Emmerdale introduces a new era for Home Farm next week as Edna Birch's former love rival Lawrence White purchases the iconic estate.
Lawrence (John Bowe) joins the village with his eldest daughter Chrissie (Louise Marwood) and grandson Lachlan (Thomas Atkinson), while show returnee Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) will also be moving in with them as he turns out to be Chrissie's fiancé.
Here, Emmerdale's series producer Kate Oates speaks about bringing in the new family - revealing details of their background, secrets and the storylines to come.
What can you tell us about the background of this new family?
"We already know Lawrence from his backstory with Edna. When Lawrence came out of prison, he turned his life around and decided that he was going to make the best of this awful thing that had happened to him. He decided that he was just going to live a regular and successful life, which is why he married and had kids. He turned his back on his past, which had been really troubled. Lawrence is very driven and has made a lot of money that way.
"Lawrence's eldest daughter Chrissie rebelled against that a little bit when she was younger, which is why she owns her own chain of businesses as well. She decided that she was going to graft and build that up, so she's got a chain of salons on the side but has now come back into the family fold.
"Robert has worked for Lawrence, initially as a successful salesman until he got together with Chrissie. Lawrence suddenly thought, 'I'm not so keen on that element!' That's where the bad things have started brewing…"
Are there more family members who we haven't heard about yet?
"Lawrence has another daughter called Rebecca, but I couldn't possibly comment on when she's going to arrive! We're going to get the others settled in first as there's some nice dramas to play with them. We'll explore those first before we bring in Rebecca."
Why doesn't Lawrence like Robert?
"Initially Lawrence really did like Robert. When Robert came to work for Lawrence, he was absolutely the golden boy. We do know that Lawrence went to prison for homosexuality when it was illegal, so Lawrence has this within his character - he has had relationships with men in the past. With Robert being a bit of a golden boy, maybe there are several layers to that relationship.
"When Robert got together with Chrissie, Lawrence realised that it was nice to have him in the office and he'd always liked being his boss, but he likes it less when Robert is marrying his daughter! He now thinks maybe Robert is a bit of a gold-digger. Lawrence even faked a heart attack when they were about to get married, so that was pretty low! Well, Chrissie thinks that he did really have a heart attack but Robert is convinced that he faked it to stop the wedding. So Lawrence will definitely try anything."
Does Lawrence want revenge against Edna?
"Lawrence actually handles the Edna situation quite sensitively. What Lawrence recognises with Edna is that despite the traumatic time that he spent in prison, he's fared better since. Edna has been weighed down with this guilt and she's never been in a relationship. She's actually got quite a lonely life, while Lawrence looks at his own life and what he's built up with his family and thinks, 'I won - I did better than you'.
"Initially when Lawrence sees Edna he feels anger and resentment towards her, but as he reflects, it shows the layers to Lawrence. He can be ruthless and he can treat Robert quite badly, and equally Robert will treat him badly sometimes in return! But Lawrence can also be very compassionate and change his mind."
Is Lawrence in the market for a new relationship?
"Yeah, it's definitely something that we can explore. Lawrence's family know about his backstory, I think if you're a modern person and quite liberal, then you might just think, 'Everyone experiments in college'. Sadly for Lawrence that came at a point where it was punishable by a really horrible time in prison.
"From Chrissie's point of view, she sees that her parents were solid and she had a very good upbringing. She doesn't have any reason to think that her dad isn't straight - she thinks he just had a bit of a dabble when he was younger."
What is Lawrence looking for now?
"We'll have to wait and see! At the moment he's looking to get rid of Robert! One of the things we spoke about around the writing table was whether Lawrence got married just because he felt he had to and was determined 'to not be gay anymore' because of what had happened.
"I think there was an element of that, but his love for his wife was genuine. That's where the children came from and why the marriage had longevity. So it's complicated and not straightforward."
Lawrence and his daughter Chrissie arrive in the village
© ITV
Lawrence and his daughter Chrissie arrive
What can you tell us about the casting process for the new family?
"When we were talking about the character of Lawrence, we just wanted John. We didn't ask him to come in and read for the part - we just asked him and he said yes, so that was that! I'd met Ryan before for another part and really liked him, so he was very much in our heads for the role of Robert.
"I hadn't met Louise before, but we liked her immediately. In the audition, Louise just spun a few lines in the script very differently and totally changed the meaning of them. She was the only person who did that and it made me see the script in a different way, so that's why we were excited about her. I think they've all gelled together really well."
Is it a risk to recast the role of Robert?
"We were really excited to cast Ryan. Robert has changed and I think that suits a recast. It's not something that me or any of the writers were worried about. Sometimes you worry characters are going to say 'Robert!' and the audience will say 'No it isn't!', but so much has changed. I think taking Robert out from the regular farming families, where he grew up, and putting him on the house on the hill is one of those occasions where a recast will really work well for us."
How will Andy and Katie react to Robert's return?
"From Andy's point of view, he's finally got what he wants. He's finally got his girl and it's been a really long time coming. Andy and Katie are planning to get married and it's all going to be brilliant, but then Robert turns up. It's really, really going to rile Andy and it initially throws Katie a curveball too. Katie knows that she should hate Robert and she does, but we all know about those fine lines! It will definitely ruffle their feathers."
The Home Farm open day doesn't go as planned
© ITV
The Home Farm open day doesn't go as planned
Is there still a lot of animosity between the two brothers?
"I think it's interesting how deep that history goes. Anyone with a complicated family history will know how certain things just stick with you forever and ever. Andy was the adopted brother and yet he was the favourite, and that really hurt Robert. I'm sure there are therapists up and down the country who'll say that those kind of things affect you for a really long time.
"Anyone who's watched the show will understand that, so sometimes Robert will behave really badly, but when you remember why and where that hurt comes from, you should be able to empathise with him a little bit."
So what will Robert get up to?
"I think Robert enjoys messing with Katie a little bit. From his point of view, he's won as he's got Chrissie and he's moving into the big house. Initially he doesn't want to move back to the village because there are too many ghosts there for him, but then he thinks that if he is going to be there, then he might as well live in the big house!
"I think Robert sees that he's moved on, while Andy and Katie have gone on the same little loop. Andy is actually really happy with that and that's where the two brothers are different. Andy can have happiness in a little terraced house in the village with the girlfriend he's always loved, while Robert is always clamouring for better. I think that probably means that Robert isn't the happier person.
"There will also be brawls between the brothers over time. We know that Andy's got a temper as well, which he largely has under control, but just sometimes when Robert pushes him too far… let's just say that make-up has got lots of blood on order!"
Andy punches Robert
© ITV
Andy punches Robert
Could Katie be envious of Robert's lifestyle?
"Katie's had that with Declan and it didn't work very well. There'll be a scene soon where we've got Andy and Katie at Home Farm and what we try to get across is that she really isn't envious of that place anymore. When Katie discovered that Declan had hidden the evidence of the body on the glamping site to protect the festival, she saw that as money over morals and she's not like that.
"Katie is the girl next door and she's got together with the guy she should have always been with, so I think the focus is on the emotions of when Robert comes back."
What can you tell us about Chrissie's son Lachlan?
"Lachlan is Chrissie's son from a previous relationship. When Chrissie was making a point to her dad by going off doing her own thing, she hooked up with an unsuitable guy and they had a very brief relationship.
"Lachlan is the apple of Chrissie's eye, but his problems are also what keep her up at night. He's one of those teenagers where you wonder if they're just going through a teenager phase or whether there's a chip missing! I think that if you are a parent of that kind of child, you hope it is a phase. That's one of the reasons why Chrissie wants to come to Home Farm - to have a new start for her boy.
"Lachlan has been in trouble here and there, and Chrissie just hopes that a new beginning where nobody knows them could be the best thing for all of them. We're going to be planning some big stories for Lachlan and that will be when you really get to know Chrissie and see what makes her tick. That will be on screen in a few months' time."
Robert is knocked to the floor
© ITV
Robert is knocked to the floor
What kind of reaction will the newcomers get in the village?
"I think people are always quite wary about new arrivals at Home Farm as it's the house of power. There'll be people who want to align themselves to the new family - people like Val, who's delighted that Robert is marrying into money!
"Of course Diane is Robert's stepmum and Victoria is his little sister. Robert does adore his little sister and it's nice to see that relationship because Isabel Hodgins who plays Victoria is such a fantastic actress. Victoria is going to be torn between the two warring brothers. Obviously she's lost both her parents and Diane is really important to her, but it would really make Victoria's life much nicer if her brothers could get along. The fact that they don't breaks her heart."
How do you feel about introducing a whole new family to the show?
"Bringing in a new family like this is great because it re-energises everyone and it's like having new toys to play with when you're around the writing table. Bringing in and bedding in new characters can be hard because audiences are tricky - they'll make a decision very quickly on whether they like them or not. They can change their minds but it takes time and it's a process.
"What's nice about this is you've got some brand new characters, but then you've got Lawrence's link to Edna so there's already a story up and running there. You've also got Robert who has a really strong link to the village already. From that point of view, it's a really nice thing to work on."