‘Emmerdale’ will be broadcast on a reduced schedule after filming was suspended.
ITV has announced the soap will start airing just three times a week from March 30 – with its new schedule set for 7pm on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays – as bosses look to ensure viewers will still have new episodes to watch despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, the broadcaster said: "Following yesterday’s announcement that filming of ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Emmerdale’ will be suspended, ITV has taken the decision to reduce Emmerdale’s transmission pattern to three episodes per week from Monday 30 March.
"The Yorkshire based soap will air on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with ‘Coronation Street’ airing at 7.30pm on the same nights.
The change to Emmerdale’s transmission pattern will ensure we have episodes of both soaps airing on ITV until at least the early summer."
The update comes after ITV confirmed they are shutting down production of their soaps for the time being but promised fans would be able to watch the show at least through the early summer.
The previous statement read: "ITV has sadly taken the decision to suspend production of the soaps ‘Coronation Street’ and ‘Emmerdale’ with effect from Monday 23 March.
"We’ve been doing our best to carry on filming, whilst adhering to the government’s latest health guidelines, to ensure we have episodes on both soaps airing on ITV until at least the early summer.
"However, the health and wellbeing of the production teams, actors and crew and their families is of paramount importance to us and we now feel that the time has come to stop filming.
"We’d like to thank our viewers for their support and hope they continue to enjoy both soaps in the coming months."
It comes a few days after ‘EastEnders’ bosses confirmed they have suspended filming on the BBC One soap due to the outbreak, while ‘Hollyoaks’ chiefs have reduced their broadcast schedule.
Emmerdale broadcasting on reduced schedule after filming gets suspended
