Emmerdale is celebrating its 50th anniversary with lots of treats planned for fans and we are on-hand to ensure you don’t miss any of it.
Throughout October, there have been lots of major storylines planned for the soap’s 50th anniversary. We’ve seen lots of old favourites return and we, sadly, might say goodbye to some village regulars.
This is because a major storm is set to rip through Emmerdale and cause all-manner of destruction. Offering a little tease of what to expect, producer Kate Brooks said: “As part of our big 50th celebrations, the big week will focus on a massive storm which is going to rip through the village and absolutely leave a massive trail of destruction in its wake.
Read more: Emmerdale to host special tour for their 50th anniversary
"Some of our best-loved villagers will be in peril and it is safe to say literally the village won’t be the same after this - it will never be the same again. The impact this storm has on peoples’ lives is massive.”
Sounds like it is action you won’t want to miss. To ensure you make the most of the Emmerdale 50th anniversary experience, we’ve got all the key information you need below.
You can also comment on this article telling us what you’d like to see happen.
When is the anniversary?
Emmerdale’s major milestone is happening on Sunday, October 16 which marks 50 years to the day since the first broadcast of the ITV soap.
Emmerdale was an idea from former actor and playwright Kevin Laffan with it being launched as Yorkshire television living through the eyes of the famous Sugden family. The original eight characters were Annie Sugden, Jack Sugden, Joe Sugden, Peggy Skilbeck, Matt Skilbeck, Sam Pearson, Henry Wilks and Marian Wilks.
The first line came from Peggy Skilbeck, who said to her husband: “Matt, who’s she?” referring to Marian Wilks. The word farm was dropped from the title of the programme in 1989 on 14 November to reflect the changes in the programme as it shifted its emphasis from the Sugdens and their farm to issues in the wider community.
Emmerdale was intended to fill a lunchtime slot for only 13 weeks - which equates to 26 episodes. It moved to being broadcast in the evening, where it has remained, from 1990. The ITV programme was originally filmed in the real-life village of Arncliffe in the Yorkshire Dales before moving to Esholt in West Yorkshire.
After 22 years, the production moved to the Harewood Estate, where a replica of Esholt was constructed, after the village became too busy to film, with congestion and disruption caused by visits from fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the soap’s characters and locations. You can take an official tour of Emmerdale's village.
Since 1972, Emmerdale has witnessed 74 weddings, 43 births and 105 deaths. We'll likely see that figure added to in the near future...
When episodes are on and how you can watch them?
An hour-long special edition of Emmerdale will be screened at 7.30pm on Sunday, October 16 - you can also catch up on all episodes through the ITV Hub. Unlike the show’s 40th anniversary, the occasion will not be marked with a live episode.
Emmerdale boss Jane Hudson explained: “We know one of the things our viewers love is that stunts we pull out of the bag. You can’t do those things in a live. Another big factor is covid. If we suddenly have people test positive the day of the live, for example, we go ‘Jeff is now not available for that big story’ I’m not sure what we’d do.”
As well as a stunt-heavy special episode focused on the major storm ITV will also air a one-off documentary. Reflecting and celebrating on the last 50 years of Emmerdale, the TV special will document how a sleepy daytime afternoon serial about rural folk became the award-winning, hard-hitting drama that we know and love today.
Producers have been digging in the archives to unearth some of the popular soaps best bits from classic Emmerdale clips and rarely-seen gems and those moment's we've forgotten all about.
Past and present cast members will take part in the documentary as they take a trip down memory lane and reflect on how far their characters have come. We’ll bring you more information on when the documentary will air when we have it.
Tell us your favourite Emmerdale storyline of all-time by voting in our poll below
Planned surprises and characters being killed off
Obviously, much of what is being planned is hush-hush but we know storm will be at the focus of the drama. In terms of deaths, we know we'll sadly be saying goodbye to Faith Dingle, played by Sally Dexter, as her cancer battle reaches a tragic conclusion.
Also, as we’ve previously reported, Isobel Steele looks set to quit the ITV soap after starring as Liv Flaherty on screen for six years. According to The Sun, Isobel's final scenes will be broadcast later this year, with her character tragically killed off.
A source told the publication: "It’s been a big decision for Isobel but she’s ready to try new things.
“She feels like she’s done all she can at Emmerdale and wants to focus on her music career and make a real go of it. Bosses have pulled out all the stops for the 50th anniversary month and Isobel’s exit will be no different."
In her personal life, Isobel plays guitar and often records covers of pop songs on her social media accounts.
But it now seems the 21-year-old actress wants to make a switch, going full-time with her music career after covering everything from Abba to One Direction's Harry Styles on her YouTube channel.
Possibly related to the exit mentioned above, Emmerdale boss Jane Hudson has previously teased the prospect of a murderer hitting the village. She said: “There is always potential for a murder in Emmerdale - this is Emmerdale. It is famous for its murders. You know, I’m not going to go into specifics. I’m just going to be vague.
“I know some of you know I often trip up and say things I shouldn’t but I’m surrounded by a press team today so I can’t make a mistake. But, it is Emmerdale, there’s normally a murderer lurking round the corner somewhere.”
While, fans will have been following Amelia Spencer’s pregnancy with an expectation she’ll give birth as part of the 50th anniversary plot. Producer Kate said: “Amelia is due soon. Whether she has the baby in the 50th celebration month, I’m obviously not going to say. Amelia (played by Daisy Campbell) does play a big part in the storm and when she needs to be found as she’s stuck on her own. So, she does play a very big part.”
Obviously, we'll bring you any further news when we have it.
You can visit our Emmerdale homepage to find the latest gossip about the soap and its stars. There you'll also find our Emmerdale features and news about the show's 50th anniversary plans.
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