Coronation Street and Emmerdale are set to get another schedule shake-up, with a brief return to the hour-long format in a few weeks. Last year, the ITV soaps switched to a shortened “power hour”, with half-hour episodes airing for each show.
Amid a host of recent shake-ups, more are to come in June due to various World Cup events, with a new batch of confirmations now announced.
The soaps will air rare Sunday episodes on 7 June between 8 and 9pm to make up for no episodes on the Friday beforehand, while Tuesday, 9 June, will see the soaps off air again due to the Women’s European Qualifier between England and Ukraine, which airs from 7.30pm.
ITV
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The following night, Emmerdale will air at the earlier time of 7pm, followed by Corrie at 7.30pm, and the evening after, the soaps won’t air once again due to the World Cup opening ceremony.
There will be a bigger change on Friday, 12 June, with Emmerdale having a longer hour slot from 8pm, and Corrie its own hour at 9pm.
However, earlier in the week on Monday, 8 June, both soaps will air in their usual slots from 8pm.
It was previously confirmed that the 5 June episodes won’t air then due to the FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier between Spain and England, with the newly announced Sunday episodes seemingly making up for it.
ITV
ITV previously said that their shorter episodes were to present the shows “in the most digestible way” in a world where “viewing habits continue to change”.
“We believe this is the right amount of episodes that fans can fit into their viewing schedule, to keep up to date with the shows,” ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment Kevin Lygo added.
“Research insights also show us that soap viewers are increasingly looking to the soaps for their pacey storytelling. Streaming-friendly, 30-minute episodes better provide the opportunity to meet viewer expectations for storyline pace, pay-off and resolution.”
Coronation Street airs on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX. Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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