Emmerdale fans should be braced for an emotionally fraught festive season rather than one that concentrates on stunts and grand spectacle.
Said series producer Kate Oates: "It's going to be a very emotional Christmas. There won't be whistles and bangs. It will all be very heartfelt.
"I think that's right for us because we've had such a stunt-led summer and it's good to bring it down to grassroots."
A high-profile summer storyline on the ITV soap saw a helicopter crash onto the village, while viewers are currently trying to guess which villager shot Robert Sugden.
Oates, who is set to leave Emmerdale at the end of 2015 before taking over producer duties at Coronation Street, said of her future plans:
"I'm here until Christmas and my storylines will be playing out into the New Year. This is my focus. I love Emmerdale dearly and the people who work on it are my friends.
"We have all made this show together and we all invest all we can into it, so I'm not even thinking about my next move until after the new year."
Since taking over at Emmerdale in 2013, Oates has been responsible for such plotlines as the siege and flood at the Woolpack, as well as Alicia's sexual assault, Robert's affair with Aaron, and Donna's reintroduction and death.
Discussing the handover to incoming Emmerdale boss Iain MacLeod (currently series producer at Hollyoaks), Oates added: "I'm looking forward to crafting the stories I've got and hopefully leaving the show in good shape for the next guy."
You can watch a 60-second rundown of next week's episodes of Emmerdale below.
And visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers
