Highlights
- One-off crossover episode 'Corriedale' airs Monday with characters from both soaps meeting on transpennine road.
- ITV launches new 'power hour' format with Emmerdale at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8.30pm weeknights.
- Episode count reduced from six to five hours weekly as soaps adapt to declining viewership.
British soap history will be made on Monday when Coronation Street and Emmerdale collide in an explosive crossover episode, marking the first time characters from both iconic shows meet on screen.
The one-off special, dubbed 'Corriedale', kicks off a revamped schedule for both ITV soaps, featuring a spectacular stunt that brings Manchester's Coronation Street residents face-to-face with Emmerdale's West Yorkshire villagers on a dark winter's night somewhere along the transpennine route.
Executive producer Iain MacLeod, who oversees both shows, describes the ambitious project as "like the Marvel multiverse assembling".
The episode required 14 all-night filming sessions featuring dramatic explosions, including a coach engulfed in flames, as circumstances conspire to bring characters from both camps together at high speed.
"First and foremost, as a soap fan, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these two worlds collide," MacLeod explained.
"I think fans of both shows will enjoy the opportunity, just for this hour, to see what's it like if your favourite character from over here interacts with your favourite character from over there."
The crossover idea stemmed from MacLeod's own frustrating commutes between Manchester and Leeds.
"Anyone that's had the misfortune of making that journey with any frequency will know it's fraught with delays and accidents," he said, adding he turned his "traumatic work journeys into something creative".
Cast members from both soaps spent three weeks filming together during intense night shoots. Joe-Warren Plant from Emmerdale described "a little bit of competitive rivalry" initially but said "as soon as we got on set, all of that went away".
Julia Goulding from Coronation Street called it "a really big team effort", despite spending long nights in a sparkly dress and pregnancy suit.
Schedules changes impact
Following Corriedale, both soaps enter a new 'power hour' format, with Emmerdale airing at 8pm followed by Coronation Street at 8.30pm every weeknight.
Cast members from both soaps spent three weeks filming together during intense night shootsInstagram/Coronation Street
The weekly episode count drops from six to five hours total, responding to declining viewership Corrie now attracts 4.3 million viewers per episode and Emmerdale 3.8 million, both down a third over the past decade.
The budget cuts resulted in over 70 job losses, though MacLeod insists the shows are entering 2026 "in really rude health".
