ITV has broadcast a live Coronation Street episode on 23 September, with an added twist. Interactivity – led by social media - is expected to be at an unprecedented level.

Eleven hidden cameras have been rigged around the set at MediaCityUK, allowing a front row look of the cast and crew at work during the live show in an access all areas online stream, hosted by Stephen Mulhern.

Viewers were able to watch behind-the-scenes footage on itv.com whilst the real action unfolded in front of them on the telly. They were even able to chose the jukebox music that’s being played at characters Andrea and Lloyd’s leaving party.

On top of this, one lucky fan was given the chance to have their message written on the empty blackboard in the Rovers Return – it turned out to be “Katie Lowe will you marry me?”.

The trend of interactivity seems like it is set to continue in an effort to add a more immersive experience to viewers.

With competition rife between networks to grab viewers, and linear TV viewership declining over the years, there have been more instances of companies getting imaginative with how they market and present their productions.

Channel 4 show Dubplate Drama, which aired between 2005 and 2009, was the world’s first fully interactive TV drama where viewers could even decide the plot.

Advertisers have also been getting in on the action with Volvo creating an advert for cinemas which allowed the audience to change the outcome of the commercial – which reacted to viewers waving their arms. This way the audience had the ability to control what music was playing in the car and whether the commercial showed the background as day or night.

 

Rovers Return photo courtesy of Christopher Furlong/Getty Images