Editing Ken Barlow (section)

====Janet Reid====
{{Quote box
|width=25%
|align=right
|bgcolor=#cccfff
|quote="Janet clearly saw Ken as someone who might provide the sort of lifestyle she wanted if he was pushed and manoeuvred in the right direction. She had plans for them to move away from the Street and into a bigger house, and went along with the idea Ken had of getting the twins back to live with them, while all along having no intention of sharing a home with his kids. it soon became clear that the marriage was not going to be a happy one, and Janet was no Val."
|source=— Roache, on Ken and Janet's relationship.<ref>[[#refMyLife|Roache 2010]], p.108.</ref>}}
Ken's second marriage in the serial was to a character named Janet Reid (Judith Barker) in 1973; their relationship was short-lived.<ref name="barlows"/> There was no buildup to their marriage; Ken returned from Scotland and introduced Janet as his wife.<ref>{{cite web |last=Richardson |first=Anne |title=Corrie's Best Characters: No 2&nbsp;– Ken Barlow |url=http://www.aoltv.co.uk/2010/12/09/corries-best-characters-no-2-ken-barlow/ |publisher=[[AOL]] |date=9 December 2010 |access-date=8 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724143907/http://www.aoltv.co.uk/2010/12/09/corries-best-characters-no-2-ken-barlow/ |archive-date=24 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The storyline's fast pace angered Roache; he once stressed: "I was very cross about the whole thing. There was no wedding, she just arrived, no build-up to it. It was just like an idea that was shoved in. I wasn't happy."<ref name=lill/> The storyline was unpopular with viewers, who did not approve of the wedding. Janet was already an unpopular character by then, because of her previous affairs with two other ''Coronation Street'' males. Barker said Janet was often perceived as treating Ken unfairly. She openly showed her dislike for his children and sent them to boarding school. The situation saw Ken realise he was in a "loveless marriage"&nbsp;– a match made whilst feeling lonely and under the presumption that she was his last chance of happiness. The breakdown of their marriage was accompanied by what Little dubbed "a series of spectacular rows", which saw Ken become violent towards Janet.<ref name=lill>[[#refLittle|Little 1995]], p.116.</ref> One such row, which followed Ken's discovery of Janet's plans to send the twins to boarding school, was later used as an exercise in drama schools, which Roache deemed "a nice compliment to everyone involved in creating the moment."<ref>[[#refMyLife|Roache 2010]], p.109.</ref>

Janet and Ken split up in 1974. Barker was included in the series on and off for a few years, as Janet would occasionally return to be with Ken. In late 1976, Barker was asked to reprise the role for a final time. Janet returned on-screen in 1977 and asked Ken for another chance, claiming she had changed. When he rejects her, she commits suicide by taking an overdose. Barker recalled the "exhausting" scenes she and Roache filmed, and said there was substantial "dramatic [[Tracking shot|tracking]]" scenes as Ken discovered her dead in bed. Ken was described as "shattered" and "remorseful" by the death of Janet, and felt guilty over the fact he did not try to help her more. To worsen his situation, he was initially suspected of murdering her.<ref>[[#refLittle|Little 1995]], pp.137–138.</ref>