Coronation Street in 1967 1967 was " Coronation Street " ' s eighth year . Production . Cancellation threat . H . V . Kershaw produced the series until Episode 674 , transmitted on 31st May . He then stepped into the role of executive producer , with Jack Rosenthal producing until Episode 724 . Michael Cox then took over , with Kershaw replaced by Richard Everitt with Episode 731 , transmitted on 18th December . For the only time in its history , " Coronation Street " was in serious danger of cancellation . Ratings had fallen by two million viewers in two years , and this - combined with the mass demolition of real - world terraced streets to make way for modern housing - caused Granada executives to feel that the programme was nearing the end of its natural life . According to staff writer John Finch in " " ( 2010 ) , internally executives were " blasé " about " Coronation Street " ' s high ratings and wanted to be seen doing something different . With " Pardon the Expression " achieving moderate success , plans were drawn up to end " Coronation Street " and follow its lead by creating three new spin - off s starring its most popular characters : a romantic comedy with Len Fairclough , Elsie Tanner and their lodger Jerry Booth , an Australia - set drama with Ken and Valerie Barlow , and a series set in a Derbyshire guest house run by Jack and Annie Walker , featuring Lucille Hewitt and housekeeper Ena Sharples . The need for change was further established when " Coronation Street " attempted its most ambitious storyline yet : a goods train collapsing the viaduct and crashing onto the Street , burying some characters alive and sparking a rescue effort . As it was all recorded in studio , careful lighting and direction was used to conceal this fact , and the story was a success . However , resources had been pushed to their absolute limit to pull it off , and in a time when ATV ' s new soap opera " Market in Honey Lane " had its own backlot , and the first colour TV transmissions had taken place on BBC Two on 1st July , it was clear to all that if the programme was to continue , it would need an outdoor set . Ultimately , " Coronation Street " was granted a reprieve . Producer Michael Cox and executive producer Richard Everitt were appointed late in the year with a mandate to update the programme , and Granada started searching for a location to build a set . An appropriate site was found in an old railway yard owned by British Rail , situated behind the back of the studio building in Grape Street . The yard contained the prerequisite cobbles and railway viaduct , which Granada was not willing to build . The yard was rented from British Rail and , at the end of the year , work began on weatherproofing the wooden studio street to be erected there . Notable events . The other big storyline of 1967 was the lavish wedding of Elsie Tanner and her wartime sweetheart Steve Tanner , American serviceman . This was the first wedding in " Coronation Street " history where the full ceremony was shown , spread over two episodes which were notably preceded by the first episode of the programme to be made entirely on location , depicting a daytrip by the women to Tatton Park and a booze - up on a barge involving the men . Granada pulled out all the stops to promote the episodes , giving a press release announcing the details of the wedding as if it were real , and " TV Times " released a special 32 - page magazine entitled " Coronation Street Wedding Souvenir " , the first magazine or booklet ever printed about the programme . As the episodes were recorded close to publication , the cast was assembled at St . Margaret ’ s Church in Whalley Range , Manchester to pose for photographs especially for the magazine . In the actual episode , the wedding photographer was Ernest Bishop , played by Stephen Hancock in his debut as Emily ' s future husband . He returned for more regular appearances in 1969 . In March , Frank Pemberton reprised the role of Frank Barlow after a three - year absence . Pemberton appeared in Episode 652 , which was a test to see if he was well enough to come back on a full - time basis following a stroke he had suffered on 24th February 1965 . The idea went no further as Mr Pemberton was plainly still ill , only able to act in a short scene of under two minutes while seated and unable to use his left arm . He made one further appearance on 3rd February 1971 before his death on 26th March of that year . Although the mooted spin - offs were dropped , a second " Coronation Street " spin - off was developed again starring Arthur Lowe as Leonard Swindley . All six episodes of " Turn out the Lights " were screened between January and February 1967 , continuing the misadventures of Mr . Swindley as he travels the country with Wally Hunt ( Robert Dorning , " Pardon the Expression " ) speaking professionally on astrology , stumbling across supernatural mysteries as he does so . The series was not well received and marked Lowe ' s final appearance as his " Coronation Street " character before going on to greater fame as Captain George Mainwaring in the BBC sitcom " Dad ' s Army " . Viewing figures . Average ratings fell for the third year in a row , to 16 . 14 million viewers , although six months saw year - on - year increases from 1966 . The biggest drops occurred in the first four months of the year , especially February and March which saw falls of almost four million viewers on 1966 . The averages in these months is explained by the BBC airing the popular comedy series " Till Death Us Do Part " directly against " Coronation Street " . The much - publicized Tanner wedding in September drew the biggest audience of the year , with the episodes gaining audiences figures of 9 . 45 and 9 . 2 million homes . These were the only episodes seen in over nine million homes since 2nd February 1966 and the last until 31st January 1977 . The second episode - which also featured the death of Harry Hewitt - was repeated on 20th September , advertised as " Coronation Street - Wedding of the Year " . 27 episodes reached number one in the viewing charts , an increase of five over 1966 . Who lives where . Coronation Street Mawdsley Street