Showing posts with label 1980. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1980. Show all posts

Saturday 5 May 2012

The Truth About Walter...

Early 1980: Geoffrey Hooper's Walter chats to Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill).

Late 1980: Al Dixon's Walter says nowt.

This blog has some amazing fans! No sooner had I posted the previous article on the three Walters (one and the same character?) than I got this e-mail from Sheila:

I well remember Geoffrey Hooper as Walter and liked him a great deal. When Al Dixon became the new Walter in the early '80s, I couldn't accept him as the same character because he was so silent and odd. He was nothing like the previous version. Around 1981, when it became obvious that Al Dixon's version was not going to speak, I wrote to the production team asking if the two Walters were meant to be the same character, because they seemed so different. Clive Hornby and Jean Rogers had been cast as Jack Sugden and Dolly Skilbeck in 1980, but they resembled the previous actors and the characters were the same. The reply stated that the production team, headed by Anne W Gibbons, the producer, liked the tradition of a Walter at the Woolpack, but in casting Al Dixon, they had no intention of adhering to the character of the previous Walter. They wanted to create something fresh and original and so the idea came about that he would be silent.

The letter said that viewers could use their imaginations as to whether he was the same person as the previous Walter or not, so I decided that Amos, depressed by the death of his old regular Walter, had been happy when a new Walter turned up in Beckindale (Walter was a common name amongst aged men in those days) and had taken him under his wing, not at first realising how odd he was.

I wrote to the cast and production team several times in those days and have some lovely souvenirs. I'd be happy to scan some for you. I really enjoy reading your site and am always on the lookout for updates, which are all too rare!

Thanks for that, Sheila! It's amazing!  Thanks for your compliments, too. I'm a great fan of Al Dixon's highly distinctive Walter - he was the only SILENT Walter - and I'd love to see your souvenirs! I'll be in touch.

Sunday 10 July 2011

1980: Joe Goes To NY Estates

Matt, Jack and Joe in the Emmerdale Land Rover, 1980.

When Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines) returned to England from his stay in America with Ed Hathersage in the summer of 1980, he found that Jack (Clive Hornby), who had returned in February, appeared to be settling in at the farm.

The purchase of two Friesian cows by Jack had been agreed with Joe via telephone, but he knew they were something that could not have been afforded when he was farm manager.

Jack had bought them out of own money.

Joe had enjoyed running the farm, but the presence of his brother meant that he was no longer in charge. And Jack had very different approaches to farming and the land: Jack was an emotional idealist, Joe a pragmatic, go-ahead farmer who believed that sentiment should not stand in the way of progress.

After a couple of drinking sessions with NY Estates boss Richard Anstey (Carl Rigg), Joe was amazed when Richard offered him the job of manager of the NY farms in Beckindale.

Joe was tempted: NY was go-ahead, heartlessly so, certain people said, and the job would be a challenge...

It would also be a way of breaking free of the faintly uneasy atmosphere at Emmerdale Farm. Who was in charge? And how long would it be before Joe and Jack fell out? Joe discussed things with Annie (Sheila Mercier) and Jack, and decided to take the job.

Annie would never have dreamt of influencing her son's decision either way, but she found his absence from Emmerdale difficult. As did Sam Pearson (Toke Townley), who was also hurt that Joe had not consulted him. But Joe had not wanted to worry his grandfather about something that may not happen. As it was, he handled things quite badly and Sam was upset.

The house was quiet without Joe, but after a few visits from him, Sam and Annie began to perk up.

Trouble at NY - Sergeant MacArthur (Martin Dale) made his first appearance in December 1980, investigating the theft of Christmas trees from the NY Estates plantation.

Meanwhile, at NY Estates, Joe found the closing months of 1980 were certainly interesting: Jack disagreed with NY's decision to tear out an old hedgerow - which led to heated words with Joe, the Estate workers joined the union and gained a 5% pay rise, and Joe put forward the idea of hormone injection trials for the cattle: twelve steers would be tested, six injected with the hormones and six not, then compared after a six month period. Cowman Daniel Hawkins (Alan Starkey), who had been at Home Farm since the days of the Verney family, disagreed with this "unnatural" idea, but the trials began. Only 1981 would tell whether hormone injections for the NY Estates Beckindale cattle were to be impemented on a permanent basis.

Christmas trees were stolen from the NY plantation, and Joe was nearly run over by the thieves' van - Tom Merrick (Edward Peel) and Derek Warner (Freddie Fletcher) were the bad lads behind the theft.

As 1980 ended, Joe seemed to be settling in at NY - fraught though his first few months had been. He had a finger in two pies, still being on the board of Emmerdale Farm Ltd, and the future promised many more challenges.

In 1989, Joe told his mother that Jack had thrown him off the farm in 1980. This wasn't the absolute truth, but there was no doubt that Jack's return to the farm had seriously put Joe's nose out of joint. It is highly unlikely that Joe's move to NY would have happened had Jack stayed away from Emmerdale.

But for Beckindale the move led to lots of fascinating gossip, and for Emmerdale Farm viewers some highly enjoyable storylines.

Thursday 16 September 2010

Emmerdale Farm 1980 - Edward Peel's Debut As Tom Merrick

Hooray! Somebody has uploaded Edward Peel's Emmerdale Farm debut episode as Tom Merrick - episode 623, broadcast 2 December 1980. The role had previously been played by David Hill in six early episodes, but Mr Peel stamped his own mark on it - making Tom rather a menace in early 1980s Beckindale!

Enjoy the episode in three parts below - and look out for Amos, Walter and other favourites!

Thanks to Ben for letting me know!





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.

Saturday 24 July 2010

Dolly's Tragedy...

Kim writes:

When Dolly lost her baby in 1980, was it defined as a stillbirth or a miscarriage?

I don't recall hearing the phrase "stillbirth" back then, Kim - apart perhaps from babies who died when the mother was actually giving birth.

Dolly referred to her loss as a miscarriage in 1980.

She had announced her pregnancy in July 1979. Annie Sugden, in a monologue bringing viewers up-to-date with Beckindale news in early 1980, stated that Dolly had been taken into hospital just after the New Year came in. She lost the baby not long afterwards.

I know that times change and there are various technical definitions of a stillbirth, depending on the location, but certainly way back then in England the word I heard used for losses into late pregnancy was miscarriage.

And this was the word Dolly Skilbeck used in Emmerdale Farm.

Saturday 26 June 2010

Clive Hornby And Andrew Burt - Not The Same Jack!

Kelly has written:

I've just read on an Emmerdale thread that viewers thought Andrew Burt and Clive Hornby were the same actor when it came to playing Jack Sugden.

Is that true?

No, Kelly. The arrival of Clive Hornby as Jack Sugden was widely publicised in 1980 and fans were fully aware and interested to see the "new Jack". The physical resemblance to Andrew Burt was absolutely deliberate, but the new Jack spoke differently (more down to earth!) and the character of Jack altered considerably in the early Clive Hornby era.

Monday 24 May 2010

E-Mails - Edward Peel As Tom Merrick, The Missing Merrick, And Meg Armstrong

1985 Emmerdale tribute article. Intense and snarling - Edward Peel took on the revised role of Tom Merrick in 1980, to be followed by Jack Carr a few years later. The fact that David Hill had once played a lazy, twisting version of Tom Merrick years before had been forgotten.

Maria has written:

I liked your post about the Merrick family. I used to lust after Edward Peel's Tom Merrick! I remember David Hill in the role, and, not to be rude, he was neither smouldering or attractive! Mr Peel had it all - a devious bad boy we ladies could love! Characters were often rewritten in Emmerdale Farm, weren't they? Ruth Merrick became Pat, and nobody could say she was chosen to look like the previous actress in the role. The same, as I've already mentioned, with Edward's Tom. I also recall the Merricks had three children originally, but in 1980 one of them was simply written out of existence. Ursula Camm's Meg Armstrong was also very different to Ruth's Holden's Meg in 1986. Ursula's was quiet, unhappy and stay at home, Ruth's was loud, eccentric and out and about. Great blog to read. I'm a long-time fan. Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Maria!

The Merricks had originally been a brief, "passing through" story - and when they were revamped in 1980, the writers transformed them into an interesting long term story-line concept. Edward Peel, of course, did not resemble the original Tom (David Hill) and Helen Weir did not resemble the original Ruth Merrick (Lynn Dalby).

In particular, Edward Peel's Tom had a snarling intensity that had previously been completely lacking.

Interviewed about his role as Tom years later, Mr Peel played down his impact, saying that Tom was simply up to his old tricks, but comparing episodes with David Hill and Edward Peel reveals that the character had become a lot more menacing and downright angry in the Edward Peel era.

It must be remembered that the Merrick family had previously featured as a short story-line eight years before, when VCRs were unknown in the UK, so viewers were not able to check what the family was originally like - although the Emmerdale Farm novels by Lee Mackenzie faithfully recorded the original facts about them, third child and all.

I don't know why Ruth's first name was changed to Pat - although at Pat's wedding to Jack in 1982, it was revealed that her full Christian names were Patricia Ruth, it didn't quite add up.

Whilst Coronation Street employed an archivist and most past story-line facts were rigidly adhered to (there were howls of protest when the age of Ken Barlow's twin children was altered to fit in with a story-line in 1978), Emmerdale Farm took a slightly more relaxed approach to its past.

As for Meg Armstrong - I think that the downtrodden Meg character, as played by Ursula Camm, had been taken as far as it could go, and that's why the character was so drastically altered in 1986.

Emmerdale Farm was never afraid to rewrite bits and pieces of its history!

Left: Ursula Camm as Meg Armstrong in 1983: downtrodden and frankly fed up with Seth's drinking, she locked him out of their home. Right: Ruth Holden was the new Meg Armstrong in 1986: chirpy, religious, and absolutely barking, she terrified Amos Brearly when she worked at The Woolpack for a while, told Mr Wilks that one of her favourite hymns was called "The Ship Of Temperance Is Sailing To The Port", and called Seth "poppet".

Saturday 15 May 2010

Esholt And The Woolpack...

Roger asks:

Was the village of Esholt in Yorkshire chosen to represent Beckindale simply because it had a pub called the Woolpack?

No, Roger. Esholt didn't have a pub called The Woolpack originally. The village's Commercial Inn was transformed into The Woolpack for exterior shots by using two fake signs - as seen in the 1980 pics at the top of this post. The Commercial was renamed The Woolpack in the early 1990s - thus making life for the Emmerdale production team a little easier!

Yorkshire Television arrives for another day's filming. And once The Commercial has been transformed into The Woolpack, Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) emerges after a visit to Amos (Ronald Magill) and Mr Wilks (Arthur Pentelow).

Wednesday 12 May 2010

1980: The Merricks Arrive...

The Skipton bus conveyed some passengers of great interest to Beckindale in September 1980...

... it was Pat Merrick and her teenage offspring, Jackie and Sandie. Pat had already paid one visit to Beckindale a month or two earlier, but minus her children. Now she had returned with them and much luggage...

Of course, their arrival did not go unnoticed!

The Merricks had at least one friend in Beckindale - Nellie Ratcliffe who remembered Pat from years before and extended the hand of friendship. She and the kids were welcome to pop into her cottage for a cup of tea any time!

The family was bound for Pat's auntie's house...

Jack Sugden was surprised to see Pat back in the village so soon after her last visit. Was this another visit, he asked?

No, replied Pat - this time she had come back to Beckindale "for keeps".

Annie Sugden told Pat that if there was anything she could do to help, she had only to ask. The folk at Emmerdale Farm had faults like anybody else, but they weren't gossips.

Pat told Annie that she'd cope, but that she'd finished with her husband Tom for good.

Life with Pat's Auntie Elsie was not exactly harmonious. Elsie Harker was used to having her house to herself, and kept it spotlessly clean. Two teenagers around the place, marking her table and playing loud music was not her idea of happiness. And then there was the little matter of Pat's cigarettes - they did smell so!

Pat confided in Nellie Ratcliffe that she needed a job and other accommodation for herself and the kids. Nellie knew that neither would be easy to find, but Pat solved her first problem by landing a job as a waitress at Hotten Market Cafe.

Nellie went to see Richard Anstey at NY Estates about the stone flagged floor in her kitchen. If she had to endure another winter with it she'd catch her death of cold, she told him! Richard promised to get it looked at, then Nellie asked if NY Estates had any other affordable accommodation in the village - for Pat and her family.

As it happened, Richard knew of a caravan on the estate, intended as accommodation for the gamekeeper, but as Seth had a cottage in the village...

Pat was extremely grateful, and although the caravan was cramped and on the grotty side, it was vastly preferable to life with Auntie Elsie's constant harping.

Then, not long before Christmas, Tom Merrick came swanning (or rather sneering!) into The Woolpack, and was soon paying a visit to the caravan.

Pat told him that their marriage was over.

Tom asked her who was taking care of her needs? He'd heard a rumour about Jack Sugden... just like the old days, was it?

Pat told him to leave.

Tom teamed up with Derek Warner to steal Christmas trees from the plantation at NY Estates. The duo were nearly caught by Joe Sugden, and Derek, who was driving, bumped Joe with his van, knocking him flying. Joe was not really injured - just some aches and bruises, but Sandie had seen the occupants of the van and was pretty sure Tom was in the passenger seat...

As Beckindale headed into 1981, it seemed that more troubled times ahead - and that the Merricks' stay in the village was going to be anything but peaceful...

Monday 3 May 2010

Did Judy Westrop Know Walter?

Jane Cussons, who played Judy Westrop, and Al Dixon as Woolpack Walter.

Carol asks:

Have you any photographs of Judy Westrop (played by Jane Cussons) in the Woolpack with Walter (Al Dixon). What a contrast, elegant Judy with wonderfully weird Walter in his cloth cap!

Sorry, Carol - the best I can do is above!

Judy's final appearance in the show was in episode 596, broadcast in July 1980. Al Dixon made his first appearance as Walter in episode 597, broadcast in September 1980, after the series' annual summer break. Sorry, but the two never met!

Thursday 15 April 2010

Seth Armstrong - The Importance of 1980!

Lorraine has dropped me a line:

I'm interested in your "introduction", in which you state that Seth Armstrong became a full-time regular in the 1980s. Surely Seth became a full-time regular in the 1970s?

No, I'm afraid he didn't. Stan Richards debuted as Seth in 1978, the character was then a school caretaker. It was supposed to be a one-off story-line, but the Emmerdale Farm production team liked the character, so Seth appeared in several story-lines afterwards - a particularly memorable one being his employment as gamekeeper for NY Estates.

But for large tracts of episodes in 1978, 1979 and early 1980 Seth simply didn't appear at all and was not referred to. Producer Anne W Gibbons made the decision that the character should become full-time, which he did in mid-1980. From then on, Seth was a Woolpack regular - and on-screen as much as any of the other major characters.

My knowledge is based on watching the episodes. When I wrote that Seth Armstrong became a full-time regular character in the 1980s, that's exactly what I meant. He did - in mid-1980.

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Walter (Al Dixon) - First To Last...

Al Dixon photo and autograph from 1984.

Cerys shares my affection and fascination for Al Dixon's Walter...

He was absolutely great and a real '80s cult. As he didn't appear in the credits, I'm finding it impossible to map his reign in terms of episode numbers. Do you have the info?

Al Dixon did occasionally appear in the closing credits, Cerys, but not often as he was non-speaking! The production team occasionally allowed his inclusion if Walter had featured prominently in the episode.

Al Dixon first gave us Walter in episode 597, broadcast in September 1980. The synopsis was:

Beckindale's eerie Bogle Bog is definitely not the place to be stranded in the dead of night - but that's exactly where Amos Brearly finds himself!

The episode was written by the show's creator, Kevin Laffan.

Read all about the Bogles here.

Walter made his final appearance in episode 1011, broadcast in December 1985:

It's the day of the village show and Amos Brearly is ready for stardom. But a night of celebration turns sour for Jackie Merrick.

The episode was written by Michael Russell.

Walter appeared in the village show, which was Toad Of Toad Hall.

Read our complete Walter/Al Dixon info here.

Wednesday 7 April 2010

More About The Beckindale Police House....

Where was it?

Sarah asks:

You say "near the Woolpack," but can you tell me exactly where the Beckindale police station was in Esholt in the 80's?

Yes, Sarah - it fronted what was in reality Main Street, Esholt, and was on the opposite side of Pullan Lane corner from The Woolpack and the buildings adjoining it. The Beckindale bus stop was just outside it. The building used can be seen on Google Maps.

Mrs Bates (Diana Davies) calls at the Beckindale police house/station in 1984, when her dog, Bundle, is shot for worrying sheep. Sergeant Ian MacArthur (Martin Dale) advises her.

Sunday 4 April 2010

The Beckindale Police House

Paul writes to ask:

Observing some '80's Emmerdale eps, I've noticed a cottage with a hanging sign reading "Police" near the Woolpack. Was it part of the plot, or actually Esholt Police Station?

Part of the plot, Paul. As can be seen in the pics at the top of this post, the sign was erected by the Emmerdale Farm production staff whenever outside filming took place in that particular location.

Beckindale had its own police station - or police house - in the 1980s, as you say, near The Woolpack. From December 1980 onwards, Sergeant Ian MacArthur (Martin Dale) was the man at the helm.


Friday 2 April 2010

Jean Rogers - 30 Years Since Emmerdale Farm Debut As Dolly Skilbeck...

A newspaper article about the changing face of Dolly Skilbeck from March 1980.

1 April 2010 was the thirtieth anniversary of actress Jean Rogers making her screen debut as Dolly Skilbeck of Emmerdale Farm. Jean took over the role from Katharine Barker, who hadn't been seen on-screen since the previous summer.

Of course, bedding down into a role originally played by somebody else is never easy, but Jean soon made the character of Dolly her very own - and we here at The Bugle remember her fondly.

Matt (Frederick Pyne), Dolly (Jean Rogers), young Sam (Benjamin Whitehead) and Joe (Frazer Hines) in a scene from 1986.

Jean Rogers became Dolly Skilbeck on 1 April 1980 (allow for a few days' regional variations in ITV's schedules!). It was very rare for a member of the Sugden family circle to be recast, and the Skilbecks were very much part of that circle, but in 1980 producer Anne W Gibbons took the bull by the horns, recasting both Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby took on the role last played by Andrew Burt a few years previously - and Dolly, when actress Katharine Barker left the show.

Interviewed in 1983, Jean Rogers recalled:

"I was recruited to take over the Dolly Skilbeck part from actress Katharine Barker. We looked alike, of course, and it was important that the continuity of character be maintained for as long as possible.

"But that posed a major problem: was I playing the part of Dolly, or the part of Katharine playing Dolly?

"I knew I wouldn't be able to sustain a double-role indefinitely, so I slowly eased Katharine's presence out of the role and established my own identity.

"It was a long, slow task - but after a couple of years I finally received a letter from a viewer who said I was doing OK, and that no-one could now recall what the first Dolly Skilbeck was like."


Tuesday 16 February 2010

Newcomers Of 1980...

Al Dixon made his debut as Walter in episode 597 on 2 September 1980.

"Jack Sugden" has written again:

Great blog! I've read that 1980 was a year of change for Emmerdale, with lots of new characters. Who were they?

Well, "Jack", I've written about this topic elsewhere on the blog, but in a nutshell...

I'm sure you already know about the first newcomer - 1980 saw the arrival of Clive Hornby as Jack Sugden (19 February) - a new head and rather different personality on old shoulders, Jean Rogers as Dolly Skilbeck (1 April) - ditto.

The Tolly family - Enoch (Neil McCarthy), Grace (Margaret Stallard), Naomi (Jenny Tomasin) and Hannah (Rachel Ambler) - made its debut. The Tollys appeared in one story-line in 1980, another in 1981 (when Enoch died) and finally Grace appeared briefly in 1982, before leaving Beckindale for good.

Carl Rigg first appeared as new NY Estates Beckindale manager Richard Anstey in February.

Stan Richards as Seth Armstrong become a full-time regular character and cast member in the summer of 1980.

Pam St Clement (Pat of EastEnders) passed briefly through the show, appearing in five episodes as a Mrs Eckersley in March 1980. Mrs E had a husband, Harold (Roger Hammond), and a daughter, Esmarelda (Debbie Farrington).

The Merrick family were recast and slightly rewritten as Pat Merrick (Helen Weir), her son, Jackie (Ian Sharrock) and daughter, Sandie (Jane Hutcheson), arrived. Pat had briefly visited Beckindale in July, before bringing her family to live there in September. Differing from the Merricks of old, Pat had a new first name (the character was originally called Ruth - in 1982, we discovered this was Pat's middle name) and was minus one child. Just before Christmas, a new Tom Merrick (Edward Peel), glowering with hostility, arrived.

On 2 September 1980, Al Dixon first appeared as wonderful Walter of The Woolpack.

We started to meet the NY Estates workforce as John Tuplin (Malcolm Raeburn) and Daniel Hawkins (Alan Starkey) made their debuts in October.

Trouble brews amongst the NY Estates workers...

Ann Way made her first appearance as Amos Brearly's awful Aunt Emily and Hazel Bainbridge played Henry Wilks' cousin Alice in November.

Martin Dale made his debut as Police Sergeant Ian MacArthur in December.

Bowing out of Beckindale in 1980 was Maurice Westrop (Edward Dentith) - who left on 29 May - and his daughter, Judy (Jane Cussons) - who made her final appearance in the show on 17 July.



Friday 1 January 2010

Signed Pics Of Pam St Clement As Mrs Eckersley?

Ross has written to ask:

Are there any signed photographs of Pam St Clement as Mrs Eckersley in 1980?

Afraid not, Ross - the character only appeared in five episodes in total - the first, episode 0561, broadcast on 10 March 1980, and the last, episode 0565, on 25 March 1980.

Competition: Future Stars Of EastEnders In '80s Emmerdale... Pam St Clement As Mrs Eckersley (1980) And...

Mrs Eckersley arrives at Emmerdale Farm in March 1980...

The last blog post has given me an idea for a competition. We know that Pam St Clement (now Pat Evans of EastEnders) appeared in five episodes of Emmerdale Farm in March 1980 as Mrs Eckersley, but what other future EastEnders star cut his/her soap teeth in 1980s Emmerdale Farm?

Send your answer and name/nickname via the comments section, and I'll put all the names into a hat (or bucket) on 31 January and the first one drawn out by my own fair hand will win a signed, colour photograph of Ronald Magill as Amos Brearly from the 1980s.

What could be simpler?

Go on, have a go!

Friday 13 November 2009

Judy Westrop

Judy Westrop (Jane Cussons).

Paul is preparing an all-time Emmerdale cast list for a school project, and has written to ask how long the character Judy Westrop was in the show? He also requests some screen caps.

Judy arrived in Beckindale as a troubled young woman in June 1979, Paul. She was around for a few episodes before the show took a seasonal break in July, and then came the dark days of the ITV Strike.

Because of the strike, Emmerdale Farm was off-screen until January 1980.

Jane Cussons returned to the show after the strike, and Judy Westrop finally left Beckindale in July 1980.

Tuesday 20 October 2009

Emmerdale Farm: 1980 Was Slightly Delayed...

The path out of the grim 1970s into the turbulent 1980s was not easy for Emmerdale Farm. Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) bridged the gap with a voice-over.

Beginning the 1980s was not exactly straightforward for Emmerdale Farm.

The ITV strike of 1979 had disrupted episode broadcasts and recordings. The show had last aired on 5 July 1979 (Emmerdale Farm was not shown all year round in those days) and several episodes for the next 1979 season, due to begin around early September, were in preparation, when the strike knocked ITV off our screens.

The strike severely disrupted Emmerdale Farm, and the show was off-air until the 8th, 9th or 10th of January 1980 (depending on which ITV region you viewed it in!).

The publicity blurb for the first 1980 episode revealed the ITV regions' differing schedules:

FULL ITV NETWORK (except STV/WTV/CHA) Tuesday, JANUARY 8, 1980.

STV Wednesday, JANUARY 9, 1980

WTV/CHA Thursday, January 10, 1980 } times vary

The production team was able to adapt, complete and use six episodes originally intended for the 1979 late summer/early autumn season to begin 1980.

The problem was that story-lines and exterior scenes clearly reflected the fact that it was summer. And the production team could not pretend that the late summer-themed shows intended for 1979 were actually set in the winter of 1980.

So, a little ingenuity was needed.

At the start of the January 1980 season, Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier) introduced the first episode in a voice-over, reflecting on the events of the previous summer, and over the next few weeks we saw six episodes which filled us in on some of the Beckindale events of 1979 that we'd missed courtesy of the ITV strike.

The synopsis for that first episode shown in 1980 read:

It's winter at Emmerdale, but Annie finds herself thinking back to last Summer. It was a busy time at the farm with new land to work and prospects looked bright for the Sugdens. But there was a shock in store for all of them - especially Matt.

On 29 January 1980, the Emmerdale Farm story-line suddenly moved into 1980, with Annie, again in voice-over, informing us of relevant events of the missing months.

The synopsis for the first episode actually set in 1980 read:

It is winter at Emmerdale and Sam Pearson is causing disruption with his renewed interest in wine making. But N.Y Estates shepherd Jesse Gillin discovers another kind of disruption - and it's a threat to the whole landscape of Beckindale.

All-in-all, the "what we did last summer" strand worked very well indeed, cheering up most of January 1980 (Emmerdale Farm closely reflected the seasons and winter episodes could seem grim), filling us in on some missed stories, and giving the production team time to work on fresh episodes for the new decade.