A series of special TV shows will look back on the murders, affairs and dramatic storylines that have kept Emmerdale viewers hooked for 40 years.
Emmerdale At 40, which forms part of the soap’s birthday celebrations along with a special live episode, will be narrated by Gaynor Faye and starts on ITV1 on October 15.
The show runs over five days, with each 30-minute installment examining a different area of Emmerdale’s history, from affairs and crimes to weddings and The Woolpack.
There will also be an episode called The Headline Makers, which looks back on major storylines including the Christmas Day murder of Tom King in 2006 and Laurel and Ashley’s cot death tragedy in 2008.
The latter was one of the most critically-acclaimed plots in Emmerdale’s history, with cast members Charlotte Bellamy and John Middleton winning awards for their heartbreaking performances.
John, who plays Ashley, tells the programme: “Charlotte was absolutely extraordinary that day. It was a performance I have never seen from anybody.
“I’ve never been in a story that had such a tremendous response from the public.”
A host of Emmerdale stars past and present will be reliving their unforgettable storylines as part of the series, which also includes a look back at the classic moments and behind-the-scenes footage.
Departed cast members set to appear in the programme include Sheree Murphy (Tricia Dingle), Deena Payne (Viv Hope), Claire King (Kim Tate), Leah Bracknell (Zoe Tate) and Danny Miller (Aaron Livesy).
The weddings episode includes a look at Charity’s five weddings, while the crimes include Cain Dingle’s kidnap of Tom and Sadie King in 2006.
The affairs will feature the love triangle between brothers Andy and Robert Sugden and Andy’s wife Katie, while The Woolpack episode will relive the famous storm which killed Tricia Dingle in 2004.
Comments