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Why I Love...Emmerdale

Nick Miles as Jimmy King and Ken Farrington as Tom King
  • Posted at 1:13pm
  • 04 December 2006
  • by JaneBryans-RT

The nights are dark and chilly now and panto season is upon us. This yuletide entertainment is a treat relished by families everywhere, but there's no need to visit the theatre to join in the shouts of "he's behind you", because a pantomime fix is provided all year round by the brilliant and colourful cast of fairy-tale characters appearing in the most chirpy soap opera on TV - Emmerdale.

Poor old Baron Hardup, otherwise known as Rodney, is trying to rebuild his lost fortune. Ugly Sisters Diane and Val are running the village pub, despite attempts to wreck their business by wicked witch Louise. Chas has been cast in the thankless role of Cinderella, acting as unpaid serving wench to Carl, who was supposed to be her handsome prince but is turning out a bit of a frog. Evil stepmother Rosemary looms large over the crumbling relationship, while pregnant Viv and hubby Bob gallop around in opposite directions like a confused panto horse.

It's the characters that make Emmerdale a national treasure. Written a little larger and louder than their counterparts in other soaps, they provoke mirth, fury and compassion, in equal measure.

Take Widow Twanky, the bumptious and twittering Betty. She wobbles around the village sniffing out crumbs of gossip and meddling for all she's worth. But she's a kind old soul, offering shelter to homeless wanderers Alan and Sandy and lending her support to friendless jailbird Steph. Give her an MBE or feed her through Andy's baling machine? So hard to decide.

Escapism is an essential ingredient of any soap and Emmerdale has it in bucketloads. Even the dark side of the Dales isn't that dreadful. The robbing Dingles treat their livestock like family members, bad boy Cain faked Sadie's murder rather than doing the deed, and brothers grim Jimmy and Matthew just swagger around bedding any woman stupid enough to think that a pension-robbing builder could be the next Donald Trump.

These pantomime villains are vital. Most viewers can just look out of the window if they want to see violence, crime, urban decay or rural poverty - they don't need it in their soap operas too.

Don't imagine it's all mundane TV storylines, however. Emmerdale will have a determined crack at any movie, usually missing the target but creating a skewed approximation with aplomb. They've paid homage to Ghost (a conversation between Marlon and his deceased wife Trisha on the village green), Thelma and Louise (pursued by the police, fugitive Cain drives his old banger off a cliff) and Double Indemnity (Steph, dressed to kill 1940s-style, gets her comeuppance after many a film noir plot twist). All accompanied by inappropriate music that keeps you looking for a rock band or concert pianist hidden behind a bush or phone box.

Emmerdale has always been the Cinderella of the soap world, turning into a pumpkin at midnight while big brothers EastEnders and Coronation Street waltz off with the glittering prizes at awards ceremonies. Poor old Cinders, one day her prince will come and reveal her to be the best soap opera of the bunch.

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