What is Coronation Street?
{{italictitle}} [[File:Rovers Return tour.jpg|thumb|Coronation Street]] '''''Coronation Street '''''(commonly known as '''''Corrie''''') is the longest-running television [[soap opera]] in the world. It began on 9 December 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelly|first=Emma|date=2021-09-14|title=The Longest Running Soap Operas in the History of Television|url=https://www.newsweek.com/longest-running-soap-operas-television-history-general-hospital-coronation-street-1628264|access-date=2023-12-09|website=Newsweek|language=en}}</ref> It is one of the two most popular soap operas in the UK, the other being ''[[EastEnders]]'' (since 1985). It has won many [[award]]s. It is set in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city [[Salford]]. It is currently filmed in [[Salford Quays]], It used to be filmed at [[Granada Studios]] in [[Manchester]] from 1960 to 2014. [[William Roache]] has played [[Ken Barlow]] in it since the very first episode in 1960 by [[Tony Warren]]. He has acted in the show for longer than anyone else. [[Eileen Derbyshire]], who played [[Emily Bishop]], started in 1961 and departed in 2016 and returned for one appearance in 2019. [[Rita Sullivan]] played by [[Barbara Knox]] first appeared in one episode in 1964 and returned in 1972 and has continued as a regular cast member ever since. [[Gail Platt]] played by [[Helen Worth]], who was at first meant to be a very small character, has appeared continuously since 1974. There are six half-hour episodes a week: two on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There have been more than 5000 characters in the show's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-and-tv/coronation-street-50-years-50-899945|title=Coronation Street 50 Years: 50 fascinating facts from Weatherfield|first=Manchester Evening|last=News|date=19 November 2010|publisher=}}</ref> The soap opera is shown in many countries around the world. In the UK it is on [[ITV1|ITV]], the third television channel. [[Compare The Market]] was the show's [[sponsor]] from 2012 unt