‘Street’ will survive says TV station

Press, 22 October 1983, Page 10

‘Street’ will survive says TV station

NZPA London “Coronation Street” will survive despite its troubles, Granada TV insisted yesterday.

The actor Peter Dudley’s death was the latest in a series of shocks which have hit Britain’s favourite soap opera. Peter Dudley, who played Bert, had not appeared for some months because of ill health, but had been expected to return. Only 24 hours earlier his screen wife, Lynne Perrie, who also suffers from heart trouble, was taken to the same hospital, Salford Royal in Yorkshire. The Street’s run of problems began earlier this year when Peter Adamson, who played Len Fairclough, was

sacked for breaking his contract by selling his story to a newspaper. This came after his acquittal on two charges of indecently assaulting two young girls. Then the programme’s 15 million viewers were stunned by an announcement from Pat Phoenix, who plays Elsie Tanner, that she was also quitting — after 23 years. Miss Phoenix, one of the original cast, leaves at the end of the year.

Shortly after Doris Speed, aged 84, who plays the Rover’s Return landlady, Annie Walker, had to be written out because of stomach trouble. No date has been fixed for her return.