ITV in major schedule shake-up as Coronation Street episode is cancelled amid clash

dailystar.co.uk:

Coronation Street has undergone a major scheduling shift to avoid the ITV soap clashing with an FA Cup match.Corrie was set to air its usual episode on Friday night this week (February 5) - as part of its usual routine of episodes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.However, fans will be disappointed to learn that they'' have to wait five days for a new episode.That's because the soap has scrapped its schedule and aired a special hour-long episode on Tuesday (February 1) - to avoid the soap clashing with the football game on Friday.

After Tuesday's episode, there will still be two episodes on Wednesday, as per its usual format, but the next edition won't come until the following Monday.It comes after ITV announced a huge change to its regular broadcasting schedule.Viewers will now see an hour of news from 6.30pm, which means the broadcaster's soaps Corrie and Emmerdale have been pushed into prime time slots.Corrie has now shifted to air three hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm, whereas Emmerdale has moved to a 7.30pm slot.Emmerdale has now been running for fifty years, which means its celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022.ITV's soap shake-up means BBC rival EastEnders will have to compete with the major broadcaster in the evening.BBC's EastEnders, which has suffered from lower ratings recently, normally airs 8.05pm on Mondays, 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8pm on Fridays.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.