Emmerdale's original family from first episode and what happened to them
31.03.2023 - 12:33
/ ok.co.uk
A staple of our screens for over 50 years, Emmerdale has delighted audiences across the country from the day it first aired, all the way back on October 16th 1972. Originally named Emmerdale Farm, the soap centred on the lives of the Sugdens, a long standing farming family in the fictional Yorkshire village of Beckindale.
Unlike the current schedule, where the soap airs nightly in the prime-time evening slot, Emmerdale first began airing twice a week in the afternoon and was widely described by critics as “sleepy.” Originally intended to run for just 3 months as a spot of daytime TV filler, the show defied expectations and amassed a huge audience, even despite not having the dramatic and sometimes raunchy plot lines we’ve seen in recent years. Seeing it’s potential, the show was soon moved to a late afternoon slot as ITV bosses commissioned the series to continue - and by 1977, the trials of the Sugdens, Wilks and Skilbecks were airing in homes around the country in the coveted prime-time evening slot.
Renamed Emmerdale in 1989, the show currently holds the title of the second longest running TV soap behind fellow ITV offering Coronation Street. Unlike it’s rival show however, none of the original cast are still starring on the series, leading many fans to wonder what exactly happened to them? From tragedies to an impressive Hollywood career, here’s everything you need to know about Emmerdale’s original stars.
Annie Sugden - Sheila Mercier The matriarch of the Sugden family and arguably the glue that held them together, was the formidable Annie Sugden, played by Hull born actress Sheila Mercier. Since joining the soap in 1972, she continued to star as a series regular until 1996, and continued to make brief, sporadic
.
The website celebfans.org is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can
send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.