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Coronation Street to increase to 6 episodes a week

Britain's longest-running soap will add more to its output from late 2017.

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Britain’s longest-running soap Coronation Street will be lifting from 5 to 6 episodes produced a week from late 2017.

Newly-installed ITV Director of Television, Kevin Lygo, said, “I am a life-long fan of Coronation Street and one of the first things I wanted to explore when I became Director of Television was taking the production to six episodes a week.

“The soaps are the cornerstone of the ITV schedule, and Coronation Street continues to produce some of the finest drama and comedy on television. It is a hugely important part of what has defined ITV throughout its history, and I want it to continue to be right at the heart of what ITV defines in years to come.

“As a viewer I have watched the soap as it has continued to evolve, entertain, and grip the nation with fantastic storylines and this move will be the next exciting chapter in Corrie’s story.”

ITV Studios Managing Director of Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North, John Whiston, added, “From a creative perspective this is an extremely exciting development for the production team, writers, cast and crew who work on our globally renowned soap drama.

“Coronation Street’s new producer Kate Oates, modern filming and editing facilities at the programme’s Production Centre and our fantastic, peerless drama teams will help turn this great idea into reality,” he added.

The current layout of the set will also be extended to facilitate the expansion in production, and create additional studio space on the 7.7-acre site in Trafford, Manchester. The programme currently has four operational studios, as well as the exterior lot of Coronation Street, and space has been identified on site for the creation of a further filming zone.

In Australia Neighbours moved to producing 6 episodes a week several years ago, but airs as 5.

Coronation Street airs in Australia on UKTV.

2 Responses

  1. The Stuart Blackburn reign has not been kind to Corrie. I’m not an Emmerdale fan but I do hear Kate did a good job there. With Neighbours and Home and Away having approx 20 cast doing 5 eps a week, Corrie has a cast of 50 plus so going to 6 episodes a week should be easy done as long as they spread the stories out and not just focus on the 10 odd characters they seem to…

  2. ITV should be focusing on quality not quantity and getting Corrie back on it’s feet after the disaster that was Stuart Blackburn. I have my fingers crossed that Kate can fix Corrie. She did a great job with Emmerdale.

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