Emmerdale is about to turn 50 and to celebrate, the ITV soap is pulling out all the stops for its birthday – and according to executive producer Jane Hudson, not everyone will make it out alive.
Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com, the Emmerdale boss laughed: “Not all the cast come out of this flourishing! They will have a flourishing exit, shall we say.”
As for who dies, fans will have to wait and see (though if recent rumours are to be believed, Liv Dingle will pass away), but what Hudson can reveal is that it’s a big and ambitious week for the soap.
It’s all centred around a big Storm Week, which will see almost every villager in danger from the treacherous weather.
The special episode to directly celebrate the 50th anniversary, set to air on Sunday 16th October, will pay homage to the past and in particular, the first ever episode.
Hudson said: “When I watched the hour-long episode for the first time, I thought, ‘This is like the journey of Emmerdale.’ We start very purposefully paying homage in the very first episode where you see a hand going across the meadow, you see somebody on horseback, you see people in farms, you see the graveyard with Jacob Sugden’s grave…
“And then we get into the emotional relationships, the familes and progress to a big event, a wedding. And then we get to the crash, bang, wallop stunt, everything’s thrown at it, all the technology, it’s all there.
“It’s kind of Emmerdale’s journey in an hour.”
One thing Hudson was keen to impress is that it’s not all stunts galore (though there are a lot!) – fans will get to see some more touching moments and balance.
“It’s really important to balance all our stories,” she continued. “Of course in Emmerdale people expect to see massive stunts and we have plenty of those, but it’s also important to show those quiet moments.
“We’re probably all more familiar with a loved one dying than we are with a cow stampede chasing us, so it’s important we connect with our viewers on that quieter, more peaceful level and allow people to express emotions they maybe haven’t been able to do in real life and they can do it through Emmerdale.
“And there is always some humour in there, despite all the odds!”
Read more:
- Emmerdale continues 50th anniversary celebrations with new cast photo
- Emmerdale’s Al Chapman asks lover Chas to run away with him
- 7 Emmerdale spoilers next week: Faith passes away after final day of fun
Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITV Hub. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Soaps hub.
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