Coronation Street VHS and DVD releases

Many selected episodes, and specially-produced episodes, of the British television soap opera "Coronation Street" have been released on video and DVD.

1980s

The Magic of Coronation Street

In 1982, a VHS video entitled" "The Magic of Coronation Street - Distant Memories 1960 -1964" was released by Granada Video. Its running time was 172 minutes and it featured six episodes of the programme,together with specially shot sequences featuring Annie Walker, Elsie Tanner and Len Fairclough. Later, "The Magic of Coronation Street" was released as two separate packages, each containing three episodes, by Vestron Video".

Episodes featured:

"Part one:" Episode 1 (9 December 1960); Gas Main Leak (9 February 1961); Christmas Day 1961

"Part two:" Elsie discovers that Bill Gregory is married (11 July 1962); "This is Your Life" (12 December 1962); Cinderella (23 December 1964)

The Jubilee Years

In 1985, to celebrate the serial's 25th anniversary, two video tapes were released (again on Vestron Video), entitled "The Jubilee Years - Part One" and "The Jubilee Years - Part Two". These featured a previously unseen character Alice Hughes revisiting the Street to recall characters like Ena and Elsie and catch up on 'current happenings' with Ken and Deirdre Barlow, Betty Turpin and Hilda Ogden.

The Lives and Loves of Elsie Tanner

In 1987 "The Lives and Loves of Elsie Tanner" was released, with the characters of Mike Baldwin, Emily Bishop and Elsie's daughter, Linda, recalling Elsie's time on the Street. In this production it is hinted that Elsie has died, an event not referred to in the series proper. (Emily tells Linda that she was "sorry to hear about her mother"). Pat Phoenix, who played Elsie, had died the previous year.

1990s

30th anniversary set

In 1990, as a celebration for the serial's 30th anniversary, ten video tapes were released by Windsong Video Productions, each featuring four episodes from a specific year and introduced by someone who was close to the stories that year (for example, Betty Turpin's husband Cyril died in 1974, therefore Betty Driver hosted the 1974 tape). These tapes were initially distributed by Granada Video for viewing in the UK only, but were reissued on NTSC tape (a year later) for viewing in the US and Canada.

1980s

The 1980s box set was released on 14 November 2005.

traight to video

Granada has also produced a number of straight-to-video spin-off productions, which were screened on television only after having been available in shops for some time, as an incentive to buyers. The first "exclusive" tape, released in 1995 featuring a storyline aboard the QE2, caused a legal controversy when it was later broadcast. Subsequent releases have included carefully worded statements concerning future television broadcasting

As a result of this, the programme was dubbed "Con-A-Nation Street".Fact|date=August 2008

Further releases have included a crossover with "Emmerdale", and a United States-set special, "Viva Las Vegas!", released on VHS in 1999 and screened on ITV the following year. Written by Russell T. Davies ("Queer as Folk", "The Second Coming", "Doctor Who"), the special featured a guest cameo from actor Neville Buswell, who was then living in America, briefly reprising his role as Ray Langton.

Other soaps also did "straight-to-video" episodes - Emmerdale had one which featured Corrie's Reg Holdsworth making an appearance, Brookside did one with the Corkhills and even Hollyoaks got in on the act - most of these episodes have since been broadcast on the relevant channels - albeit somewhat behind the original story.