The worlds of the beloved television soaps “Coronation Street” and “Emmerdale” are set to dramatically converge in a highly anticipated crossover episode airing Monday, marking the commencement of a restructured, albeit shorter, broadcast schedule.
In a special one-off event dubbed “Corriedale,” characters from both serial dramas will intersect for the first time, an event likened by Executive Producer Iain MacLeod to the “Marvel multiverse assembling.”
MacLeod, who assumed leadership of both long-running programs two years ago, revealed the genesis of the crossover idea stemmed from considering ways to interweave the ITV soap universes, initially contemplating sending characters on cross-Pennine holidays.
“Gradually,” he explained, “the concept evolved into a grander vision: ‘If you’re going to do it, why not go huge?’—which is precisely what we’ve opted for.”
In soap opera parlance, “going huge” translates to orchestrating a spectacular, albeit slightly outlandish, stunt designed to captivate viewers.
Thus, on a desolate stretch of road during a winter’s night, situated somewhere between “Coronation Street’s” Manchester setting and “Emmerdale’s” West Yorkshire backdrop, circumstances will conspire to bring characters from both programs together—at considerable speed.
MacLeod emphasized the significance of the event, stating, “First and foremost, as a soap aficionado, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness these two worlds collide. It’s incredibly exciting.”
He added, “I believe fans of both shows will relish the chance, for this one hour, to see their favorite characters interact with those from the other side.”
The convergence of these television factions necessitated a neutral locale, with MacLeod citing his personal experiences commuting between Manchester and Leeds as inspiration for the storyline.
He noted, “Anyone who has had the misfortune of frequently making that journey will attest to its propensity for delays, accidents, road closures, and extreme weather events.”
“Part of the inspiration stemmed from my aversion to that commute and my frequent entanglement in chaos on that trans-Pennine arterial connection between the two cities that host our soaps,” MacLeod elaborated.
“I pondered whether I could transform my traumatic work journeys into something creative.”
For the cast, filming the special provided an opportunity to connect with their counterparts.
Joe-Warren Plant, who portrays Jacob Gallagher in “Emmerdale,” shared, “We spent a significant amount of time together. The three weeks of night shoots were quite intense for both cast and crew.”
“We also had considerable downtime while awaiting the major set-ups and explosions, allowing us to socialize in each other’s dressing rooms and trailers, and simply have fun.”
Plant acknowledged a “slight competitive rivalry” leading up to the event but noted that “as soon as we got on set, all of that dissipated.”
“There’s never any real animosity, but naturally, you want to represent your side. However, it’s been absolutely amazing. Everyone from ‘Corrie’ has been incredibly warm and welcoming.”
The action-packed, hour-long episode required 14 overnight filming sessions.
Julia Goulding, known as the pregnant Shona Platt from “Coronation Street,” insisted, “They were surprisingly pleasant, considering we were working from six in the evening until six in the morning.”
“It was a tremendous team effort, and being with the ‘Emmerdale’ crew was fantastic. I genuinely had a great time.”
Goulding’s character encounters trouble en route from the wedding of “Corrie’s” Debbie and Ronnie, and she noted that the only downside to the night shoots was the extended time spent in a pregnancy suit and the same dress.
“I was wearing a frock because I was returning from the wedding, so it was a bit uncomfortable,” she explained.
“Others were in trainers and jeans, while I was there in my sparkly boots, frock, and pregnancy bump.”
Several actors have experienced life on both sides of the soap divide.
This includes Chris Bisson, who portrayed Vikram Desai in “Coronation Street” from 1999 to 2002 and has been Jai Sharma in “Emmerdale” since 2009.
This presented a conundrum for producers when the two shows collaborated.
“I was thrilled to be involved,” Bisson stated. “I knew there was a potential issue with my having played a character in both soaps.”
“I phoned the boss and said, ‘Please, let me be in it! The fans need to see Steve McDonald think he saw Vikram!'”
Following “Corriedale,” the two soaps will resume their separate narratives in what ITV is promoting as a soap “power hour,” with “Emmerdale” airing at 8 p.m., followed by “Coronation Street” at 8:30 p.m. every weeknight (both available for streaming from 7 a.m. on ITVX).
“We’re establishing a new routine, which I believe is better for the soaps,” Bisson asserted.
“I think we can return to telling stories in the way we used to, as we’ve been forced into always trying to create a special double episode on Thursdays. However, doing it every Thursday diminished its specialness.”
“Let’s simply present the genre in the way audiences want it, which is by telling great, relevant stories, maintaining its status as modern repertory theater.”
According to Carl Greenwood, soaps editor at The Sun, “Corriedale” represents the latest attempt to bolster the shows after years of declining ratings.
“They aim to relaunch the shows between 8 and 9 p.m. and needed a significant event to do so, as the soaps have lost millions of viewers in recent years,” he stated.
In 2025, “Corrie” averaged approximately 4.3 million viewers per episode, while “Emmerdale” attracted 3.8 million—both representing declines of about a third over the past decade.
After increasing their episode numbers over the decades, the soaps are now being scaled back for the first time, with “Corrie” and “Emmerdale” collectively airing for five hours per week instead of six.
“I believe it was inevitable. They couldn’t sustain the episode hours with the declining viewership,” Greenwood asserted.
They are not the only soaps to have been trimmed—”Hollyoaks” and “Casualty” have also reduced their episode counts, while “Doctors” and “Neighbours” have ceased production entirely.
“I don’t think we’re going to see soaps disappear,” Greenwood added. “But I don’t think we’re going to see as much of them moving forward.”
The airtime reduction is primarily due to the daily half-hour episodes offering a reliable slot and being in “a more consumable length and format,” according to MacLeod.
He explained that this will also have “a really positive effect on the way we tell stories,” allowing them “to be a little bit pacier” and for “plot points to move on more quickly day-to-day, rather than having to play it over an hour.”
Budgets have been cut, though ITV has not disclosed the specific amount.
More than 70 staff and crew positions have been eliminated, almost entirely through voluntary redundancies, which MacLeod acknowledged has led to “difficult times” behind the scenes.
“We’ve lost many long-standing members of staff. It’s been a challenging year in that respect,” he said.
“But I think we’re entering 2026 in really rude health.”
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