Soap specials

Fans of Coronation Street and Emmerdale will have three new soap specials to watch during the summer months

Julie Lordan previews some nostalgia-filled Corrie and Emmerdale shows

Coronation Street will look back at some memorable moments and iconic characters while Emmerdale will revisit three generations of its most popular families. All the shows featured have been chosen to take viewers on a trip down memory lane. These special nostalgia-filled programmes have been commissioned to air alongside the new episodes of Coronation Street and Emmerdale, currently being filmed in Manchester and Leeds, so they are an added extra and not replacement shows. Below is a preview of what fans can expect and there’s plenty to keep viewers entertained and reminded of how dramatic and gripping the soaps have been throughout the years. The exact dates will feature in our listings coverage as soon as they are confirmed.

Looking back over 60 years, each episode brings alive a theme.

Coronation Street:

Weddings: A celebration of the best and most memorable weddings in Weatherfield. There have been 130 weddings over the decades and viewers will get to see some of the most dramatic, shocking and heart-warming examples.

Villains: A look back at some of the notorious baddies to ever stalk the cobbles. Who can forget the likes of Richard Hillman, Charlie Stubbs, Maya Sharma and Pat Phelan? Another chance to see how great the storylines were around these characters and how they eventually got their comeuppance.

Stories That Gripped The Nation: Coronation Street has always strived to make headlines and break new ground in television drama. This is a look back at pivotal storylines that captured the public’s imagination.

Battle Axes: Coronation Street was founded on its dominating matriarchs and what the producers describe as Northern working-class ‘battle axes’. This episode will celebrate the best of them. Scandals: Affairs, underage pregnancies, bigamy, cheating, are all events that have rocked the street over the years. Partnerships: A celebration of the classic pairings and comedy double acts that have kept fans entertained – Vera & Jack, Reg & Curly, Hilda & Stan are sure to feature. Famous faces: A look at some of the many famous faces from the soap through the years including Ian McKellen, Joanna Lumley and Maxine Peake. This episode also looks at actors who appeared in the soap ‘before they were famous’ in other roles, such as Sarah Lancashire or Suranne Jones.

High days & holidays: The residents of Weatherfield love a change of scenery and this episode will look at their many holidays which very rarely went to plan.

Icons: This show is narrated by Sally Lindsay (remember her as Shelley?) looking back at some of the iconic characters from the show. The four icons are: Ken Barlow (William Roache), Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor), Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) and Roy Cropper (David Neilson). The episode will include archive footage and interviews with cast members past and present. While the four icons need little introduction to avid fans, below is a quick reminder of how important these characters have been, and continue to be, to the soap.

Ken Barlow: William Roache reveals just what life was like for the original cast and why Violet Carson (Ena Sharples) was the natural leader. He admits his love for an on-screen punch up, where he always tries to play it as real as possible. Bill also likens his current role as the head of the Barlow family to that of a mafia boss, surrounded by his henchman.

Sally Metcalfe: Sally Dynevor tells the story of how she nearly messed up her role on her very first day. She also talks about the off-screen relationship with her on- screen daughters Rosie and Sophie, and speaks frankly about how a hardhitting breast cancer storyline coincided with her own battle with the illness.

Liz McDonald: Beverley Callard reveals Liz’s racy wardrobe secrets and how she often buys some of the more outrageous outfits herself. She also talks about the off-screen mother/son relationship that she has with Simon Gregson who plays her on-screen son Steve.

Roy Cropper: David Neilson talks about how his own Mum influenced Roy Cropper’s mannerisms, and how a conversation at a party turned into one of his most memorable storylines when Tracy Barlow lured Roy into bed for a bet.