Dennis Tanner to return to Coronation Street

Speculation is rife that ITV Granada are to reintroduce the original character to the storyline.

Dennis with mother Elsie in the sixties.

According to reports original Coronation Street cast member Phillip Lowrie is set to return to the cobbles of Weatherfield to reprise his role of Dennis Tanner.

An original cast member is heading back to Coronation Street to reprise a role he hasn’t played for over forty years. The Sun is reporting that actor Phillip Lowrie is to return to the ITV Granada saga to reprise his role of Dennis Tanner.

The character was the on-screen son of Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and was the ‘wheeler and dealer’ type of the show’s early days. Dennis was always coming up with some scheme or another to make his fortune, which often would fail, much to his mother’s constant dismay.

Rita and Dennis in 1964.

“Dennis’s return will throw the cat among the pigeons. Ken was always sparring with Dennis in the old days. They are still chalk and cheese. Dennis was involved in dodgy dealing, theft, fights and spent time in borstal. He was the bane of mum Elsie’s life.” – A “source” quoted in The Sun

Phillip Lowrie played Dennis from the show’s opening episode until 1968 when he left the soap. On-screen the character moved to Bristol and was not seen again. One of Dennis ‘friends’ in those early days was Jed Stone (Kenneth Cope) who was brought in 2008 as part of a storyline involving nasty Tony Gordon (Gray O’Brien).

Dennis, Rita and Emily in Coronation Street, vintage 1964.