The 10,000th episode of Coronation Street will air on Friday 7th February, with the residents heading for Blackpool on a special mission.
Producer Iain MacLeod said: “10,000 episodes! Not bad for a programme which one newspaper said in 1960 was ‘doomed from the outset.’
“I am first and foremost a massive fan of the show and I watched this landmark episode with absolute glee. It is uniquely Corrie: funny, poignant and characterful – and a glorious homage to the comedic charabanc trips of times past, packed with strong female characters and sparkling dialogue.
“It’s a really great exhibition of Coronation Street’s classic qualities as we start a new decade on the cobbles.”
The special episode begins with Rita receiving a parcel containing the ashes of her estranged husband, Dennis Tanner, along with a note requesting she scatter them in Blackpool. She confides in Ken, who agrees to go with her.
Deciding a day trip is something everyone would enjoy, Jenny books a coach and invites a group residents to join them. Amy, Audrey, Carla, Eileen, Emma, Evelyn, Gail, Jenny, Ken, Mary, Nina, Sean, Tracy, Sally, Yasmeen and Rita, clutching Dennis’s urn, set off for Blackpool.
The day out is a “comedy of errors from the start”, with the coach turning out to be a blacked-out party bus driven by grumpy driver Des, played by John Henshaw.
“Memories are shared, secrets aired and tensions rise as it starts to look as though they won’t make it to Blackpool before nightfall, if at all,” ITV says.
“By the end of the trip lives will have changed and one resident realises the time has come to leave the cobbles for pastures new!”
Coronation Street is the world’s longest-running serial drama.
