The soaps are a prime time staple and draw impressive viewing figures year on year. However the advent of streaming services, a multi channel TV landscape and watch on demand means they ae unlikely to ever reach the astronomical viewing figures they garnered in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Indeed some of the most watched programmes in UK TV history are episodes of soap operas from this era. With no internet spoilers available and no repeats, people had to sit down and actually watch at the time of broadcast, or risk not knowing what everyone was talking about in work the next day.
has trawled through the TV archives to find the 10 most watched soap episodes of all time and unsurprisingly they all come from that halcyon era with and dominating the top ten.
10. Rita Littlewood’s first appearance, – 21.3 million viewers, December 1964
Played by the iconic Barbara Knox this character is best known to modern viewers of as Rita Tanner. Nowadays she is a stalwart on the cobbles and and the grand dame of Weatherfield. However her first appearance saw her playing a belly dancer at the Viaduct Sporting Club and drew an impressiive audience. This was a one off appearance and it would be eight years before she returned to the Street full time in January 1972.
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Over 30 million people watched Den Watts serve wife Angie with divorce papers on Christmas Day 1986 (Image: BBC)
9. Bet Lynch becomes manageress of the Rovers Return, – 21.4 million viewers, January 1985
The episode where iconic barmaid Bet Lynch (played by Julie Goodyear) finally became manageress of the Rovers Return drew a whoping audience as things finally seemed to be on the up for the popular barmaid. Sadly she departed the cobbles (temporarily) just nine months later when she couldn’t afford to buy the pub from the brewery.
8. Alec Gilroy returns from his cruise, – 21.5 million viewers, January 1992
Over 20 million fans tuned in to see Alec Gilroy (Roy Barraclough) return from a cruise and reunite with Bet. However shortly after this he was offered a job as entertainment manager on a cruise liner and deprted Weatherfield.
7. Mike Baldwin gives Alma Halliwell the café, – 22 million viewers, Janaury 1992
January 1992 was a good month for viewing figures as a second episode drew massive figures to watch as factory owner Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) give his on/off lover Alma Halliwell (Amanda Barrie) the lease to the café.
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Coronation Street’s Barbara Knox appears in the countdown twice (Image: ITV)
6. Cassie Carpenter gets beaten up, – 23 million viewers, Boxing Day 1985
first entry on the list cames in their first year. Having launched in February 1985, their Boxing Day episode saw tearaway teen Cassie Carpenter (Delanie Forbe) turn up at her door with a bloodied face after being beaten up.
5: Mark Fowler reveals he’s HIV positive to his sister, – 24 million viewers, January 1992
A groundbreaking storyline which saw Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) admit he was HIV positive pulled in massive viewers as he struggled to tell his sister Michelle (Susan Tully) about his diagnosis. HIV and AIDS was very much taboo at the time and this storyline broke down barriers.
4. Hilda Ogden’s departure, – 26.6 million viewers, Christmas Day 1987
fans were heartbroken on Christmas Day 1987 when one of the most memorable and iconic characters of all time departed the cobbles. Viewers had their tissues out to hand as they watched Hilda Ogden (Jean Alexander) leave Weatherfield for good.
3. Alan Bradley is killed by tram, – 26 million viewers, December 1989
Barbara Knox’s Rita apperas in her second episode in the countdown as her abusive husband Alan Bradley (Mark Eden) got his comeuppance in Blackpool when a tram ran him over while he was chasing her across the tracks.
2. Michelle Fowler reveals she’s pregnant, – 28 million viewers, New Year’s Day 1986
Also getting a second mention in the countdown is Susan Tully’s Michelle Fowler who had viewers glued to their screens as she announced she was pregnant on New Year’s Day in 1986, much to the disappointment of her parents Pauline and Arthur Fowler. She refused to tell them who the father was but it was later revealed to be “‘Dirty’ Den Watts (Leslie Grantham).
1. Den serves Angie with divorce papers, – 30 million viewers, Christmas Day 1986
This storyline has gone down in soap legend due to the massive viewing figures it achieved. Queen Vic landlord ‘Dirty’ Den Watts shocked his wife Angie (Anita Dobson) by serving her divorce papers after finding out she had invented a terminal illness to stop him leaving her.