Bringing the cobbles of Coronation Street and the Yorkshire Dales of Emmerdale together for the landmark 'Corriedale' crossover was a monumental task for ITV, fraught with logistical hurdles and one particularly nerve-wracking natural element.
The Immense Scale of the Soap Crossover
Director Duncan Foster, who helmed the ambitious special episode, has opened up about the immense challenges faced during production. The project required an extensive six to eight weeks of filming, uniting the cast and crews from both iconic soaps for a television first.
The schedule was gruelling, featuring multiple weeks of night shoots to capture the pivotal action. Foster confirmed the team completed a total of 14 nights of filming. This included two nights dedicated to pre-dragging sequences and the specially created title sequence, designed to evoke a remote location on the Pennines.
Weather Worries and a Crucial Sunrise
Remarkably, the production was largely blessed with good conditions during the 12 nights dedicated to filming a major crash sequence. Rain fell only once – on the very night scheduled for a complex explosion scene. The team managed to pause filming, wait for the worst to pass, and still successfully complete the dramatic blast.
However, one weather-dependent moment caused Foster immense anxiety. He described standing in a freezing field at 4am, hoping for clear skies to capture a specific sunrise shot intended to bookend the episode.
"That was the most stressful part of the entire shoot for me," Foster admitted. "I just wanted to get the sunrise for the end so that we felt that the two worlds were going back into their own world, and it left you with a slightly positive feeling." He revealed that had the sunrise not been achievable, they would have had no option to reschedule, making the successful capture a huge relief.
Anticipation Builds for Broadcast
Specific plot details for the Corriedale episode remain a closely guarded secret. ITV has confirmed there will be no early release of the episode on ITVX on the morning of Monday, 5 January. Fans will have to tune in at the scheduled time to witness the historic crossover unfold.
The special will air on Monday 5 January at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. This will be followed by the regular episodes of both soaps in their new timeslots, with Emmerdale at 8pm and Coronation Street at 8:30pm.
