Classic Emmerdale

I remember watching part of a special video where Chris Chittell (Eric Pollard) was showing someone around the set. It was commented that the new set didn’t really look like Esholt. Chris agreed and said the idea was that there would be a pub and the post office opposite.

It is a shame it wasn’t done a little more accurately.

I suppose having a custom-built village gave the producers the chance to design it in a way that optimised filming and storytelling. For example, some buildings didn’t face forward into the street so they straightened them up. The phone box being moved was an obvious change, and the long shot of the junction into the village on the later opening titles shows that Chapel Lane has all but vanished, replaced by a village green of sorts. I agree that as a viewer it’s jarring, but everything must have been done this way for a reason.

I feel there was a complete change once the village moved and I'm not sure I want to continue watching much past 1998. People like Bernice arriving is the onset of the rot of characters some of which still linger today like Nicola.

To me, the atmosphere of the show changed when the Dingles were introduced. The Ben Dingle and Luke/Tina storylines were OK, and I do have a soft spot for Sam, but all the time spent showing the family getting involved in things like petty thefts and building rockets, and having convoluted sitcom-ish conversation at home I find tedious, especially in this rewatch. I did think the Butch and Sophie storyline was well written though.

Not been the same since Amos & Mr Wilks left the Woolpack

Did the Dingles arrive before the Battersbys in Weatherfield?

Yes.
Zack Dingle arrived in late 1994.
The Battersbys arrived in early 1997.

Yes that is the other milestone but the early stuff wasn't too bad, but then they got annoying quickly. Once the village moves it just doesn't feel real anymore and the filming becomes very contained.

First Harewood scene in today's second episode. Very tightly shot scene in front of the Woolpack though, which doesn't give away much about the rest of the village.

Yes, we already disussed this last week...

Not really.

I’m behind with the Emmerdale repeats but it will be interesting to see how the Esholt/Harewood changeover. How long (in terms of episodes/weeks) is it between the last proper/wide shots of Esholt village and the first similar shots of Harewood? Was there a changeover period where an episode may have featured scenes filmed in both locations?

That poster was just having a dig at me because I said the same to someone who posted that the meerkat sponsorship had ended in the Corrie thread.