Emmerdale

Soap

The residents of the small Yorkshire village of Emmerdale and its surrounding area deal with the highs and lows of day-to-day life.

Emmerdale's story mainly revolves around the Sugden family, who run Emmerdale farm, as they deal with the daily disputes and dramas that encompass rural British life. Emmerdale has seen its fair share of tragedies over the years, but this is always balanced by an easy-going pace and down-to-earth humour that separates it from the urban dramas of Coronation Street and Eastenders.

First aired on 16 October 1972 on ITV, Emmerdale is Britain's second-oldest and third most popular soap opera behind Coronation Street and Eastenders. It's won numerous awards over the years - including a BAFTA in 2001 - and its combination of realistic - and sometimes outrageous - storylines continues to draw viewers in by the millions.