Emmerdale Farm in 1974

Title caption until April

Title caption from April

1974 was Emmerdale Farm's 3rd year. Production was overseen by Robert D. Cardona.

99 episodes were broadcast this year. Major storylines included the mysterious arrival and six months later, the equally mysterious disappearance of Dryden Hogben, Joe Sugden's doomed marriage to Milk Marketing Board worker Christine Sharp, Alison Gibbons finding herself being the subject of Henry Wilks and Matt Skilbeck's affections, Ethel Ainsworth's unwelcome advances on Amos Brearly and the further developments of The Woolpack Hotel following the partnership formation between Henry Wilks and Amos Brearly.

Production

Cast group photo in Arncliffe.

At the beginning of the year, a small storyline involving Ruth Merrick going through a rough patch in her marriage with Tom Merrick saw Lynn Dalby return to the role for a few episodes. This was the first appearance of the character since November 1972 and the next time she would appear in 1980, Ruth went by a different name and was portrayed by a different actress.

Eric Allan and Diane Grayson left their roles as Frank Blakey and Janie Blakey respectively early in the year after their characters decided to move to Essex where Frank found himself a teaching job. Janie would return over 12 years later, then played by a different actress. 

Carolyn Moody left the programme after nearly eighteen months of playing Alison Gibbons in September. That month also saw the final appearance of Patrick Holt as George Verney. Gail Harrison returned as Marian Wilks in December, last being seen almost two years previously and Diana Davies appeared in four episodes as housewife Letty Brewer. She would later return to the series ten years later as long-running character Caroline Bates.

Behind the scenes, the opening titles were updated for the first time in the programme's history as of Episode 151 (8th April 1974).

Episodes

#	Ep. No.	Date	Writer	Director	Viewing Figures (homes/ viewers)	Chart Position
1	124	Tuesday 1st January	Gloria Tors	David Green	n/k	n/k
2	125	Monday 7th January	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
3	126	Tuesday 8th January	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
4	127	Monday 14th January	Neville Siggs	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
5	128	Tuesday 15th January	Neville Siggs	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
6	129	Monday 21st January	Neville Siggs	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
7	130	Tuesday 22nd January	Neville Siggs	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
8	131	Monday 28th January	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
9	132	Tuesday 29th January	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
10	133	Monday 4th February	Kevin Laffan	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
11	134	Tuesday 5th February	Kevin Laffan	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
12	135	Monday 11th February	Kevin Laffan	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
13	136	Tuesday 12th February	Kevin Laffan	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
14	137	Monday 18th February	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
15	138	Tuesday 19th February	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
16	139	Monday 25th February	David Crane	David Green	n/k	n/k
17	140	Tuesday 26th February	David Crane	David Green	n/k	n/k
18	141	Monday 4th March	Anthony Couch	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
19	142	Tuesday 5th March	Anthony Couch	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
20	143	Monday 11th March	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
21	144	Tuesday 12th March	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
22	145	Monday 18th March	Neville Siggs	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
23	146	Tuesday 19th March	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
24	147	Monday 25th March	Neville Siggs	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
25	148	Tuesday 26th March	Neville Siggs	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
26	149	Monday 1st April	Neville Siggs	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
27	150	Tuesday 2nd April	Neville Siggs	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
28	151	Monday 8th April	Neville Siggs	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
29	152	Tuesday 9th April	Neville Siggs	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
30	153	Tuesday 16th April	David Crane	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
31	154	Monday 22nd April	David Crane	Bill Cole	n/k	n/k
32	155	Tuesday 23rd April	Gloria Tors	David Green	n/k	n/k
33	156	Monday 29th April	Gloria Tors	David Green	n/k	n/k
34	157	Tuesday 30th April	Gloria Tors	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
35	158	Monday 6th May	Gloria Tors	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
36	159	Tuesday 7th May	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
37	160	Monday 13th May	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
38	161	Tuesday 14th May	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
39	162	Monday 20th May	Kevin Laffan	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
40	163	Tuesday 21st May	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
41	164	Tuesday 28th May	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
42	165	Monday 3rd June	Kevin Laffan	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
43	166	Tuesday 4th June	Kevin Laffan	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
44	167	Monday 10th June	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
45	168	Tuesday 11th June	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
46	169	Monday 17th June	David Crane	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
47	170	Tuesday 18th June	David Crane	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
48	171	Monday 24th June	Anthony Couch	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
49	172	Tuesday 25th June	Anthony Couch	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
50	173	Monday 1st July	Anthony Couch	David Green	n/k	n/k
51	174	Tuesday 2nd July	Anthony Couch	David Green	n/k	n/k
52	175	Monday 8th July	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
53	176	Tuesday 9th July	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
54	177	Monday 15th July	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
55	178	Tuesday 16th July	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
56	179	Monday 22nd July	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
57	180	Tuesday 23rd July	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
58	181	Monday 29th July	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
59	182	Tuesday 30th July	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
60	183	Monday 5th August	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
61	184	Tuesday 6th August	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
62	185	Monday 12th August	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
63	186	Tuesday 13th August	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
64	187	Monday 19th August	Bob Stuart	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
65	188	Tuesday 20th August	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
66	189	Monday 2nd September	Anthony Couch	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
67	190	Tuesday 3rd September	Anthony Couch	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
68	191	Monday 9th September	Kevin Laffan	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
69	192	Tuesday 10th September	Kevin Laffan	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
70	193	Monday 16th September	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
71	194	Tuesday 17th September	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
72	195	Monday 23rd September	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
73	196	Tuesday 24th September	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
74	197	Monday 30th September	Bob Stuart	Unknown	n/k	n/k
75	198	Tuesday 1st October	Bob Stuart	Unknown	n/k	n/k
76	199	Monday 7th October	Gloria Tors	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
77	200	Tuesday 8th October	Gloria Tors	Robert D. Cardona	n/k	n/k
78	201	Monday 14th October	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
79	202	Tuesday 15th October	Kevin Laffan	David Green	n/k	n/k
80	203	Monday 21st October	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
81	204	Tuesday 22nd October	Anthony Couch	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
82	205	Monday 28th October	Neville Siggs	Brian Parker	n/k	n/k
83	206	Tuesday 29th October	Neville Siggs	Brian Parker	n/k	n/k
84	207	Monday 4th November	Bob Stuart	Hugh David	n/k	n/k
85	208	Tuesday 5th November	Bob Stuart	Hugh David	n/k	n/k
86	209	Monday 11th November	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
87	210	Tuesday 12th November	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
88	211	Monday 18th November	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
89	212	Tuesday 19th November	Kevin Laffan	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
90	213	Monday 25th November	Anthony Couch	David Green	n/k	n/k
91	214	Tuesday 26th November	Anthony Couch	David Green	n/k	n/k
92	215	Monday 2nd December	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
93	216	Tuesday 3rd December	Gloria Tors	David G. Reynolds	n/k	n/k
94	217	Monday 9th December	Neville Siggs	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
95	218	Tuesday 10th December	Neville Siggs	Michael Snow	n/k	n/k
96	219	Monday 16th December	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
97	220	Tuesday 17th December	Neville Siggs	David Green	n/k	n/k
98	221	Monday 30th December	Gloria Tors	David Reynolds	n/k	n/k
99	222	Tuesday 31st December	Gloria Tors	David Reynolds	n/k	n/k

Main Cast

Ranking	Character	Played by	Duration	Number of Episodes	Running total	Previous year's ranking
1	Henry Wilks	Arthur Pentelow	Full year	98	204	3
2	Amos Brearly	Ronald Magill	Full year	97	197	6
3	Annie Sugden	Sheila Mercier	Full year	95	210	2
3	Matt Skilbeck	Frederick Pyne	Full year	95	200	4
5	Joe Sugden	Frazer Hines	Full year	93	210	1
6	Sam Pearson	Toke Townley	Full year	86	188	5
7	Christine Sharp/Sugden	Angela Cheyne	Until November	62	68	16
8	Alison Gibbons	Carolyn Moody	Until September	57	112	8
9	Dryden Hogben	Roy Boyd	February to July	48	48	-
10	Edward Ruskin	George Little	January, April to October	38	90	11
11	Norah Norris	Barbara Ashcroft	From August	35	35	-
12	Liz Ruskin	Daphne Green	January, April to November	31	71	12
13	Kathy Davis	Polly Hemingway	October to December	13	13	-
14	James Bonfils	Tom Browne	November to December	12	12	-
15	Janie Blakey	Diane Grayson	Until January	7	68	9
15	Frank Blakey	Eric Allan	Until January	7	65	9
17	Ruth Merrick	Lynn Dalby	January only	6	12	-
18	George Verney	Patrick Holt	January and September	3	32	13
19	Marian Wilks	Gail Harrison	From December	1	27	16

Storylines

to be added

Who lives where

• The Woolpack - Amos Brearly and Henry Wilks.

• Crossthwaite's Cottage - Franklin and Diana Prescott (February to July).

• Doctor's Surgery - Clare Scott.

• The Mill - Unoccupied.

• Beckindale Shop - Alison Gibbons (until September). Norah Norris (September onwards).

• Beckindale Vicarage - Edward and Liz Ruskin.

• Beckindale Forge - Dryden Hogben (March to July).

• Smithy Cottage - Frank and Janie Blakey (until January).

• Hawthorn Cottage - Joe Sugden (September onwards). Christine Sugden (September to October).

• Emmerdale Farm - Annie Sugden, Matt Skilbeck and Sam Pearson. Joe Sugden (until September). Christine Sharp (February to September). James Bonfils (November onwards).

• Holly Farm - Jim, Freda and Davey Gimbel. Kathy Gimbel (October to December).

• Miffield Hall - George Verney (until September). 

Who works where

• The Woolpack - Amos Brearly and Henry Wilks.

• Village Store - Alison Gibbons (until September). Norah Norris (September onwards). Liz Ruskin (November onwards).

• Beckindale Forge - Frank Blakey (until January).

• Emmerdale Farm - Joe Sugden and Matt Skilbeck. Christine Sharp (February to September).

Awards and Nominations

to be added