Beckindale Bugle - Emmerdale Farm In The 1980s: Emmerdale Farm

Monday 23 August 2010

Emmerdale Farm - Who Was Who In August 1980

1980: the vicar comes to tea at Emmerdale Farm.

Geoff writes:

I'm interested in thirty years ago and wonder who was in the Emmerdale Farm serial in August 1980?

Well, Geoff, the community of characters was rather different from today - the average age of the characters rather older. The show would not feature its first permanent school-age teenagers until September. The show was on its summer break in August 1980, but the permanent characters were:

Annie Sugden - Sheila Mercier
Sam Pearson - Toke Townley
Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
Matt Skilbeck - Frederick Pyne
Dolly Skilbeck - Jean Rogers

Amos Brearly - Ronald Magill
Henry Wilks - Arthur Pentelow

Reverend Donald Hinton - Hugh Manning

Richard Anstey - Carl Rigg

Seth Armstrong - Stan Richards - Mr Richards joined the permanent cast in the summer of 1980.

Semi-regular characters included Nellie Ratcliffe, played by Gabrielle Blunt and Meg Armstrong played by Ursula Camm. The characters made their debuts in 1978 and 1979 respectively. Other semi-regulars were the Tolly and Longthorn families, introduced during early 1980.

Jane Cussons, who played Judy Westrop, had just left the cast and at the start of the autumn season it was revealed that Judy had left Beckindale for a new job.

Frazer Hines who played Joe Sugden was absent for part of the year - his character away in America.

Performers making their debuts later in 1980 were Ian Sharrock as Jackie Merrick, Jane Hutcheson as Sandie Merrick, Edward Peel as Tom Merrick, Martin Dale as police sergeant Ian McArthur, Malcolm Raeburn as John Tuplin, Alan Starkey as Daniel Hawkins and Al Dixon as Walter.

Helen Weir had already appeared as Pat Merrick during the summer, and her character would become a regular from September onwards.

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INTRODUCTION

The inspiration for this blog came from a stack of old newspapers and magazines found in my loft. The publications were dated from 1978-1991 and the 1980s editions contained quite a few articles about the English television soap opera Emmerdale Farm.

So, I decided to share them with Emmerdale historians.

Here at The Beckindale Bugle you will find newspaper and magazine articles about cast members and characters, plus storylines and screen captures from 1980s Emmerdale Farm episodes.

What's contained here should give an insight into the way things were down Beckindale way in the 1980s.

The decade which began with the strapped-for-cash Merrick family trudging into the village, and ended with that charmingly upmarket family the Tates moving into Home Farm...

The decade when Seth Armstrong became a full-time regular character.

The decade when Al Dixon arrived at The Woolpack and had his glorious reign as silent Walter.

The decade when the wonderful Amos Brearly went pottier than ever, and Mr Wilks was a good friend to all.

The decade when the much-loved Sam Pearson, after a very active final few years, died, Jack Sugden returned with a different face, and Dolly Skilbeck also underwent a transformation.

The decade when Alan Turner and Mrs Bates made their first appearances, along with Alan's son, Terence, and Mrs B's children, Kathy and Nick.

The decade when we first met Archie Brooks, Kate Hughes and her children, Mark and Rachel, Jack's romantic interest, Sarah Connolly, and a schemer called Eric Pollard...

I hope that this blog will encourage interest in 1980s Emmerdale Farm, and assist in encouraging YTV to bring out further seasons as official DVD releases.