The future is looking bright for Coronation Street as soap boss Kate Brooks has pledged a focus on community, family and humour for the show moving forwards.

And if the recent episode I previewed showing the return of Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley) flanked by new Rovers clan the Driscolls is anything to go by, she’s as good as her word.

While I can’t deliver any major spoilers on the episode itself, it really felt like classic Corrie to me, packed with humour and explorations of relationships, and Kate is more enthused than anyone over the new era, admitting she got emotional watching the episode back.

“It made me really emotional watching it for the first time, especially watching the montage sequence – the Rovers was just the place where you really want to be,’ she shared with Metro after the screening.

‘The vibe and the energy and love that’s in that pub now, for me I’m like: “If I’m going to have a lock-in anywhere, it’ll be in The Rovers and I’ll be there until 5am at least!” Because there’s just so much warmth and joy and happiness in that room with all those people.

‘For me the pub works really well if there’s a big family at the heart of it, a family that really loves each other. These guys love each other with a real fierceness and a real protectiveness.

‘Obviously there are niggles, issues and dramas, as happens to every family but at the heart of it, there’s a real loyalty to each other.

‘The other thing we wanted to bring to it was that sense of community. Eva’s obviously got links to Toyah and Leanne in the Street, so she’s that familiar face.

‘And Eva’s such an amazing character who’s so, so, so Coronation Street. So to bring her back with family, and with a mother-in-law who is definitely going to ruffle many feathers, it felt like the time was right to bring that kind of dynamic and energy into the pub.

“And to see more of the back room and to see how they interact with your Glendas, Seans and the staff of the pub as well. We just wanted to make sure that they arrived with a lot of energy, a lot of love, that people just want to watch this family and watch the stories unfold with this family.’

Wistfully, she continued: ‘I don’t know about you, but I watched that episode and you just care about every single member of that family straight away. You fall in love with them and, going forward, you just continue to fall in love with them because they are just delightful. They are a delight to watch.

‘Pauline, Aaron and Cath are just a breath of fresh air. They’ve come in, they’ve hit the ground running, they’re super busy and they continue to be really busy moving forward because there’s lots of stories for them.

‘But the dynamics are there. You’ve got Ben and Eva who love each other, who adore each other. You’ve got Maggie who is this mother-in-law who clashes with Eva on a daily slash hourly basis!

‘And it’s really funny. There’s some really funny stuff. They’re gifted actors, gifted comedic actors as well so there’s a real energy and buzz in the place. They’ve arrived big, they’ve arrived with a bang and they instantly feel so Coronation Street. And I’m so thrilled that we’ve got these guys on board and I’m so thrilled that Cath agreed to come back.’

As she previously alluded to, there will be some dramas too, with secrets potentially uncovered and tensions unfolding around Christmas time.

‘There’s so much more to come with them,’ Kate promised. ‘There’s so much drama. Really family-centric dramas. Friendships are formed, friendships are developed. And you’ve just got this family at the heart of the Street now, they just invite people in warmly into their space, into their pub. The pub has never looked more lively and full of life. It’s great, they’re amazing, I love them. I am absolutely in love with the Driscolls.’

I have to say that I certainly feel the same vibe with them, and sat through the episode with a smile on my face.

While many feel that Corrie has gone through a fair few darker stories and has piled too much focus on police and hospital scenarios, the new family feel like the really cement the Rovers as the heart of the show once more.

From a fantastically catty exchange between Eva and Maria, to Pauline McGlynn’s utterly camp debut, the episode delivers Corrie magic in spades.

The clan will make their debut later in October.

After that, there’s also the big Corrie and Emmerdale crossover – Corriedale – to look forward to.

And apparently we should be on the lookout for more easter eggs, such as the poster of John Sugden spotted by Metro recently.

‘Filming’s going brilliantly!’ Kate grinned, clearly excited for us to see the end result. ‘We’ve got a brilliant director. The script’s brilliant. The actors are loving it, because it’s so different and unique from what they’ve ever done before. I’ve been on set a few times. The mood and the camaraderie is really infectious. People are loving working with people they have not worked with before.

‘It’s just dead exciting. I just can’t help but imagine what my mum’s gonna be like watching this episode. She’ll be so beside herself, because, as a soap fan, the idea of sitting down watching your two favourite shows with all your favourite characters interact in this massive, unmissable piece of telly, it’s just amazing.

‘Even if I didn’t work in soap I’d be so excited for this because it’s just a soap fan’s dream. I think what we’ve done really well is make sure that the episode encapsulates what makes both shows unique, but also that universal appeal that soap is brilliant telly and it’s soaptastic.

‘So I think that those combinations are going to be a real treat for fans. Everyone’s worked so, so hard on this as well behind the scenes. Obviously, the cast have been amazing, brilliant. But behind the scenes, people have worked really hard. It’s been quite a feat logistically to get everything in the right place.

‘So I just think, as a testament to how hard and how passionate all the people are behind the scenes, from schedulers to crew and DOPs and directors and ADs, it is just a testament to the fact that they love what they do, and everyone has put their heart and soul into it.’