I'm not sure what they're going for with this whole story of Vinny questioning his sexuality and being terrified of telling anyone. If there is one place on this earth where coming out would be safe it would be Emmerdale. I think this village has the highest quota of LGBTQ+ people in regards to population on the whole planet. If this had been 25 years ago it would be understandable, but now it just doesn't work. Who does he think would disapprove or be hostile?   🤔

Trying to decide who is more insufferable, Chas, Victoria or Charity.

33 minutes ago, CassieFan said:

Trying to decide who is more insufferable, Chas, Victoria or Charity.

I haven't watched in years, but I would safely bet my life savings on Chas.

The end of an era….

I’ve finished all of the Emmerdale Farm episodes from the 1970s, and what a pleasure it has been. I have thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it. It’s hard to believe that these episodes belong to the same show that we see nowadays. In many ways I suppose they don’t. The Emmerdale of today is so vastly different from what Emmerdale Farm was back then that it could very well be a totally different show.

During the first year the show was clearly trying to find its feet, but once Jack left in October 1973 things seemed to fall into place. After the initial story had run out Jack felt slightly isolated up at the old mill and didn’t really fit in with the goings-on at the farm. From then on I feel that the show only got better and better.

You could say that the 1970s was divided into two different eras: the Arncliffe era (1972-75) and the Esholt era (1977-79) with 1976 acting as a sort of transition period.

The Arncliffe era had a few more side characters around. People like Frank and Janie, Penny, Alison, Reverend Ruskin and his wife Liz, George Verney, Mrs. Dawkins, the Gimbles, Ben and Beattie Dowton, Rosemary, Christine… Nearly all of these were gone before the Esholt era. It was really only Kathy Gimbel who stayed on, and only into 1977. You also had the old Woolpack, and other locations like Hawthorn Cottage, the old mill, the forge and the shop.

The Esholt era saw a new Woolpack, a new vicarage and the complete disappearance of the shop. We also got a new vicar, Reverend Hinton (after several short-term vicars had followed after Reverend Ruskin left) and also the arrival of Dolly. This era was characterized by shorter stories, usually 6 episodes (3 weeks) with characters who were then hardly mentioned again. There were some exceptions like Nellie Ratcliffe and Aunt Jessie, but they were few.

I’ve seen quite a few of these episodes before, but not this many, and it has made me love this era of Emmerdale Farm even more. The 1970s was undoubtedly the golden age of Emmerdale Farm. It has also made me re-arrange my top 50 list of favourite Emmerdale characters. Alison Gibbons and Kathy Davis (Gimble) have entered my top 10 and other 1970s characters like Reverend Edward Ruskin, Janie Harker-Blakey and Lena Dawkins have also found their way on to the list.

If Emmerdale today is a full-fledged soap, with all that that entails in the form of increasingly outlandish stories, this was not the case back then. The show was certainly slow-moving, some would probably even call it mundane, but the characters were so rich and real that they kept your interest. Yes, they could be frustrating and even annoying sometimes, but the next moment they could make you laugh or make you want to hug them. In short, they were human, with very human faults and foibles. And you loved them, warts and all.

Finally I must say a few words about my absolute favourite part of the 1970s: Dolly Acaster-Skilbeck, as played by Katharine Barker. She came in like a breath of fresh air in early 1977 and brightened up the show with her presence. I can’t really put my finger on what it is that makes her so special, but Katharine had that special je ne sais quoi quality, and I will miss her very much going into the 1980s. Dolly won’t be the same without her.

Edited September 17Sep 17 by I Am A Swede

Do we know Bernice is staying for a long haul or just recurring?

40 minutes ago, CassieFan said:

Do we know Bernice is staying for a long haul or just recurring?

Short guest stint only. She has returned repeatedly though so we can always hope.

@I Am A Swede As always I appreciate your detailed your thoughts on these years so much. A long time ago there was a Farm-era blog, maybe Beckindale Blog or something like that. I don't know if it's still around, but you are providing what they left behind.

14 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

@I Am A Swede As always I appreciate your detailed your thoughts on these years so much. A long time ago there was a Farm-era blog, maybe Beckindale Blog or something like that. I don't know if it's still around, but you are providing what they left behind.

Thank you. If I can get anyone interested in watching these old episodes it's well worth it. I will probably go back for a re-watch once I've reached the end of the uploaded episodes from this channel. It's maybe not Upstairs, Downstairs level of excellence, but it's not far behind. 

I remember a blog called The Beckindale Bugle (named after a newsletter Amos started) but it sadly seems to have disappeared.

2 minutes ago, I Am A Swede said:

Thank you. If I can get anyone interested in watching these old episodes it's well worth it. I will probably go back for a re-watch once I've reached the end of the uploaded episodes from this channel. It's maybe not Upstairs, Downstairs level of excellence, but it's not far behind. 

I remember a blog called The Beckindale Bugle (named after a newsletter Amos started) but it sadly seems to have disappeared.

That was it, yes. That's where I first learned about Whispering Walter, or whatever his name was. 

You probably mean Silent Walter, a character that for some reason has become an Emmerdale Farm icon. You can read about him here:

https://www.1980sactual.com/2009/03/1980-1985-al-dixon-as-emmerdale-farms.html

2 hours ago, I Am A Swede said:

You probably mean Silent Walter, a character that for some reason has become an Emmerdale Farm icon. You can read about him here:

https://www.1980sactual.com/2009/03/1980-1985-al-dixon-as-emmerdale-farms.html

Thanks. That's it.

On to 1980, and there's a big Dolly-shaped hole on the canvas.       

Katharine let them know in good time that she wasn't staying, and the show didn't want to put Matt through any more heartbreak by killing her off so Dolly's off to hospital with first a virus infection and then high blood pressure. She will be gone for a few months and then come back with a new face. Her absence will bring some heartbreak though when she loses the baby she's carrying.

Soon another new face on an old character will appear. Clive Hornby will assume the role of Jack. I'm not really looking forward to Jack's return. He was always very self-righteous and slightly arrogant, and I'm sure he's gonna interfere with the running of the farm and try to impose his ideas, which, if history tells us anything, will largely go against what Joe has been trying to achieve. Annie, who's always had a soft spot for Jack, will probably side with him while Matt will refuse to take sides and try to stay on the fence between Joe and Jack. That is one of his most annoying qualities. My guess is that this is what will drive Joe to leave the farm and start working for NY Estates. 

On 9/18/2025 at 12:41 AM, I Am A Swede said:

Thank you. If I can get anyone interested in watching these old episodes it's well worth it. I will probably go back for a re-watch once I've reached the end of the uploaded episodes from this channel. It's maybe not Upstairs, Downstairs level of excellence, but it's not far behind. 

I remember a blog called The Beckindale Bugle (named after a newsletter Amos started) but it sadly seems to have disappeared.

I love reading your comments about the golden era of Emmerdale. I wasn’t born and I was not part of that era. For me it was more the 00’s and late 90’s til mid 2010’s that I was fond of. I have started the 70’s when the dvd volumes were released and continued  to download them all til the newest episode on that one board. 
I watched 1972 - 76 and 89 til 2025. 
 

I always felt Emmerdale farm was like the TV version of the archers from the bbc. 

20 minutes ago, AMCOLTLLover said:

I love reading your comments about the golden era of Emmerdale. I wasn’t born and I was not part of that era. For me it was more the 00’s and late 90’s til mid 2010’s that I was fond of. I have started the 70’s when the dvd volumes were released and continued  to download them all til the newest episode on that one board. 
I watched 1972 - 76 and 89 til 2025. 
 

I always felt Emmerdale farm was like the TV version of the archers from the bbc. 

Then do continue with 1977-79. Those years are just as good as the earlier years. Polly Hemingway does a wonderful job as Kathy Davis (Gimbel) during this era, you get to meet Seth for the first time, Gail Harrison makes her last appearance as Marian, all the stories surrounding Home Farm begins here, and then there's Dolly of course...  

February 1980, Dolly takes a sudden turn for the worse and the doctors can't save the baby....   It feels all the more heartbreaking since the last time we saw Dolly she had just found out that she was pregnant and she was so happy. And poor Matt suffers another blow after losing Peggy and the twins. But I think it was Amos' reaction that hit hardest. He can be pompous and frankly quite annoying sometimes, but he's a big softie underneath his crusty exterior and he has become very fond of Dolly. He couldn't even face opening the pub, and he has always taken great pride in his work, so that tells you how shaken up he was. And I've said it before, Toke Townley is the one to look out for when it comes to the quiet, somber moments. He always knocks it out of the park, and he did it again this time when Sam talked to Matt. Pitch perfect again.   

I'm really curious to see how Jean Rogers will tackle Dolly's return after this heartbreak. I will try to cut her some slack, but I'm sure a part of me will wonder how Katharine would have played it.

Clive Hornby has made his debut as Jack now, and I'm struggling to see him as Jack Sugden, the writer.  Much of that is probably down to me watching him in the farmer role for so long, but he also gives off a different vibe than Andrew Burt. His Jack came off as slightly darker and more moody. But consequently I don't think I could see Andrew play Jack Sugden the farmer like Clive did. I don't think I could have bought Gail Harrison's Marian falling for Clive's version of Jack either.