Episode 543 (8th January 1980)

==Plot==
"Another Christmas is over at Emmerdale, another new year beginning and another hard winter to work through to the spring. And for the past few days, Matt and Joe have been bringing the ewes down from the rough grazing, closer to the farm. Happily we were all together at Christmas, but there was a time when that seemed unlikely. It was right at the end of last summer, just before t'Connelton show, something happened which came as a shock to all of us..." - Annie Sugden (see notes)
Amos is annoyed with flies finding their way into The Woolpack. Bob Jerome is covering for Donald in Beckindale again while he is away in a retreat. Amos proudly gives him a poem he's written for the parish magazine. Dolly's feeling under the weather and Annie informs Matt that Dr. Jacobs is coming to see her. Bob receives a letter from Donald informing him that Judy Westrop is returning after recovering from acute depression and asks him to keep an eye on her. Judy arrives at Emmerdale and apologises to Joe for embarrassing him on the night he took her out for a drink. Amos is unnerved when he sees Matt following an ambulance racing through the village. Henry receives a call from Annie saying that Dolly been taken into hospital. Matt returns to the farm saying Dolly has been taken in for observation after contracting a virus. Henry is pleased when Sam shows him the onions he planted for him whilst he was in Morecambe. Bob tells Judy he plans to start a workshop for the elderly villagers and wants her help to pick a good loom to buy from Hotten for weaving. He rings Annie to ask if she can find someone with enough spare time to round up the elderly residents for a meeting in a few days time. She asks Henry.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Annie - Sheila Mercier
*Joe - Frazer Hines
*Matt - Frederick Pyne
*Sam - Toke Townley
*Wilks - Arthur Pentelow
*Amos - Ronald Magill
*Judy Westrop - Jane Cussons
===Guest cast===
*Rev. Bob Jerome - Richard Howard
==Locations==
*Main Street
*The Woolpack - Public bar and backroom, forecourt
*Beckindale Vicarage - Hallway and lounge
*St. Mary's Church - Exterior
*Emmerdale Farm - Farmhouse kitchen/living room and front garden, yard, shed, barn and cowshed
==Notes==
*Emmerdale Farm returns for the first time since 5th July 1979 after an extended break for the programme due to the 1979 ITV Strike. Due to the timeline of the plot being out of sequence with the broadcast, this and the succeeding five episodes of the programme are set during the Summer of 1979 and a short introduction is given by Sheila Mercier in character as Annie Sugden to explain the timescale (See plot).
*This episode was broadcast in the London region at the earlier time of 5.15pm.
*TV Times synopsis: "A return of this long-running favourite, focusing on the farming community of Beckindale, in the Yorkshire Dales. It's winter at Emmerdale Farm, and Annie Sugden finds herself thinking back to last summer. It was a busy time, with new land to work, and prospects looked bright. But there was a shock in store for all of them - especially Matt Skilbeck.
Category:1980 episodes
Category:Emmerdale Farm episodes