ITV to boost soap output with archive specials

Soap specials to supplement new episodes this summer.

Coronation Street and Emmerdale are back filming and won’t be going off-air due to the pandemic. In more great news for fans of the shows, ITV is supplementing the uninterrupted new episodes with some archive specials. In all, ITV has commissioned three companion shows to keep soap lovers entertained over the summer.

Coronation Street will look back at its memorable moments and iconic characters whilst Emmerdale will revisit three generations of its most popular families.

“It has been a joy and a privilege to delve into the archives of the nation’s favourite soaps. The characters and storylines are as gripping today as they were then and it is the perfect opportunity to celebrate them.” – Tom McLennan, Director of ITV Studios Entertainment North

Jason Manford will narrate an eight-part series looking at Coronation Street’s memorable moments. Looking back over 60 years, each episode has been carefully curated from the archives to bring alive each theme via specially selected highlights.

Coronation Street: Weddings will look at the most notable of Weatherfield weddings. There have been 130 weddings to date and viewers will get to see some of the most dramatic, shocking and heart-warming. Coronation Street: Villains will look back the malevolent antics of the likes of Richard Hillman, Maya Sharma and Pat Phelan.

ITV will also be taking a look at episodes that made headlines and broke new ground in Coronation Street: Stories That Gripped The Nation and Coronation Street: Battle Axes will celebrate the strong matriarchs and Northern working-class battle axes on which the series was founded. Coronation Street: Scandals will cast an eye over the various scandals that have hit the street, while Coronation Street: Partnerships will look at some of the classic pairings and comedy double acts that have kept us entertained across the decades.

One of the Coronation Street specials will be looking at the away episodes that seldom go as planned

The Tate family will be showcased in Emmerdale Family Trees

Coronation Street: Famous Faces will look at some of the many famous faces that have graced the street over the years including Sir Ian McKellen, Joanna Lumley and Maxine Peake as well as actors who appeared in the soap ‘before they were famous’ in other roles. Finally, Coronation Street: High Days and Holidays will look at some of the occasions the action has moved away from Weatherfield – something that very rarely goes to plan.

ITV has also commissioned Coronation Street Icons, a four-part series narrated by Sally Lindsay looking back at four of the show’s most iconic creations: Ken Barlow, Sally Metcalfe, Liz McDonald and Roy Cropper. The episodes will contain archive footage and new talking heads by cast members past and present. Emmerdale fans will also have extra content to enjoy in Emmerdale Family Trees. The four-part series narrated by Gaynor Faye will look back at different generations of three of the soap’s most loved families – The Tates, The Sugdens and The Dingles.

“Not only will new episodes of the soaps continue in the schedules, we now have these new specials to join them and entertain viewers. Both soaps have a rich history and we’ve delved into the archives with these new programmes to celebrate that.” – Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment Commissioning, ITV

All three specials are an ITV Studios Entertainment Production for ITV.