Coronation Street

Coronation Street, the longest running soap opera currently in production in the world, was created by Tony Warren on December 9, 1960. Set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in the North West of England, Coronation Street became famous for it's strong, empowered female characters. The original female lead characters, Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker, while similar to characters found on other soap operas, were independent, successful and outspoken. Today, however, only one character from the very first episode remains a part of the series. Ken Barlow, played by William Roache, started the series as the stereotype of a 1960's but has changed significantly in the fifty years since first airing. Currently produced by Phil Collinson, Coronation Street has won a handful of awards from many British entertainment organizations. Having inspired countless spin-offs and behind the scenes specials, Coronation Street has become a staple on English television and shows little sign of going anywhere. MORE