ITV's director of television Kevin Lygo has admitted that the broadcaster is just 'hoping and praying' that it is able to film the 60th anniversary episodes of Coronation Street.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic the soap has managed to avoid going off air - unlike rivals EastEnders and Hollyoaks - by reducing transmission to three episodes a week while filming was halted for two months.
Production picked up again in June with new safety measures in place on set, enabling the show to return to six episodes a week in a fortnight's time.
Corrie marks its milestone 60th birthday in December although those special episodes are not due to be filmed until October - leaving open the possibility that those plans could be scuppered by a potential second wave of coronavirus.
Answering a question posed by Media Mole at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Lygo revealed that there are no special plans in place to safeguard the 60th come what may.
"Coronation Street is obviously way above any kind of pandemic and everything will be fine," he joked. "No [contingency] - let's just hope and pray that we can make it.
"They're doing such a good job of filming now, it's still on air, so hopefully there will be ways of filming even if there is another surge."
Older cast members including Bill Roache, Barbara Knox and Maureen Lipman are all in the process of returning to filming for the first time over the coming weeks.
> 20 characters who could return for Coronation Street's 60th anniversary
Neil Wilkes
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