That whole scene is incredible, the little unspoken things. Ena seeing Ken's face and immediately knowing the worst has happened, Billy's (almost imperceptible) signal to Ena that they should leave them alone, her gently touching Ken's arm as she leaves. No dialogue required, brilliant acting.
William Roache gives a heartbreaking performance in the scene where Ken is walking through the ruins of his apartment and picks up the faulty plug that took Val's life. You can see in that moment as Ken is holding the plug, how his life has been turned upside down because of one simple object and how senseless this tragedy was........
Great general point, though what he actually picks up is Val's powder compact - all the plug stuff would have been taken away to work out the cause of her death.
I love Ena. She is a lady of enormous life experience. Grew up in a tough world when and where small things mattered, appreciated and were considered a blessing. Despite what we see, she has a heart of gold.
It really is unbelievable to think that William Roache has been on Coronation Street since the very beginning.Looking at this is like another world.His run on the show is quiet incredible.
First time I’ve ever seen this episode , very sad and well written scenes especially with Ken crying in the flat with the voiceovers from previous episodes with Valerie .
I`ve always admired William`s acting ability - ever since seeing and hearing Ken`s row with Deirdre over her affair with Mike Baldwin, though I was hardly more than a child at the time. He seems particularly good at playing the vexed and troubled. The parts, if you like, at life`s extremities. Ken Barlow is so real.
Sitting here crying my eyes out over Val knowing that she is ok and I can watch Anne Reid on my Dinnerladies DVD later. Thank you for these videos. It's humbling to watch. xx 🥺
Very moving episode. Though I had to smile at the two young kids going off in a rickety old van to Glasgow all sitting in the front with no seat belts! How times have changed
It was in colour before this (1969) but there was industrial action at ITV between November 1970 and February 1971 and they switched off the colour tubes on the cameras!
@@justindodsworth8893 I remembered that not long after I posted the comment. I have the box set for upstairs downstairs and pretty much the whole first series was filmed in both colour and black and white, which gave a few problems with continuity. For some reason I thought that colour was a tribute to my birth😂
I stopped watching the day after Derdries funeral and only ever watched one single episode after that - the one where Mrs Bishop left the street for good - I made a point of watching it out of respect for the actress who played Mrs Bishop
We all watched Corrie back then and of course The USA gave us Paton Place with the wonderful Dorothy Malone which most of us watched also - I was only a kid but i remember it was must see tv back then for my mum and dad
Kens had more tragedy then affairs and tho The affairs were crude of him to do Tragedy came first in the show for him from His mum to David and Val Susan Dederie and neally loosing Peter due to the tram crash u Can only feel sorry for him
If this happens nowadays, viewers kick up a fuss and complain like hell and brand it "depressing"... But high octane drama has always been a factor of the Street... It's a drama serial, so it has to be expected to have "drama" in it.
Yes, but any depressing situations were relatable and plausible. It seems that now the soaps are littered with murders almost on a weekly basis, which is not only depressing but gratuitous.
Or some people object to such happenings that don't involve an original cast member. Also, just like any other drama serial, it has to move on with the world, and what's happening... therefore, in 2023, it cannot be set in a world where there is no such thing as social, no rising cost of living problems & the Manchester bombings never happened.
Given that both actors are still alive and working, it's possible Ken and Val could have gone the distance (with a few bumps along the way - it is a soap after all) and in doing so, they would have had the longest fictional marriage on television (at more than six decades) I suspect the writers would have used the same storyline (with the Barlows emigrating) if Bill Roache had chosen to leave as well except in this case, they would have all made to Jamaica safely.
The Ken and Albert scene is staggering - perfect writing and acting.
That whole scene is incredible, the little unspoken things. Ena seeing Ken's face and immediately knowing the worst has happened, Billy's (almost imperceptible) signal to Ena that they should leave them alone, her gently touching Ken's arm as she leaves. No dialogue required, brilliant acting.
@@yorkie471x3 Yes, perfect comment, thank you.
William Roache gives a heartbreaking performance in the scene where Ken is walking through the ruins of his apartment and picks up the faulty plug that took Val's life.
You can see in that moment as Ken is holding the plug, how his life has been turned upside down because of one simple object and how senseless this tragedy was........
Great general point, though what he actually picks up is Val's powder compact - all the plug stuff would have been taken away to work out the cause of her death.
For all her image of being a battleaxe, Ena certainly shows her caring side in this episode
She's seen things and she knows things.
Enas awesome
I love Ena. She is a lady of enormous life experience. Grew up in a tough world when and where small things mattered, appreciated and were considered a blessing. Despite what we see, she has a heart of gold.
Amazing acting from William Roache and Jack Howarth. Poor Ken and Albert😔
Bill Roache is a much better actor than he gets credit for. He is especially wonderful here.
Brilliantly written by Geoffrey Lancashire, Sarah's father.
It really is unbelievable to think that William Roache has been on Coronation Street since the very beginning.Looking at this is like another world.His run on the show is quiet incredible.
First time I’ve ever seen this episode , very sad and well written scenes especially with Ken crying in the flat with the voiceovers from previous episodes with Valerie .
I`ve always admired William`s acting ability - ever since seeing and hearing Ken`s row with Deirdre over her affair with Mike Baldwin, though I was hardly more than a child at the time. He seems particularly good at playing the vexed and troubled. The parts, if you like, at life`s extremities.
Ken Barlow is so real.
Dear god. Coronation Street was that brilliant once.
Now it's awful
A cartoon in comparison to then.
Sitting here crying my eyes out over Val knowing that she is ok and I can watch Anne Reid on my Dinnerladies DVD later. Thank you for these videos. It's humbling to watch. xx 🥺
Been looking for this episode for ages thank you
Heartbreaking and classic episode
12:13, somebody's nicked albert's staircase
Ena was a sweet heart .and would be a great person to have as a friend she could also be a iron fist in a velvet glove
The days When When 22million people had to wait almost a week to find out who nicked a Fiver out of Emily Bishop's Purse...😎🏴
There was not much choice without the Internet or other channels LOL!
Better than the woke b******s they serve up nowadays
Better quality of tv in 1970 s
Very moving episode. Though I had to smile at the two young kids going off in a rickety old van to Glasgow all sitting in the front with no seat belts! How times have changed
William Roche...top notch!!
A sad and harrowing episode. The community spirit shone through.
Spot the error in the closing titles - the character of Betty Turpin/Driver has been mixed up!
🤣Great spot!!
Is there the episode of Val's funeral and Frank Barlow's last appearance before Frank Pembertons death
I was born in 1971, very different times. It went colour not long after this episode, probably got the viewing figures up.
It was in colour before this (1969) but there was industrial action at ITV between November 1970 and February 1971 and they switched off the colour tubes on the cameras!
@@justindodsworth8893 I remembered that not long after I posted the comment. I have the box set for upstairs downstairs and pretty much the whole first series was filmed in both colour and black and white, which gave a few problems with continuity. For some reason I thought that colour was a tribute to my birth😂
@@_v-. Yeah, I also remember watching Budgie with Adam Faith which was half B/W and half colour.
10:25 - Well bottoms up Albert, worse things happen at sea eh?
I would have thought that where Val was electrocuted would have been cordoned off.
Oh nobody bothered about anything back then
Best years of coronation street in my opinion stem from 1960 to 2010 and from there it collapsed
I stopped watching the day after Derdries funeral and only ever watched one single episode after that - the one where Mrs Bishop left the street for good - I made a point of watching it out of respect for the actress who played Mrs Bishop
I am watching these great shows on a binge twice over loved it. The new eras are just awful! This acting! From the USA
We all watched Corrie back then and of course The USA gave us Paton Place with the wonderful Dorothy Malone which most of us watched also - I was only a kid but i remember it was must see tv back then for my mum and dad
Percy Sugden reminded me a bit of Albert Tatlock.
Kens had more tragedy then affairs and tho The affairs were crude of him to do Tragedy came first in the show for him from His mum to David and Val Susan Dederie and neally loosing Peter due to the tram crash u Can only feel sorry for him
Yes his dead mum dad brother three wives daughter mother in law uncle by marriage and nephew - the list is endless
Ray, Len and Billy. Did they get a job lot of those coats?
If this happens nowadays, viewers kick up a fuss and complain like hell and brand it "depressing"... But high octane drama has always been a factor of the Street...
It's a drama serial, so it has to be expected to have "drama" in it.
Yes, but any depressing situations were relatable and plausible. It seems that now the soaps are littered with murders almost on a weekly basis, which is not only depressing but gratuitous.
Or some people object to such happenings that don't involve an original cast member.
Also, just like any other drama serial, it has to move on with the world, and what's happening... therefore, in 2023, it cannot be set in a world where there is no such thing as social, no rising cost of living problems & the Manchester bombings never happened.
15:49 End Of Part One ❤
Ironic to think that the only 2 still Alive are Ken and his wife.
And Billy Walker (Ken Farrington)
And Irma Barlow
I wonder if Valerie had survived whether her and Ken would have still been married now. Would he have left her for Janet or Deirdre?
Given that both actors are still alive and working, it's possible Ken and Val could have gone the distance (with a few bumps along the way - it is a soap after all) and in doing so, they would have had the longest fictional marriage on television (at more than six decades)
I suspect the writers would have used the same storyline (with the Barlows emigrating) if Bill Roache had chosen to leave as well except in this case, they would have all made to Jamaica safely.
I think Ken would have stayed happily married to Val …
No i doubt they would have stayed together - you could already feel Valerie finding Ken and his pompous ways a bit much at times
23.00 Len has more make up than Annie😊
The 'children' of Coronation Street couldn't ever act.