Neighbours and Home and Away are set to return to five episodes per week after being cut down to just two due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While many soaps are still facing production shutdowns, Channel 5 has confirmed the two programmes will return to their previous schedule.
Channel 5 said in a statement: ‘Neighbours and Home and Away will return to five episodes a week from Monday 11th May, resuming their usual Monday to Friday slots.’
Back in March, both soaps cut down to only air on Monday and Friday in an effort to ensure they remain on the air for as long as possible.
A spokesperson said at the time: ‘As a result of Covid-19, we have taken the decision to reduce the number of episodes for Neighbours and Home and Away from five to two per week for both soaps, so that our viewers can continue to enjoy them for as long as possible. Both programmes will air on Monday and Fridays, effective from Monday 30th March.’
Production on Home and Away had been halted — and Channel Seven in Australia had temporarily removed the soap from schedules.
The Channel 5 soaps joined UK programmes to have their weekly episodic transmissions reduced amid the coronavirus pandemic, with EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale — all of which have been forced to shut down production — having had their weekly instalments cut in half.
Meanwhile, Hollyoaks — while initially having been reduced from five episodes to three — has only been broadcast twice a week.
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