Episode 490 (3rd January 1979)

Episode 490
ITV broadcast date	3rd January 1979 (Wednesday)
Writer	Malcolm Lynch
Designer	Peter Caldwell
Director	Nick Gray
Executive producer	David Cunliffe
Producer	Michael Glynn
Navigation
Previous episode	14th December 1978
Next episode	9th January 1979

Plot

Matt phones the police when he gets up in the night and spots a removal van driving off from the farm, believing they were sheep rustling. The driver later skids on the ice in the van and crashes into a wall and is questioned by P.C. Edwards. Matt discovers no sheep have been stolen and the police are unable to do anything. Nellie is annoyed when two men come to measure up to fix the roof at Fell View Cottage for the new occupier, after she's been waiting to have it fixed for years. Steve tells Donald that he's spoken to the manager at NY Estates and threatened to leave his job. Nellie feels guilty when she discovers Steve is threatening to leave his job over her eviction. Steve informs Donald that NY Estates have agreed Nellie can stay at the cottage and they'll fix him and his family up with a modern caravan until they get him something more permanent in the new year. The Women's Institute Christmas Fayre gets underway at the Village Hall. Sam is concerned when Nellie is missing and finds her in the church. He passes the news on that she can stay at the cottage to a delighted Nellie. Annie's amused when Dolly wins the best cheese contest and she fails to come runner-up despite them making exactly the same cheese.

Cast

Regular cast

• Annie - Sheila Mercier
• Sam - Toke Townley
• Matt - Frederick Pyne
• Dolly - Katharine Barker
• Wilks - Arthur Pentelow
• Amos - Ronald Magill
• Rev. Donald Hinton - Hugh Manning

Guest cast

• Steve - David Griffin
• Nellie - Gabrielle Blunt
• Naomi - Pat Beckett

Locations

• Main Street
• The Woolpack - Public bar and front exterior
• Village Hall - Interior and exterior
• Beckindale Vicarage - Hallway and lounge
• St. Mary's Church - Interior
• Cemetery
• Fell View Cottage - Living room and yard
• Emmerdale Farm - Farmhouse kitchen/living room and yard

Notes

• A strike at Yorkshire Television over productivity which began on 18th December 1978 (some sources state 17th December) was not called off until Wednesday 3rd January 1979 with transmissions resuming at 5.45pm. This episode was one of three episodes which were intended for broadcast in December 1978. On the same day the strike ended, Yorkshire Television quickly set to work to get the programme back on the air and the outstanding episodes broadcast before the schedule resumed as normal on 16th January 1979.