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 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 - )
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