Prytherch aimed to introduce more younger cast members but these plans never materialised; 18-year-old Anne Kirkbride made her debut as Deirdre Hunt in November, at this time only a one-off appearance, but the main addition to the cast in 1972 was Barbara Mullaney as Rita Littlewood. Though Rita was a returning character, the role as written was a new one, and only became Rita Littlewood when Mullaney was cast and writers decided to make her the same character she had played in one episode in 1964.