TV Home Forum

Classic Emmerdale

(January 2019)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
NB
NicB1971
I didn’t think of this until the other day but I am wondering if these appearances now from Sheila Mercia could be guest appearances or could I be wrong?

I am just thinking that in terms of episodes she has been missing for a month and a half.

Also the actor playing Leonard was he just doing a guest stint?


I think 30th December 1993 was the last full-time/regular appearance of Sheila Mercier; however, she had reduced her role since 1992 due to arthritis and age, and perhaps even since 1989/90 so I'm not sure when Annie Sugden became a recurring role rather than regular - ironically, she's still alive at 100. In America, she probably would have been billed as a "special guest" or "guest starring". Leonard would have been in for a short-term basis, although we would not have known at the time. Amos became a recurring character, Ronald Magill had originally decided to leave the series because of the changes that were happening so I'm not sure what persuaded him to return in a "guest role".

Autumn 1993 saw the impending shift in tone and introduction/axing of characters, e.g. the departure of Carol, Lorraine, Jayesh and his sister, and long-standing occasional-regular Sergeant Macarthur; and the introduction of Shirley, the Windsors and the awful McAllisters, and Josh, together with the reintroduction of the dreary Elsa.

Lots of ancillary stories building up to the crash without any of us realising at the time what they all meant.

Fast-forwarding to 1994 I cannot fathom why they axed such a popular but under-used character such as Shirley - perhaps further desperation from producers struggling to boost ratings. I can understand why they axed Vic Windsor - apparently the then-producer simply sacked Alun Lewis - no idea why, though.

To 2019 and quite a number of actors seem to be leaving the series, and Coronation Street, yet they want to produce more episodes. I think it's time for ITV to reduce the number so as to maintain quality but until people switch off or complain they'll keep churning out the fodder.
Si-Co, Ben Shatliff and james-2001 gave kudos
BS
Ben Shatliff
I didn’t think of this until the other day but I am wondering if these appearances now from Sheila Mercia could be guest appearances or could I be wrong?

I am just thinking that in terms of episodes she has been missing for a month and a half.

Also the actor playing Leonard was he just doing a guest stint?


I think 30th December 1993 was the last full-time/regular appearance of Sheila Mercier; however, she had reduced her role since 1992 due to arthritis and age, and perhaps even since 1989/90 so I'm not sure when Annie Sugden became a recurring role rather than regular - ironically, she's still alive at 100. In America, she probably would have been billed as a "special guest" or "guest starring". Leonard would have been in for a short-term basis, although we would not have known at the time. Amos became a recurring character, Ronald Magill had originally decided to leave the series because of the changes that were happening so I'm not sure what persuaded him to return in a "guest role".

Autumn 1993 saw the impending shift in tone and introduction/axing of characters, e.g. the departure of Carol, Lorraine, Jayesh and his sister, and long-standing occasional-regular Sergeant Macarthur; and the introduction of Shirley, the Windsors and the awful McAllisters, and Josh, together with the reintroduction of the dreary Elsa.

Lots of ancillary stories building up to the crash without any of us realising at the time what they all meant.

Fast-forwarding to 1994 I cannot fathom why they axed such a popular but under-used character such as Shirley - perhaps further desperation from producers struggling to boost ratings. I can understand why they axed Vic Windsor - apparently the then-producer simply sacked Alun Lewis - no idea why, though.

To 2019 and quite a number of actors seem to be leaving the series, and Coronation Street, yet they want to produce more episodes. I think it's time for ITV to reduce the number so as to maintain quality but until people switch off or complain they'll keep churning out the fodder.


Thank you for clearing this up.
BR
Brekkie
Quick aside but not too regular an ITV3 viewer so had forgotten how good their idents were.

Soap history here of course - some great effects for the budget, and a bit of shocking acting too from some, but great to see some of the stalwarts in action and suspect most had never had the chance previously to act in this sort of story.

The slow end theme also much more comparable to the current theme than the opener.
BS
Ben Shatliff
Yesterday’s first episode gave away a definite victim with a clue plus naming them during the closing credits. Am I allowed to name as the episode has aired?
SC
Si-Co
Yesterday’s first episode gave away a definite victim with a clue plus naming them during the closing credits. Am I allowed to name as the episode has aired?


I’m intrigued as to what you mean about a victim being named. If in doubt, put the relevant part of your post in spoiler tags.
GO
gottago
Wonder how much different ITV would be today had they axed it. I'm assuming any London soap (and that was why network didn't like it) wouldn't have lasted long, so would the 7pm gameshow have become the norm? Might we have had The ITV One Show?

I often wonder how different ITV would have been if Crossroads (the original one) hadn’t been so hated by Central and carried on. I wonder if there would have been room for three soaps or if Emmerdale could have been sacrificed for it.
JA
JAS84
They wouldn't have been sacrificed for each other. Didn't the imported Home and Away replace Crossroads?
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
JAS84 posted:
They wouldn't have been sacrificed for each other. Didn't the imported Home and Away replace Crossroads?


Not initially, Crossroads finished April 1988 (think it was April 10th IIRC) and Home & Away started on ITV in February 1989, ten months later. It's first airing in Australia was in January 1988.

Of course fast forward 13 years and it's the other way round - Home & Away finished in June 2000 on ITV and in its place was new Crossroads nine months later...
RE
Revitt
Si-Co posted:
Yesterday’s first episode gave away a definite victim with a clue plus naming them during the closing credits. Am I allowed to name as the episode has aired?


I’m intrigued as to what you mean about a victim being named. If in doubt, put the relevant part of your post in spoiler tags.


Mark Hughes' corpse can be seen crushed by rubble from Lynn Whiteley's house, with the vacuum cleaner he was taking back. He was credited at the end.
BS
Ben Shatliff
Si-Co posted:
Yesterday’s first episode gave away a definite victim with a clue plus naming them during the closing credits. Am I allowed to name as the episode has aired?


I’m intrigued as to what you mean about a victim being named. If in doubt, put the relevant part of your post in spoiler tags.


Mark Hughes' corpse can be seen crushed by rubble from Lynn Whiteley's house, with the vacuum cleaner he was taking back. He was credited at the end.


Thank You.
SC
Si-Co
Si-Co posted:
Yesterday’s first episode gave away a definite victim with a clue plus naming them during the closing credits. Am I allowed to name as the episode has aired?


I’m intrigued as to what you mean about a victim being named. If in doubt, put the relevant part of your post in spoiler tags.


Mark Hughes' corpse can be seen crushed by rubble from Lynn Whiteley's house, with the vacuum cleaner he was taking back. He was credited at the end.


I’m sure that viewers were supposed to reach the conclusion that the character in question had been killed (or was at least badly injured). I’m not sure if there was more to your post, Ben, than advising us that there was a clue in the episode as to who one of the casualties was.
RO
robrymond
Not sure if some scenes were edited in today's two episodes. The baby in the tree seemed like it was cut slightly and the second episode ending where Seth finds Alice seemed to fade to the credits quickly which sounded cut down.

Newer posts