List of Coronation Street characters (1967)

Coronation Street is a British soap opera first broadcast on 9 December 1960. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 1967, by order of first appearance.

Steve Tanner

Stephen Edward "Steve" Tanner, played by Paul Maxwell, was an old flame of Elsie Tanner's from the war. He returned to Weatherfield in 1967 and rekindled his relationship with Elsie. They married that year and moved back to Steve's hometown in America. In 1968 Elsie returned alone saying her marriage was over. Steve followed Elsie back to the Street but he was pushed down a flight of stairs and killed by Joe Donnelli.

Ernest Bishop

Ernest Gordon Bishop, played by Stephen Hancock, made his first screen appearance on 6 September 1967.

Ernest had been educated at Weatherfield Grammar School, and, despite being very academically inclined, he refused a place at Manchester Victoria University, in order to run his own photographic business. Operating under his 'professional' name Gordon Bishop, he first appeared at Elsie Tanner's wedding as official photographer in 1967.

Once he had met the shy, retiring Emily Nugent, he knew that she was the woman for him. They had many things in common, not least firm religious beliefs (Ernest was a lay preacher). After a long courtship, they married on Easter Monday 1972. Being middle-aged, they were unable to have children of their own but fostered two children at Christmas 1974; the Bishops' marriage was going through a rough patch and the decision brought them closer together.

Ernest was consumed with shame and guilt when his photographic business failed. Emily, however, was a tower of strength, insisting that she go out to work and be the bread winner. Ernest became the Street's first househusband; making him the butt of jokes from the other men on the Street, but Emily was proud of him.

Ernest was able to make some spare money by playing the piano in pubs and night clubs —he was accompanist for Rita Littlewood at the Gatsby Club—but, despite being grateful for the money, Emily drew the line when Ernie played the piano for a stripper, who came round to their house to practice her act. Eventually, Ernest got a job at Baldwin's Casuals, the factory in Coronation Street. Ostensibly, his job was wages clerk but factory owner Mike Baldwin knew and trusted him implicitly, so he became more of his right-hand man. On January 11, 1978, however, two young thugs, Ed and Tommo (Christopher Walne), burst into the factory demanding that Ernest hand over the wages. Ernest was a gentleman but had the courage of his convictions and tried to talk them round. Mike Baldwin, wanting to know what the delay was, burst into the office and knocked Ed Jackson's arm so the gun went off and Ernest died on the operating table. The shock of hearing what had happened made Emily faint in the Street. The following episodes of the programme concentrated on the utter futility of what had happened, and, when the gunmen were sentenced to life imprisonment, further contemplation was given to the fact that two young lives had been ruined also.

In 2006, 'Ed Jacks', a seemingly pious and religious man, re-entered Emily Bishop's life. At first they were firm friends, until Ed revealed his true identity was Thomas Edward Jackson. This made Emily doubt her faith - how could she 'turn the other cheek' as the Bible told her, when confronted with her husband's killer?

Robert Croft

Robert Croft, played by Martin Shaw, made his first screen appearance on 13 December 1967. The role as "hippy student" Robert marked Shaw's television debut.^[1]

Robert was the leader of a hippie commune. When Lucille Hewitt (Jennifer Moss) develops a crush on Robert, she decides to join the hippies. Lucille asks Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie) to throw a New Year's party at 11 Coronation Street and Robert and the hippies come along. They stay and begin squatting in the house, causing a ruckus among the Street's other residents. Eventually Annie Walker (Doris Speed) reports the hippies to the landlord, who demands their removal and Robert decides that it is time for them to leave.

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