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Emmerdale celebrates anniversary with chance for fans to relive the soap's first episode – here's how you can watch

Back to the early days.

Annie Sugden, arms crossed, stood outside of the original Emmerdale Farmhouse in 1972

TV Times/Getty Images

Published: Friday, 16 October 2026 at 10:36 am

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54 years ago today, at 1:30pm, the very first episode of Emmerdale Farm was broadcast.

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An awful lot has changed since then. The original series – which followed the Sugden family on their farm near the sleepy Yorkshire village of Beckindale – originally aired in a daytime slot.

It was filmed mostly at Lindley Farm in Leathley, with village scenes shot in Arncliffe, Littondale. Four years later, Esholt near Bradford was used to represent the settlement, and since 1998, a purpose-built set on the grounds of Harewood House have been used.

It wasn't fully networked across the ITV regions, and wouldn't air in primetime for the first time until 1978. The soap also took regular seasonal breaks, meaning that only 38 episodes aired in 1976, and it was off air from May until the following January.

The Emmerdale that we know today arrived in 1989, when "Farm" was dropped from the title and the Tate family moved into Home Farm. Up to 300 instalments are now broadcast per year, airing 5 times a week.

Jack Sugden outside of The Woolpack in 1972

The first episode centres on Jack Sugden's (Andrew Burt) return to the village. TV Times/Getty Images

Earlier this year, Emmerdale Farm was reintroduced to the show, with Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) reclaiming his family's original land and renaming the Butler's Farm homestead.

The show is celebrating the anniversary on social media today (16 October), writing: "Happy birthday to us! 54 years of Emmerdale."

They've also marked two major cast anniversaries; 40 years of Chris Chittell as Eric Pollard, and 30 years of Mark Charnock as Marlon Dingle.

Stone sign reading "Emmerdale Farm"

The Emmerdale Farm moniker was recently revived by Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley). ITV

A clip was also shared, showing Jack Sugden (originally played by Andrew Burt) clashing with Marian Wilks (Gail Harrison), who's father Henry (Arthur Pentelow) has recently purchased Inglebrook, a manor house on the edge of Emmerdale Farm's land.

He accuses Mr Wilks of deliberately killing fish, and she storms off with her mate Alec (Alan Tucker). Woolpack landlord Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) finds much hilarity in the situation.

What happens in the first episode of Emmerdale Farm?

It's a sad day as the Sugden and Skilbeck clans gather for the funeral of patriarch Jacob Sugden. As the funeral cortege move towards Beckindale, prodigal son Jack watches from afar having returned from London after eight years.

He's discovered that the farm has been left to him, which hasn't been well received by his siblings Joe Sugden (Frazer Hines) and Peggy Skilbeck (Jo Kendall).

Joe, Matt, Annie, Jack, Peggy and Sam mourn Jacob Sugden in the first episode of Emmerdale Farm.

The Sugden and Skilbeck clan gather to mourn Jacob Sugden. ITV

While the ceremony is taking place, Jack meets Marian, and he later arrives at the farmhouse to receive a frosty reception from his sister. Matriarch Annie (Shelia Mercier) asserts that he's welcome to stay, on the condition that he helps out with their agricultural venture.

Marian and Joe clash over Henry's purchase of Inglebrook, and later come head to head again in The Woolpack. Henry visits Annie to try and claim right of way over her land, saying that the main entrance is on the corner and that a safer route would be through Emmerdale's fields.

Jacob Sugden's headstone on the Emmerdale set

Jacob Sugden is still remembered on the current, purpose-built Emmerdale set. Michael Adams

Annie is furious and refuses to move her machinery, though he insists that the law is in his favour and he'll be chasing her about the matter again.

Where can the first episode of Emmerdale Farm be watched?

To celebrate the anniversary, the very first episode has been added to Emmerdale's YouTube channel.

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If you usually watch the soap on ITVX, you can also find it listed under 'series 1' on the Classic Emmerdale page.

Read more:

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.

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Authors

Michael Adams wearing a white t-shirt and beige gilet against a white background

Michael AdamsSoaps Editor

Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

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