Emmerdale’s next air date confirmed as another schedule change leaves fans fuming
Coronation Street and Emmerdale fans were left fuming after both ITV soaps were bumped from their Friday slot.
It’s disappointing news for Emmerdale viewers, as their Friday visit to the Dales has been axed.
Earlier this year, ITV launched its new “power hour” soap schedule, with Coronation Street and Emmerdale shifting to a fresh broadcasting pattern. From Monday to Friday, 30-minute Emmerdale episodes air at 8pm, followed by 30-minute Coronation Street episodes at 8.30pm. Both soaps are also available to stream from 7am on ITVX.
However, on Friday (June 5) both soaps have been ousted from their usual slot, with the programmes instead returning to screens at the familiar 8pm to 9pm timeslot on Sunday (June 7).
The scheduling upheaval is due to ITV broadcasting live coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier between Spain and England. Disruption continues into the following week, with both soaps absent on Tuesday (June 9) owing to the broadcast of England and Ukraine’s World Cup qualifying match.
To compensate for the lost episodes, both soaps will broadcast for an extended hour on Friday (June 12) from 8pm to 10pm. Additionally, on Wednesday (June 10) Corrie will air an hour earlier than usual at 7.30pm, with Emmerdale following suit at 7.00pm, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Emmerdale is not airing tonight (Image: ITV)
Unsurprisingly, viewers have been left incensed by the disruption. Reacting on a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, one viewer fumed: “Fridays ruined now.” Another added: “Same old c*** football take the programmes off. Why don’t they put it on another channel instead of ITV not fair for people that don’t like football, only got 5 channels.” A third agreed: “Because of stupid football put the football on the sport channels.” Someone else penned: “I’m sick and tired of my soaps being cancelled for football.”
Previously addressing the newly introduced “power hour” soap format, Kevin Lygo, ITV’s director of television, commented: “The new commissioning pattern is viewer-led. We already give more choice than ever to viewers on how they watch us through ITVX and we want to present their favourite soap to them in the most digestible way.
“In a world where there is so much competition for viewers’ time and attention, and 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.
Corrie has also been hit by the shake-up (Image: ITV)
“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, payoff and resolution.
“Whilst viewing is growing on ITVX, we know a significant proportion of our soaps’ audience still watch us via the schedule. This new pattern is in the DNA of the soap genre – nobody else does 30 minute drama this successfully.
“It creates a soap power hour that’s consistent, and easy to find in the linear schedule, for the UK’s biggest soaps.”
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX
