What's so special about Elsie Tanner?

I agree with the rest!! not only cause I found out she's my great aunty but she did entertain young people back in the days when she was on telly!! my ideal of the new Elsie Tanner got to be someone that really has that powerful feature in them and that what made Elsie Tanner a great character but Pat Phoenix acting is what makes it more vocal!! There will not be an actress who could possible be as good as pat was!!

I recall when Bill Podmore was producer talking about the dispute the show had with Pat Phoenix over the actress making herself more glamourous than the producers wanted the character to be. For example, if the scene called for Elsie to have her hair in rollers, she would put one hair clip in instead. I kind of thought it was good on her - it seemed plausible that someone like Elsie Tanner, as she got older and didn't have her children under her feet, would spend more time and money on herself. The show wanted her looking frowsier.

I too loved Elsie Tanner. None of the ladies in the show today (talented as they are) can hold a candle to her. She worked very hard, was tough but also could be very kind to people she cared about. I wish the writers could come up with someone close to her.

Like Ena, Annie and Hilda, Elsie was a product of her time. As you say yourself, Flaming Nora, she was the first of her kind ever to be seen on television but more importantly she came from a time when soap stars really COULD be stars. With millons upon millions of viewers flocking to television it is no wonder that names like Pat Phoenix and Violet Carson became known the world over - that could never happen today.

Pat always maintained that Elsie's earthy glamour gave similar women in the real world hope in their own lives, and I think that this is somewhat central to the character's popularity.

We must not forget, however, that the realism of a character like Elsie is always a big basis for enduring popularity. For every "new Elsie Tanner" that we get these days, we get a fire, explosion or high-speed car chase - just think of Karen McDonald. Elsie's storylines were shocking for their time (especially things like Steve Tanner's murder) but high onus was also put on the "normal" areas of Elsie's life and we probably saw more of her sitting in her back room or having a gin in the Rovers than being involved in scenes that would be described as "high drama" today.

There are many factors that brought about Elsie's infamy, most of which are inextricably linked.