Hollyoaks to resume filming on 13th July but could be off-air for a month
The soap plans to be back to normal in the new year.
Hollyoaks have confirmed they will resume filming from 13th July 2020, almost four months after the UK pandemic lockdown forced the soap to shut down production in March.
Pre-production began on 8th June at the Liverpool studios ahead of shooting commencing next month as part of a 'phased return', and new episodes will be broadcast from September showing four nights a week. It is expected to return to its full five-episode capacity by January 2021.
There are enough completed episodes before filming was halted to keep Hollyoaks on air until the end of July, after the programme switched from five nights to two in March, meaning fans can possibly expect a transmission gap of at least one month.
A spokesperson said: "To safeguard the health, safety and welfare of al involved in the production of Hollyoaks, new work protocols will be in place.
"All cast and crew will attend a safety induction to familiarise themselves with the revised way of working prior to production re-starting."
The statement also pointed out that unlike other UK soaps, Hollyoaks is shot with single-camera, which means it is more time consuming to produce than multi-cameras shows Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale.
ITV's soaps have avoided a transmission break, having resumed production before episodes run out: Emmerdale resumed filming in late May, Coronation Street is set to return on 9th June, while BBC One's EastEnders is expected to resume in late June but has yet to confirm a date. The last pre-lockdown episode of the Walford soap airs on 16th June, and the show is expected to be off air for a few months.
Visit our dedicated Hollyoaks page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV guide.
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