We saw Firman's Freezers for the first time today on ITV3, though it was filmed in a branch of Iceland, rather than a branch of Farmfoods like it was later on,
Doesn't make clear if they're suspending (or cutting down) production or not though. Or indeed if it's a cut in the number of episodes, as if one of the Emmerdales is 60 minutes, and all 3 Corries are, then it's just the same number as usual. And even if it is, it's only a cut of one episode a week for Emmerdale, but a halving of episodes with Corrie.
Doesn't make clear if they're suspending (or cutting down) production or not though. Or indeed if it's a cut in the number of episodes, as if one of the Emmerdales is 60 minutes, and all 3 Corries are, then it's just the same number as usual. And even if it is, it's only a cut of one episode a week for Emmerdale, but a halving of episodes with Corrie.
A tweet posted in the Coronavirus thread suggests ITV are cutting 'an episode' of both a week. Still ambiguous as some episodes are 30 minutes, some are 60 minutes.
And maybe the reduced episode counts should still be kept when this is all over, there's far too many episodes these days. Maybe coronavirus related cuts will make them realise they can put things other than soaps in the schedules.
I'm sure the suspension order (or at least cutting the schedules down so there's fewer people in the studios at a time) must be soon. They surely can't continue much longer with the BBC suspending production on their soaps.
It seems Corrie will air at 7.30pm Mon Wed Fri and Emmerdale 7pm Mon-Fri. From 30th March. No double episodes, 3 per week of Corrie, 5 of Emmerdale.
Ive been saying for at least 17 years on these forums that Corrie should have stayed at three times a week - shame it has taken something so terrible for them to finally reduce the episodes to 3
I do realise that as the episodes have been written and filmed as 6 per week it is not going to have any effect whatsoever on the quality of the show. But 3 a week is much easier to keep up with.
In all seriousness though with Corrie being around 6-8 weeks ahead with filming this is going to buy them an extra 6-8 weeks If production does have to close. Interesting that Emmerdale is apparently dropping just the one episode and staying Monday to Friday at 7pm. This will only buy them a week or so if they need to close production, It seems the reasoning is to keep the 7pm-8pm hour the same as usual and then perhaps show a 2 hour drama repeat or film from 8pm if they need to fill slots until News At Ten. Or an hour long repeat of something if they have a 9pm drama to show as usual.
And maybe the reduced episode counts should still be kept when this is all over, there's far too many episodes these days. Maybe coronavirus related cuts will make them realise they can put things other than soaps in the schedules.
the last things the soaps need is any extra episodes. Quality over quantity at all times. I know once this is over it will revert to 6 episodes.
With regards to Classic Corrie - I noticed the use of the entrance to studio one too as mentioned earlier in this thread. This of course was the entrance to the Corrie tour when it reopened in 2004. It was noticeable how different the surrounding area was back in 1995 to what it was like when Corrie finished filming at Granada in 2013. The hotel was there (what was the old school pub) but there are now flats surrounding that. It was a carpark in the 1990s. I took a wander past what was Granada when I was in Manchester late last year, sad to see it how it is now. At least though Granada House is still standing for the moment.
Sadly I suspect they'll look to make up the episodes later in the year.
Emmerdale could drop more by extending the Evening News twice a week perhaps. They may do should production stop, but even if it doesn't stop I suspect production is being reduced.