The Emmerdale companion - Anthony Hayward

Emmerdale - Emmerdale farm as was - is 1 of the most popular programmes on TV attracting in excess of 12 million viewers each episode. In spring 1997 it was relaunched to broadcast 3 times a week and a special Emmerdale village is being built. Established by Yorkshire TV in 1972 as a TV answer to the Archers, Emmerdale farm, as it was originally called, was broadcast once a week at 1.30 p.m. on monday afternoons. It soon established itslef creating a dedicated following for the believable set of rural charcters and universal small town drama. In the 1980's it graduated to a more popular evening time slot and in the 90's became Emmerdale when Brookside's Phil Redmond was commissioned to bring the series up to date. He proceeded to stage a gun seige at the post office and an airline crash. Although criticised for this, under the present producer, Mervyn Watson, Emmerdale's viewing figures have progressed to the position today nipping at the heals of Eastenders and Coronation Street. The new gutsier feel has attracted a whole new legion of dedicated viewers hungry for background to the show. This is the official celebration of the 25th anniversary of the show and marks the launch as 3 episodes each week and the construction of a special replica of the village outside Leeds. The author has had unique access to Yorkshire TV scripts and archives and hitherto unseen behind the scenes photographs.