Coronation StreetSeason 20
TV-PG
The residents of Coronation Street are ordinary, working-class people, and the show follows them through regular social and family interactions at home, in the workplace, and in their local pub, the Rovers Return Inn. Britain's longest-running soap.
Where to Watch Coronation Street • Season 20
83 Episodes
- 8th January 1979E3
8th January 1979Eddie gives Hilda a frame for her abstract painting. Albert finds Dave Barnes in the house and orders him out. Dave shoves him away and waits for Ken. Eddie shows the painting off in the Rovers without telling anyone who did it. Annie likes it and buys it for £20. Emily takes Gail on at Dawson's Cafe. Brian meets Gail in the Rovers - he is chatty but she tells him to get lost. Ken finds Dave at No.1 holding Albert prisoner. Dave threatens to kill Ken but Ken somehow manages to knock him unconscious to the floor. Albert keeps him in check with the poker when he comes to. Ken tells him he is not having an affair with Karen and advises him to learn to read and write himself. Albert thinks he's a fool when he lets Dave go. Hilda is thrilled that Eddie got £20 for the picture and they split the money in half. She is delighted that Annie has bought it and kisses Eddie. Dave wants the police informed so he can tell a court about Karen and Ken's affair. Albert tells Ken he's going to report Dave to the police. - 7th March 1979E20
7th March 1979Renee isn't happy with the idea of Alf working with her full-time but she doesn't know how to tell him. Gail confesses to springing the trap in Dawson's Cafe to let the mouse go free - Emily is glad. They worry as the news of the mouse keeps customers away. Deirdre is touched as Sally Norton buys Tracy a doll. Deirdre makes excuses to stop Sally taking Tracy out. When Hilda goes on about Dawson's mouse Ena reminds her that she had to have No.13 fumigated. Alf can't wait to give the GPO up. Renee tells him she doesn't want him working with her; they'd get on each others nerves. She accuses him of marrying her for the shop. Eddie provides a cat to catch the mouse for £3 a night. Emily and Gail don't like the idea of bloodsports and refuse the cat. Eddie baits the trap again. Alf is upset that Renee doesn't want him. The mouse is killed in the trap. Deirdre leaves Tracy outside the Rovers whilst she calls on Annie. They are disturbed by a terrible crashing sound. Deirdre races outside to find a lorry has spilt its load of timber into the front of the Rovers, crashing into the front of the pub itself. Hysterically, she claws at the timber which Tracy is under. - 12th March 1979E21
12th March 1979Whilst Deirdre tries to free Tracy, the police are called for. Inside the pub, Alf lies unconscious on the floor and Mike's leg is trapped under the timber. Ken helps Deirdre from the Rovers - she has to crawl over the timber. Emily takes her in. Renee is shocked to see Alf unconscious but he is still breathing. Bet takes care of Mike. Ena and Emily take charge of Deirdre and try to calm her. Alf, Len and Mike are taken to hospital. The driver of the lorry is found dead and Deirdre is convinced Tracy is dead too. Annie is in shock and has to be cared for by Betty. Bet breaks down at the thought of Tracy under the timber. A piece of glass cuts Betty's arm. Ena says a special prayer for the safe return of Tracy. A fireman finds Tracy's doll but Tracy herself is not to be found under the timber. Deirdre runs away from the house before anyone can tell her this. - 9th April 1979E29
9th April 1979Ivy asks Brian not to tell anyone about the engagement until she's had time to come to terms with it. She wants time to think about breaking them up. Eddie names the hens after the Street's residents. Gail doesn't like the idea of keeping the engagement quiet but goes along to keep the peace. Suzie tells her to get things straight with Ivy. Hilda returns home to find a chicken on her table. She is amazed to see the yard full of hens and tells Eddie to get rid of them. Gail and Brian choose an engagement ring from a catalogue. Rita tells Derek he's a louse to give the cutlery to his mother after Mavis risked her job to help him win the prize. He tells Mavis the cutlery is hers but she doesn't want it as it wasn't offered to her in the first place. Hilda is horrified that one of the hens is named after her. Suzie is angry to overhear Ivy putting Gail down in the Rovers and tells her she doesn't think Brian is good enough for Gail. Eddie tells Hilda the hens are going to be slaughtered. She guiltily agrees to let them stay so long as they lay eggs and are profitable. Gail writes to her mum telling her about the engagement. Derek makes Mavis accept the cutlery and she happily promises to cook him a meal to christen it. - 16th April 1979E31
16th April 1979Gail celebrates her 21st birthday. Elsie returns from holiday and is delighted to hear Gail is engaged. Hilda persuades Fred to let her wash-up behind the bar as Annie and Bet are away, just so she can mingle with the party in the Select. Alf returns from hospital. Renee treats him like an invalid. Gail's floozy mother, Audrey Potter, arrives and gives her approval of Brian however Gail isn't happy to see her. Brian tells Ivy he's letting her down by not going to the party. Suzie fancies the disc jockey Peter Hockley and lures him away from his turn table. Audrey dresses up and is the centre of attention. The men fall over themselves to please her. Bert persuades Ivy to attend the party. She and Audrey are cold towards each other. Fred has to end the Select party as its closing time so Elsie invites everyone round after Bert has announced the engagement. Audrey leads the conga down the Street. Rita is taken aback to see Len eagerly following Audrey. - 23rd April 1979E33
23rd April 1979The Ogdens are delighted when the hens lay six eggs. Rita is annoyed that she's left with a load of Derek's Easter novelties. She offers Ken three boxes at 12p each novelty. Ken makes Hilda see that the hens are costing a lot to feed - more than the eggs would cost. Alf ventures into the Rovers. He looks forward to going back to work. Fred buys a wig. Annie and Betty can't believe it, they decide not to mention it as he'll be self-conscious about it. Ken decides to buy the novelties from Renee at 10p each. The residents are amazed at Fred's wig and manage to restrain their comments until Albert tells him he looks daft. Fred gets annoyed when everyone laughs at him. Hilda decides the hens aren't laying enough to earn their keep; they'll have to go. In the Corner Shop, Annie criticises Renee's soup selection causing Alf to rush from the back and shout at her, telling her she's nothing without her airs and graces. Annie and Renee are shocked at his out-of-character outburst. - 4th June 1979E45
4th June 1979Eddie takes possession of a metal detector. He plans to search for precious metals with it. Stan doesn't think it will work. Albert tells Eddie he found an old coin on his allotment once. Ena realises he's lying. Billy persuades Deirdre to go out with him. She lets Emily believe she's going out with Ken. Hilda complains of backache. Albert gives Eddie permission to look for treasure on the allotment. Ken calls on Emily whilst Deirdre is out. She is shocked that he's not with Deirdre. Albert tells Ena there's a lot of old nails in his allotment which Eddie's detector will pick up and will cause him to dig the allotment up for him. Billy reveals he wants a loan of £2,500 off Annie to buy a wine bar in St Helier in Jersey. Deirdre thinks it's a good idea. - 25th June 1979E51
25th June 1979Rita is determined to have a holiday. Fred agrees to give her a lift to the caravan. As Bet is on her holidays from work, Rita asks her to join her in Morecambe. Bet agrees. Ivy asks Mike for a better rate for the Brown's order as the girls are having to spend more time ensuring the garments are perfect but he's not interested. Len is furious when Rita and Bet go off to the caravan. Fred plans to have a lark with Rita whilst driving her to Morecambe and is put out to discover Bet's with her. Ivy threatens a work-to-rule. Mike tells the girls they can have a bonus when he gets paid by Brown's and not before. The order could make or break them all. Eddie gets a weekend job working for Pagliaci's ice creams. He shows off the ice cream van and tells the Ogdens he's going to use it as a cover to sell beer on Sundays. Hilda refuses to let Stan have anything to do with the scheme. Rita and Bet befriend two men, Alec Keegan and Tony Ball in the next caravan. Bet hopes they'll liven things up. Rita is annoyed when Bet encourages them. - 28th November 1979E74
28th November 1979Gail tries to compose herself. Brian isn't at all nervous. His best man Andy Rowlands has a terrible hangover. Elsie has tonsilitis and can't attend the wedding. Audrey's fella Frank Wilson arrives. Steve enjoys being an usher. Ivy struggles to keep her parents, the Nelsons, in order, Vera struggles to keep Jack Duckworth under control. Albert, Ena, Bet, the Ogdens, Ken, Deirdre and the Duckworths gather at the church to watch the wedding. Mike walks Gail down the aisle. Suzie is bridesmaid to Gail. Gail and Brian are married at St. Boniface, Lower Broughton and exchange rings.
