Coronation Street will air an extra episode tonight – ahead of next week’s massive schedule changes.
The soap will broadcast an hour-long special from 8 pm after disruption from the FA Cup on ITV.
It comes as the schedules for all three major soap operas shift beginning tomorrow.
ITV’s schedule will be permanently changed from Monday, March 7.
ITV has confirmed that the evening news broadcast will be expanded to one hour, airing from 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm, with a greater emphasis on reporting outside of London.
This means that soap operas will have to find new timeslots.
Coronation Street will now air hour-long episodes at 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Meanwhile, Emmerdale will be moved to a 7.30 pm time slot.
Coronation Street schedule changes explained
It will air a 30-minute program every night except Thursdays, when it will air an hour-long episode.
In exchange, the BBC will change the timetable for EastEnders.
Friday episodes will be canceled entirely, and the soap will show in a new time slot on new nights for the first time in its 37-year history.
EastEnders will return to BBC One on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights at 7.30 p.m., beginning March 7.
The new timetable brings with it a slew of new storylines.
Coronation Street spoilers for new hour-long episodes
“It’s an exciting time for the show, and these stories will catapult us into the hour-long period with a bang with all the trademark drama, humor, twists, and intrigue that Corrie audiences have come to expect,” said Coronation Street producer Iain MacLeod.
“There’s high-octane action with sad heroine Abi, leading to life-or-death decisions.”
“We’ve got raucous romantic intrigue for Daniel, with charmingly nasty Daisy going to great lengths to keep her guy.”
“We have the uber-complex Gary, who has finally turned his life around and is atoning for his misdeeds with Kelly, only to face the last confrontation with the ghosts of his past.”
“And for Sarah, we’ve got heart-stopping, high-stakes drama, including a knife-edge showdown between Adam and his tormentor Lydia that will have you wondering who’s the bad guy.”
“All of this in a single large serving per night.” “What isn’t to love?”
Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm on ITV.
