Plans confirmed for live Coronation Street episode

ITV has confirmed plans for a live episode of Coronation Street as part of the show's celebrations for the channel's 60th year on air.

ITV’s Director of Television Peter Fincham announced the plans at the Salford Media Festival.

The live episode will broadcast in September 2015 from the show's new home at MediaCityUK at Salford Quays.

Executive Producer Kieran Roberts said: “We’re delighted to be marking ITV’s 60th anniversary with a live episode from Coronation Street’s brilliant new studios and set.”

“We’re immensely proud of our new home and it’s been the most amazing first year of production. The cast, writers, and production team are exhilarated by the prospect of a live broadcast as the programme’s 50th anniversary episode was received so brilliantly by the audience."

Coronation Street Producer Stuart Blackburn, who produced Emmerdale’s live special to celebrate the drama’s 40th anniversary in 2012, will mastermind Coronation Street’s live episode whilst continuing to oversee the soap.

His production team will pre-record episodes across the summer of 2015 which will dovetail into the live episode in September.

Stuart said: “It’s an honour to be at the helm as Coronation Street goes live once more."

“We’ve a reputation to uphold after the success of the tram crash and I’m going to enjoy working with the storyliners and writers as we plot stories for our live episode in 2015. We’ll be doing all we can to eclipse what’s gone before."