Coronation Street schedule chaos as Friday’s episode is cancelled in ANOTHER shake-up
CORONATION Street will air a special hour-long episode tonight before football causes chaos with the schedules.
The ITV soap will no longer air on Friday night due to an FA Cup match.
Fans will be furious about the changes that will see them go without a new episode of Corrie for five days.
After tonight’s episode, the usual two episodes will air on Wednesday night but fans will have to wait until Monday for more.
It comes after ITV announced a dramatic change to the soap’s broadcast - changing decades of history.
In a huge shake-up of its early evening output, ITV will now air a full hour of news from 6.30pm, pushing the soaps further into prime time.
Emmerdale, which has a big year ahead celebrating its 50th birthday in 2022, will move to a 7.30pm slot.
Coronation Street, the nation’s biggest soap, is to move to three hour-long episodes, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm.
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It's bad news for struggling BBC rival EastEnders - putting the ITV soaps in direct competition with it each night.
EastEnders usually airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm and Fridays at 8pm.
The BBC One has struggled in the soap ratings battle recently - with Emmerdale and Corrie pulling in millions more viewers each night.
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Ratings plunged to just two million viewers in the overnights at various points last year forcing bosses to launch a fight back for the soap.
It has recently began airing full 30 minute episodes again after two years of reduced lengths due to the pandemic.
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But the ITV announcement will be a bitter blow to bosses wanting to revitalise the struggling show.
ITV’s head of continuing drama John Whiston 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.”