As Emmerdale's 50th birthday approaches bosses of the ITV soap have shared their best bits and stories as well as what viewers can expect from the anniversary special.
An inside interview with the Emmerdale bosses Jane Hudson, Kate Brooks and Laura Shaw has given fans an inside view of what could be coming up in the soap's 50th birthday - as well as the producers' best bits.
The ITV soap announced last week that an hour-long special episode would air on Sunday, October 16, to mark the official birthday. So, what viewers can expect for Emmerdale's 50th birthday? Executive producer, Jane promises it will not disappoint.
Read more: Emmerdale tease 50th anniversary storm episode and fans love it
She said: "We will be having some huge stunts, big emotional heartache, secrets, lies, comedy and sadly, some of the soap's much-loved characters will lose their lives. There will be funerals, a wedding with Kim and Will and a birth,
"Three of Emmerdale's favourite old characters are also returning - Aaron Dingle, played by Danny Miller, Diane Sugden, played by Elizabeth Estensen, and Tracey Metcalfe, played by Amy Walsh.
"There will be a huge storm that will wreak damage on the entire village and change everyone's lives forever. Its going to be a special month and we hope everyone will really enjoy it all. But the 50th is not just a celebration of Emmerdale - its a celebration of what makes soaps great."
Producer Kate said: "There will be a lot of high-octane drama and as we all know, there is always drama around Kim Tate. You can expect things to not run smoothly especially as Harriet still has feelings for Will.
"Faith's cancer journey takes a rocky turning, which has repercussions for both Cain and Chas. The storylines and the impact of what happens will propel us into 2023."
Producer Laura added: "There is going to be a lot of heartache involved in October and the rivalry between Cain and Al is really going to step up a gear. Al and Chas have grown a lot closer now but will their affair finally be exposed? Viewers will have to wait and see.
"The stunts will also be amazing. We do a big super stunt week every October but with 2022 being our 50th birthday, we wanted to top the big week. Spreading the stories across the month gives us chance to celebrate all our characters. It means everyone in the show gets to be part of our 50th and have a story to celebrate."
It is anticipated that next month could be Emmerdale's boldest month yet, with bosses hoping it will be talked about for years to come. Jane said: "I think the richness of the storylines across this month will be talked about for a long time.
"We have so many stories across one month and alongside that, we have three epic stunts. We don't die down after the stunts either because we end of a huge cliff-hanger."
Covid is still a problem for the Emmerdale team, preventing the 50th special from being a live episode. Jane said: "The problem with a live episode is the issue of Covid. We've still got a lot of infections and we still have cast and crew going off with Covid. So, if you did a live show and one of the cast members got Covid, then they can't be in the episode and it creates all sorts of problems.
"Also, the viewers only watch it to see what goes wrong. What Emmerdale viewers like are the stunts and the huge emotional performances. With live episodes, you can't do stunts and you can't show off the village because you wouldn't be able to get the cameras to do so many shots."
Some of the story lines from the special have been planned for over a year. Jane said: "Some of the storylines we have known for over a year, especially the story where we see it stepping up a gear between Cain and Al.
"Soaps are constantly being asked to prove why they are still relevant and why there is still a demand for them. This month delivers it. No drama can deliver what we are about to deliver in terms of visuals, storytelling and performance."
Despite the drama and storylines, bosses do find it hard to 'kill off' cast members. Jane said: "Its always hard to kill a character as someone is losing their job. You don't want somebody to lose their job.
"But the nature of soaps means if you want to introduce new characters, then you need to lose old ones. If you are going to do a death in the soap, it can't be the postman who has had three lines because it doesn't matter.
"A death has got to have an impact not just on the characters but also on the viewers watching. Each of our deaths will bring a different emotion."
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