The second longest running British soap opera of all time ( in second place to 'Coronation Street' ). Created by Kevin Laffan, 'Emmerdale Farm' started on Yorkshire Television in 1972 yet by the mid '90's the titled was shortened to 'Emmerdale' when Phil Redmond ( responsible for both 'Grange Hill' and 'Brookside' ) took over the creative duties. I used to watch this programme religiously when I was younger. That, my friends, was fifteen years ago, back when people could act and when story lines weren't just about fighting, adultery and arguing.
Many years back, a special episode entitled 'Emmergale' was screened in which a freak storm hit the village, causing mass destruction, as well as a few fatalities. If it had finished there, all would have been well, but ITV had to wring as much out of it as they could. Like 'Eastenders', it seems to be marred with the curse of flogging a dead horse. In fact, nowadays it seems more effort has gone into how the opening credits look rather than the quality of the scripts.
Another setback about today's episodes is that the characters are too unlikeable to endear themselves, a fact not helped by the bad acting from the actors portraying them, especially from Jeff Hordley as Cain Dingle. Back when I watched it there were a fine ensemble of decent performers such as the late Stan Richards as Seth Armstrong, Paula Tilbrook as Betty Eagleton, sexy Deena Payne as fiery Viv Hope, Lorraine Chase as evil Steph Stokes, gorgeous Carolyn Pickles as her nemesis Shelley Williams, Christopher Chittell as feud-making business man Eric Pollard and Louise Beattie as Laura Johnstone.
'Emmerdale', like 'Coronation Street', is too ridiculous now to be credible. Hopefully, someday someone will shut the barn door on it for good.
