ITV has announced it’s adding classic episodes of long-running soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale to its catch-up service, after both shows shut down production due to the coronavirus outbreak.
As of Monday (4 May), soap fans will be able to go on an epic nostalgia trip, with classic episodes of both shows available to stream for free.
The Corrie episodes that will be streamed on the ITV Hub are from 25 years ago, focussing on the goings on of July 1995, when Weatherfield legends like Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), Raquel Wolstenhulme (Sarah Lancashire) and Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs) were at large on the cobbles.
Meanwhile, Emmerdale will be debuting episodes from December of that same year, focussing on an era when Kim Tate and Dave Glover (Claire King and Ian Kelsey) were embroiled in an affair.
These episodes will also continue to air on ITV3 as usual, while a new collection of classic soap highlights will also be available to stream on BritBox from 14 May.
ITV boss Kevin Lygo revealed last week that Corrie and Emmerdale could both be coming close to running out of episodes, with the latter having enough to continue airing for the next few weeks, while the former may run out in June.
Meanwhile, there’s a treat in store for sports fans on the ITV Hub too, with all matches from the Euro 1996 tournament available to watch from 11 May, following the decision to postpone Euro 2020 until next year.
Reality fans will also be treated to classic episodes of Gemma Collins: Diva Forever and The Real Housewives Of Cheshire.