Coronation Street to mark 10,000th episode in 'funny, poignant' way - by visiting Blackpool

The 10,000th episode of Coronation Street will take fans on a trip down memory lane as a number of characters head to Blackpool for a day trip.
By Michael Holmes
Published 28th Jan 2020, 08:34 BST
Updated 28th Jan 2020, 08:40 BST
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The milestone instalment of the ITV soap will entertain viewers in a "funny, poignant and characterful" way, and the show's boss has promised it will be a "great exhibition" of the programme's classic qualities.

The special hour-long episode sees a shocked Rita (Barbara Knox) receiving a parcel containing the ashes of her estranged husband Dennis Tanner along with a note requesting she scatter them in Blackpool.

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Along with the help of Ken (William Roache), it is decided that a day trip is something everybody would enjoy, with Jenny (Sally Ann Matthews) booking a coach and inviting a group of residents to join them, including Gail, Audrey, Amy, Eileen, Mary, Tracy and Yasmeen, along with Rita and the urn of ashes.

Undated handout photo issued by ITV of special guest star John Henshaw, playing grumpy bus driver Des in Coronation Street's 10,000th episode. PA Photo. Issue date: Monday January 27, 2020. The episode means that Coronation Street has become the longest running soap opera (Picture: ITV/PA)Undated handout photo issued by ITV of special guest star John Henshaw, playing grumpy bus driver Des in Coronation Street's 10,000th episode. PA Photo. Issue date: Monday January 27, 2020. The episode means that Coronation Street has become the longest running soap opera (Picture: ITV/PA)
Undated handout photo issued by ITV of special guest star John Henshaw, playing grumpy bus driver Des in Coronation Street's 10,000th episode. PA Photo. Issue date: Monday January 27, 2020. The episode means that Coronation Street has become the longest running soap opera (Picture: ITV/PA)

ITV has said the day out is a "comedy of errors from the start", as the coach turns out to be a blacked-out party bus with a grumpy driver called Des, played by John Henshaw.

The programme will see "memories shared, secrets aired and tensions rise as it starts to look as though they won't make it to Blackpool before nightfall, if at all", according to ITV.

By the end of the trip, some of the characters lives will have changed, with one resident realising the time has come for them to leave the cobbles for good.

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Corrie producer Iain MacLeod said: "10,000 episodes! Not bad for a programme which one newspaper said in 1960 was 'doomed from the outset.'

Undated handout photo issued by ITV of Coronation Street character Rita Tanner (right), played by Barbara Knox and Jenny Connor played by Sally-Ann Matthews in the soap's 10,000th episode (Picture: ITV/Danielle Baguley/PA Wire)Undated handout photo issued by ITV of Coronation Street character Rita Tanner (right), played by Barbara Knox and Jenny Connor played by Sally-Ann Matthews in the soap's 10,000th episode (Picture: ITV/Danielle Baguley/PA Wire)
Undated handout photo issued by ITV of Coronation Street character Rita Tanner (right), played by Barbara Knox and Jenny Connor played by Sally-Ann Matthews in the soap's 10,000th episode (Picture: ITV/Danielle Baguley/PA Wire)

"I am first and foremost a massive fan of the show and I watched this landmark episode with absolute glee.

"It is uniquely Corrie: funny, poignant and characterful - and a glorious homage to the comedic charabanc trips of times past, packed with strong female characters and sparkling dialogue.

"It's a really great exhibition of Coronation Street's classic qualities as we start a new decade on the cobbles."

Corrie, the longest-running serial drama in the world, will mark its 60th anniversary later this year.

The 10,000th episode will air on ITV on Friday February 7 at 7.30pm on ITV.

Related topics:BlackpoolITV