40th Anniversary Storyline

[sarah c]

Besides Bernice I think they should have got some other past characters back

that would have worked well for the inevitable funeral??

but the soaps never do get the right people back when someone dies do they?

if and still an if, Carl dies, his wife should make an appearance? with the kids,

Bernice must be back for the as yet unknown reason why Diane had to rush sown south to see her? and tying in nicely with Gabby going viral

[tammyy2j]

that would have worked well for the inevitable funeral??

but the soaps never do get the right people back when someone dies do they?

if and still an if, Carl dies, his wife should make an appearance? with the kids,

Bernice must be back for the as yet unknown reason why Diane had to rush sown south to see her? and tying in nicely with Gabby going viral

Carl was married to Lexi as well as Colleen

[Perdita]

Emmerdale stalwart Alan Turner has emerged as the bookies' favourite to be killed off in the soap's upcoming 40th anniversary live episode.

Show bosses recently confirmed that one character will die when Emmerdale goes live later this month, although the identity of the unlucky individual is being kept firmly under wraps.


Bookmaker Ladbrokes has now told Radio Times that it is placing Alan as the frontrunner in the mystery, leading the way with odds of 3/1.

Actor Richard Thorp has played the role of Alan since 1982, making him Emmerdale's longest-serving cast member.

Carl King (Tom Lister) is second favourite with odds of 4/1, while Betty Eagleton (Paula Tilbrook) and Cameron Murray (Dominic Power) follow in joint third with 5/1.

Sarah Sugden (6/1), Paddy Kirk (8/1) and Ashley Thomas (8/1) are also seen as likely candidates by the bookmaker.

Emmerdale's hour-long live episode will air on Wednesday, October 17 from 7pm. Cast and crew began rehearsing for the broadcast earlier this week.

[tammyy2j]

Yes I hope it is Cameron but Carl looks the most obvious which might mean he dont die hopefully

[lizann]

I'm sure it has been confirmed it is a popular male hunk dies that had it coming so Carl, Cameron, Cain and Jai are the obvious ones

[Perdita]

Footage of Emmerdale's Homefields - a live music festival created to celebrate the soap's 40th birthday celebrations this month - has been released online.

Clips show cast members and musical performers enjoying the sunshine in scenes filmed over the summer on an outdoor set.

http://i2.cdnds.net/12/39/618x393/11..._2nd_ep_11.jpg
© ITV


Sammy Winward - who plays Katie Sugden - said that the shoot "[felt] like a real festival".

"It's so exciting," she said. "There's huge tents, VIP areas, the stage, people walking round... It looks brilliant."

Emmerdale's series producer Stuart Blackburn had previously described the scenes as "technically... one of the biggest challenges" the show had ever faced.

"This festival represents the modern countryside - vibrant, young and energetic," he added. "It was an amazing feat to put together an entire festival in such a short space of time."



Scouting For Girls, who headlined the event alongside The Proclaimers, said that they were honoured to have been asked to perform.

"It feels amazing to be part of the 40th anniversary of Emmerdale," they said backstage at the event. "We're really excited."

Drummer Pete Ellard - who is a huge fan of the show - even admitted that he'd consider a change of career if offered a role in the soap.

"If they offered you a part today, would you leave the band?" asked lead singer Roy Stride.

"Yeah!" replied Ellard. "Wouldn't you?"

Emmerdale celebrates its 40th anniversary on October 16. A special live episode - as well as scenes featuring Homefields festival - will air the week beginning October 15.

[Perdita]

Stuart Blackburn has said that wet weather won't hinder the filming of Emmerdale's live episode next week.

However, the show's series producer admitted that he is "dreading" the prospect of strong winds for the show's 40th anniversary special.

Blackburn told BBC News: "A bit of wind and lots of rain, I'd be happy with that - it's the gale force that we're dreading."

Emmerdale's live episode will mark the first time a soap has been shot completely on location.

Reflecting on the outdoor challenge, he added: "All the other live episodes have been based around a studio so obviously all their resources were there - all the equipment's there, all the power's there, the canteen's there.

"Things like the make-up and costume departments are there. They're not here [in the village]. Every single thing has to be brought in - the generators and entire departments from Emmerdale have got to be moved up here.

"We've got to feed the extras and transport them up here. It's a logistical and financial nightmare at every single level."

Tony Prescott, the director of the project, previously revealed that the crew will have no way of dealing with extreme weather conditions.

Emmerdale's special 40th birthday week will kick off next Monday, with the live episode airing next Wednesday (October 17) at 7pm on ITV1.

[Perdita]

Emmerdale's hour-long 40th anniversary episode is now just over a week away, and the soap's cast and crew have been busy rehearsing for the big challenge ahead over the past few days.

Shot entirely on-location at the show's village base, the special edition will feature two wedding celebrations, the cries of two newborn babies bringing joy to their loved ones - and an untimely death which will shock the village.

Here, we present a closer look at the live episode with some key facts about the behind-the-scenes effort required for the broadcast.


27 cameras will be used to film the live episode.

70 crew members will be working - almost double the number for a regular Emmerdale shooting day.

61 cast members will be involved.

4 minutes is the maximum time that actors will have to change and move between sets.

350 supporting artistes will be required in total.

5 generators will be used to power the village for filming.

4 newborn babies will be on set.

20 rain deflectors for the cameras will be on stand-by in the case of extreme weather.

50 microphones will be used.

110 hours of rehearsals have been organised in the build-up to the live. Cast will rehearse for 10 hours a day for 11 days.

23 make-up artists, 26 prop assistants and 30 costume crew will be required for the live episode.

4 golf buggies will be used to transport cast members around the village on the night.

1 stunt coordinator will be involved in the live as the cast will be doing their own stunts.

7 wedding dresses will be on standby during the live episode.

Emmerdale Live airs on Wednesday, October 17 at 7pm on ITV1.

[Perdita]

In the build-up to Emmerdale's hour-long 40th anniversary episode, Head of Design Gillian Slight has been hard at work preparing the village for the special broadcast.

New replica sets, weddings and fake babies are just a few of the requirements which have had to be arranged well ahead of time to ensure everything runs smoothly when the ITV1 soap goes live next week.

Here, Gillian gives a behind-the-scenes insight into the preparations for Emmerdale Live.

What challenges have you met while preparing the village?
"The most challenging aspect of preparing the village for the live episode has been building the sets. We had two interior sets we needed to build especially for the live. We're building the inside of The Woolpack, which is going into the building which is usually just the shell of The Woolpack."

What is the reason for building new sets?
"During the live episode, everything has to be shot at the village. There aren't really any interiors that are large enough, so we have had to scale down the sets that are going in those locations. We have been working on this since May, starting with the planning and drawings before handing over to the construction team. It's complicated, as The Woolpack is not the same size as the version we film in at our studios in Leeds.

"It has also been a full-time job for one of our team members to source many of the fittings in The Woolpack. We discovered the fabric coverings are a discontinued line, so research was done for how to acquire some to match it up.

"Fortunately we have found some, otherwise we would have had to change the fabric beforehand in the Woolpack studios for continuity. We have been scouring bric-a-brac shops and eBay looking for props to match up."

The live episode is next week, but the scenes directly before and after have already been filmed. Does this present continuity issues?
"There have been a few continuity issues whilst filming, as the scenes before and after the live episode were filmed in August. We will be matching these up to what we record during the live episode. So there's a lot of pre-planning to work out."

How about the two babies being born in the live episode?
"As well as using real babies in the live episode, we will be using fake babies which we have had to pre-order well in advance. We can order exactly what is needed. They can have valves that make them look like they breathe, as well as umbilical cords.

"However, as they are made of gelatine they do have a very short shelf life. They are extremely fragile, so we ensure they aren't over-handled. For that reason, the gelatine babies will just be used for the actual births in the live."

Its like it's hard, but it is actually soft plus easy enough to walk on."

Emmerdale Live airs on Wednesday, October 17 at 7pm on ITV1.

[Perdita]

Chas Dingle looks likely to be one of the most prominent characters in Emmerdale's 40th anniversary episodes next week, with the recent dramas surrounding her love life expected to come to a dramatic climax.

As the ITV1 soap's big birthday week begins, Chas is determined to tie the knot with Dan Spencer (Liam Fox) - keen to move on with her life following her recent affair with Cameron Murray (Dominic Power).

With most of next week's storyline details being kept under wraps, though, time will only tell whether the wedding will go ahead - and if the looming threat of Carl King's blackmail will affect things for Chas.

Here, Lucy Pargeter - who plays Chas - offers her take on Emmerdale's 40th and the upcoming live episode.

What is Chas's state of mind in the build-up to the 40th anniversary week?
"Chas is in a state of total confusion and fear. She's not in a great place at all, but she's completely determined to marry Dan."

Is she over Cameron now?
"I don't think she is completely over Cameron, and I think the decision to get over him was made when he went back to Debbie. Although she has accepted he's back with her, she's not particularly happy about it and she just has to get on with her life."

Does Chas genuinely love Dan?
"I think she sees everything in Dan that she had hoped for in Carl and Cameron. He completely adores her and would do anything for her. With Dan, she sees security and she loves him for the person he is.

"I think Chas just wants to know which direction her life is going in and to be settled and happy, and she wants to be there as quickly as possible."

If Cameron left Debbie, would Chas go back to him?
"I think she might go back to Cameron, because she does still have feelings for him. He would have to completely convince her that he wasn't going to change his mind, though. Jeepers! Can you imagine trying to live in the village as a couple around Debbie and the family?"

What are her feelings towards Carl and his blackmail at the moment?
"She is desperate to keep him quiet. Letting this secret come out to Debbie is not an option. She's terrified about what could happen and worried as Carl is getting very intense and scarily involved with her life. He seems to be getting quite obsessed with her again and he's loving the fact he can control her like a puppet.

"He's admitted he loves her and he's adamant all this worry can go away because he's in control. He just wants to be back with her."

What can we expect from the 40th anniversary in general?
"Drama in buckets full. Tears, fear, surprises and a few giggles. Absolutely everything you would expect from this show, all thrown into one episode."

What is the live episode going to be like?
"There are a couple of really big shocks in store. It's not going to end the way everybody thinks it is going to end, and fans of the show are going to be very, very surprised with the outcome of the live episode. We certainly were!"

Are you nervous about going live?
"This is an experience that I am going into with the best people possible, and I'm doing the most challenging thing I've ever done. I'm not looking forward to it, though! It's the first time anything like this has been done purely on location, so logistically and technically it's not just a matter of us remembering our lines."

Have you done any live TV before?
"No, and I've never really done any theatre. A lot of the cast have done theatre before, but nobody has done a live. Many of the crew and our director have done it before, so they all know what it involves."

How do you look back on your time at Emmerdale in general?
"I have loved every second of it - every storyline, each day filming. We are so professional when it comes down to doing the job, but in between takes we have such a laugh, you couldn't ask for better people to work with. It's brilliant and I hope they keep challenging me for many years to come!"

How do you feel about playing such a big role in the anniversary celebrations?
"It's a massive honour, but also a massive responsibility. I just hope I don't disappoint anyone!"

Emmerdale's anniversary celebrations air all next week on ITV1. Emmerdale Live airs on Wednesday, October 17 at 7pm.