Dales chief pledges bright show future

Emmerdale boss Gavin Blyth has explained his ongoing revamp plans to drive the Yorkshire soap back to its best and has urged viewers to "stick with it" as changes are afoot.

Blyth, a former assistant producer at Coronation Street, joined the ranks of Emmerdale as series producer in January following the abrupt departure of his predecessor Anita Turner.

Since taking the helm, he has made a number of changes to both the cast and production teams in the hope of once again serving "talked-about TV" to the great British public.

Blyth's castings have included James Sutton as Ryan Lamb, his screen mother Kim Thomson (Faye Lamb), UK soap's first blind actress Kitty McGeever (Lizzie Lakely) and entirely new and modern five-part farming family, the Bartons. He has also secured the as-yet-unseen return of Emma Atkins as Charity Tate.

Departures over the next few months, however, will include Tony Haygarth (Micky Naylor), Lewis Linford (Lee Naylor), James Baxter (Jake Doland) and Anne Charleston (Lily Butterfield).

Speaking exclusively to DS about the reinvention process, Blyth said: "There are so many things that need to be finessed at the same time… it all needs to work as one. It's an ongoing process, baby steps. The change is happening on screen already. It's about patience, though. It's looking good and I'd say to those watching it to stick with it."

He continued: "If I landed here with the biggest and most dramatic episode possible with nothing on the other side of it for the audience to carry on enjoying, it'd be futile. It's a slow-burn process, but it's coming.

"I really wanted to share my ambitions for the show and get the show back up there where it belongs with great scripts, great performances and great stories," he explained. "I really want everyone to be proud of what we're doing and make it talked-about TV again. It's had some great moments in its history and we need to ensure we continue to have them in the future."

Of the lengthy process, he pointed out: "Everything can’t be done overnight because it has to have longevity, so whatever we create for today has to be as relevant tomorrow. There's not a quick fix, we have to approach it carefully and always respect its history to move forward."

He added: "Something I wanted to achieve was to take one step back and survey the show, because when Emmerdale's good, it's fantastic."

> Click here to read our recent interview with Gavin Blyth