Coronation Street and Emmerdale meet in one-off 'Corriedale' as ITV trims soap schedules

Characters from Coronation Street and Emmerdale collide in a one-off crossover episode called Corriedale, airing on Monday, that opens a revamped but reduced schedule for the two ITV soaps. Executive producer Iain Macleod said the idea grew from his commuting frustrations between Manchester and Leeds and evolved into a high-speed road crash on neutral ground that brings the two casts together.

The hour-long episode features a large stunt, including a coach fire, and required 14 all-night shoots. Cast members described an intense but friendly shoot. Joe-Warren Plant (Emmerdale) said the long night shoots fostered camaraderie, while Julia Goulding (Coronation Street) called it a big team effort despite the discomfort of long costume shoots.

Actor Chris Bisson, who has appeared in both soaps, said he was keen to be part of the special. ITV will pair the shows each weeknight in a new “soap power hour”: Emmerdale at 20:00 followed by Coronation Street at 20:30, with both available to stream from 07:00 on ITVX. The move returns the soaps to more regular half-hour daily slots, which Macleod says should make stories paceier and more consumable.

The changes come amid years of falling audiences and budget cuts. Corrie averaged about 4.3 million viewers and Emmerdale about 3.8 million in 2025, both down roughly a third over the past decade. ITV is reducing combined airtime from six to five hours per week and has cut budgets.

Key Topics

Sports, United States, Culture, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Itv, Soaps