Joe Sugden

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Joe Sugden
Emmerdale character
Joe Sugden Emmerdale.jpg
Portrayed by Frazer Hines
Duration1972–1994
First appearance16 October 1972 (1972-10-16)
Last appearance11 August 1994 (1994-08-11)
Classification Former; regular
Created by Kevin Laffan
Introduced byDavid Goddard (1972)
Richard Handford (1984)
In-universe information
Occupation Farmer
Family Sugden
FatherJacob Sugden
Mother Annie Sugden
Brothers Jack Sugden
Sisters Peggy Skilbeck
Wife Christine Sharp (1974–1976)
Kate Hughes (1989–1991)
Stepsons Mark Hughes
Stepdaughters Rachel Hughes
GrandfathersJoseph Sugden
Sam Pearson
GrandmothersMargaret Sugden
Grace Pearson
UnclesEdward Sugden
Nephews
Nieces Sally Skilbeck
Victoria Sugden

Joseph "Joe" Sugden is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale , played by Frazer Hines. He first appeared on-screen during the soap's first episode broadcast 16 October 1972 and remained in the programme until 1983. After a brief return in the following year, Hines reprised his role on a permanent basis in 1986, a landmark year for the show under Richard Handford. He made his last appearance in August 1994, and subsequently died off-screen the following year. In 2019, Hines confirmed that he would like to return to the soap despite his off-screen death.

Contents

Development

Joe is a farmer as was his father. When Emmerdale began it depicted actual farm life. Rather than act out tasks Hines learned to dip sheep and milk cows. [1]

Joe is involved in a relationship with Christine Sharp (Angela Cheyne). They married during the episode broadcast 10 September 1974. [2] The duo overcome a series of problems before marrying and Christine has the wedding day "she'd always dreamed of". [3] To commemorate the event TVTimes featured a promotional souvenir photograph for readers prior to the episode's airdate. [4]

Storylines

Joe was born on 31 May 1949, named after his paternal grandfather, and is the youngest child of Jacob and Annie Sugden (Sheila Mercier). After Jacob dies, the family learn that he has left the farm to his estranged son, Jack Sugden, who divides it between the family.

After a failed attempt at courting Marian Wilks (Gail Harrison), Joe starts dating Christine Sharp and they soon marry but separate when Christine decides she does not want to be a farmer's wife. Christine returns the following year to reconcile but Joe wants a divorce and she leaves for good. Joe's next relationship is with Kathy Gimbel (Polly Hemingway), who moves in with him. Their relationship is a huge talking point in the village as Kathy is separated from her husband, Kenny. When Kathy's father, Jim (John Atkinson) shoots himself, Kathy leaves Joe to live with her mother, Freda (Mary Henry).

Joe gets a job working for NY estates and gets jobs for his nephew Jackie Merrick (Ian Sharrock) and Jackie's half-sister Sandie (Jane Hutcheson). Joe develops feelings for vicar's daughter, Barbara Peters (Rosie Kerslake) in 1983 but is rejected and moves to France for several years but briefly returns for the funeral of his grandfather, Sam Pearson (Toke Townley), in November 1984. In 1986, Joe returns permanently and becomes regional manager for NY Estates. During this time, he has a brief relationship with Karen Moore (Annie Hulley) who had previously had an affair with Jack but Karen ends the relationship.

Joe meets divorcee Kate Hughes (Sally Knyvette), and her two teenage children, Rachel (Glenda McKay) and Mark Hughes (Craig McKay). Initially Kate and Joe argue after he shoots her dog for bothering his sheep but they eventually they fall in love. Joe proposes, but with Mark and Rachel opposed and wanting Kate to reconcile with their father, David (Martyn Whitby), Joe becomes worried. They do marry and Kate's children eventually come round to their mother's new marriage. Kate accidentally runs over Pete Whiteley, killing him and is jailed for a year but is released the following January. Kate tells Joe the marriage is over and returns to Sheffield. Rachel and Mark decide to stay and Joe forms a closer relationship with them.

Joe and Mark argue over a vacuum cleaner that needs returning so Mark goes to the Whiteley Farm when a large section of an Eastern European Airjet comes down, knocking down a wall which falls on Mark, killing him. Joe, his mother, Annie and her new husband Leonard Kempinski (Bernard Archard) are also hit when another part of the plane hits his car. Joe breaks a leg, Annie is left comatose but Leonard is killed. When Joe learns of Mark's death, he becomes very depressed and blames himself.

After saving Dave Glover (Ian Kelsey) from being run over by a car, Jack and Rachel persuade him go and spend time with Annie in Spain. The following year, news reaches Emmerdale that Joe has died in a car crash. Annie and Amos Brearly (Ronald Magill) return to the village for his funeral.

Reception

The character was selected as one of the "top 100 British soap characters" by industry experts for a poll to be run by What's on TV, with readers able to vote for their favourite character to discover "Who is Soap's greatest Legend?" [5] In 1998, writers from Inside Soap published an article about the top ten characters they wanted to return to soap. Joe was featured and they opined that "his gentle charm and Yorkshire grit made him irresistible to a seemingly endless stream of women." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Sugden</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

John Jacob "Jack" Sugden is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. The character was originally played by Andrew Burt from 1972 to 1973 with a brief return in 1976, when the actor left for Italy to write a book. On his return in 1980 he was played by Clive Hornby. Hornby remained in the role until 2008 when he was forced to take a break from Emmerdale due to illness. His last on-screen appearance was on 21 February 2008, and his absence was explained by the character visiting his mother, Annie Sugden in Spain. Although Hornby was intended to return, he died from his illness in July 2008 without returning to the programme. Jack was written out following Hornby's death, dying off-screen of a heart attack in February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frazer Hines</span> English actor

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Sugden</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Annie Sugden is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale. She was played by Sheila Mercier as a regular character between 1972 and 1994, with occasional guest appearances in the show after her original departure. Mercier cut back on location filming during the late 1980s and eventually left the serial in 1994 due to the gruelling schedule. Annie was one of Emmerdale's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 16 October 1972 and became the longest serving female character in the series' history. She was the soap's "first matriarch", the maternal force behind the Sugden family, who were collectively one of Emmerdale's main focal points.

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Amos Brearly is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale Farm, played by Ronald Magill. He made his first appearance during the serial's debut episode on 16 October 1972. Amos ran The Woolpack pub and was the village gossip. A double act was later formed between Amos and Henry Wilks, which lasted for 19 years. Amos became known for his bushy sideburns and catchphrase "Nay, Mr Wilks". Magill left the show in January 1991, but reprised the role for several brief appearances until July 1995.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Hughes</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Rachel Hughes is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, portrayed by Glenda McKay. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 September 1988 and departed following the character's death on 12 May 1999.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathy Glover</span> Fictional character from Emmerdale

Katherine "Kathy" Brookman is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Emmerdale, played by Malandra Burrows. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 November 1985. In 2001, new series producer Steve Frost decided to write the character out. Burrows briefly reprised the role in 2005, as Kathy returns for the funeral of Seth Armstrong. She was one of the show's central characters throughout that time.

The Sugdens are a fictional family in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Introduced during the show's conception in 1972, they were the main family for storylines between the 1970s and 1980s and remained as such for many years. The families original unit consisted of widowed farmer Annie Sugden, alongside her children Peggy Skilbeck, Jack Sugden and Joe Sugden. Subsequently these characters went on to produce more generations of Sugdens.

References

  1. Palmer, Alun (18 October 2012). "Emmerdale legend Frazer Hines on his cancer battle, marriages and 22 years on the soap". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  2. Hayward 1997, p.131.
  3. "Emmerdale Farm". TVTimes . 76 (37): 46. 7–13 September 1974.
  4. "Wedding at Emmerdale". TVTimes . 76 (37): 29. 7–13 September 1974.
  5. "Who is Soaps' Greatest Legend?". What's on TV . Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
  6. "10 stars we wish would come back". Inside Soap (102): 28, 29. 30 May – 12 June 1998.