Coranation Street.
The programme is perhaps best known for its realistic depiction of everyday working-class life in a Northern community. Set in a fictional area of Weatherfield in a working class region of north-west England, it grew out of the so-called "kitchen sink" drama style popularized in the late 1950s. The series, originally called Florizel Street by its creator Tony Warren, began as a limited thirteen episodes, but its cast of strong characters, its northern roots and sense of community immediately created a loyal following. These factors combined with skillfully written and often amusing scripts have ensured its continued success.
From its opening titles with scenes of terraced houses there is a strong sense of regional and local identity which is echoed in the language of its characters. Set in a domestic existence of various homes, the pubs, the shops which are all set out to be part of everyday life, Coronation Street is imbued with a definite feeling of community. Through its account of supposedly everyday life, the programme shows a high degree of social realism. A close parallel is made between the fictional world of Weatherfield and the everyday world inhabited by its audience, whose loyalty is encouraged by the sense of close community, the predictability of plot and the regular transmission times.
The storylines of Coronation Street tend to concentrate on relationships within and between families rather than on topical or social issues as is the case with the newer soaps such as Brookside and EastEnders. Critics might argue that the celebration of a mutually supportive community has more than a touch of nostalgia whilst its fans would argue that the programme reflects shifts in social attitudes in Britain.
The Street, in common with other soaps, has always been noted for its independent and assertive women characters such as Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker and more recently Bet Lynch and Rita Fairclough. Even a more downtrodden character such as Hilda Ogden produced a huge amount of affection from the programme's audience. In contrast the men often seem weak by comparison. The viewer of Coronation Street is often encouraged to make a moral judgement on the behaviour of a particular character and it is generally the stronger women characters who set the tone.

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