Blog
“ Soap Scoop ”
Digital Spy soaps editor Daniel Kilkelly rounds up the very latest news, gossip and pictures from Britain's biggest soaps.
> Pic Of The Day - the day's best storyline pic from one of the Big Four soaps
> Soaps Poll - topical weekly soaps polls for you to have your say
> Soaps Ratings Roundups - daily overnight ratings reports for the soaps
> Soap Movers Table - track all the joiners, returnees and departees in soapland
> Soaps Poll - topical weekly soaps polls for you to have your say
> Soaps Ratings Roundups - daily overnight ratings reports for the soaps
> Soap Movers Table - track all the joiners, returnees and departees in soapland
Follow us:
Well, here we go again for another year of soapy scheduling. Like last year, this page will be updated as soon as new scheduling information becomes available. So until you see the words 'all schedules are final' at the end of the 'updates' section, they're not confirmed.
Any clashes between the four main soaps are highlighted in RED, while any episodes which are not of their usual length or time are highlighted in bold font.
Five's Aussie soaps will continue as normal until the week before Christmas. Neighbours' final episode of 2008 will air on Thursday, December 18, while Home and Away goes on hiatus the following day (Friday, December 19). Both shows will return to air on Monday, January 5.
Doctors, meanwhile, will be on air until Friday, December 19, before taking a two-week break, returning to screens on Monday, January 5.
So what's the tally of soap hours this year? Well, at the moment, we're supposed to be having 6.5 hours of Emmerdale, 6 hours of Corrie, 5.5 of EastEnders, 4 hours of The Bill, 3 hours of Casualty and 2 hours of Holby City. That's a lot of drama, no?
UPDATES:
Fri, Nov 28 at 1440: ITV's draft scheduling has been added but is entirely provisional at this point. BBC schedules are also provisional.
Fri, Nov 28 at 1500: Channel 4's provisional Hollyoaks scheduling has now been added.
Mon, Dec 1 at 1415: ITV have made no changes in their latest schedules.
Tue, Dec 2 at 1155: Emmerdale's boxing day episode has been moved to 1830. BBC scheduling updated.
Tue, Dec 2 at 1630: ITV scheduling is now final.
Tue, Dec 2 at 1805: BBC scheduling is now final.
Fri, Dec 5 at 1120: Channel 4 scheduling is now final. All schedules are final.
Tue, Dec 16 at 1200: Channel 4 make a last-minute alternation to the Hollyoaks pattern.
Saturday, December 20
2010 - Casualty (50 mins)
Sunday, December 21
2100 - Casualty (1 hour)
Monday, December 22 - 30-minute Clash
1830 - Hollyoaks (1 hour)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
2100 - The Bill (1 hour)
Tuesday, December 23 - 30-minute Clash
1830 - Hollyoaks (1 hour)
1900 - Emmerdale (1 hour)
1930 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2000 - Holby City (1 hour)
2100 - The Bill (1 hour)
Wednesday, December 24
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
Thursday, December 25
1800 - Emmerdale (1 hour)
1900 - Corrie (1 hour)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2100 - EastEnders (30 mins)
Friday, December 26 - 30-minute Clash
1750 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1830 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
Saturday, December 27
2040 - Casualty (50 mins)
Monday, December 29
1830 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
Tuesday, December 30 - 30-minute Clash
1830 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1900 - Emmerdale (1 hour)
1930 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2000 - Holby City (1 hour)
Wednesday, December 31
1830 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - The Bill (1 hour)
Thursday, January 1
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
No Corrie
1930 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2000 - The Bill (1 hour)
2030 - EastEnders (30 mins)
Friday, January 2
1800 - Hollyoaks (1 hour)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
And the schedules should be back to normal from Monday, January 5.
What do you think of this year's soap schedules? Let me you’re your views using the usual form below!
> Click here to see last year's scheduling
Any clashes between the four main soaps are highlighted in RED, while any episodes which are not of their usual length or time are highlighted in bold font.
Five's Aussie soaps will continue as normal until the week before Christmas. Neighbours' final episode of 2008 will air on Thursday, December 18, while Home and Away goes on hiatus the following day (Friday, December 19). Both shows will return to air on Monday, January 5.
Doctors, meanwhile, will be on air until Friday, December 19, before taking a two-week break, returning to screens on Monday, January 5.
So what's the tally of soap hours this year? Well, at the moment, we're supposed to be having 6.5 hours of Emmerdale, 6 hours of Corrie, 5.5 of EastEnders, 4 hours of The Bill, 3 hours of Casualty and 2 hours of Holby City. That's a lot of drama, no?
UPDATES:
Fri, Nov 28 at 1440: ITV's draft scheduling has been added but is entirely provisional at this point. BBC schedules are also provisional.
Fri, Nov 28 at 1500: Channel 4's provisional Hollyoaks scheduling has now been added.
Mon, Dec 1 at 1415: ITV have made no changes in their latest schedules.
Tue, Dec 2 at 1155: Emmerdale's boxing day episode has been moved to 1830. BBC scheduling updated.
Tue, Dec 2 at 1630: ITV scheduling is now final.
Tue, Dec 2 at 1805: BBC scheduling is now final.
Fri, Dec 5 at 1120: Channel 4 scheduling is now final. All schedules are final.
Tue, Dec 16 at 1200: Channel 4 make a last-minute alternation to the Hollyoaks pattern.
Saturday, December 20
2010 - Casualty (50 mins)
Sunday, December 21
2100 - Casualty (1 hour)
Monday, December 22 - 30-minute Clash
1830 - Hollyoaks (1 hour)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
2100 - The Bill (1 hour)
Tuesday, December 23 - 30-minute Clash
1830 - Hollyoaks (1 hour)
1900 - Emmerdale (1 hour)
1930 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2000 - Holby City (1 hour)
2100 - The Bill (1 hour)
Wednesday, December 24
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
Thursday, December 25
1800 - Emmerdale (1 hour)
1900 - Corrie (1 hour)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2100 - EastEnders (30 mins)
Friday, December 26 - 30-minute Clash
1750 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1830 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
Saturday, December 27
2040 - Casualty (50 mins)
Monday, December 29
1830 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
Tuesday, December 30 - 30-minute Clash
1830 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1900 - Emmerdale (1 hour)
1930 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2000 - Holby City (1 hour)
Wednesday, December 31
1830 - Hollyoaks (30 mins)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - The Bill (1 hour)
Thursday, January 1
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
No Corrie
1930 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2000 - The Bill (1 hour)
2030 - EastEnders (30 mins)
Friday, January 2
1800 - Hollyoaks (1 hour)
1900 - Emmerdale (30 mins)
1930 - Corrie (30 mins)
2000 - EastEnders (30 mins)
2030 - Corrie (30 mins)
And the schedules should be back to normal from Monday, January 5.
What do you think of this year's soap schedules? Let me you’re your views using the usual form below!
> Click here to see last year's scheduling
More: Soaps
Your Views
7 Comments
Your Responses
Richard Foster, Warrington, on December 3rd, 2008
What's on Boxing Day at 7pm on ITV1?
What's on Boxing Day at 7pm on ITV1?
Mark, Cumbria, on December 2nd, 2008
Channel 4 never seem to put Hollyoaks on Christmas Day, not sure why. Good to see there aren't many clashes. I wonder why on Friday 26th, Emmerdale is not on at 7pm, its on at 6:30 them corrie on at 7:30 but they are both 30 min episodes, i wonder what else is on in between, unless that will change?
Channel 4 never seem to put Hollyoaks on Christmas Day, not sure why. Good to see there aren't many clashes. I wonder why on Friday 26th, Emmerdale is not on at 7pm, its on at 6:30 them corrie on at 7:30 but they are both 30 min episodes, i wonder what else is on in between, unless that will change?
Dani, Swansea, on December 2nd, 2008
I thought Christmas was a time for family, do people really have nothing better to do than spend the festive season watching non-stop soaps??
I thought Christmas was a time for family, do people really have nothing better to do than spend the festive season watching non-stop soaps??
Anon, on December 1st, 2008
What about the Omnibuses? Will they be on as normal?
What about the Omnibuses? Will they be on as normal?
Hutchy_Muse,Belfast, on November 28th, 2008
Can anyone tell me why Hollyoaks don't bother with Christmas & Boxing day showings??
Can anyone tell me why Hollyoaks don't bother with Christmas & Boxing day showings??
Nic, London, on November 28th, 2008
I'm a bit disappointed that Hollyoaks still isn't going out on Christmas Eve. Given it's fanbase I think it could quite successfully pull of a special episode at 9 or 10 pm that would be well watched with the right storylines.
I'm a bit disappointed that Hollyoaks still isn't going out on Christmas Eve. Given it's fanbase I think it could quite successfully pull of a special episode at 9 or 10 pm that would be well watched with the right storylines.
Soap Scoop
Corrie Carla, Enders romance, 'Oaks kissWe present the latest spoilers and pictures from the UK soaps.
Soaps Interviews
Neighbours star teases Rhys's futureBen Barber chats to us about his latest Neighbours plot and more.
Soap Ratings
Helen Flanagan's Corrie exit draws 9.3mThe young actress brings in more than 9.2m for both episodes in the double bill.
Reality Bites
Does Simon Cowell have new SuBo?: VideoWatch a clip of Jonathan Antoine, who is tipped for success on BGT.
This years schedule is better because Corrie & EastEnders don't overlap! And Hollyoaks only overlaps with E4 showings :)