The BBC has confirmed that it plans to launch two new "long-running dramas" set outside of London in the coming years.
The plans were announced as part of the corporation's major new strategy to boost its appeal and better serve audiences around the UK.
One of the two new programmes will be set in one of the nations - most likely Wales or Northern Ireland, but potentially Scotland - while the other is likely to be based in the North of England.
Although the English commission is most likely to be a continuing drama in the mould of Waterloo Road and Holby City, several outlets have suggested that the BBC could launch an entirely new soap to rival ITV's Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
"We're still working through the exact detail but we expect it to be a long-running show," a source told The Sun.
"That could mean anything from a weekly programme, to 30 episodes a year, but that's all to be worked out."
The BBC has not commissioned a national primetime soap since the infamously ill-fated Eldorado in 1992.
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