Coronation Street and Emmerdale are heading for another round of coronation street itv schedule changes in June, with rare Sunday episodes, midweek moves and two nights off air packed into one unsettled week. The soaps will briefly return to hour-long episodes, but only for a short stretch before ITV reshuffles them again around football and the World Cup opening ceremony.
The first change lands on 7 June, when both soaps air in a rare Sunday slot between 8pm and 9pm. There are no episodes on Friday, 5 June, and on Monday, 8 June, both shows are back in their usual evening homes, with Emmerdale at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8.30pm on ITV1 and streaming on ITVX.
The schedule then shifts again on Tuesday, 9 June, when neither soap airs because of the Women's European Qualifier between England and Ukraine, which starts at 7.30pm. The following night brings another split: Emmerdale is scheduled for 7pm on Wednesday, 10 June, before Coronation Street follows at 7.30pm.
Then comes another blank night. The soaps will not air on Thursday, 11 June because of the World Cup opening ceremony. On Friday, 12 June, the pattern changes once more, with Emmerdale taking an hour-long slot from 8pm and Coronation Street following in a one-hour slot at 9pm.
For viewers, the shift marks another change after ITV moved the soaps last year to a shortened power hour, with half-hour episodes for each show. ITV said that format was intended to present the programmes “in the most digestible way,” while Kevin Lygo said the broadcaster believed the shorter run was the right amount of episodes for fans to fit into their viewing schedule and keep up with the stories.
Lygo also said research suggested soap viewers increasingly want pacey storytelling, adding that streaming-friendly, 30-minute episodes give the shows a better chance of meeting expectations for storyline pace, pay-off and resolution. Coronation Street continues to air on weeknights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and on ITVX, while Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and on ITVX, but June will be a reminder that even familiar soap rhythms can be pushed aside when major sporting events take priority.
The immediate answer for fans is simple: yes, the shows are coming back to hour-long format for a brief spell, but not as a permanent reset. The next few weeks will be a patchwork of special slots, and anyone who wants to stay current will need to watch the calendar as closely as the programme guide.
