Philip Lowrie (born Colin Philip Lowrie; 20 June 1936) is an English television actor. He played Dennis Tanner, the son of Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street, from 1960 until 1968. He reappeared in the Street, playing the same character, in 2011.

Lowrie is the son of Philip Lowrie, a foreman in a paper mill, and his wife Bertha (née Collins). When he left secondary school, his mother managed to save enough money to pay his fees at RADA where he studied for three years.

In addition to the Coronation Street role, Lowrie also did the voice over and auditions for the popular Channel Four TV Quiz Fifteen to One. He was a regular performer on Victoria Wood's TV shows: All Day Breakfast, The Mall, Pat and Margaret, Live In Your Own Room, We'd Like To Apologise, As Seen On TV and Wood and Walters. Other television appearances include: Andy Capp (1988), Crown Court (1975), War and Peace (1972), East Lynne (1976), The Cuckoo Waltz (1977), The Liver Birds (1978), Galloping Galaxies (1986) and Doctors (2005).

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".

Stephanie Cole, OBE (born 5 October 1941) is an English stage, television, radio and film actress, best known for playing characters a great deal older than her actual age.

Born in Solihull, Warwickshire. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 1958–1960 and went on to consolidate her acting skills in repertory theatres around the United Kingdom. She made her stage debut at the age of seventeen playing the 45 - 65 year-old Madame Arcati in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit. At the age of 63 she returned to the same role when the play was revived at the West End's Savoy Theatre in 2004.

One of her most recognised and popular roles was of Dr Beatrice Mason in the 1980s television series Tenko, a drama which chronicled the lives of British women in Singapore after the Japanese invasion and their consequent confinement in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. The series was explicit in its portrayal of the horrific conditions and brutality faced by the women during their imprisonment, and dealt with issues such as rape, stillbirth, lesbianism, suicide, abortion and euthanasia. Cole played the role of the stern, officious yet kindly doctor over three series and a one-off special between 1981 and 1985.

Victoria Wood CBE (born 19 May 1953) is an English comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano. Much of her humour is grounded in everyday life, and includes references to popular British media and brand names of quintessentially British products. She is noted for her skills in observing culture, and in satirising social classes.

She started her career in 1974 by winning the ATV talent show New Faces. It wasn't until the 1980s that she began to establish herself as a comedy star, with the award-winning television series Victoria Wood As Seen On TV and became one of Britain's most popular stand-up comedians. In 1998, she wrote and starred in the (again, award-winning) sitcom dinnerladies. In 2006, she won two BAFTA awards for her one-off drama for ITV1, Housewife, 49. Wood frequently works with long-term collaborators Julie Walters, Duncan Preston and Celia Imrie.