Emmerdale will remain on air during lockdown following fears that episodes would run out amid the coronavirus pandemic ITV has confirmed.
The rural soap made a phased return to filming last week with a pared-back cast and crew while observing recently published health and safety guidelines for TV productions.
Emmerdale, the first British soap to return to filming after lockdown, will alter its transmission pattern to two episodes from the week beginning June 8 in order to stay on air.
The episodes scheduled will be those filmed featuring characters in lockdown.
They will feature the characters Sam and Lydia, Cain and Aaron, Mandy and Vinny, Marlon, Al and Ellis, Nicola and Jimmy and Chas and Paddy experiencing the trials and tribulations of life in lockdown.
The two episodes will air on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm on ITV for three weeks, before Emmerdale will then resume a three- episodes-a-week pattern.
Cameras are set to start rolling again on its ITV sister soap Coronation Street next month, with romantic scenes will be strictly off the table because of social distancing.
New ways of working to protect crew and cast have been introduced by ITV Studios in accordance with return-to-production protocols for TV drama which ITV’s health and safety team and medical advisers have been working on in consultation with the government.
The measures detailed by ITV include social distancing, filming units staying together to work in designated studios with crew using their own sanitised equipment and office staff continuing to work from home to ensure fewer people on the ground.
Location filming will be scrapped, scripts will feature a smaller number of actors and there will be fewer scenes to avoid camera moves.
Corrie viewers have been rationed to three half hour episodes a week, instead of the usual six screened as double bills on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, during the pandemic to keep the soap on our screen for as long as possible.
Actor Andy Whyment, who plays Corrie favourite Kirk Sutherland, recently said the soap would need to start filming again in June to stop episodes running out.
