Duncan Foster, director of the landmark Corriedale crossover episode, has addressed how ITV's shift to half-hour soap instalments reflects an evolving audience behaviour amid cuts to the broadcaster.
Speaking at a press event for the highly-anticipated special episode, Mr Foster noted that viewership on ITVX has risen significantly since episodes began dropping at 7am on broadcast days.
"If you're trying to fit an episode of soap into your day, if you work from home, or you work part time, or maybe you want to watch your soap in the evening, it's much easier to do that if it's a half hour transmission, rather than an hour long transmission," he explained to GB News and other media.
The director described the shorter format as "way more digestible" and believes it represents "the right length for soap."
ITV's Corriedale is set to air on January 5
|ITV
Mr Foster emphasised that ITV is working to match its output with contemporary viewing patterns, whether audiences watch during lunch breaks, on their commute, or before collecting children from school.
It comes amid big changes to the channel impacting some shows, such as Loose Women and Lorraine, as the broadcaster implements cost-cutting measures.
The Corriedale episode itself presented considerable logistical hurdles for the production team, Mr Foster revealed.
Filming spanned six to eight weeks in total, with crews from both Coronation Street and Emmerdale joining forces for the unprecedented collaboration.
Soap boss Duncan Foster talked about filming the special episode
|ITV
"I think we did 14 nights in total because we did two nights of the sort of pre-dragging sequences," he stated.
The shoot incorporated extensive night filming to capture a catastrophic multi-vehicle collision that will place characters from both Manchester and Yorkshire in peril.
Weather proved a constant concern throughout the production, though Mr Foster acknowledged the team was remarkably fortunate.
"In the 12 nights of the crash it rained only once and the night it rained was the explosion night," he said, adding that they managed to complete the major stunt despite the conditions.
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Corriedale will be a history-making episode for the broadcaster
| ITVWhen asked whether rescheduling would have been possible had conditions not cooperated, he was candid, admitting: "We wouldn't have been able to do it and so I guess I was just really lucky."
Despite the excitement surrounding Corriedale, ITV has confirmed the crossover will remain a singular event.
Iain MacLeod, the broadcaster's Executive Producer for Continuing Drama, made clear there are no intentions to repeat the experiment.
"People love Corrie, people love Emmerdale, they're distinct entities," Mr MacLeod stated.
The two ITV soaps will merge for the first time | ITV"They have their own tone voice, their own sense of humour, and their own way of telling stories, and they wouldn't blend long term at all I don't think really."
He described the episode as a celebration marking the new scheduling arrangement rather than a template for future collaborations.
"Brilliant to bring them together for this. But no there are no plans to do anything similar in future," MacLeod added.
"Sorry to be a killjoy, for those of you who were hoping there was."