‘Madness!’ Soap fans fume at ITV over yet another schedule change

Soap fans are not happy! (Picture: Getty/ITV/Shutterstock) On the Metro soaps Facebook page, underneath an article about ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale changing their schedules changed to make way for football, soap fan, Margaret Warren, said: ‘Why do we have to put up with this every time’ This year’s World Cup brought abject chaos to the soap schedule, months after the two ITV biggies established a soap ‘power hour’, which sees Emmerdale and Corrie air back to back between 8pm and 9pm from Monday to Friday. As the premier football tournament played out, the soaps fell victim to a hodgepodge schedule of double episodes, moved episodes, rescheduled episodes, and sometimes episodes on weekends, those looking to get their daily dose of soapy drama were continuously scuppered. When the World Cup finally came to an end – and, spoiler, football didn’t come home – it seemed that things would settle and order would be restored in Soapland… …until the English Football League Cup started. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Now, admittedly, the disruption will not reach the extent of July’s tournament, but still… come on! Corrie and Emmerdale are both affected… (Picture: ITV/Metro/Shutterstock) Mari Scott was fuming at the news, and also took to the Metro Soaps Facebook page. ‘It’s like they don’t like having regular viewers,’ she began her comment. ‘Where else can you be a loyal customer just to be told ‘oh well, footie’s more important than your custom. Madness! And shame on ITV they not only have the most unreliable app ever, but they don’t give a toss about their customers. ‘Almost as bad as the BBC now.’ Barbara Gilmore agreed: ‘Oh no, not again, why can’t they have a channel for football only not everyone wants to watch it all the time on different channels’. Are you sick of the soaps being moved for sports? Absolutely sick of it!Check Sign up to Metro's GameCentral newsletter for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content Susan Hall, meanwhile, was more pragmatic, and attempted to offer an explanation as to why sports seemingly take precedence over soaps. ‘ITV pay a premium to screen these events on prime time TV and on the main ITV channel. People pay a licence to watch more than soaps as well and before anyone pipes up it’s on ITV, you have to have a licence to watch all “live” channels and streaming on BBC iPlayer,’ she said. When the argument arose that football could be moved to ITV2 or 3 instead, she offered another response. ‘ITV2 and 3 are not premium channels and are classed as free-to-air digital channels and they have their own set programmes schedules where as ITV 1 and BBC1 and 2 aren’t, and that’s why BBC2 can show EastEnders etc if sport is on BBC1. ‘Either way, they’re not going to put any the soaps on ITV2 or 3 anytime soon. It’s not the end of the world to show them at different times now and again surely!’ When are the soaps on this week and next week? Coronation Street will and Emmerdale will air from Monday, August 3, through Thursday, August 6, with no episode on Friday, August 7 this week. Next week, the soaps will air on Sunday, August 9, through to Tuesday, August 11, with no episode on Wednesday, August 12. Episodes will resume on Thursday, August 13. …by the fluctuating football schedule (Picture: ITV) Carol Mallows saw both sides: ‘At least they are putting it on another day’, she reasoned. Jane Kins agreed: ‘They always catch up and put them on another time so it isn’t a problem’. Antony Didcote responded as many of us do when we flick to ITV at 8pm and find people running around a pitch rather than throwing punches in the local pub: ‘Football again.’ Arrow MORE: ‘What a waste’: EastEnders fans continue to lash out over iconic star’s axing Arrow MORE: Capcom’s best new IP of the current gen was released in 2024 – Reader’s Feature Arrow MORE: Why does nobody like racing video games anymore? – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.