Classic Emmerdale

Same pace as Coronation Street was until October 1989.

If they started Emmerdale Farm at the start, they'd likely be into the 80s by the end of the year, a shame they aren't in my opinion.

It's a different beast to Corrie though. As I said elsewhere, it was a sleepy daytime show for a long time. It's only after Crossroads went there was a parking space going for the "second soap" and that's when Emmerdale became serious business. It wasn't until the plane crash the show really took off. So I think starting from the beginning of the 1989-1993 period of transition from sleepy daytime show to second soap is a good starting place.

It'll also be interesting from the POV that the network gave Emmerdale and YTV *time* to transition from daytime to a soap powerhouse, time that wouldn't be afforded today. So again I think this is going to be essential viewing for the nerds amongst us.

Emmerdale was already a non daytime soap by 1977... in 1988 it was moved to 18.30 however moved back to 19pm in early 1990. The plane crash only happened ( which is an utter disgrace at the time) because the wolfs were after it... STV still hated it and kept it at 17.10 where is belonged...

Oh for God's sake stop with your loaded bullcrap. STV didn't "hate" it. There might be sour grapes with the network for decommissioning High Road but they didn't "hate" it.

The "wolfs" you refer to are Carlton in London who wanted the show axed, eyeing up the slot for their own soap. YTV did what they had to do.

It's bad enough you can barely spell without being a fountain of fake news as well.

A rare example of a soap character who didn't have a miracle cure six months later.

I've just been reminded about Kim Tate- came back to Emmerdale in a blaze of publicity last year... then went back to prison after a few episodes. What a "comeback" that was.

It was year round from 1988, as they are starting in 1989 there will be 104 episodes per year to start which is 19 and a half weeks on Drama. So plane crash should be about 44 week from 14th Jan, around mid November.

Whoops. Got the teal badge of shame back. I'll send myself to bed with no supper tonight.

I thought Chris Tate was one of the best written-for soap characters ever. Not only did they carry through with his paralysis right to the end, we watched and saw how bitter it made him. The best bit was how your sympathy for him slowly ebbed away as a viewer because he was just all bad. He wasn't a "feel sorry for me I'm in a wheelchair" type person - he just became a total b*stard.

Then of course his final act - Charity is having an affair so he commits suicide to frame her for his murder. Priceless.

Like I say, consistently well-written for the entire time. Such a great character.

You seem to be getting in to a tiss for no good reason, Fountain of fake news?

* Fact Emmerdale was a peak time soap since 1977.
* Fact: Until roundabout 1988 Scottish, Grampian and Anglia kept Emmerdale at 17.15 There was even clip of been dumped at 2.15 on a sunday in 1987.. brand new episodes on sunday afternoon? What was so important Anglia had to put on mid week at 7pm?

* Fact : Everyone moved the series to 18.30 become Xroads was about to end.
* Fact: YTV and TT dropped Take the high road as fast as there could... when the network dropped it, and there were the only two not to pick the series back up, after viewers complained. There did restart the series were there left off in 1996 damage was done.
* STV moved the series back to 17.10 along with some higher racking networks shows. why not not move them to 18.30?

Wolves you say were Carlton? that fake news right there, since it was two before 1991 the wolves were out to get Emmerdale.. The Wolves were the newspaper and others sniffing blood for another kill..
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/emmerdale-the-village-that-won-over-a-nation-5329802.html

I know Emmerdale Farm began as a daytime serial in 1972, but when was it first moved to evenings?

My memory of the show, going back to the very early 80s or perhaps even late 70s, and watching on Tyne Tees, was twice weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays) at 7pm. It took regular breaks, at Christmas, Easter and over summer. Repeats of earlier episodes were sometimes shown at 12.30 Monday to Friday around 1979, and I think these were networked (but definitely marked as “repeat” in the TV Times). I noticed in the early 80s that other regions showed new episodes at 3.45pm or 5.15pm.

My point being, it was in an established evening slot in most regions well before the “Emmerdale” era, and possibly by the end of the 70s.