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In 1977, the writers of the show wrote a controversial storyline turn for actress Anne Kirkbride and her character, Deirdre Langton. In the story, Deirdre walked home from her exercise class, and was attacked by a man who tried to rape her. He molested her, but she managed to run home. Filled with guilt and shame, she would not tell her husband, Ray, what had happened. Eventually, her thoughts turned to suicide. Deirdre decided to jump off a bridge, but was distracted when a passerby asked for directions. At that time, she had an epiphany and told Ray what had transpired.
Although the subject matter was very controversial, the storyline's execution taught many other women who had been in the same situation to tell the police, a loved one, or both, about their respective ordeals.
In late 1982, writer Adele Rose came up with the idea that Deirdre, quickly bored in new marriage to Ken Barlow, would have an affair with Mike Baldwin. In Rose's line of reasoning, Deirdre would strongly believe that Ken was neglecting her, and that being with Mike made her feel alive. In the widely-viewed episode in which Deirdre confessed all to Ken, she told him that she felt like "the wallpaper, or a piece of furniture that's been around forever...it's like [they've] been married for twenty years". In an unscripted move, Ken, blinded by anger, grabbed Deirdre by the throat and started to strangle her. Anne Kirkbride, who did not know of the sudden change in direction, reacted with more conviction, she admitted later, than had she known of the action beforehand. Eventually, Deirdre began to have doubts about staying with Mike Baldwin. The writers of the series scheduled the episode in which Deirdre reconciled with Ken, effectively ending her relationship with Mike Baldwin, on the night that popular football teams Manchester United and Arsenal F.C. played at Old Trafford. At the end of the episode, which aired on February 23, 1983, Deirdre slammed the door of No. 1 in Mike's face. Dejected and with a shattered hubris, Mike drove away from the Street. As soon as the credits finished rolling, the scoreboard at the stadium read "Deirdre and Ken United Again!" in big letters, to the excitement of cheering fans. The episode was one of the highest-rated in Corrie's history.
The programme moved to modernise its sets in 1986. One way the producers and writers chose to do this was to have the Rovers Return set ablaze. Bet Lynch ( Julie Goodyear) was on the upper storey of the pub at the time, and failed to fully execute her escape. The Duckworths remarked sarcastically that she was "probably smokin' in bed again," when in reality, Jack Duckworth had attempted to repair a fuse and, in failing to do so, accidentally sparked a fire in the fusebox which spread to the rest of the establishment.
Kevin and Sally Webster, coming home from a late-night rock concert, happened to walk past at the time, noticed the fire, and alerted the neighbours. The fire brigade eventually rescued Bet when Kevin could not, and she recovered from a case of smoke inhalation. Afterwards, she decided to knock the main area, the Select, and the Snug into one bar.
In 1998, the Street introduced the first transsexual person in British soap history. Its handling of the story, and Hayley Patterson ( Julie Hesmondhalgh) ultimately 'marrying' bookish nerd Roy Cropper, proved immensely popular, and was praised by transgendered groups, not least in how it highlighted transgender issues, such as how she remained registered for tax purposes as a man called "Harold", leading to ridicule from her boss, Mike Baldwin.
Curiously, though launched by an openly gay man who still gets listed on the credits, filmed in a city often described as Britain's gay capital, and with a massive gay following, Coronation Street avoided featuring a gay resident, unlike EastEnders which has had a number, and Emmerdale which has a lesbian vet and a number of other gay characters, both male and female. Only recently, in 2003, has the soap featured any kind of homosexual activity.
Also in 1998, Deirdre Rachid was sent to prison after a former lover implicated her in a bank fraud scheme. A campaign led by tabloid newspapers and the occasional graffiti artist, with the slogan of "Free the Weatherfield One!", petitioned the Home Secretary to become involved on Deirdre's behalf. Even Tony Blair called for Deirdre to be freed. After three weeks, Deirdre was released from prison and four different newspapers claimed victory for themselves and their readers. However, the producers of the programme had planned Deirdre to stay in prison for three weeks the entire time.
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