Coronation Street to film extra episodes

'Coronation Street' bosses are to stockpile an extra five weeks' worth of episodes for when the show moves location.

The ITV1 soap is leaving the central Manchester studios where it has been filmed for 51 years to join the BBC at the new Salford MediaCityUK development and to avoid falling behind schedule, cast - including the likes of show veteran Bill Roache - and crew are working extra hard to get ahead in filming.

Executive producer Kieran Roberts said: "Over the course of the next year we're going to get a little bit further ahead of ourselves than we normally do."

'Coronation Street' is already filmed several weeks in advance and the new schedule could see them get up to ten weeks ahead, with an extra director drafted in for shooting alongside the two usually on duty.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Everyone wants the move to go well and as a result we are throwing everything into preparing for it.

"If that means working round the clock then they will. It is as an extra precaution as 'Coronation Street' has never been off air in its history."

ITV will build a bespoke production and studio centre for 'Corrie' on the eight-acre MediaCityUK site at Trafford Wharf, next to the Imperial War Museum North.