| Emmerdale | |
|---|---|
Current Emmerdale title card (introduced on 30 May 2011) |
|
| Format | Soap opera |
| Created by | Kevin Laffan |
| Starring | Present cast Former cast |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes |
6121[+] |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Various (1972–84) Keith Richardson (1984–2009) Steve November (2009–Present) |
| Producer(s) | Various (currently Stuart Blackburn[1]) |
| Running time | 22 mins (excluding advertisements) |
| Production company(s) | ITV Studios (Yorkshire Television) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV (ITV1/STV/UTV) (also ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD) |
| Picture format | 576i (1972) 4:3 (1972–2001) 16:9 (2002–11) 1080i HD[2] (2011–Present) |
| Original run | 16 October 1972 – Present (39 years, 124 days) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Emmerdale, (known as Emmerdale Farm until 1989) is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972. It is produced by Yorkshire Television, (now part of ITV Studios), and has been filmed at their Yorkshire Studios since its inception. It has since been shown in all regions of ITV almost throughout its existence. It is the United Kingdom's second oldest soap opera.
It was originally conceived and broadcast as a daytime programme in an afternoon slot, becoming an early evening programme in 1978 in most ITV regions, but excluding London and Anglia, both of which followed in the mid-1980s. Until Christmas 1988, Emmerdale took seasonal breaks; since then it has been broadcast year-round.
Emmerdale is shown every weekday at 7pm with an extra Thursday episode being aired at 8pm (beginning 23 July 2009). Episodes are first broadcast on ITV (ITV1/STV/UTV). Every episode lasts around 30 minutes (including commercials); without adverts the total time of footage averages to around 22 minutes per episode. Repeat episodes and the omnibus of the show can be seen on ITV2.
On 10 October 2011, Emmerdale began broadcasting in high definition on ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD.
The basic premise of Emmerdale Farm was very similar to the BBC radio soap opera The Archers – focusing on a family, a farm and characters in a nearby village.
The farmyard filming techniques of Emmerdale Farm were originally modelled on the revolutionary soap-opera The Riordans, made by RTÉ, Ireland's broadcaster, from the mid-1960s to the end of the 1970s. The Riordans broke new ground for soap operas by being filmed largely out of doors (on a farm owned in the storyline by Tom and Mary Riordan) rather than the usual practice of British and American soap operas, of shooting almost completely in studios (where 'outdoor' scenes were sometimes filmed indoors). The Riordans pioneered farmyard location shooting with real farm animals and actors driving tractors. In the 1960s and 1970s, outdoor filming of television programmes using OBUs (Outdoor Broadcast Units) was in its infancy due to the far higher costs involved and the reliance on things like the weather that were out of the control of the programme makers.
The success of The Riordans showed that a soap opera could be filmed largely out of doors. Yorkshire Television sent people to The Riordans set in County Meath, Ireland to see the making of the programme at first hand.[3][4]
Emmerdale has featured a huge number of characters since it began of all different durations and the cast has gradually expanded in size. It has also had changing residences and businesses for the characters.
The Miffield estate was the biggest employer in the village of Beckindale – situated 39 miles (63 km) from Bradford and 52 miles (84 km) from Leeds. Lord Miffield gave the lease of Emmerdale Farm on the edge of the village to the Sugden family in the 1850s out of gratitude after Josh Sugden sacrificed his life for the Earl's son in the Crimean War.
Josh's grandson Joseph married Margaret Oldroyd and they had a son Jacob in January 1916 followed by another son Edward Sugden. In the 1930s, the young Jacob Sugden supposedly purchased Emmerdale Farm for his family. In 1945 he married Annie Pearson – daughter of farm labourer Sam Pearson. Margaret Sugden died in 1963 and Joseph Sugden died in 1964.
Jacob Sugden had run the farm into the ground as he had drunk away most of the profits, leaving it in a sorry state. It was badly maintained and the future of the farm looked bleak at the time of Jacob's death on 10 October 1972.
Jacob left a wife Annie and three grown children, two sons, Jack (the eldest) and Joe (the youngest of the three) and daughter Peggy. These characters would form the basis of the series Emmerdale Farm.
The first episode of Emmerdale Farm opened with the funeral of Jacob Sugden on 16 October 1972.
Jacob had upset the family when he left the farm to his eldest son, Jack, who had not been seen since 1964, when at the age of 18 he left his family, heritage and Beckindale – for London.
Jack Sugden returned to the farm in this opening episode, although he chose to stay away from the funeral – making his presence known only after the service when the Sugdens returned to their home, Emmerdale Farm – where they found him waiting for them.
In subsequent months, Jack sold a share of the Farm to Annie, Joe, Peggy and his grandfather Sam Pearson. Emmerdale Farm Ltd was formed after Henry Wilks bought Sam's share of the estate.
The first episode, as with all episodes, have been repeated/released at various times on various media.[5]
Initially the show focused on the farm and the Sugden family who lived on and ran it. As time went on, the show's focus moved to the nearby village of Beckindale. To reflect this change, the show's title was changed on 14 November 1989 to Emmerdale. Coinciding with the show's 1989 title change was the introduction of the Tate family. These changes, and the introduction of more exciting storylines and dramatic episodes such as Pat Sugden's 1986 car crash and the 1988 Crossgill fire, gradually began to improve the soap's popularity and were overseen by the new executive producer, Keith Richardson, who was in charge of the programme for 24 years, during which time he oversaw its transformation from a minor, daytime, rural drama, into one of the UK's most major soaps.[6] The Windsor family arrived in 1993.
In October 1993, the show had turned 21 and a couple of months later celebrated by airing a story which would mark a turning point in its history. On 30 December 1993 Emmerdale attracted its highest ever audience of over 18 million when a plane crashed into the village, killing four villagers. Until this storyline, Emmerdale was largely ignored by press and viewers alike, except for a loyal fan-base, in the face of the better-known soaps in Coronation Street and EastEnders. The plane crash drastically improved the show's popularity, enticing new viewers and has consequently kept the show as one of the most watched soap operas on British television.
Emmerdale continued to have dramatic storylines for the rest of the 90s, and new long-term characters, such as the Dingle family, were introduced. The Tates emerged as the soap's leading family in the 1990s, overshadowing the Sugdens. After their arrival, the Tate family remained in Home Farm for 16 years, albeit with the size of the family decreasing over time as members left or were killed off, with the last, Zoe, leaving in 2005.
The early 2000s had seen exciting episodes such as the storm (a storyline that occurred 10 years after the plane crash one and was of a similar kind, although not as major) and the introduction of several new long-term characters, including Cain and Charity Dingle, who both later left before returning to the soap in 2009.
2009 was an important year for the show. The character of Jack Sugden died and Sheila Mercier made her first appearance for 13 years to reprise her role as Annie Sugden, who flew from her house in Spain to the village for the funeral of her son. Robert Sugden (Karl Davies) also returned for the funeral. Jack was the show's longest-serving character at the time and his death was due to the longest-serving actor at the time, Clive Hornby, dying the previous year. Hornby had played Jack for 28 years; the majority of the character's duration. The death of Jack signified the end of an era for the soap and the start of a new one; around the same time, veteran executive producer, Keith Richardson retired from the show to be replaced by a former series producer, Steve November (previously known as Steve Frost) and a new series producer, Gavin Blyth, who has since been succeeded by Stuart Blackburn. Blackburn was appointed after Blyth's sudden and untimely death. In the last few years, Emmerdale has gotten stronger as it continues to evolve; The Wyldes took over Home Farm to then be replaced by the Maceys, and many other cast changes along with strong storylines have occured. In 2011, the shows titles were given a major revamp. Emmerdale is now gearing up for it's 40th anniversary in 2012.
The following three sections highlight the major disasters, exits, and other episodes with high viewing figures.
Emmerdale is extremely well known for the number of disasters it has featured over the years. The most notable disasters are listed below.
Emmerdale is famous for its hugely dramatic exit storylines. These characters have made some of the most famous, memorable exits from Emmerdale.
The show is one of the most watched programmes on British television. An average Emmerdale episode generally attracts 6.5million viewers and it presently lies third in popularity behind the other two major soaps Coronation Street and EastEnders. However, notable episodes and storylines have seen the viewing figures soar:
Numerous other hour long episodes that have clashed with rival soap EastEnders have won in the battle for viewing figures. Over the past few years the village soap has gone head to head with BBC's EastEnders on numerous occasions and has emerged on top many times, establishing itself as a serious contender for the second most popular British soap opera. Some notable examples include:
Location shooting originally occurred in the village of Arncliffe in Littondale, one of the less frequented valleys of the Yorkshire Dales. In exterior shots the village's hotel, The Falcon was used to represent the fictional Woolpack Inn. Eventually the location of the shooting location became publicly known, which is perhaps what prompted the move to the village of Esholt in 1976, where it stayed for the next 22 years. This location also became a tourist attraction and the village pub (previously 'the Commercial Hotel') has retained the adopted name of The Woolpack Inn.
The original Emmerdale Farm buildings are near the village of Leathley. Creskeld Hall (Home Farm) is one of the few original filming locations used in the entire run of the series and has been involved in many storylines.
Since 1998 a purpose-built set on the Harewood estate in Leeds has been used (building on the Harewood estate started in 1996). The first scenes shot in the purpose-built set on the Harewood Estate were broadcast on 17 February 1998 from the front of the Woolpack (although some scenes were shot there from 1997). The Harewood set is a replica of Esholt with a few minor alterations.
The houses in the new village at Harewood are timber framed structures covered in stone cladding. The village is built on green belt land so all the buildings are classed as "temporary structures" and must be demolished within ten years unless new planning permission is given. There is no plan to demolish the set and new planning has now been drawn up. The new village included a church and a churchyard full of gravestones some of them for the characters who have died in the serial.
The site incorporates a 1500 ft grass airstrip, and a Cessna 172 is hangared in the farm at the entrance. The aircraft, in an open barn, is visible from Eccup Lane.
Butlers Farm is really Brookland Farm, a working farm located in the nearby village of Eccup. Brookland Farm is where all the external farmyard and building shots are filmed with the internal house shots being filmed in the studio.
Much location footage is carried out in other areas of the City of Leeds, and other locations in West Yorkshire, such as the fictional market town of Hotten which is actually shot in Otley, a market town on the outskirts of Leeds. The Benton Park School in the Rawdon area of the city and the primary school in Farnley were also used as shooting locations. Indoor scenes are mostly filmed at Yorkshire Television's 'Emmerdale Production Centre' on Kirkstall Road, Leeds (located next to the main Yorkshire Television's Leeds Studios).[8] As of 28 March 2011, new studio facilities (which are HD capable) in the ITV Studios building on Kirkstall Road are being used for most of the interior scenes, the old facility on Burley Road will be vacated and offered for sale in due course.
Emmerdale have in the past been sponsored by a number of commercial partners including Daz, Heinz Salad Cream, Calgon, Airwick, Veet and Lemsip. On 6 October 2009, ITV announced a sponsorship agreement with online bingo site Tombola Bingo.
Emmerdale's first sponsorship was Daz from 21 December 1999 to 20 February 2002 featuring Johno and Barry, who are seen indulging in their favourite pastime - sitting on the kitchen floor watching the washing machine go through its cycle. Each has a distinctive character, revealed through a series of dramas which unfold as the dogs chat to each other while sitting in front of the washing machine, much as humans do when watching television. The Daz sponsorship was finished in February 2002.
| Actor | Character | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Thorp | Alan Turner | 1982 - (29 years) | |
| Clive Hornby | Jack Sugden | 1980 - 2008 (28 years) | |
| Chris Chittell | Eric Pollard | 1986 - (25 years) | |
| Stan Richards | Seth Armstrong | 1978 - 2003, 2004 (25 years) | |
| Sheila Mercier | Annie Brearly | 1972 - 1994, 1995, 1996, 2009 (22 years) | |
| Frazer Hines | Joe Sugden | 1972 - 1983, 1984, 1986 - 1994 (19 years) | |
| Ronald Magill | Amos Brearly | 1972 - 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 (19 years) | |
| Arthur Pentelow | Henry Wilks | 1972 - 1991 (19 years) | |
| Paula Tilbrook | Betty Eagleton | 1994 - (17 years) | |
| Steve Halliwell | Zak Dingle | 1994 - 2002, 2003 - (17 years) | |
| Deena Payne | Viv Hope | 1993 - 2008, 2009 - 2011 (17 years) | |
| Frederick Pyne | Matt Skilbeck | 1972 - 1989 (17 years) | |
| Malandra Burrows | Kathy Brookman | 1985 - 2001, 2005 (16 years) | |
| Billy Hartman | Terry Woods | 1995 - 2011 (16 years) | |
| Leah Bracknell | Zoe Tate | 1989 - 2005 (16 years) | |
| Kelvin Fletcher | Andy Sugden | 1996 - (15 years) | |
| Jane Cox | Lisa Dingle | 1996 - (15 years) | |
| Mark Charnock | Marlon Dingle | 1996 - (15 years) | |
| John Middleton | Ashley Thomas | 1996 - (15 years) | |
| Dominic Brunt | Paddy Kirk | 1997 - (14 years) | |
| Peter Amory | Chris Tate | 1989 - 2003 (14 years) | |
| Elizabeth Estensen | Diane Sugden | 1999 - (12 years) | |
| James Hooton | Sam Dingle | 1995 - 1996, 1997-1998, 2000 - (12 years) | |
| Toke Townley | Sam Pearson | 1972 - 1984 (12 years) | |
| Christopher Smith | Robert Sugden | 1989 - 2001 (12 years) | |
| Shirley Stelfox | Edna Birch | 2000 - (11 years) | |
| Tony Audenshaw | Bob Hope | 2000 - (11 years) | |
| Patrick Mower | Rodney Blackstock | 2000 - (11 years) | |
| Glenda McKay | Rachel Hughes | 1988 - 1999 (11 years) | |
| Jean Rodgers | Dolly Skilbeck | 1980 - 1991 (11 years) | |
| Sammy Winward | Katie Sugden | 2001 - (10 years) | |
| Verity Rushworth | Donna Windsor-Dingle | 1998 - 2009 (10 years) |
When Emmerdale was first broadcast in 1972, it was twice a week in an afternoon slot. It later moved to a 19:00 slot and the number of episodes has steadily increased, with there now being six half-hour episodes each week. Emmerdale is filmed roughly between 4–6 weeks before it is first broadcast on ITV1.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Number of Weekly Episodes |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1988 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1988–1990 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | 4 + 1 hour long on Tuesdays | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–Present | 6 | ||||||||||||||
Emmerdale was shown on CBC Television until 2007, with episodes about four years behind the UK story. On 20 September 2010, VisionTV began showing Emmerdale immediately after EastEnders at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Episodes were broadcast approximately seven months after airing in the UK.
In 2011, VisionTV cancelled Emmerdale. The last episode was shown on 30 September 2011.
Emmerdale reaches viewers in the Republic of Ireland via both the widely available UTV from Northern Ireland and the TV3 Television Network in the Republic of Ireland. UTV and TV3 screen Emmerdale simultaneously in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Emmerdale was broadcast as a Daytime soap on RTÉ One from 1972 to 2001 before moving to TV3, RTÉ were a number of months behind – since for many years they choose to broadcast five days a week rather than ITV's three days a week and RTÉ took a break during the summer months, however as the series began a five night week RTÉ got further and further behind ITVs broadcasts. The gap between RTÉ One's last episode and TV3's first episode was about three months.
Emmerdale has been shown in Sweden since the 1970s – originally on TV2 and since 1994 on commercial channel TV4. Under the title Hem till gården ("Home to the Farm"), the programme is broadcast twice a day (as of May 2008, previously only once a day) on Monday to Friday 11:55–12:55. The episodes currently being screened (December 2011) date from January 2010. Older episodes (from November 2007 in October 2011) are shown on TV4 Guld.
The programme is shown in Finland on commercial channel MTV3, where it goes out at 18:00 to 18:30, and 18:30 to 19:00 Mondays to Fridays with a repeat of each episode at 11:00 and 11:25 on the following weekday. The episodes currently being screened (September 2011) date from December 2008.
Emmerdale is shown in New Zealand on TV One from Monday to Friday at 12:30 to 13:30. As at end November 2011, TV One episodes are from early February 2010. Repeat episodes are played around 4:00am Monday to Friday on TV2.
Emmerdale was shown in Australia for the first time in July 2006 when subscription television channel UKTV began airing the 2006 series from episode 4288.[9][10] In 2006 UKTV were showing episodes 4 months behind UK transmission, but as UKTV only airs 5 episodes a week instead of 6 (as broadcast in UK) they are now over 9 months behind. As at September 2010, UKTV episodes are from December 2009. Emmerdale is also broadcast on 7Two weekdays at 10:30, airing episodes from 2003.
On 2 February 2007 it was announced that Emmerdale would be broadcast on the Romanian free-to-air channel Pro TV. The station has bought 50 episodes of the soap dating back to 2000.
1972-1973 (OVER THE DALES)
The original titles were on film and featured a slow panning shot of the Yorkshire dales, before slowly zooming in on Beckindale village/Arncliffe and then a shot moving from a sunset through some tress to the farmhouse. The title caption zoomed out to the camera as the camera focused on Beckindale. Kevin Laffin's name appeared on the farmhouse shot.The end of part stinger just played over the final moments of a particular scene. A much shorter version of the opening theme was used as the stinger music. The closing credits were on captions and the film underneath was the view from a helicopter of the Dales passing by Arncliffe. The theme, written by Tony Hatch, was performed on the cor anglais with piano and strings accompaniment.
1973-1974 (OVER THE DALES MARK 2)
In April 1973 the opening titles were slightly altered. The pink "Emmerdale Farm" logo which had zoomed into the screen for the past few months was dropped and a new pale yellow "Emmerdale Farm" logo faded on instead. Also Kevin Laffan's credit at the end of the opening titles was also made fully clearer. The closing titles stayed the same but "End of Part One" and "Part Two" were removed from the stingers for a basic "Emmerdale Farm" logo. The music stayed the same although from now on the shorter version would be used
1974-1975 (OVER THE DALES MARK 3)
The opening titles changed for the 1974 episodes to an aerial panning shot of Arncliffe and a different view of the farmhouse and the font was changed to a bold yellow one. The end of part screen was black with Emmerdale Farm in the new font. The end credits remained the same but with the different font.
1975-1989 (FARMHOUSE IN SUNSET)
The farmhouse in sunset credits lasted the longest and were introduced in 1975, and continued to be used until November 1989 when the programme's title was shortened to Emmerdale. This title sequence brought a new look to the programme. The producer had decided to go away from the helicopter view of Beckindale. This time shots included views with the sunset in the background and shots of animals in the sunset. Something that hadnt changed was the farmhouse shot. This time though a new shot of the Farmhouse as the sun hides behind the house. Also the music was given a slight revamp. But this is hardly noticeable. The end of part screen was black with Emmerdale Farm in yellow lettering.
1989-1991 (BECKINDALE LIFE)
This was replaced with a montage of images, shot around Esholt, of various activities such as someone hang-gliding, a Land Rover fording a stream, an oil tanker going over a bridge and someone out horse-riding at Home Farm, the credits rolled over a static shot of the farmhouse. For the end of parts only the music changed. The end of part screen was black with Emmerdale End of Part One over the top.
1991-1992 (BECKINDALE LIFE)
There was no difference in the opening titles apart from the title. The font was given a tweak.
1992-1993 (BECKINDALE LIFE MARK 2)
In September 1992 when the theme tune was changed. The opening credits used from September 1992 until December 1993 were similar but used superimposed images. The closing credits rolled over a static shot of some Yorkshire scenery. Initially, the credits were displayed on separate slides but, after several weeks, reverted to the all scrolling format used from 1989. The end of part captions were the same as the previous end of part stingers.
1993-1994 (BECKINDALE LIFE MARK 3)
The opening titles changed again from the plane crash episode in December 1993. This sequence comprised shots from the 1989 introduced titles, 1992 introduced titles and some newly filmed shots. Unlike the previous titles, this new sequence did not feature superimposed images. It remained in use until November 1994 when another similar new sequence was introduced. From January 1994, the credits rolled over a static shot of Esholt/Emmerdale. This credit sequence is notable since the original "Emmerdale Farm" music was used for the closing credits, while the newer version remained in use for the opening and break bumpers. The exception to this was during the plane crash when the credits rolled over the destruction of the village and a slow piano theme was used. The end of part stinger's image was a shot of Emmerdale village
1994-1998 (EMMERDALE LIFE)
When the opening titles were updated again in November 1994 the new theme tune was used exclusively. Possibly being one of the most recognised opening titles this sequence introduced us to new shots of activitys. The font was given a more bolder look so it stood out more. The end of part stingers changed slightly with the font being updated. The end credits were also updated, Instead of the theme just fading in a short piano motif took us into the new side by side closing credits.
1998-2005 (FAMILIES)
In December 1998, the opening titles were replaced by another montage, this time of helicopter shots of the Yorkshire moors and farming areas. Superimposed were short scenes of actors (which were not members of the cast) performing the various emotions seen in a soap. The closing credits rolled over a continuous shot of Emmerdale, filmed from a helicopter flying away from the village. At the same time, in 1998, a new version of the theme tune was introduced. A grand orchestral theme was introduced over the titles, credits and break bumpers. From November 2004, a different version of the theme, played mainly on the piano, was used for the break bumpers only. These arrangements were carried over to 2011.
2005-2011 (OVER THE DALES)
In September 2005, the opening titles were replaced with another helicopter montage, this time marginally slower and without the actors. The closing credits were generic ITV Network style credits over a continuous shot of the village, again from a helicopter, but filmed from a different angle.
In 2009, the original theme played over the end credits of Jack Sugden's funeral episode.
2011- (BREEZE)
The new titles have been given a complete revamp going away from the helicopter shots that had been in use since 1998. This time the sequence mirrors the 1989-1998 titles. Now features include: a Range Rover driving through the woods; a couple running upstairs in Home Farm; The Dingles Living room; a woman stroking a man's leg with her foot; then finally finishing on a new CGI image of the town which ends with the new logo fading on to the screen. The title music has been remixed to sound more contemporary, but still with a homely feeling.
As with Coronation Street a year earlier, a new array of episode break bumpers (with the remixed theme) have been made for use.
The new titles and music, as with all the other 3 UK soap operas when they revamped their titles, have garnered mixed reviews.
1972-1989 The original theme tune created by Tony Hatch was the longest ever to be used. For a number of episode in 1972 a longer version was used to open episodes but from 1973 a shorter version was used. In 1975 when the opening titles changed the piano motif was removed. 1989 saw the word "Farm" dropped from the titles so this meant an update was on the way. Not too much but a slight change was given to the theme tune.
1992-1998 When the series was revamped in 1992 the theme tune was given a 1990s update. A more upbeat piano version was made and used for the opening and closing credits. When the titles changed again 1993 the original theme was used for the closing credits again. But when the titles changed in 1994 the new theme tune was used until the big change in 1998. Also in 1995 the piano motif returned to the end credits.
1998-2011 When the series was again revamped the theme tune was revamped for a more orchestral sound. It was given a slight tweak in 2003. The end of part music was more akin to the 1972-1989 end of part music.
2011- The titles of Emmerdale were revamped in May 2011 to give the series a modern look. The theme tune was re-recorded for a more contemporary feel, yet still within its roots.
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