The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the
British soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
Emmerdale'' in 1988, by order of first appearance.
Sarah Sugden
Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a piou ...
(originally played by
Madeleine Howard
Madeleine Howard (born 15 March 1951) is a British actress known for her role as Sarah Sugden, from 1988 to 1994 in the soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She has also appeared in other TV programs such as ''The Bill'', ''Holby City'', ''Doctors
Doct ...
) first appeared in April, with
Dennis Rigg (
Richard Franklin) debuting in July.
Kate Sugden
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera ''Emmerdale'' in 1988, by order of first appearance. Sarah Sugden (originally played by Madeleine Howard) first appeared in April, with Dennis Rigg ( Richard ...
(
Sally Knyvette
Sally Knyvette (; born 9 February 1951) is a British actress, theatre director and drama teacher.
Early life
Born Sally James in Horsham, Sussex, the daughter of a doctor, Knyvette lived in France and then Switzerland for nearly twelve years. S ...
), and is soon followed by her children,
Rachel (
Glenda McKay) and
Mark Hughes (Craig McKay). Additionally, multiple
other characters
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
appeared throughout the year.
Sarah Sugden
Denis Rigg
Denis Rigg, played by
Richard Franklin, appeared between 1988 and 1989. He cheats
Alan Turner (
Richard Thorp) into selling his share of Home Farm to him at a low price. Alan's business partner,
Joe Sugden (
Frazer Hines), is angry at this and promptly sells his share too. Denis goes on to terrorise the villagers by threatening to evict them all from their homes if they refuse to comply with his demands, since he owns the majority of the houses and farms in the area. Denis looks to Emmerdale Farm to expand his business, and this leads to a confrontation between him and Joe. In the barn, a bull gets aggravated by Denis' threatening and aggressive behaviour, and crushes him against a wall, killing him.
Kate Sugden
Kate Sugden (also Hughes), played by
Sally Knyvette
Sally Knyvette (; born 9 February 1951) is a British actress, theatre director and drama teacher.
Early life
Born Sally James in Horsham, Sussex, the daughter of a doctor, Knyvette lived in France and then Switzerland for nearly twelve years. S ...
, made her first appearance on 24 August 1988. The character was introduced by new series producer Stuart Doughty, who wanted the serial to feel more up to date.
[ Parkin 2002, p.73.] Divorcée Kate and her teenage children were considered "outsiders" and not used to country life, which challenged the Sugden's way of life.
Kate arrives in the village with her two children
Rachel Hughes (
Glenda McKay) and
Mark Hughes (
Craig McKay) following her divorce from
David Hughes David Hughes may refer to:
Arts
*Dave Hughes (born 1970), Australian comedian
*Dave Hughes (producer), American television producer and editor
*David Hughes (illustrator), British illustrator
*David Hughes (Emmerdale), fictional character in the I ...
(Martyn Whitby). She clashes with
Joe Sugden (
Frazer Hines) after he shoots her dog; they eventually fell in love. She marries Joe later that year despite opposition from Rachel and Mark. Kate quits her job as a waitress and buys
Matt Skilbeck's (
Frederick Pyne
Frederick Pyne (born 30 December 1936) is an English actor best known for his role as original character Matt Skilbeck on the ITV soap ''Emmerdale Farm'' from 1972 to 1989.
Biography
Pyne attended Holloway County Grammar School (now Holloway S ...
) share of Emmerdale Farm. After arguing with Rachel's lover
Pete Whiteley (
Jim Millea), Kate has several drinks at The Woolpack and accidentally runs down and kills Pete with her car. Kate receives a two-year prison sentence for manslaughter. When she is released from prison 12 months later, she tries to reconcile her marriage with Joe, but they are unable to make it work, so Kate ends their marriage. Realising there is nothing left in Beckindale for her, Kate leaves the village for her home city of Sheffield. Rachel and Mark stay with Joe in Emmerdale. Kate does not attend Mark's funeral, after he dies in a plane crash. A few years later, Kate dies off-screen of a brain haemorrhage.
Rachel Hughes
Rachel Hughes, played by
Glenda McKay, arrives in Beckindale in 1988 with her mother
Kate (
Sally Knyvette
Sally Knyvette (; born 9 February 1951) is a British actress, theatre director and drama teacher.
Early life
Born Sally James in Horsham, Sussex, the daughter of a doctor, Knyvette lived in France and then Switzerland for nearly twelve years. S ...
) and brother
Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Fi ...
(
Craig McKay). Rachel discovers she is pregnant, and gives birth to son
Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
, on the same day her former stepfather died, naming her son in his honour. In 1998, Rachel begins dating schoolteacher
Graham Clark (Kevin Pallister) and he begins to exert control over her, by getting her to dye her hair and dress like his late wife Rebecca. Graham takes Rachel on a picnic, where she tries to end their relationship. When Graham tries to force himself on her, Rachel tries to flee but he corners her on a clifftop. Rachel then informs Graham that she knows he killed his wife; Graham panics and pushes Rachel off the cliff to her death. In 2017, Rachel and Chris' son Joseph Tate (now
Ned Porteous
Edward Graham Porteous (born 7 July 1994) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Mark Fowler Jnr in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2016) and Joe Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2017–2018).
Early life
Porteous is f ...
) returns to the village under the false name Tom Waterhouse to get revenge on
Charity Dingle
Charity Dingle (also Tate, Sharma and Macey) is a fictional character from the British television soap opera ''Emmerdale'', played by Emma Atkins. Suranne Jones originally auditioned for the role of Charity prior to Atkins being cast in the ro ...
(
Emma Atkins). Joseph talks about Rachel's death and how he doesn't remember her.
Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes, played by
Craig McKay, first appears on 7 September 1988. He is introduced as the 15-year-old son of
Kate (
Sally Knyvette
Sally Knyvette (; born 9 February 1951) is a British actress, theatre director and drama teacher.
Early life
Born Sally James in Horsham, Sussex, the daughter of a doctor, Knyvette lived in France and then Switzerland for nearly twelve years. S ...
), alongside sister
Rachel (
Glenda McKay). He becomes a troublesome teenager, which coincided with his mother's relationship and subsequent marriage to
Joe Sugden (
Frazer Hines). Mark runs away from home after Kate announces her intention to move in with Joe. He intends to go to Germany to be with his father, but only makes it as far as
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
. His father David (Martyn Whitby) alerts Kate, who brings Mark home.
When he goes to the pub with his sister and her older friends, he wants to prove he is mature by drinking alcohol, but is cautioned for underage drinking. Mark then begins shoplifting. He steals items he does not need, and is eventually caught by Rachel and
Sarah Connolly
Dame Sarah Patricia Connolly (born 13 June 1963) is an English mezzo-soprano. Although best known for her Baroque music, baroque and Classical period (music), classical roles, Connolly has a wide-ranging repertoire which has included works by ...
(
Madeleine Howard
Madeleine Howard (born 15 March 1951) is a British actress known for her role as Sarah Sugden, from 1988 to 1994 in the soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She has also appeared in other TV programs such as ''The Bill'', ''Holby City'', ''Doctors
Doct ...
). He is subsequently arrested and given a warning at the police station, meanwhile, his mother collapses and suffers a miscarriage; Mark blames himself for this. After leaving school, Mark initially intends to join the army and follow in his father's footsteps. However, he decides to stay at school and study A-Levels in Art, Technical Drawing and English. However, he refuses to turn up to his final exams and as a result, loses his place at
Glasgow University. Mark then gets himself into debt by letting his friends use telephone chatlines, and he has to get a job at the Woolpack to pay them off. Mark dies in the 1993 plane crash that affects the village. Mark is crushed by a falling wall, and
Jack Sugden (
Clive Hornby
Clive William Hornby (20 October 1944 – 3 July 2008) was an English actor, best known for his role as Jack Sugden in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. He first appeared in the programme (then named ''Emmerdale Farm'') in 1980, and remained in ...
) identifies his body after recognising his watch amongst recovered items.
Other characters
References
*
{{Emmerdale characters, year
*, Emmerdale
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...