancashire creation);THE GLAMOUR GIRLS (David Nobbs); DEVENISH and TAKE MY WIFE (both Tony Couch). John also contributed to the rise of 'alternative' comedy, producing a series of ALFRESCO, featuring the, then, virtually unknown Ben Elton, Stephen Fry, Hugh Lawrie and Emma Thompson. He then returned to the "Corrie" fold (1985-87) and revelled in producing a feel-good blend of drama and comedy. Latterly, he returned to his native Scotland to produce a three-part TAGGART (last with  Mark McManus); and the first twenty-six episodes of Gaelic drama series MACHAIR before becoming Executive Producer of (Take The) HIGH ROAD (94-97).

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, 2008 - present as executive producer)
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 - 2006)

Steve Frost (2006 - 2008)

Kim Crowther (2008 - 2010)

Phil Collinson (2010 - )

Back to Profiles index		Back to corrie.net