Fans of ITV soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale have expressed their frustration after the shows were moved again to make way for football, this time for the English Football League Cup.
Margaret Warren commented on the Metro Soaps Facebook page: 'Why do we have to put up with this every time'
World Cup chaos
This year's World Cup caused significant disruption to the soap schedule, just months after the two shows established a 'power hour' airing back-to-back from 8pm to 9pm on weekdays. During the tournament, fans faced double episodes, moved episodes, rescheduled episodes, and even weekend airings, making it difficult to keep up with the daily drama.
When the World Cup ended, it seemed order would be restored. However, the start of the English Football League Cup has brought more changes, though the disruption is expected to be less severe than in July.
Fan reactions
Mari Scott was particularly upset, saying: 'It's like they don't like having regular viewers. 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'
Susan Hall offered a pragmatic view, explaining that ITV pays a premium to air these events on prime time and that viewers need a TV licence for all live channels. She also noted that ITV2 and ITV3 are not premium channels and have their own schedules, suggesting that moving the soaps is not the end of the world.
Upcoming schedule
Coronation Street and Emmerdale will air from Monday, August 3, through Thursday, August 6, with no episode on Friday, August 7. Next week, they will air from Sunday, August 9, to Tuesday, August 11, with no episode on Wednesday, August 12, resuming on Thursday, August 13.
Some fans were more understanding, with Carol Mallows saying: 'At least they are putting it on another day' and Jane Kins adding: 'They always catch up and put them on another time so it isn't a problem.' Antony Didcote simply reacted: 'Football again.'
