Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I think she's just going to move to sunnier climates. 

This makes me sad for the Sugdens but also because the show has let its older cast leave with no replacements over the last decade. The sense of community is gone. And the soaps now tend to write everyone as being mentally 18, which doesn't help.

[I Am A Swede]

^^

I hope you're right, but at the same time it's hard to imagine that Diane would move away from Emmerdale. Her entire family is there: Bernice, Gabby, Victoria and baby Harry. And with Gabby pregnant and everything that's going on in Victoria's life it just seems very unlike Diane to leave...

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Whatever happens I will miss her though, very much. 

[vetsoapfan]

I doubt the show will ever bring back any Sugdens who are still alive and out there, somewhere. I thinks fans care more than TPTB. I wonder how many of the current PTB are even well-versed in the Sugdens' history and importance to the show.

While I generally don't like recasts of long-serving actors, if I had the choice between Diane being killed off or recast, I'd vote for a recast.

[DRW50]

I don't think they will kill off Diane, at least not anytime soon. The  character will likely just retire to warmer climates, like Annie Sugden.

The sad thing is I don't even know how many current fans care about the Sugdens. They have not been a major part of the show for decades, aside from Andy and Robert. Emmerdale has no real history guide it follows or core family and hasn't in a good while. That is likely why the show seems so aimless. It needs strong producers with a guiding vision, to say  the least.

[vetsoapfan]

It reminds me of TGL, which became rudderless and aimless after the destruction of the Bauer family. Suddenly, Springfield's history seemed to go back no further than 1983, and with no strong, knowledgeable producers ever in charge throughout the show's last few decades, it never rebounded.

 

[I Am A Swede]

I guess the closest Emmerdale comes to a core family now is (*shudders*) the Dingles.....

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[DRW50]

I can see why, but I think the Dingles are too split into pieces all  over the canvas. Emmerdale doesn't really seem to  have any family structure these days, but I think the closest might be Eric, David, and David's kids. 

 

That's well put. The sad part is it has just been such a long, steady process of decay.  I don't even think anyone necessarily wanted rid of the Sugdens. It just kept happening, one by one, with new faces and producers coming in and not knowing or caring about the past.

[I Am A Swede]

That's true. The Dingles have become very fractured. I think Lisa's death played a big part in that, robbing the family of its matriarch.

[DRW50]

And  Zak is such a weak, broken character at this point. I remember when they were going to make Cain the head of the family but that is a flawed decision.  The closest they have is Lydia.

[KMan101]

I've been refreshing myself on Emmerdale. I'm the least familiar, at least from watching, with this one. I have read up on a lot of the history and like I said, would love Emmerdale Farm. I love the concept and the set is great of course. I like how it's such a contrast to the other soaps. Now while it has the same set, it feels like all the others. The shows have the same sets but the tone of them all is gone ... anywho, I digress.

 

I've been trying to narrow down the years to start watching. I have so many random thoughts on the mess they clearly made of this show but I'd almost like to start watching and offer thoughts that way. Who knows? I'd love to but I ebb and flow in my watching of stuff LOL

 

In terms of the current cast, way too many Dingles still. It's startling how many there are and how many off-spring they have. I like some of them. But still ... lord.

 

Also seems like they mishandled some vets (Deena Payne as Viv comes to mind) later on in the 2010s.

 

Watching random 1996/1997 episodes and man, the show has such a primetime feel (I know it's primetime anyway but the show clearly has a budget and it shows). I adore it. All the UK soaps felt like that. I think going to HD has actually lessened that look. Same for US soaps in the 70s-90s. Any of them could have passed for a primetime drama.

Edited September 23, 2021 by KMan101

[I Am A Swede]

It's too bad that so little is available of Emmerdale Farm from the 1970s and the 1980s. Those were the golden years of the show, the 1980s especially. Personally I love the 1970s as well, but I think that is more due to nostalgia. Some of my earliest memories are lying under the table in front of the sofa and watching Emmerdale Farm with my mother. It was her favourite show, and I was allowed to stay up during it before going to bed.

During the 1970s the show had a rather small regular cast, mostly just the Sugden family and the Woolpack duo of Amos and Henry. Then you got guest characters coming in for a specific storyline that lasted a few weeks and then most of those characters were gone.

During the 1980s the show featured more regular characters and the addition of NY Estates opened up new storyline possibilities. Seth became a regular, Alan Turner arrived as did Eric Pollard. The Merricks re-appeared and newcomers like Archie Brooks and the Bates family added new faces to the show. And for the first time since the very first year both the Sugden boys Jack and Joe were on screen at the same time, and their rivalry added new tensions to the family dynamic. It was Emmerdale heaven.  

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If only Katharine Barker had stayed as Dolly it would have been perfection. No offense to Jean Rogers who was a solid replacement, but she just lacked that extra spark that Katharine brought to the role.

And best of all, there was not a Dingle in sight!!  

[AMCOLTLLover]

I can't post a link here but there is a site where u can download Emmerdale years for free. 1972 to 1976 was completle. Between the first 315 episodes or so there was only episode 251 missing.

It was only 1977 missing and a lot of 1979 throughout the 80's was there too.

And November 89 to September 2000 is complete there. And the 2000's are easy to find.

 

I love Emmerdale. Went to the Fan event years ago when Andy Sudgens actor and Katies actress were around. It was a BBQ with a few cast members in England. I even spent a tour visit and village visit. Emmerdale is definitley one of my favorite soaps besides All My Children, OLTL and a german soap.

But 2021 is just horrible. I always try to look at the good things and try to overlook the annoying and bad stuff but the last few months were getting on my nerves.

I'm in the minority but i like Meena! The actress just came fresh out of acting school and plays the obsessive stalker girlfriend and killer really convincing.

[DRW50]

@I Am A Swede

 

 

[DRW50]

nm

Edited October 4, 2021 by DRW50

[AMCOLTLLover]

Have u guys watched the new trailer for the big stunt of Emmerdale with Meena= Damn that was a fabulous trailer but i bet the episodes will be disapointing lmao

I really dig Meena.