ITV in schedule shake-up from TODAY as fan favourites are pulled from screens
This week will see ITV embark on a huge schedule shake up.
Coronation Street and Emmerdale have both been staples of the ITV1 schedules for decades – but both of the long-running soaps will be pulled off the airwaves at different points this week.
The soaps will be taken off air to accommodate ITVs busy sporting schedule this week as well as the National Television Awards on Wednesday.
On September 13, the NTAs will be broadcast live from London’s O2 Arena.
Joel Dommett will take to the stage at the star-studded awards ceremony which celebrates the best of British TV.
The stars will take their seats in the auditorium as the show begins at 8pm and it will carry on until at least 10:35pm.
However, this means that Coronation Street has been pulled from the schedule to make room.
That means the soap doesn’t return to screens until Wednesday, leaving fans hanging all week for the aftermath of Monday’s emotional instalment.
The episode saw Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) die after suddenly struggling to breathe.
Summer (Harriet Bibby), Gemma (Dolly Rose Campbell) and Bernie (Jane Hazelgrove) gather at the hospital to say their goodbyes to Paul, but an absent Billy (Daniel Brocklebank) must race against the clock to make it in time.
But as Paul starts to slip away, Bernie realises Billy isn’t going to make it and calls him so he can speak to him over the phone.
In heartbreaking scenes, Paul stops breathing before Billy gets a chance to speak, but rather than tell him the truth, Bernie lets him speak and tells him Paul is listening.
Telling his husband to hang on, Billy then races to the hospital, but the episode comes to a dramatic close as he realised he’s too late.
Emmerdale has also undergone a shakeup as the Yorkshire-based soap has been taken off air the day before.
Tuesday’s edition of the ITV serial drama has been replaced by coverage of the UEFA Nations League.
Unlike Corrie, however, an episode will air on Wednesday before the 2024 NTAs.
Most devastating soap deaths
SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust.
Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years.
EASTENDERS
Barry Evans – Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying.
Her plan to inherit Barry’s fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files.
Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was “fake”.
Bradley Branning – Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater’s rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died.
He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape.
Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death.
CORONATION STREET
Tina McIntyre – Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow – despite him being married to Carla Connor.
When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla’s brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her.
Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony – then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her.
In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe.
Molly Dobbs – Molly was one of the victims in Corrie’s 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold).
Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death.
This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth.
As fate would have it, Kevin’s wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly’s side in her final moments.
Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack’s father, before dying of her injuries.
Vera Duckworth – Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character.
Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap’s most beloved couples.
Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair.
Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey’s exit as Jack.
Paul Foreman – Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease.
Introduced in 2018 as David Platt’s (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance – and marriage – with vicar Billy Mayhew.
The MND storyline was announced in 2023 – with the expectation it would result in the character’s death.
EMMERDALE
Sarah Sugden – After the family got into financial problems, Sarah’s son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn.
He didn’t realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze.
Nine villagers – The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale.
Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash.
Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died.
HOLLYOAKS
Carmel McQueen – The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family’s car.
Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble – but got stuck in it herself.
Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel.
This is expected to pick up with the aftermath of the fire which begins to blaze in Moira Dingle’s (Karen Blick) barn after she holds Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly) at gunpoint.
As stressed Moira spilled tractor fuel in the barn, Ruby’s voice began to blur with her old nemesis, Emma Barton’s (Gillian Kearney), and an unrecognisable Moira raised her shotgun at a freaked out Ruby.
Soon padlocking the barn, a stressed Moira continued to see Emma instead of Ruby.
A tussle for the shotgun ended with Moira dazing Ruby with a blow to the head.
Hazy and shaken, Moira comes out of her daze and is soon confused to see Ruby lying on the floor unresponsive.
The spark caught the tractor fuel and quickly became a blaze as Moira froze, helpless next to Ruby’s body.
This storyline will continue to unfold in Wednesday’s episode.