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Initially, TPTB had wanted to keep both sudsers onscreen until summer, but it became evident that that was not meant to be.
British soap stars told not to report for filming
Stars of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale have been informed of the decision and now know that they are to remain away from the set in an effort to curb the spread of the insidious virus.
What does this mean for loyal fans? Viewers of both soaps can expect them to air next week as regularly scheduled with the exception of Friday. Then, from March 30th until an undetermined date, the shows will air three times a week.
A source relayed to The Sun that, “ITV has sadly taken the decision to suspend production of the soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale with effect from Monday 23 March,” and noted that the health and well-being of its cast are of primary value.
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“We’ve been doing our best to carry on filming, whilst adhering to the Government’s latest health guidelines, to ensure we’ve episodes of both soaps airing on ITV until at least the early summer, the source stated. “However, the health and well-being of the production teams, actors, crew and their families is of paramount importance to us and we now feel that the time has come to stop filming.”
The source went on to express gratitude to viewers for their support and hoped they would enjoy the airings of both soaps in the coming weeks.
The remarks were met with many fans expressing their dismay over the suspension, with many more praising the channel bosses for taking steps to protect their employees.
Coronation Street and Emmerdale are the latest UK shows to be suspended
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This latest dispatch comes on the heels of news regarding other popular shows including Casualty, Doctors, River City, Holby City, and Pobol y Cwm, as well as long-time soap EastEnders. All of the aforementioned shows were previously suspended due to fears regarding the safety of actors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The dramas are postponed until further notice and the venerable sudser EastEnders has been curtailed to two airings a week.
The latest news regarding Corrie and Emmerdale has surfaced amid new figures regarding Britain’s COVID-19 death toll. It has been announced that at least 244 individuals have died as a result of the virus, while the total number of reported cases has risen to over 5,000.
In the past five days the UK has reported a fourfold increase in the number of people reportedly infected with the killer virus.