All the UK soaps seem to have a bit more of that now, but Emmerdale in particular was never about that really...

Live episode confirmed for the 40th Anniversary:

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s12/emmerdale/news/a379403/emmerdale-live-episode-confirmed-for-40th-anniversary-video.html

Good Lord. Most of their current cast can't even act now. What will they be doing live?

40th anniversary of what? Emmerdale, as far as they're concerned, premiered in 1993 (err....1989).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJUvFWFaHZU

It was announced at least a month ago, but I'm very happy to see that a fourth volume for Emmerdale Farm is being released August 27, 2012! They must be selling marginally well, right?

A description of what to expect ...

Joe and Carol's romance; the recently bereaved Matt Skilbeck's ongoing struggle to bring up the twins; the arrival of George Verney's young nephew, Mark, and subsequent conflict with Mark's father; the combined efforts of Jack, the Rev. Ruskin and Dr Scott to help recalcitrant widower Charlie Nelson; and local victory in the annual Beckindale vs. Robblesfield cricket match.

No one else loving Nikhil and Gennie? His proposal was hysterical as he painful eat carbs for love. LOL! Other than David and Alicia (too bad she is leaving for awhile), the rest of the show is a nightmare. What they have done to Ashley is disgraceful! I went from enjoying Chas and Cameron's affair to becoming ill. I don't mind Jai cheating on Charity, but Rachel, come on...

I can't watch Emmerdale anymore. Every single story is either an affair story, is derived from an affair story or is turned into an affair story. Plus, they refuse to give Victoria a story at all, which is just retarded on every level. Not to mention the cast is full of useless dead weight and/or tired characters.

Zak/Marlon/Ashley/Paddy/Cain/Edna/Bob/Rodney/Nicola/Katie/Rhona/Laurel/Chas/Debbie/Pearl/Carl/Jimmy/Sandy/Brenda/Lizzie/Moira/Adam/Jai/Priya/Declan/Alicia/Amy/Cameron/Alex/Rachel/Sean/Abby/Ruby/Rishi/Dan/Megan/Robbie and anyone else that isn't Alan/Betty/Andy/Victoria/Eric/David/Val/Diane/Gennie/Nikhil/Charity should be given the heave ho.

I know that list is extremely unlikable to see cut, but damn, Emmerdale sucks that bad.

Edited July 4, 201213 yr by Bright Eyes

I hadn't watched Emmerdale for a long while but tuned in cos Alex(?) is shirtless, well I can't believe how badly they've ruined the opening sequence, theme song and title card font!

It's sad to read about the state of Emmerdale nowadays. I quit watching earlier this year and it was surprisingly easy. I thought it would be much harder to let it go, since this was the first "grown-up" show I ever watched. My mother used to watch it in the 70s, and I watched it with her. It came on at 6.15 p.m., right after the early evening news, and I was allowed to stay up and watch it before going to bed. I had no idea what was happening, since this was before I could understand English, and before I could read properly, but I remember loving the theme song.

I then watched it on and off during the 80s, but became a steady viewer from the early 1990s. But the last few years it has become more and more a chore to get through each episode, and I finally gave up. The death of Jack Sugden robbed this show of its heart, and I don't think it can ever get it back. And when I read here about the insane decision to kill off Viv and Terry that was the last straw for me.....

R.I.P Emmerdale Farm.....

The new opening is terrible. Not only is it very generic, but the perspective on the sets is from such an odd angle it looks like a child running across rooms. And I hate the car commercial jaunt through the woods.

I think Gavin Blythe ruined Emmerdale. He took away a lot of the show's heart and pushed his pet characters, very unlikeable, nasty people like Aaron and Amy. He also pushed the "issue" stories which have helped to kill the show.

They are very lucky they haven't lost more viewers. I used to hear people say Emmerdale was just a habit show, someone left the TV on in the background, it was the one of the big 3 that no one had expectations for. Sadly, after the last few years, I think they were right.

CarlD2, I thought that Amy was a Stuart Blackburn creation?

Anyways, I actually like Emmerdale under Blythe (when I started watching) beecause it was so entertaining with the entire Lamb saga. Blackburn had me for awhile but lost me around the time that John Barton died and Aaron left Emmerdale. I think that his story set ups tend to be good but they fall flat quickly. I think like our American soaps, Emmerdale is going through an identity crisis. The show doesn't know what it wants to be nowadays, and I agree that it has become to affair heavy. No character (from reading recaps on Digital Spy) is happy nowadays, which is why I don't even attempt to try and find current episodes on Youtube. I think I'm having more fun looking at past Emmerdale (90s to early to mid 2000s) when the Kings drove story heavily and Sadie was on the show. Love watching clips of Kim Tate too. Love a good soap diva . . . I seriously think that a new, glamourous, scandalous family needs to move into Home Farm and drive story b/c Declan's family ain't doing it. Plus the show (like our soaps) need to refocus on the main family (the Sudgens) and go from there. Andy & Victoria are bores. Diane is stuck behind the bar. . . Time to bring back Robert to shake that family up IMO.

Amy started in Blythe's last months with Emmerdale.

Diane is stuck behind the bar. . .

Diane is currently MIA. Months ago she had a random scene where she said Bernice needed her, and off she went. Months have gone by and no-one ever mentions her at all.

I've quit this show, now, as I just couldn't take any more of its predictable, boring, miserable, character-destroying direction. I can't tune in for David and Nikhil alone, as they don't feature much. I will watch the Live episode, and whenever Nikhil & Gennie get married/give birth. Each new storyline destroys another character. Zak, Lisa, Marlon, Laurel, Ashley, Victoria, Moira, Cain, Jai, Chas, Cameron, Val... all ruined/being ruined. Rachel gets more annoying by the second, while the Maceys are an awful family, along with the Spencers, and Amy is an abomination.

Other than peeking in for Nikhil/Gennie and David who are rarely ever on, I am done with Emmerdale. It is rubbish.