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

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Emmerdale Spoiler Pics - 1980s Style!

Back in the 1980s, the process of providing "spoilers" for Emmerdale Farm - and in fact all other soaps and TV programmes was rather different. For a start, the World Wide Web wasn't invented until March 1989 (more here) and not up and running until the early 1990s. So, the Internet was a mystery to the vast majority of us and a very different place to today.

In those prehistoric days, TV companies sent out photographs via snail mail to relevant publications - newspapers and listing magazines, with some blurb pasted to the back giving details of the actors and characters pictured, the programme date, and a little teaser about what was going on. The photograph above shows Amos Brearly embarking on his first story-line of the 1980s, and the blurb on the back read:

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

STV Wednesday, JANUARY 9, 1980

WTV/CHA Thursday, January 10, 1980 } times vary, all early evening

Amos turns his hand to poetry in the new series of

"EMMERDALE FARM"

Mine Host at the Woolpack, Amos Brearly (RONALD MAGILL -right), finds the Curate, the Rev. Bob Jerome (RICHARD HOWARD), very non-committal when he presents him with his masterpiece of poetry for the parish magazine. An amusing moment from the opening episode of the new series of Yorkshire Television's dales serial, "EMMERDALE FARM".

A 1987 "spoiler":

EMMERDALE FARM EPISODE 1201 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12 1987 AT 7 P.M.

It's Seth's birthday and plans are afoot for a surprise party down at the Woolpack. Seth just thinks all the whispering is people talking about him behind his back. But no-one knows how old the errant gamekeeper is - and Seth certainly isn't letting on.

Press contact: Katy Turner (0532) 438283 Ext 3065

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.