Dennis Tanner

Dennis Tanner
Coronation Street character
File:Phillip-lowrie-an1-236x300 thumb.jpg Philip Lowrie as Dennis Tanner.
Portrayed by	Philip Lowrie
Duration	1960–1962, 1963–1968, 2011—
First appearance	9 December 1960
Classification	Present; regular
Created by	Tony Warren
Introduced by	Stuart Latham (1960) H.V. Kershaw (1963) Phil Collinson (2011)
In-universe information Occupation Unemployed Father Arnold Tanner Mother Elsie Tanner Sisters Linda Cheveski Wife Jenny Sutton (1968–1974) Grandfathers Arthur Grimshaw Grandmothers Alice Grimshaw Aunts Fay Grimshaw Nephews Paul Cheveski Martin Cheveski First cousins Bernard Butler Sandra Butler

Dennis Tanner is a fictional character in British soap opera Coronation Street. He is played by Philip Lowrie. The character was created by writer Tony Warren and was introduced in the very first episode on 9 December 1960. Lowrie remained in the role for just over a year before being written out unexpectedly in 1962 when a strike by the actor's union Equity prevented new contracts being signed. Although the strike ended a few months later, Lowrie chose not to return until a year later. After a further five years, Lowrie became frustrated with the material his character was getting and chose not to renew his contract. Dennis departed Coronation Street on 12 June 1968, shortly after marrying girlfriend Jenny Sutton.

Introduced as a teenage tearaway, Dennis quickly became a reformed character and for most of his time on the show, Dennis was primarily used as the show's comic relief with his storylines revolving around his interest in show business, much to the annoyance of his mother Elsie (Patricia Phoenix). Dennis was later described as "immensely popular". It was announced in January 2011 that the character would be returning to the soap once again after a 43-year absence. His return aired on 12 May 2011.

Storylines

Backstory

Dennis is born on 1 April 1942 to Elsie and Arnold Tanner (Frank Crawshaw). When his parents' marriage collapses in 1945, Arnold leaves the family home and Elsie is forced to bring up Dennis and his older sister Linda (Anne Cunningham) on her own. Linda is often responsible for looking after Dennis while Elsie entertains various male friends. As a result, Dennis goes off the rails and frequently plays truant from school. He is eventually led into petty crime by new friend Jed Stone (Kenneth Cope), ending with both being sent to prison for six months in 1960.

1960–1973

Dennis first appears in episode one of Coronation Street, having just been released from prison for petty theft from a newsagents. He moves back in with his mother Elsie who becomes frustrated with Dennis' poor efforts to find a job. Shortly before Christmas 1960 he finds one at the Orinoco club, a somewhat seedy bar in Weatherfield, and begins his career in show business, despite having no real talent of his own. An old friend named Jed Stone returns to the street asking if Dennis is interested in some money to do a crime, Dennis turns him down. They later make up and become good friends. Dennis regularly brings home his work, a variety of circus acts he has booked for the club, which annoys Elsie and leads to several arguments. Dennis is later offered a spot as a singer and, performing under the pseudonym 'Ricky Dennis', he proves popular with the regulars. It is short-lived, however, when talent agent Lenny Phillips (John Barrie), who Dennis hoped would sign him, informs him that he isn't very good at singing. Lenny offers him a job as talent scout instead, and later, in March 1962, he offers Dennis the opportunity to head a new talent office in London. Dennis accepts and leaves Weatherfield.

Dennis returns in April 1963, and soon finds his new star back in his hometown. Window cleaner Walter Potts (Christopher Sandford) looks to be the key to Dennis' future when he reveals a talent for singing. Walter hires Dennis as his manager, but he loses Walter to another agency when Dennis doesn't sign him officially. Dennis is later moved to another club when Lenny's partner Laurie Fraser (Stanley Meadows) shows up, but by this point he has lost interest and decides to begin a new career in hairdressing. Whilst on his hairdressing course, he meets Sandra Petty (Heather Moore), a teenage girl who falls for him when he cuts her hair. Dennis isn't interested in Sandra, who proceeds to send a love letter to him professing her feelings, and manages to convince her he is engaged already. To his horror, Sandra later persuades her father Lionel (Edward Evans) to buy the Corner Shop and the Pettys moved in. Sandra continues in her efforts to win over Dennis, which she eventually does. He dates her for a while, but isn't too upset to see her leave when Lionel sells the shop and moves away a few months later.

Over the next year Dennis flits from job to job until Len Fairclough (Peter Adamson) gives him a job at the builder's yard, which ends when in true Dennis Tanner fashion, he sets Len's house on fire whilst decorating. He then moves on to Gamma Garments, working with Emily Nugent (Eileen Derbyshire) and begins an affair with Swedish colleague Inga Olsen (Gabrielle Drake), which costs him his job when they are caught in the store late at night. Dennis and Inga leave for Sweden soon after to meets her family, but he ends up returning with Inga's sister Karen (Jennie Woodford). It doesn't last long and Karen goes home. Dennis is left to his own devices in 1967 when Elsie marries Steve Tanner (Paul Maxwell). He takes in various lodgers and acts as he goes back into show business once again. Wild parties lead to Dennis' eviction, which he doesn't fight when he meets Jenny Sutton (Mitzi Rogers), a hippie girl who he has become besotted with. Jenny abruptly leaves for London a short while afterwards, and Dennis follows.

Dennis and Jenny return a few weeks later with the news that they're due to marry. He gets a job as a salesman and his dedication to his new work quickly gets Dennis a promotion. The couple marry in June, and swiftly move to Bristol for Dennis' new job. In 1974, Elsie is informed that Dennis has been arrested after conning old pensioners by claiming to being a door-to-door salesman. His wife Jenny leaves him, and Elsie goes to visit him. Dennis gets two years in prison for his crime.

2011—

In May 2011, teenagers Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) and Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson) volunteer at a soup kitchen for homeless people where they meet Dennis, unaware of his past on the street. He is too late for soup, so the girls take him back to the café. Later on, while Dennis is walking on the street, he spots "Dennis Tanner 1951" that he had carved into the window sill of No.11 many years before. A woman approaches him and looking up he sees old flame Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox), and she recognises him, but an embarrassed Dennis runs off.

The day after, Rita goes along to the soup kitchen and she and Dennis are reunited. Dennis informs Rita that Elsie and her husband Bill Gregory had died in a car crash seven to eight years previously. Rita, teary-eyed, tells Dennis how sorry she is. After a clean-up back at Rita's flat he accompanies her to the Rovers Return for a drink, and a chance to meet up with old friends Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Emily Bishop (Eileen Derbyshire). He also meets Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden), who takes a dislike to Dennis.

Creation and development

Casting

Dennis was one of the original characters created by Tony Warren when devising his new serial, then named Florizel Street. Warren had envisaged Dennis as the show's bad boy, and was initially attracted to the idea of casting himself in the role. Warren explained "It was a much better part than Ken, as originally written. There were infinite possibilities in Dennis that were never explored. The criminal side. In those streets there is always a bad 'un, a wrong 'un. And he was the wrong 'un." Producers auditioned several actors for the part, of which two were picked to play Dennis in the pilots. Both proved to be unsuitable and Dennis was one of the last characters to be cast. Eventually it was down to two actors, Kenneth Farrington and Philip Lowrie, who were called in for camera tests opposite Pat Phoenix, who was previously cast as Dennis' mother. Lowrie was chosen to play Dennis just days before rehearsals began, while Farrington was assured that despite not getting the part of Dennis, they wanted him to play another character due to be introduced later in the series, which turned out to be Billy Walker.

Lowrie remained in the series until he was written out in 1962, due a strike at the time which prevented him from signing a new contract. Since his contract was just slightly longer than most of his peers, it meant Dennis' exit was timed a little later than the other cast members who had to leave because of the strike. Lowrie had wanted to leave with his screen sister Anne Cunningham, who played Linda, at the end of 1961 but producers vetoed the idea as they didn't want all of Elsie's family deserting her at the same time. Lowrie returned to Coronation Street in 1963, and remained for a further five years, before tiring of the role and handing in his notice in 1968. In 2011, forty-three years after his last appearance, it was announced Dennis is to return to the Street, after Philip Lowrie agreed to reprise the role. He has signed an initial six-month contract.

Characterisation

Dennis was originally written as the local villain, but once cast, Lowrie's portrayal put a twist to Tony Warren's original scripts. It was commented in The Coronation Street Story, a 35th anniversary celebratory book, that Lowrie has such immense charm that bubbled over into the character. Lowrie recalls a conversation with producer Harry Latham who commended him on his performance, saying he "gave it some comedy", and that he was glad as they had once been considering writing the character out. John Dingwall of the Daily Record again notes the actor's "knack for comedy". Lowrie said upon his return in 2011: "It feels good to be back. Dennis is a really wonderful character to play because he's a lovable rogue, but there's a depth to him too."