Stuart Blackburn

Emmerdale’s executive producer Stuart Blackburn, has revealed that he’d love to have Corrie character Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) and EastEnders legend Dot Cotton (June Brown) on the rural soap.

Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, he said, “I adore Norris, and I’d love to bring Dot and Edna together, because despite being superficially similar, I think they’d hate each other.”

Blackburn went on to say, “They’d probably each describe the other as sanctimonious and po-faced!”

Blackburn was interviewed by the magazine about Emmerdale’s 40th anniversary next year, for which he has a whole host of exciting storylines planned.

He said, “We’re hoping to do something very different that redefines our new, modern Emmerdale…

“I want every story we play to be big, powerful and emotional. I want to try to find a way of giving every single character a voice and a role.

“I want 2012 to have the best storylines the show has ever had. That’s a start – and the rest will be unveiled shortly!”

Ooo, I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve! But it made me wonder which other soapy crossovers could work?

I’d love to see Cain Dingle giving Phil Mitchell a run for his Mouthy Southy money, and maybe Shirley and Hev taking themselves off for a pint in the Rovers.

Or perhaps Emmerdale’s Marlon and Laurel could run away to Walford after their affair is discovered…

And maybe Zainab should have a holiday in rural Yorkshire.

Let me know which soap crossovers you’d like to see, but in the meantime, here it is in the flesh as’twere when BBC and ITV collaborated for last year’s Children In Need appeal…