SUPERFANS of Emmerdale have called out for a huge change to the soap in order to 'revitalise' the hit show.
The ITV soap opera has built up a legion of fans and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year with a huge storm and cow stampede but fans of the programme have begged producers to refresh the show - even if it brings bad news for long-running family, the Dingles.
Viewers have been crying out for a new strong family unit to arrive in the Dales in one go as opposed to them being drip fed in if a character is successful.
Taking to Digital Spy's online forum, one fan wrote: "I would love for ED to actually get a new family in the village, I feel like we keep getting odd actors popping up or coming into the village and than eventually we get one or two of there other family members coming in.
"The producers said that the storm was a way of getting rid of people so they could bring in more, honestly why can’t we have a family entrance like the Sharma or Wyldes did back in the day. Rather than just odd member here and there."
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Fans were in agreement and even admitted they would be willing to say goodbye to popular members of the Dingle clan in order to make room for new characters on the show.
One fan added: "Yeah ED just seem to introduce 1 or 2 characters that are linked to another character in some way these days rather than introducing a new family.
"I'd ship Moira and Cain out of the farm and have a new family buy it - get rid of some of the deadwood and try and revitalise the show."
Another echoed similar thoughts, writing: "A new family would be nice later this year. There are too many characters who either do nothing or serve no purpose. Far too many Dingles too, even after two of them were culled recently."
The latest 'family' unit to be introduced on screen was Charles and Ethan Anderson, a father and son duo, a far cry from when the show would bring large family units into the programme.
In 2014, show bosses introduced the White family consisting of grandfather Lawrence, mother Chrissie, her son Lachlan and the re-introduction of Robert Sugden as Chrissie's husband, arguably the last time a clear family unit arrived with purpose when they became the new owners of Home Farm.
Could 2023 see a bunch of fresh new faces in the village?