Showing posts with label publicity material. Show all posts
Showing posts with label publicity material. Show all posts

Monday 14 July 2008

The Great Emmerdale Farm Merchandise Explosion...

From "The Hotten Courier", Yorkshire Television publicity material for "Emmerdale Farm", summer 1988. No such offers were featured in the September 1984 edition of the publication. The times were certainly changing...

In the early-to-mid 1980s, Emmerdale Farm fans could look forward to buying the continuing series of novels, some cheese and knitting wool, and an occasional magazine. But by the late 1980s, after the advent of EastEnders and Neighbours, it was evident that soap sold and that realisation was not lost on Yorkshire Television.

So, would it be a Seth Armstrong badge or fridge magnet? How about a shopping bag? A bookmark? A mug? A tea towel - or even a walking stick badge?

The choice was yours...

The Woolpack T-shirt was actually featured in the series - a gimmick adopted by Amos Brearly to pep up trade in the continuing war with The Malt Shovel.

Wednesday 9 July 2008

Mrs Bates

From "The Hotten Courier", Yorkshire Television "Emmerdale Farm" programme publicity, September 1984.

Mrs Bates, who arrived in Beckindale in 1984, had a broken marriage, two teenage children and a nightmare boss in Alan Turner at NY Estates. But she coped. The character's amusement at Alan's various acts of stupidity and her quiet, caring nature added a great deal of "must watch" factor to Emmerdale Farm.

Mrs Bates was not originally intended to be a major character, but Diana Davies added something to the role which ensured that she was. Richard Thorp (Alan Turner) recalls:

"Oh, Alan was an absolute stinker in the beginning, he rubbed everyone up the wrong way. The major influence on him was Mrs Bates who was played by Diana Davies. In the very first scene we did together I was losing my temper, ranting and raving, so she sent me up and it came across when we did the scene."

The Alan Turner/Mrs Bates NY Estates scenes were terrific to watch.

Mrs Bates ranks as one of my all-time favourite Beckindalers.

Diana Davies autograph from the 1980s.

Eric Pollard 1988

From The Hotten Courier, Yorkshire Television Emmerdale Farm programme publicity, summer 1988:

Actor Chris Chittell has got used to being the man they love to hate in "Emmerdale Farm", but he has no sympathy for the rogue he plays.

As the disgraced antiques dealer, Eric Pollard, he has terrorised Sandie Merrick, hatched a series of shady deals, and has even been suspected of having shot Henry Wilks' son-in-law, Paolo.

Chris has good reason to disapprove of the dealer's underhand way of doing business.

He says: "Pollard has shown himself to be the worst kind of conman - preying on old folk to try to trick them out of valuable items of furniture.

"My grandmother has had several experiences of men like Pollard calling round and trying to buy antiques from her. One man had his eye on her Louis XIV cabinet in gilt and marble. So many old people have things they think they must get rid of because they've had them for years. They can be so trusting."

Chris says a common ploy is to agree on a price for the item, then the furniture is taken away. The conman then returns the following day offering less money than earlier agreed.

Fortunately, Chris' grandma wasn't fooled by the trick. But Chris hopes that Pollard's bad habits will alert Emmerdale's audience to the dangers of selling on spec to a respectable-looking character.

If Chris looks at home among all those antiques, it's not surprising. For the 39-year-old is a keen collector in real life.

He spends much of his spare time hunting down bargains in junk shops around his home in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Monday 21 April 2008

The Hotten Courier, 1984

This is an interesting piece of Yorkshire Television publicity, marking the return of Emmerdale Farm for a new season. The Courier mixed Beckindale fiction (ads for the likes of the Woolpack and Malt Shovel) and facts from the programme - including the regional scheduling variations for the new season, and features on the actors, characters and key members of the production team.