[29] By 1968, critics contended that the programme offered a nostalgic and outdated depiction of the urban working class, failing to reflect the contemporary realities of British society amid the decade's economic and social changes.

[30] Granada considered modernising the show with issue-driven plots, including Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss) becoming addicted to drugs, Jerry Booth (Graham Haberfield) being in a storyline about homosexuality, Emily Nugent (Eileen Derbyshire) having an out-of-wedlock child, and introducing a black family.

Longtime characters Gail Potter (Helen Worth), Blanche Hunt (initially played by Patricia Cutts and later by Maggie Jones), and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) were introduced in 1974.

[39] To write out Ernest Bishop while preserving the role of his wife, Emily (Eileen Derbyshire), the writers decided his character would be fatally shot during a payroll robbery at Mike Baldwin's (Johnny Briggs) factory.

[42] Despite its enduring popularity, critics argued that Coronation Street had grown complacent during this period, with the show relying on nostalgic depictions of working-class life rather than addressing contemporary social issues.

The question of who would take over the Rovers Return after Annie Walker's 1983 exit was answered in 1985 when Bet Lynch (who also mirrored the vulnerability and strength of Elsie Tanner) was installed as landlady.

[57] In 1988, Christopher Quinten, who had played Brian Tilsley since 1978,[58] informed Granada of his intention to move to the United States to marry Leeza Gibbons and pursue an acting career in Los Angeles.

Between 1986 and 1989, the storyline of Rita Fairclough's (Barbara Knox) domestic abuse at the hands of her partner Alan Bradley (Mark Eden), followed by his death after being struck by a Blackpool tram in December 1989, unfolded.

This plotline brought the show its highest-ever combined viewing figure, with nearly 27 million viewers watching a March 1989 episode where Bradley is on the run from the police after attempting to kill Rita.

[66] In 1992, William Rees-Mogg, Chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Council, criticised Coronation Street for its low representation of ethnic minorities and its nostalgic portrayal of a bygone era.

[71][72] Other notable arrivals included Maud Grimes (Elizabeth Bradley), a wheelchair user and pensioner, in 1993; Roy Cropper (David Neilson), a café owner, in 1995; young married couple Gary and Judy Mallett (Ian Mercer and Gaynor Faye) in 1995; and butcher Fred Elliott (John Savident) in 1994 and his son Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold) in 1995.

[74] Park introduced younger characters between 1997 and 1998, such as a recast Nick Tilsley (Adam Rickitt), single mother Zoe Tattersall (Joanne Froggatt), and the problematic Battersby family.

Victor Lewis-Smith wrote in the Daily Mirror: "Apparently it doesn't matter that this is a first-class soap opera, superbly scripted and flawlessly performed by a seasoned repertory company.

[79] In July 2002, Gail Platt married Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), a financial advisor who had left Duggie Ferguson (John Bowe) to die after a fall during an argument, murdered his ex-wife Patricia (Annabelle Apsion), and later killed their neighbor Maxine Peacock (Tracy Shaw).

He also attempted to kill his mother-in-law, Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls), and longtime family friend, Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire), all for financial gain as his debts mounted.

The bigamy of Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) and his addiction to alcohol, later in the decade, Maya Sharma's (Sasha Behar) revenge on former lover Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin), Charlie Stubbs's (Bill Ward) psychological abuse of Shelley Unwin (Sally Lindsay), and the deaths of Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs), Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn) and Fred Elliott (John Savident).

This included Coronation Street veterans William Roache (Ken Barlow) at 88, Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) at 87, Malcolm Hebden (Norris Cole) at 80 and Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts) at 76.

[92] The anniversary week saw the conclusion of a long-running coercive control storyline that began in May 2019, with Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew) abusing Yasmeen Nazir (Shelley King).

[99] In June 2024, ITV announced that Coronation Street's third longest-serving cast member, Helen Worth, had decided to leave the soap after fifty years of portraying Gail Platt.

The original cast was created by Tony Warren, with the characters of Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and Annie Walker (Doris Speed) as central figures.

Other recurring archetypes include the war veteran such as Albert Tatlock (Jack Howarth), Percy Sugden (Bill Waddington) and Gary Windass (Mikey North), the bumbling retail manager like Leonard Swindley (Arthur Lowe), Reg Holdsworth (Ken Morley) and Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden), quick-tempered, tough tradesmen like Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson), Jim McDonald (Charles Lawson), Tommy Harris (Thomas Craig) and Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies), and the perennial losers such as Stan and Hilda, Jack and Vera, Les Battersby (Bruce Jones), Beth Tinker (Lisa George) and Kirk Sutherland (Andrew Whyment).

[114] Villains are also common character types, such as Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford), Alan Bradley (Mark Eden), Jenny Bradley (Sally Ann Matthews), Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis), Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel), Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien), Caz Hammond (Rhea Bailey), Richard Hillman (Brian Capron), Greg Kelly (Stephen Billington), Will Chatterton (Leon Ockenden), Nathan Curtis (Christopher Harper), Callum Logan (Sean Ward), Karl Munro (John Michie), Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre), David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd), Maya Sharma (Sasha Behar), Kirsty Soames (Natalie Gumede), John Stape (Graeme Hawley), Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew) and Gary Windass (Mikey North).

Key storylines have included: Mike and Deirdre's affair (1983), the death of Brian Tilsley (1989), Alan Bradley's abuse of Rita (1989), Kevin and Natalie's affair (1997), Deirdre’s wrongful imprisonment for fraud (1998), Sarah Platt's underage pregnancy (2000), Toyah's rape (2001), Alma's cancer (2001), Richard Hillman's serial killer storyline (2002–2003), Peter Barlow's bigamy (2003), Kevin and Molly's affair (2009), Kirsty's abuse of Tyrone (2012), Hayley's cancer (2013), Faye's underage pregnancy (2015), Bethany's grooming (2017), David's rape (2018), Aidan's suicide (2018), Sinead's diagnosis with cervical cancer (2019), Yasmeen's abuse (2020), Daisy's stalking hell (2023), Paul's MND (2023), Liam's bullying and suicidal thoughts (2023), Lauren's disappearance and possible murder (2024), and Mason’s death from knife crime (2025).

[130] Paul Abbott was a story editor on the programme in the 1980s and began writing episodes in 1989, but left in 1993 to produce Cracker, for which he later wrote, before creating his own dramas such as Touching Evil and Shameless.

[203] In 1995, to commemorate the programme's 35th anniversary, a CD titled The Coronation Street Album was released, featuring cover versions of modern songs and standards by contemporary cast members.

From 1985 to 1988, Granada TV produced a sitcom called The Brothers McGregor featuring a pair of half-brothers (one black, one white) who had appeared in a single episode of Coronation Street as old friends of Eddie Yeats and guests at his wedding.

EastEnders stars that visited Weatherfield include Laurie Brett as Jane Beale, Charlie G. Hawkins as Darren Miller, Kylie Babbington as Jodie Gold, Nina Wadia as Zainab Masood and John Partridge as Christian Clarke.

[211] On 21 December 2012, Coronation Street produced a Text Santa special entitled A Christmas Corrie which featured Norris Cole in the style of Scrooge, being visited by the ghosts of dead characters.

Featuring a cast of six actors who alternate roles of favourite characters including Ena Sharples, Hilda Ogden, Hayley and Roy, Richard Hillman, Jack and Vera, Bet Lynch, Steve, Karen and Becky, the play weaves together some of the most memorable moments from the TV show.

[226] In the summer of 2006, Cadbury Trebor Bassetts had to recall over one million chocolate bars, due to suspected salmonella contamination, and Coronation Street stopped the sponsorship for several months.