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For a soap that's meant to be rural, is ED actually 'rural' enough?


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Old 31-08-2014, 00:27
iMatt_101
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I'd call myself an on-off ED viewer. It's the one soap I can never fully get in to, and I think the title has a lot to do with it.

When I hear 'rural' soap, I'd expect an actual old rural/countryside feel to the show. Warmth, a bit more innocence and focus on the community. When I watch ED I don't get that at all.

I find the show to be quite grey, dreary and flat whenever I watch it. It certainly doesn't feel like I'm watching a show set in the rural English countryside. A lot of the characters don't come across like people from a nice country village, more like a council estate for some of them.

It seems to lack the characteristics it's supposed I have which is a huge turn off in soap for me. Actually that's why I don't watch HO as much anymore, it no longer sticks to its theme either.
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Old 31-08-2014, 00:46
wavlovr
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I live in a rural area...far more rural than the village where some of the houses are quite close together compared to where I live.
My part of the country is so rural than it took over 5 years to get broadband up here. In fact we had to wait nearly a month to get the broadband company to install new cable lines that were over 20 years old!
And my steet although 4 miles long is only one lane!
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Old 31-08-2014, 00:52
Danny_Francis
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Not so much these days, sadly there isn't much of a rural element to the show anymore. It was a part of ED's USP, otherwise you have an EE or Corrie type show but just set in West Yorkshire...
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Old 31-08-2014, 07:32
Janet Plank
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I'd call myself an on-off ED viewer. It's the one soap I can never fully get in to, and I think the title has a lot to do with it.

When I hear 'rural' soap, I'd expect an actual old rural/countryside feel to the show. Warmth, a bit more innocence and focus on the community. When I watch ED I don't get that at all.

I find the show to be quite grey, dreary and flat whenever I watch it. It certainly doesn't feel like I'm watching a show set in the rural English countryside. A lot of the characters don't come across like people from a nice country village, more like a council estate for some of them.

It seems to lack the characteristics it's supposed I have which is a huge turn off in soap for me. Actually that's why I don't watch HO as much anymore, it no longer sticks to its theme either.
Like you, I am an on-off Emmerdale (a rural soap) viewer,and off at present. Sex, violence, thieving, lying......it is unremitting, a poor copy of Eastenders. The show needs a new producer to bring it back to its roots.
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Old 31-08-2014, 07:49
iMatt_101
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Like you, I am an on-off Emmerdale (a rural soap) viewer,and off at present. Sex, violence, thieving, lying......it is unremitting, a poor copy of Eastenders. The show needs a new producer to bring it back to its roots.
It doesn't even look rural
The houses and stuff...they don't look like old country houses

The pub looks like a city pub, not a country pub
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Old 31-08-2014, 09:26
Wyezed
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Who remembers, in the dim and distant past, the fetes, pantos, cricket matches, karaoke nights and other theme nights in the Woolpack and all the community activities they used to have?
And the poacher hunts?
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Old 31-08-2014, 10:22
cyrilandshirley
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Think it depends what you mean by rural! I grew up in a village, and sometimes it was idyllic, but looking back, there was also poverty, unemployment, inequality, vandalism, drug dependency, depression, teen pregnancy and worse.

Also, the countryside has changed. Hate to get depressing, but it's basically full of rich townies amusing themselves while local people can't find jobs or places to live, and the schools, shops, pubs and bus services have mostly disappeared. Don't think that would make a very jolly programme either.

Having said that, I do think they should make more of the farm and the setting. I cheer every time the chickens have a walk-on part. No other soap has chickens. Suck that up, Eastenders.
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Old 31-08-2014, 10:33
soap-lea
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It doesn't even look rural
The houses and stuff...they don't look like old country houses

The pub looks like a city pub, not a country pub
Having been in many a yorkshire pub, city and country, the woolpack is deffo a country pub.

you do see lots of community activities most the villagers attend weddings and funerals. they all turned out for the sky dive and balloon release.

being that the location is a real village in west yorkshire I don't know how it can't look rural. I agree that in the olden days that villages would be made up of those who had lived there for many years (edna/betty etc) and ruch folk wanting to escape the city life but still commute.

unfortunately nowadays local councils have to provide housing in these areas and with a lot of people having to rent via private landlords you do end up with a lot of folk like dan & ali but they bring a bit of diversity.
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Old 31-08-2014, 10:34
thejoyof_pat
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Matt no offense but its a soap, just like Eastenders and Corrie, it's not suppose to be a visit Yorkshire advert. The setting is such a small part of the show.
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Old 31-08-2014, 10:52
Oldnjaded
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Think it depends what you mean by rural! I grew up in a village, and sometimes it was idyllic, but looking back, there was also poverty, unemployment, inequality, vandalism, drug dependency, depression, teen pregnancy and worse.

Also, the countryside has changed. Hate to get depressing, but it's basically full of rich townies amusing themselves while local people can't find jobs or places to live, and the schools, shops, pubs and bus services have mostly disappeared. Don't think that would make a very jolly programme either.

Having said that, I do think they should make more of the farm and the setting. I cheer every time the chickens have a walk-on part. No other soap has chickens. Suck that up, Eastenders.
BiB : ROFL!

You're right though - a lot of people seem to see 'country life' through glasses so rose-tinted they're opaque. They should have a listen to Show of Hands singing Country Life for a more realistic view, ('one man's family pays the price, for another man's vision of country life').
To me it's in a beautiful rural setting, but it doesn't set out to be another Heartbeat or The Archers. Like JoP says, it's really not about the setting anyway. And we do see the occasional chicken and pig extras and I swear I even once saw a cow! How much more rural do people want?
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Old 31-08-2014, 10:56
Jayma
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It's about time we saw James with his arm up a cow's backside. The less we see of him the better...
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Old 31-08-2014, 12:10
Wyezed
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Having been in many a yorkshire pub, city and country, the woolpack is deffo a country pub.

you do see lots of community activities most the villagers attend weddings and funerals. they all turned out for the sky dive and balloon release.

being that the location is a real village in west yorkshire I don't know how it can't look rural. I agree that in the olden days that villages would be made up of those who had lived there for many years (edna/betty etc) and ruch folk wanting to escape the city life but still commute.

unfortunately nowadays local councils have to provide housing in these areas and with a lot of people having to rent via private landlords you do end up with a lot of folk like dan & ali but they bring a bit of diversity.
Er, It's a purpose built closed set on the Harewood Estate.
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Old 31-08-2014, 12:20
TellMeMore
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The setting is such a small part of the show.
Kate Oates previously described the setting as the show's USP. It is undoubtedly a HUGE part of the show.
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Old 31-08-2014, 12:21
Oldnjaded
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It's about time we saw James with his arm up a cow's backside. The less we see of him the better...
It's lucky Moron isn't the vet. If he stuck his arm up a cow's backside he'd end up patting it on the nose, from the inside.
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Old 31-08-2014, 12:39
J-B
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I won't be satisfied until it's completely 100% rural, none of this modern day urban nonsense. When I take over as EP there will be some serious changes to make - you can say goodbye to civilisation entirely.

Grid electricity and cars are out, instead the residents will live off the land and never leave. Power for the single village television will be derived from wind power, via Marlon's flailing arms. The sweet factory will be turned into a milking shed for Moira's cows. Debbie's garage will change business strategy and re-focus on shoeing horses. I'm not too keen on running water either, seems far too namby pamby cityfolk for rural Emmerdale - no, water will be sourced from the stream.

I'm not even sure how we'll power the cameras. Perhaps we'll just carve the script into rocks and send them by carrier pigeons to all the viewers instead.
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Old 31-08-2014, 12:40
Sunny B
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It's about time we saw James with his arm up a cow's backside. The less we see of him the better...
He does this every night with Chas though?!
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Old 31-08-2014, 12:49
dd68
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You get the feeling the community is a rural one, albeit with a lot going on
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Old 31-08-2014, 13:04
J-B
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He does this every night with Chas though?!
What was that award you won, I forget... biggest prude or something?
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Old 31-08-2014, 13:05
Oldnjaded
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I won't be satisfied until it's completely 100% rural, none of this modern day urban nonsense. When I take over as EP there will be some serious changes to make - you can say goodbye to civilisation entirely.

Grid electricity and cars are out, instead the residents will live off the land and never leave. Power for the single village television will be derived from wind power, via Marlon's flailing arms. The sweet factory will be turned into a milking shed for Moira's cows. Debbie's garage will change business strategy and re-focus on shoeing horses. I'm not too keen on running water either, seems far too namby pamby cityfolk for rural Emmerdale - no, water will be sourced from the stream.

I'm not even sure how we'll power the cameras. Perhaps we'll just carve the script into rocks and send them by carrier pigeons to all the viewers instead.
I think you're onto something here J-B. Obviously the actors will all have to dress accordingly. So Fabulous Charity will be dressed as Raquel Welch in One Million Years BC - it's always best to keep Sulla happy - and Cain will just play himself, dressed in a very skimpy loincloth, dragging her around by her hair all day.

*faints*

Paddy the Fat Egg and Moron can play rampaging dinosaurs.
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Old 31-08-2014, 13:15
starry_rune
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Its North England not the Hebrides. I like that it has a town nearby but its not right beside it. They have the farms, the normal houses and the big house so there is a mix of classes. Depending on what producer they have they can focus on the farms (andy rolling in the hay with jo) or the small village aspect, or the big house (Patsy Kensit) etc.
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Old 31-08-2014, 13:33
Harlowe
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It was the most 'rural' back in the nineties.

It needs a new family at home farm, something as big since the Tates or even better get Kim Tate back, The Maceys are crap.
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Old 31-08-2014, 14:39
soap-lea
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Er, It's a purpose built closed set on the Harewood Estate.
that is a replica of the village they used to shoot at
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Old 31-08-2014, 15:17
lady_xanax
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Think it depends what you mean by rural! I grew up in a village, and sometimes it was idyllic, but looking back, there was also poverty, unemployment, inequality, vandalism, drug dependency, depression, teen pregnancy and worse.

Also, the countryside has changed. Hate to get depressing, but it's basically full of rich townies amusing themselves while local people can't find jobs or places to live, and the schools, shops, pubs and bus services have mostly disappeared. Don't think that would make a very jolly programme either.
This, basically. There's no prospect of career advancement, unless you move out but it's hard to do that if you're born and bred in idyllic countryside; far away from a city; relatively poor because there's no industry. And the bus services have stopped, further trapping the locals.
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Old 31-08-2014, 15:45
iMatt_101
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Matt no offense but its a soap, just like Eastenders and Corrie, it's not suppose to be a visit Yorkshire advert. The setting is such a small part of the show.
But it's not though given that the whole rural side is the actual theme of Emmerdale?
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Old 31-08-2014, 15:47
lou_123
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I'd call myself an on-off ED viewer. It's the one soap I can never fully get in to, and I think the title has a lot to do with it.

When I hear 'rural' soap, I'd expect an actual old rural/countryside feel to the show. Warmth, a bit more innocence and focus on the community. When I watch ED I don't get that at all.

I find the show to be quite grey, dreary and flat whenever I watch it. It certainly doesn't feel like I'm watching a show set in the rural English countryside. A lot of the characters don't come across like people from a nice country village, more like a council estate for some of them.

It seems to lack the characteristics it's supposed I have which is a huge turn off in soap for me. Actually that's why I don't watch HO as much anymore, it no longer sticks to its theme either.
Tbf emmerdale only gets good at certain points, it seriously lacks consistency! Emmerdales just been dreadful this year, august was a much better month however! It is a very unrealistic soap now though, it's nothing like it used to be!
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