Emmerdale will remain on air without a transmission break after pandemic halted filming

The channel announced on Thursday 28th May the soap can resume filming full-time following its recent phased return with the production of six special lockdown episodes, the first new material to be made within strict safety and social distancing guidelines now in place at the Leeds studios.

Moving temporarily from three nights to a twice-weekly scheduling pattern from Monday 8th June will ensure the soap remains on air without a break. For that period it will air on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm.

The much-discussed lockdown episodes, focusing on a different village household and exploring how they're coping with isolation as the soap acknowledges the pandemic on screen for the first time, will be spread across the three-week period, before reverting back to thrice-weekly (with the Friday showing restored) from Monday 29th June.

Among the characters we'll see getting used to the UK's 'new normal' will be husband and wife Sam and Lydia, Aaron and uncle Cain, Mandy and adopted son Vinny, Marlon and stepsons Al and Ellis, partners and new parents Chas and Paddy and bickering spouses Nicola and Jimmy.

Emmerdale and ITV soap stablemate Coronation Street paused production shortly before the UK went into lockdown on 23rd March. New Emmerdale episodes began filming on 20th May with a pared back cast and crew.

As yet there is no word on when Corrie will be back in business, but it is widely expected to be some time in June.

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