Coronation Street and Emmerdale change timeslots

Coronation Street and Emmerdale change timeslots as ITV announce huge schedule shake up – putting them in competition with BBC’s EastEnders

By Sean O’grady For Mailonline

Published: 13:45 GMT, 24 January 2022 | Updated: 13:46 GMT, 24 January 2022

Coronation Street and Emmerdale are set to change their timeslots in March in one of ITV’s biggest schedule shakeups for years.

The broadcaster has confirmed both shows will change time slots as ITV expand their news programme for an hour between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. 

Coronation Street will change to three hour-long episodes a week airing at 8pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

Change: Coronation Street and Emmerdale are set to change their timeslots in March in one of ITV’s biggest schedule shakeups for years

Emmerdale will now air at 7:30pm directly following the news. 

ITV announced the news on Monday with schedule changes sent out from both of the soaps official Twitter accounts.

The change will put ITV’s soaps in direct competition with the BBC’s EastEnders. 

The BBC declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline on whether their schedule may change as a result.

Switch up: The broadcaster has confirmed both shows will change time slots as ITV expand their news programme for an hour between 6:30pm and 7:30pm

Competition: The change will put ITV’s soaps in direct competition with the BBC’s EastEnders

Speaking about the schedule change, John Whiston, ITV’s Managing Director of Continuing Drama said: ‘With Coronation Street bursting at the seams with fantastic story and character, the new format gives the show a brilliant new canvas on which to shine.

‘And Emmerdale will do what it does best in this new time slot where viewers can continue to enjoy the dramatic goings on in the Dales.’

ITV’s Managing Director Kevin Lygo said in a statement: ‘As viewing habits rapidly change, live audiences to our national and international news programmes remain remarkably strong. 

New times: ITV announced the news on Monday with schedule changes sent out from both of the soaps official Twitter accounts

‘Our evening news programme reached an impressive 35.6 million viewers in 2021. We are very excited to be announcing this investment in what is an important public service strength of ITV – high-quality, impartial, trusted broadcast journalism – at a time when it could not be more important.

‘The nation’s two most popular continuing dramas, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, are fundamental to the success of ITV, and we know that, as with all dramas, viewers increasingly watch them whenever, and however they choose.

‘The new scheduling means that viewers can watch them live on TV in one go in a continuous soap fix, as well as on ITV Hub where they are regularly in the most watched shows every month.’

New time: Coronation Street will change to three hour-long episodes a week airing at 8pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday

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