Hollyoaks in major schedule shake-up as Channel 4 prepares to slash soap to just three episodes a week
HOLLYOAKS is set to only air three episodes a week starting in September.
Show bosses announced the controversial schedule change back in February, and it is now about to take effect.
The update was announced on social media, where fans were told that they would receive an extra episode of the soap before it gets downsized.
At the moment Hollyoaks is on screens five days a week, but that will change in the second week of September.
The announcement read: “Hollyoaks will air a bonus SIXTH episode in its final week before cutting down to three episodes a week.
“Currently, a double bill is pencilled into the provisional schedules for Friday, 6th September, 7:00 pm-7:30pm and 7:30pm-8:00pm.”
After the shake up the three weekly episodes will be available on streaming, E4 and YouTube.
There will also be a drama packed hour-long weekly omnibus episode broadcast on Channel 4 and available to stream.
In addition to cutting down on airtime, Hollyoaks bosses are also axing 20 cast members.
The writers came up with an inventive and bizarre way to explain why so many people are going to disappear from Chester.
New episodes will feature a dramatic year-long time jump which is meant to provide a reason for why several families have moved away from the village.
When these changes were first announced, a source told the Sun: “Losing 20 cast members in one fell swoop is eye-watering and devastating news for soapland.
“In the past, Hollyoaks has seen shock stunts claim up to five lives in a single episode.
“But the days of soaps having a big cast clear-out with a devastating stunt are long gone, especially on Hollyoaks where the budget has been dramatically cut.
“The necessary death toll would make almost any stunt idea totally unbelievable.”
But soap boss Hannah Cheers insisted the time jump would be a good thing, saying: “Fast-forwarding the show permanently by a year presents us with unlimited story possibilities.”
In recent weeks several actors have left the soap as it geared up for these upcoming changes.
One of them was soap favourite Iz Hesketh, who took to social media to announce that she is ‘unemployed’ and ‘looking for work’.
In June The Sun exclusively revealed that Emma Rigby resigned from the Channel 4 soap less than a year after her high profile return.
The actress – who plays Hannah Ashworth – is said to have walked away over changes to the show.
An insider added: “There’s a worry other high profile cast members may see this as an opportunity to leave the show.
“While they’re all very supportive of the soap, the reduced budget and seeing friends and colleagues leave after so many years takes its toll.
“If more go willingly then it may be that the writing is very much on the wall for the show. It will be hard to recover from further blows.”
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