Producer's Perspective 2009: Gavin Blyth

Since taking the helm in January, Emmerdale series producer Gavin Blyth has commandeered the Yorkshire serial and injected a new lease of life into the once-ailing soap, with a mix of new characters, classic returnees and investable storylines. By his own admission, Emmerdale's still a work in progress and having established his two new families - the Sharmas and the Bartons - Gavin hopes to build on the footings he's already established and take them to the next level, hand in hand with the rest of the character base. Here, DS chats to Gavin about his take on the last 12 months, discover his visions for 2010 and more.

How's the last year been for you?
"It's been manic! I've not had a lot of sleep but it's been worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyable. It's been a big challenge and I've not been afraid of change where I've thought it's been needed - from the tone of a story of bringing in new families. I've been as brave as I stated I would be from the outset. The change is still in progress - and it almost always is in soap to a degree - in terms of my aims and aspirations. It has to be gradual, though, otherwise it'll jar with some viewers. It's been such a great year and the biggest thrill has been the feedback from the audience. It's been everything we'd hoped. But we're only as good as our next story and next casting."

Can you believe it's the same show as when you joined?
"Obviously I can believe it because it is, but I'm thrilled that the changes have been wholly embraced. It means a lot, not only to myself - but to the cast and production team - to have the audience truly enjoying the show. The great thing for me has been the patience and fantastic support that the audience and fans have shown. It means a lot."

What's your next move?
"What we need to do now is solidify what we've got. I brought two biggish families - the Bartons and the Sharmas - so I'm looking to let them settle, likewise with a couple of other characters like Ryan. He's been at the fore a little, but he's not yet truly come into his own. I want to build on the foundations that we've established with those characters - they need to earn their place in the show. You need to care about characters before you care about what happens to them. There's a sense of community about the show again and now we've established those friendships and relationships, it's developing them into stories going into 2010."

What are your thoughts on the increase in ratings?
"The ratings are in great shape and autumn has seen us more than 1% up on the same time last year, so that's no mean achievement. I'm thrilled that we're topping 7m on a regular basis now. I don't know what more I could have expected within the year as when I came on board, that's what I wanted to do. Collectively, to have achieved that turnaround - in a relatively short space of time - it's fantastic. It would be great to maintain that and continue to build on the level we're currently at."

How do you feel about Bryan Kirkwood having joined EastEnders?
"I was thrilled when I heard. I worked with Bryan a long time ago on Coronation Street, so I'm a good friend of his. He'd been in touch saying how good he thought Emmerdale had been, too. There's a genuine mutual respect there. He did so well with Hollyoaks and I always thought that EastEnders would be a move he'd make at some point, so I'm made up for him."

If you had to choose one, what's been your favourite storyline of the year?
"I hate this question! At the time, you love each one until the next one comes along! I've loved the Sally/Laurel/Ashley story. It's a proper soap thriller with a bunny boiler-esque character who's there to rock the world of characters who the audience know and love. On the complete other end of the scale, I've loved the family drama we got out of the Lexi/Carl/Jimmy/Nicola baby story. They played the intricate twists and turns fantastically and it all lead to the 23-minute real-time episode on the hospital roof."

Which single episode stands out for you?
"It has to be the rooftop episode with the five characters - Lexi, Carl, Nicola, Jimmy and Scarlett. It was such a powerful script that was well directed. It was a warm episode - and funny at times - and was everything a soap should be. As much as the temptation was there to push Lexi 200ft off the side of the building, the fact that we allowed her to retain her dignity paid off for the months of story that we played beforehand."

What's been your proudest moment this year?
"I think the moment I got sat in my office! Since then… there's been so many highs... getting the overnights through and seeing how the episodes on Thursdays [have performed] - that's been so rewarding. The consistency has made me proud, too - even those eps where it's not all about high drama. We've definitely raised the bar in terms of our consistency."

Have there been any storylines from the other soaps that you've envied?
"I don't tend to 'look over the neighbour's fence' to see what they're doing! EastEnders' bipolar storyline has been done fantastically well, though. Any time a soap tackles an issue-led story but retains the truth of a character and story, you have to take your hat off to them."

Is there anything that didn't quite work out as you'd expected?
"I'd be lying if I said nothing because invariably across the year, you look back with hindsight and question things. If anything - and this is with complete hindsight - had we known how quickly our new families would be accepted by the audience, we could have perhaps given them slightly bigger storylines slightly earlier. You always look back and ask 'what if?' but I made the decision from the outset that I wanted to allow the audience to warm to them before we did it. It's cart and horse, really. You have to make a decision at the time, but with hindsight, I would have probably played it a little differently. But the stories are there and coming to put them at the centre of the show in 2010."

Do you regret anyone leaving at the time?
"It was beyond my control - because I came in when some decisions had been made - but I regret that Jenna-Louise Coleman, who played Jasmine, had decided to leave by the time I arrived as I really like her as a character and actress. It was a foregone conclusion by that point, though, so I couldn't undo that one. Then obviously Sally Oliver's departure was in the works as she'd chosen to move on. The story wasn't there by that point, though. The one thing that we managed to achieve in the last three to five months of Sally's time with the show, was that the audience started to understand who Lexi was - and who would have thought that four months earlier?! Had Sally stayed when Lexi was becoming the most interesting she'd ever been, that would have been great."

Are you happy that the younger villagers have been realigned in the show?
"Everyone has their own take on what 'younger' is - younger for me are the likes of Cain, Charity, David and Leyla. I certainly think we have more a mix of characters leading stories. The long-standing, older characters are at the heart of the show, but you need a balance. We have interests in all quarters now, so that's another rewarding element. Six months ago, you probably wouldn't have imagined Leyla driving a story alongside Nathan."

Does it annoy you that Emmerdale is overlooked by the soap magazines?
"We do get good publicity but obviously it can be frustrating not to get more. But to a degree, I do understand why. The magazines are commercial publications and they have to make commercial decisions. Of course it's frustrating, but I absolutely understand. I'd love for our cast to get the publicity that I think they deserve and I'd love it for them to get a handful more awards. In this industry, though, you hopefully get what you deserve and if something doesn't quite work, you have to ask questions. Unfortunately, Emmerdale's something of a bridesmaid to the two soaps that are perceived to be 'bigger' and it doesn't always, in my mind and in all fairness, get the recognition that it deserves. It'd be great for the show and its standing to get more awards and covers because we're modern and contemporary now in terms of characters and storytelling."

> Click here to read Gavin's Emmerdale teasers for 2010 in Soap Scoop