ITV announces major changes to Coronation Street and Emmerdale scheduling

ITV has introduced a significant shake-up to its cleaning soap schedule, as Coronation Avenue and Emmerdale see their airtime slashed by half-hour.

On Tuesday (4 February), the community introduced the adjustments would take impact from January 2026.

Coronation Avenue, which has been beleaguered by a forged exodus and alleged “money disaster” in current weeks, at present airs for 3 hour-long episodes each week. Emmerdale runs for 4 30-minute episodes and one hour-long present every week.

The brand new adjustments will see ITV debut a “soaps energy hour” on weekdays. The schedule will characteristic 30-minute Emmerdale episodes at 8pm, adopted by 30-minute Coronation Avenue episodes at 8.30pm.

The present will proceed to be launched at 7am on ITVX earlier than airing on ITV later that night.

The change is predicted to allow the soaps to be extra “streaming-friendly” and “viewer-led” in accordance with ITV’s managing director of media and leisure.

“In a world the place there may be a lot competitors for viewers’ time and a focus, and viewing habits proceed to vary, we imagine that is the correct amount of episodes that followers can match into their viewing schedule, to maintain updated with the exhibits,” he mentioned.

“Analysis insights additionally present us that cleaning soap viewers are more and more trying to the soaps for his or her pacey storytelling.

“Streaming-friendly, 30-minute episodes higher present the chance to satisfy viewer expectations for storyline tempo, pay-off and determination.”

He mentioned the “cleaning soap energy hour” may also make issues “constant” and “simple to seek out within the linear schedule” for viewers.

Nevertheless, Lygo acknowledged that the content material being reduce from the present six hours every week to 5 will “have an effect for the individuals who work on the soaps workforce”.

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“We are going to assist our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work via these adjustments, and can do what we will to mitigate the influence on our individuals,” he mentioned.

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Since first airing on December 9 1960, Coronation Avenue has gone via a variety of scheduling adjustments, beginning with two episodes every week, which then elevated through the years to 6 instalments by September 2017, earlier than it was moved to 3 hour-long episodes every week in March 2022.

When Emmerdale started in 1972 it was screened on two days every week, which then elevated through the years to 6 episodes by 2004, with the sixth later modified to 1 hour-long episode per week.

Each soaps have stunt storylines lined up for February, with Coronation Avenue’s kicking off on Monday when a mysterious hearth broke out on the Platts’ home.

Emmerdale additionally has a dramatic storyline within the works, filmed over a collection of evening shoots, which centres on two limousines entering into hazard, with one left teetering over a treacherous frozen lake.

ITV has mentioned each soaps will characteristic an “bold, never-before-seen stunt” as a part of every week of particular episodes within the 2026 schedule.

Extra reporting by companies