U.K.: 'Hollyoaks' to Become First British Soap in HD

The United Kingdom’s Channel 4 soap opera “Hollyoaks” is destined to become the first of the nation’s handful of major soap productions to broadcast in HD, according to its producer, Lime Pictures.

“[‘Hollyoaks’ is] already filming in HD and the show will be broadcast in the format [starting] from Monday, June 2,” Producer Bryan Kirkwood said in a recent interview with the Web site Digital Spy.

Other Brit programs also are transitioning to HD in coming months. BBC One’s “EastEnders” is busy testing its HD equipment this spring, and producers for the ITV1 soap “Coronation Street,” have indicated they continue to explore HD options. ITV’s “Emmerdale” production will begin filming in HD in July. The daytime medical drama “Doctors” on BBC has been taping in HD since last December.