Episode 10000/1 (7th February 2020)

## Plot

**Part One:** A parcel has been delivered to The Kabin flat for Rita. As the neighbours go about their daily business, Jenny collects it and brings it to Rita in the Rovers. She's thrown to find that it's a funeral urn containing the ashes of the recently deceased Dennis Tanner with a request that she scatter them in Blackpool. Although upset to be given the task, she determines to do it that day. She confides in Jenny that she feels old and alone with the loss of friends such as Mavis, Bet, Norris, Emily and now Dennis. Jenny can see how upset she is. Geoff puts on a chirpy demeanour in front of Tim and makes a special breakfast for Yasmeen. Tim is down about Sally's knockback. Ken and Claudia make plans for a change in their lives. A tearful Rita turns up at No.1 with the news of Dennis's death. Roy worries that Nina will leave again. The letter with the ashes says that Dennis died of dementia and Linda is once more living in Canada. Ken can see that Rita wants him to accompany her. A bored Amy turns sixteen. She's touched to receive a charm bracelet from her godparents Roy and Hayley, the latter having written the card before her death six years ago in preparation for the event. Jenny rings round the neighbours with a plan she has concocted. Invited by Jenny, Carla tells Nina she's coming with them on a trip to Blackpool. Ken brings Rita into the Rovers where Jenny, Gail, Sally and Sean are gathered as emotional support for her. A luxurious party bus, driven by Jenny's incontinent friend Disco Des, turns up to collect them for the journey to Blackpool. Audrey, Eileen and Mary also join the party and Eileen makes sure that Yasmeen gets on the bus, which she does with a spending allowance of just £5 for the day from Geoff. Tracy gets herself, Amy and Emma on board and Evelyn also pushes in on the event. The coach sets off with Rita acknowledging that Dennis made her happy once and she'd determined to give him the sign-off he deserves.

**Part Two:** Mary navigates and criticises the long route the driver takes. The passengers enjoy the music and happy atmosphere on board. Rita makes an announcement over the microphone thanking her friends for taking the trouble to come with her and Jenny breaks open the Prosecco. Evelyn quickly gets drunk as the party sings to the tracks being played. Ken sees that Rita is distant as she looks at the rings that Dennis gave her. Yasmeen abstains from the alcohol. Eileen questions her about being locked in the magic box and Mary upsets her when she waxes on about the claustrophobia she must have suffered. Upset by an article about Tim's bigamous marriage she's seen in the *Gazette*, Sally refuses to answer his calls. Needing another comfort break, Des calls into a country pub.

**Part Three:** The travellers take advantage of the stop to enjoy the bar. Audrey almost spoils the atmosphere when she remembers the torch that Alf always carried for Rita while Ken admits he still misses Deirdre every day. Evelyn winds Nina up and she storms off when her skirt is accidentally ripped. Unhappy with the course that his life has taken, Ken confides in Rita and Audrey that he's thinking of moving into a retirement home with Claudia. They think he's making a mistake, but he's found the events of recent months too much to take. Carla goes after Nina who is determined to hitchhike back home. She tells her to stop feeling sorry for herself and also to stop causing Roy such trouble. Her words cause her to come back to the coach in a far better frame of mind and it sets off once more. It doesn't get far before Des needs to stop again. After speaking to Geoff, Yasmeen gets him to put Tim on the phone where he tells Sally how much he loves her and how he regrets messing things up. Outside the coach, Des has a heart attack and an ambulance is called. Rita's had enough of the constantly interrupted journey and determines to drive the coach herself. Failing that, she waits at a bus stop for public transport, telling Sally how much she should cherish what she has in Tim. The ambulance arrives and promptly drives over the urn which Rita had left in the road, scattering the ashes everywhere.

**Part Four:** Mary drives the coach back home, telling a thoughtful Yasmeen how lucky she is to have Geoff to return to. Sean tells Eileen how much she's hurt him in recent times by her neglect of him. Emma breaks the news to her that in their absence, Seb's moved into the flat with her, leaving Sean's old room free. Rita's realised how much she's surrounded by thoughtful friends. A pleased Nina is included in an invitation to go back to No.1 for cake for Amy's birthday. Rita gives a delighted Amy her old rings from Dennis, including one that used to belong to Elsie, who she describes as a very special lady. Tim welcomes Sally back with open arms and they are reconciled. Yasmeen cries as Geoff welcomes her back. The adults go to the Rovers where they toast neighbours and friends. Sean moves back into No.11. After hours, Rita remembers voices from the Rovers' past and cries, telling Jenny how much she means to her. However, she's determined to move back to her own flat tomorrow. Walking Eccles, Ken decides it's time to move on himself after eighty years living on the street.

## Cast

### Regular cast

* Ruby Dobbs - Macy Alabi *(10000 only)*
* Hope Stape - Isabella Flanagan *(10000 only)*
* Mary Taylor - Patti Clare
* Eileen Grimshaw - Sue Cleaver
* Sean Tully - Antony Cotton
* Evelyn Plummer - Maureen Lipman
* Asha Alahan - Tanisha Gorey
* Jenny Connor - Sally Ann Matthews
* Gail Rodwell - Helen Worth
* Sally Metcalfe - Sally Dynevor
* Rita Tanner - Barbara Knox
* Geoff Metcalfe - Ian Bartholomew
* Yasmeen Metcalfe - Shelley King
* Tim Metcalfe - Joe Duttine
* Claudia Colby - Rula Lenska
* Ken Barlow - William Roache
* Roy Cropper - David Neilson
* Carla Connor - Alison King
* Aggie Bailey - Lorna Laidlaw *(10000 only)*
* Nina Lucas - Mollie Gallagher
* Tracy McDonald - Kate Ford
* Amy Barlow - Elle Mulvaney
* Emma Brooker - Alexandra Mardell
* Liz McDonald - Beverley Callard *(10000 only)*
* Audrey Roberts - Sue Nicholls

## Notes

* This landmark hour-long episode was broadcast at 7.30pm and has two production codes, P694/10000 and P694/10001.
* A deliberate reference is made to Episode 1 (9th December 1960) when Hope Stape and Ruby Dobbs are in the first scene playing next to the corner shop and chanting the exact same rhyme as the two young girls in December 1960 during the opening moments of the programme.
* The initial scene of the coach on its journey was recorded near Mancunian Way and on Princess Parkway in Manchester, whereas the scenes in the country pub were recorded in the Royal Arms in Ryal Fold, Darwen, Lancashire on the 11th and 12th December 2019. Other scenes of the coach on the roads were recorded near Rivington Pike with the pigeon tower featured in the background.
* Numerous songs were heard in the coach as it progressed towards Blackpool, some of which became incidental music over shots of the coach on the road. The foremost tracks were, in order, *Pray* by  Take That, *We Like to Party!* by The Vengaboys, *Rock the Boat* by The Hues Corporation, *I’m Every Woman* by Chaka Khan, *Hit the Road Jack* by Ray Charles, *Something Got Me Started* by Simply Red, *Only You* by Yazoo, *Valerie* by Amy Winehouse, *Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)* by Beyoncé and *Just Another Day* by Jon Secada. A further track used over several scenes once the party was back in Weatherfield was *King of the Road* by Roger Miller.
* Towards the end of the episode, Rita Tanner walks through the empty Rovers and thinks back to old times. To illustrate the scene, snippets of soundtracks from the following episodes were heard: Episode 3307 (20th November 1991) (Alec and Bet Gilroy); Episode 1771 (4th January 1978) (Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker and Rita); Episode 1757 (16th November 1977) (Betty Turpin and Rita); Episode 2346 (26th September 1983) (Mavis Riley and Rita); Episode 8411 (23rd June 2014) (Dennis Tanner); Episode 2251 (27th October 1982) (Hilda Ogden and Annie): and, Episode 1609 (16th June 1976) (Rita, Bet and Betty).
* Several additional references are made to past characters and storylines within the episode: Jenny Connor sees Rita Tanner cleaning the bar of the Rovers and tells her, "put your dishcloth down, Hilda"; Rita remembers Dennis Tanner leaving her and driving off with Gloria Price from Episode 8328 (21st February 2014); Amy Barlow mentions a teenage Tracy McDonald moving in with the older Craig Lee which occurred in Episode 3601 (1st October 1993); Eileen Grimshaw refers to Julie Carp investigating her family's links to Elsie Tanner's family which began in Episode 7634 (27th June 2011); Rita recalls working in the Orinoco Club which featured in her very first appearance in Episode 415 (2nd December 1964); Dennis's 1951 autographed carving in the windowsill of 11 Coronation Street is seen and discussed; the camera pans up from Eileen's red telephone (referencing Elsie Tanner's trait of always having one herself); and, Rita tells Jenny that some people might be ready for the knacker yard but she isn't, referencing a famous quote by Elsie Tanner in the first episode.
* In the final scene on the street after Ken Barlow enters No.1, the picture turns momentarily to monochrome before the end credits run. These were scrolled down, rather than displayed in individual blocks, and were run over a selection of the end credit photographs used in the programme from 1960, 1975 and 1990.
* *TV Times* synopsis: Rita is surprised when a parcel arrives containing Dennis's ashes and a note requesting that she scatter them in Blackpool. Jenny books the coach and invites many of the residents to join them, but the trip is not without incident.
* Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast: 7,496,953 viewers (7th place).

## Notable dialogue

Claudia Colby: "Me in Blackpool? Good Lord, no. Like Vegas for the poor."

Sean Tully: "When I was your age, a day trip to Blackpool would have been the highlight of my year."

Amy Barlow: "Well, lot's changed since they invented the combustion engine."

Gail Rodwell (wearing black): "I'm a bit surprised that there's only me and... Carla's friend come dressed for the occasion."

Nina Lucas: "I always dress like this."

Evelyn Plummer: "So, it's just you then really, in't it?"

Gail Rodwell: "Well, I'm just being respectful that we're laying Rita's husband to rest. I mean, there are ways of doing these things."

Eileen Grimshaw: "She should know..."

Ken Barlow: "I was born at number 3, Coronation Street and I got as far as next door. That must be some kind of cosmic joke."

Rita Tanner: "Do you know... I was just thinking of all the people who had this place - Mrs Walker, Bet, Jack and Vera, Hilda singing them daft songs while she were cleanin', Betty an' all them hotpots - all of them gone now. All of them, and they all left a little something 'ere, didn't they? It's in these walls - the fabric of the place."