Is Coronation Street's six-episodes-a-week a treat or a terrible idea? Here's our verdict

Coronation Street has shocked fans this week with the big news that a sixth weekly episode is being introduced, meaning that we'll be getting more Weatherfield action than ever before.

The change won't take effect until late 2017, but opinions are already fiercely divided on whether it's a treat or a terrible idea – even among the Digital Spy Soaps team. Here are two very different verdicts on Corrie's big change...

FOR: It's (potentially) a treat  – Daniel Kilkelly, Soaps Editor

Despite everyone's surprise, six episodes of Coronation Street per week could be a real treat for soap fans – with some conditions. The key factor will be exactly where the extra episode sits within the week, which ITV has yet to announce. Having it slotted into a regular Tuesday or Thursday slot would probably be a bit much even for the most loyal viewer.

But what if Coronation Street was reintroduced to the Sunday schedule instead? That way, we wouldn't have to put up with an extra episode in our busy weekdays and we'd have a nice soapy Sunday evening to prepare us for the week ahead.

When Corrie used to air on Sundays, those episodes would often have a different and more relaxed feel to them. There was always something special about seeing our favourite characters on their day of rest, bringing a different dimension to the show and helping their lives somehow seem more real.

And if Emmerdale's "extra" episode was also shifted from its current 8pm Thursday slot to Sunday at 7pm, we could even get a full ITV soap hour back in our weekends again and the weekday soap schedules would suddenly look a lot cleaner. Hmm, the more we think about it, maybe we should start an early campaign for Sunday soaps...

More generally, while the reaction to the extra episode has certainly been mixed, there have been plenty of soap superfans expressing their delight at having even more Corrie in their lives. If the demand is there and Corrie continues to outrate most other shows, why not provide more of what the viewers want?

We also shouldn't get too carried away with the argument that six episodes will automatically mean a reduction in quality for Corrie. Emmerdale has been airing six episodes per week very successfully for many years. In fact, most would agree that it's the most consistent of all the soaps – even winning the Best Soap prize at the British Soap Awards 2016 following an excellent year.

And much to our relief, this isn't a change that's being rushed in without any thought or planning. The extra episode won't appear until autumn 2017, allowing plenty of time for Corrie's behind-the-scenes team to cope with the increased demand. Proposals include expanding the soap's current set to introduce new filming spaces and bringing in new behind-the-scenes staff. 

As well as the exciting possibilities those changes open up, it's also likely that we'll also see our favourite characters more often. Emmerdale has a much stronger ensemble feel, where everyone gets much more of a fair share of appearances over the six episodes, while some of the Corrie gang can currently go months without doing anything outside of ordering a swift pint at The Rovers.

So rather than heralding the death of Corrie like some are claiming, could the shift to six episodes actually provide a new lease of life?

AGAINST: A terrible idea! – Sophie Dainty, Soaps Reporter

No, it's not a drill – Coronation Street really is going to be airing six times a week from next year. Six. That's nearly three hours a week. That's a lot of air time. It's a lot of Weatherfield action. And it's whole lot more commitment if you are an avid watcher of the show. 

Don't get us wrong, we love Coronation Street. It's the UK's oldest, most venerable soap and it has set the bar for those that followed it. But it hasn't exactly been in the strongest shape lately. In fact, it's been a bit of sinking ship at times. 

We have already seen continuity mistakes slipping through the net (such as Kevin forgetting that he had a dead son last year) and it is currently mourning the loss of two of its long-serving cast members in Carla and Jason (Kylie is off imminently as well). Fans might be hoping that new producer Kate Oates can work her magic and transport the soap back to its heyday, but is a sixth episode really going to allow the cobblestones crew to regain their former glory?

It's inevitable that the workload of the cast, crew and writing team is going increase due to this rather ambitious addition, and it's hard not to wonder whether the story quality could suffer even more.

Surely, it would be more productive for Corrie to focus their efforts on improving the editorial errors of late rather than overworking their team in a preposterous bid to produce quantity over quality? The aim of the change is to allow the show to "evolve, entertain, and grip the nation with fantastic storylines". Our worry is that the storylines will instead become ever-lasting, unoriginal and inessential. 

In an internal email explaining the news to the Corrie staff, producers promised that this extra episode would allow "space for the comedy of the show to really breathe". That's great, but what about the viewers who consider it a sacrilege to miss an episode? When are they meant to breathe? 

Could it be that another episode is actually too much of a commitment, even for the most ardent of Weatherfield watchers? And what if they want (shocker!) to watch another soap as well? This move could prompt panic in the fans who will now have to fit in an extra half hour around their already busy lives, in order to avoid falling behind. It could also prompt a bigger rivalry in Soapland if it causes one of those sinful soap schedule clashes that the TV Gods do their best to avoid. 

So, sorry Corrie bosses – this is not necessarily a wise move. We're not denying that the show is good, but there can be too much of a good thing. 

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