Coronation Street and Emmerdale boss reveals verdict on more crossovers – and talks “evolving” both ITV soaps

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ITV’s popular soaps, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, are set for a visual makeover. Iain MacLeod, the head of drama at ITV, has announced plans to give the shows a more film-like look and feel.

These long-running dramas, totaling 118 years on television, have always been known for their realistic, yet often exaggerated, portrayal of everyday life in the North.

Major improvements are coming, with new equipment and editing facilities being added to our studios in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and Leeds.

We’re currently working on updating the look and feel of both Emmerdale and Coronation Street,” he said on the This Is MediaCity podcast. “I’d like them to have a similar visual style so viewers immediately recognize them as ITV shows, while still maintaining each soap’s individual identity.

MacLeod mentioned they’re looking into filming with a resolution even better than HD.

We need to stay relevant. If people are now watching shows like Squid Game, we don’t want them to switch to Corrie or Emmerdale and feel like they’ve jumped to a completely different world – or type of show, even.

We’re updating our visual style, aiming to keep the appealing, film-like quality we achieved with the Corriedale project.

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If you enjoyed the recent big crossover event, don’t expect a sequel – it was designed as a single, standalone story.

He explained that a big part of the initial excitement came from the novelty of the experience. He worried that doing it again wouldn’t be as enjoyable simply because people would already know what to expect.

He added: “Sometimes one and done is great.”

Even so, the possibility of creating short, vertical videos for social media – essentially mini-series aimed at younger viewers – is being explored. The soap opera EastEnders has already experimented with this format, releasing several short stories, the latest one focusing on characters Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) and his great-grandmother, Big Mo Harris (Laila Morse).

Don’t worry, Coronation Street fans! Producer Iain MacLeod has assured viewers he wants to stay true to the show’s original creator, Tony Warren’s, ideas as the series continues into the 2020s.

As a huge fan of Coronation Street, I’ve always appreciated how the show feels true to its roots, and the people making it now feel the same way. They’re really committed to keeping the spirit of what Tony Warren created alive. For me, that core DNA is all about strong female characters, a bit of lovable messiness from the men, stories rooted in everyday working-class life, and that very specific, dry Northern wit. They know that’s essential to what makes Corrie, well, Corrie.

Corriedale can be streamed on ITVX.

Don’t miss out on Coronation Street and Emmerdale! Add them to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download it now for daily TV suggestions, articles, and more.

Authors

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at TopMob, providing all the latest news and spoilers from popular British soap operas like Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks. Before joining TopMob, he was a Soaps Reporter at Metro for two years and also gained experience working on the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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2026-02-20 18:19