The first episode of Emmerdale, originally called Emmerdale Farm, aired on Monday October 16 1972 at 1.30pm with a theme tune composed by Tony Hatch and a simple white logo.
The ITV soap opera was the brainchild of screenwriter Kevin Laffan and based on the lives of the Sugdens – a farming family from a fictional Yorkshire village called Beckindale.
Modern day Emmerdale fans are used to getting their daily evening fix of the Dales. But viewers back then had to make do with only two episodes per week.
Emmerdale Farm was intended to be a cosy lunchtime drama and was broadcast in the afternoons, typically on Mondays and Tuesdays.
But five years in, the decision was made by ITV to move the show away from daytime and into the early evening programming slot, where it remains to this day.
The original Emmerdale theme tune
The original theme tune for Emmerdale Farm was created by renowned composer Tony Hatch. Known for his work across musical theatre and television, Hatch also wrote the theme music for Crossroads and Neighbours.
When Emmerdale debuted in 1972, a longer version of Hatch’s tune was used to open the first episodes.
For the first five episodes the intro would be played well into the first scene. It then only faded as the first line of dialogue was spoken by a character.
This only lasted for five episodes and by November 1972, Emmerdale permanently switched to a shorter version of the titles.
The original composition had a very distinctive, nostalgic quality and was performed on an oboe with accompaniment from piano and strings.
The original opening titles
Emmerdale Farm’s first set of titles, which aired in 1972, gave viewers a taste of what life in the Dales was like.
It opened with a moving camera panning over the lush green fields of Yorkshire before slowly zooming into Arncliffe, a real-life village that was used to portray the fictional Beckindale.
As the village came into focus, the words Emmerdale Farm appear on the screen in simple white text.
The text was switched to a pale yellow after the first few episodes.
There is also a shot of Emmerdale’s farmhouse, which was home to the Sugdens, who were central to the soap.
So that’s the original titles and logo, let’s have a look at the others in the show’s history…
1974 sequence and credits
Debuting in episode 151, the second title sequence was very similar to the original – with swooping aerial shots of the Yorkshire Dales.
The title music also remained the same, but the font of the Emmerdale Farm logo was changed to vibrant yellow, which popped against the background.
The style of the font was also made bolder.
1975 sequence and credits
A new version of the opening credits debuted in episode 261. This then remained for 14 years, making it the longest-serving title sequence to date.
These titles are often referred to as the Sunset titles, as the sequence shows the sun gradually going down over the village.
The farmhouse is still present in the sequence, and for the first time animals are featured – including a flock of sheep and baby calf feeding from its mother.
And it’s out with the yellow lettering of Emmerdale Farm and in with a slimmer, white italic font, which remains largely unchanged for the next two decades.
Emmerdale: The 1989 them tune, sequence and credits
In 1989, the show’s titles received a big revamp when the programme dropped the Farm part in its name.
The white italic font remained on the logo, as did Tony Hatch’s theme tune. But there was a definite new look to the titles.
In a change from what had gone before, it focused on shots of people enjoying various countryside activities.
Someone is seen hang-gliding over the Dales, and another is riding a horse outside Home Farm.
There’s also an appearance from a Land Rover, a vehicle which has become somewhat synonymous with Emmerdale’s opening credits.
Emmerdale 1992: Theme tune change and new credits
After 20 years of using Tony Hatch’s original theme tune music, Emmerdale brought in a new, more upbeat version of the tune played on the piano.
Shots of the Yorkshire countryside remained and were superimposed with footage of non-characters representing themes in the show.
These included a couple in bed together, someone climbing and a man holding his head in despair.
The colour of the text in Emmerdale’s logo was changed to pale yellow again.
Unlike the previous introductions, the 1992 sequence did not include a shot of the farmhouse. It ended with a view of The Woolpack.
This was a deliberate move to highlight the shift in focus from farming to village life. However, this sequence clearly wasn’t a popular one and only lasted 15 months before being updated.
1993 sequence and credits
This was something of a mash-up between the 1989 and 1992 titles, with a few new shots of the Yorkshire Dales added in.
This particular sequence was only on-screen for a year.
1994 sequence and credits
Debuting in December 1994, the updated titles predominantly featured scenes of rural life.
These included shots of horse riding, rock climbing, someone on a hang glider, a mountain biker and even a helicopter flying over the Yorkshire hills.
The final shot was of a doctor’s car (a Land Rover, naturally) driving through a village.
The title Emmerdale returned to a white font and appeared on the bottom of the last shot.
1998 sequence and credits
In 1998 came the arrival of a new sequence with a grand orchestral sounding theme tune. The opening titles were replaced with another montage. This featured helicopter shots of the moors and surrounding farming areas.
Superimposed over the top of this scenic footage were clips of actors (non-members of the Emmerdale cast) performing various emotions seen on a soap – anger, lust, jubilation, love.
These credits had better staying power and remained for seven years.
2005 sequence and credits
Keeping with the 1998 music, the opening titles were changed to a slightly slower helicopter montage.
The sequence went back to basics. It removed the actors and gave viewers shots of the fan’s beloved village.
The Emmerdale credit was in white font and underlined, as was introduced in the 1998 sequence.
2011 Emmerdale theme tune, sequence and credits
The current Emmerdale opening credits at first aired on May 30 2011.
It was decided to give the titles a complete revamp and move away from the helicopter shots that had been used since 1998.
The theme tune was re-recorded, but using a synthesizer instead of live instruments.
For the first time in the show’s history the opening sequence took viewers on a journey around some of Emmerdale’s most iconic interiors – from the hallway at Home Farm, to the Dingles’ front room and the Woolpack bar.
The titles finish with a CGI image of the village and also the show’s logo. This is now a black rectangle with Emmerdale centered in a contemporary bold text.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.