Seasons & episodes

Eric is a desperate and broken man intent destroying the wine bar... and himself. All that stands between him and an untimely end is Marlon who out of a sense of loyalty or guilt has chanced across his boss he prepares to torch his former premises. At first Marlon thinks Eric's doing it for insurance reasons but it becomes painfully clear that in fact he intends to do away with himself as well. Eric threatens Marlon that he'll meet the same end unless he clears off and lets him get on with it. Marlon engineered Eric's final downfall when he lost his license, and his feelings of guilt go hand in hand with a genuine concern for his boss. Deep down he actually does like Eric. Bolstered by half a bottle of brandy he pours out his emotions in a cascade of self-pity and recrimination. Everyone hates him so why should they care?

Marlon is wrestling with his guilt. He knows that his own underhand dealings helped push Eric to the brink. Marlon's sworn to Eric he'll never breath a word of what happened last night, but when he meets girlfriend Lyn he breaks down and blurts out the whole sorry story. Eric meanwhile has pulled himself together enough to sign over the wine bar to Kathy who knows nothing of the drama that unfolded on her premises. Laura and Lady Tara are plotting their next move to raise money to ease the cash crisis on the Oakwell Estate - but they could hardly imagine the hornet's nest they are about to stir. Ned and Roy tell Zoe that along with Kim they're going for blood tests to determine once and for all who baby James' father really was. And Scott astounds his family when he reveals he was discharged from the army on medical grounds - mental not physical!

Big shocks are in store for both the Glover and Dingle households as lawyer Laura pulls tight the Home Farm purse-strings. One minute poor Zak is offering sympathy to Ned after he is handed an eviction notice, the next he finds himself in exactly the same position. Laura tells the deflated Dingles they can buy their home and the land with it, if they can come up with £6,000 in six weeks. Biff who unwittingly delivered the eviction notice to the Glovers is furious with Lady Tara. Ned flies off the handle when he reads the letter and storms over to Home Farm with Roy where he has some choice words for Lady Tara, Laura and Biff. And Zoe comes in for a tough time too. Even though she wants to help fight the plans, she admits her 20% stake in the business gives her precious little ammunition. Kirsty frightens everyone when she passes out at the holiday village.

A tidal wave of unrest is sweeping through Emmerdale thanks to Lady Tara's money troubles. Chris and Laura seem to be revelling in their work selling off chunks of the Home Farm estate. But Lady Tara herself is starting to have second thoughts. She's been besieged by both the Dingles and Glovers and now by poor Betty. The first she knew of the eviction was when the "For Sale" sign was erected outside her home. If evicting pensioners wasn't bad enough Lady Tara's lover Biff appears to have washed his hands of her, after unwittingly delivering the notices of eviction.

Life is anything but a bed of roses for Biff. He's dumped his upper-class lover Lady Tara and has, through no real fault of his own, become Emmerdale's public enemy number one. Betty and Seth looked after him like a son, but Lady Tara's financial crisis looks like putting the two pensioners on the street. He's keen to impress on Betty that none of this was his doing and that despite pleas to Lady Tara, he cannot stop the sale of their cottage. He's even finished with her ladyship to emphasise how strongly he feels. But Betty is in no mood for forgiveness. Zak comes up with a plan to save the Dingles home which involves Ned - but he's too long in the tooth to pile what little money he has into a condemned building. Paulette is skating on thin ice when she agrees to go out with Scott and stand-up boyfriend Roy.

The downtrodden Dingles decide to have a mass sale of all their earthly possessions - they need £6,000 fast or they'll be out on the streets. Zak is so desperate to keep a roof over their heads he sells all the roof slates. And in the rush for instant cash he also flogs his mountain of scrap metal and even his treasured Troggs collection! Butch, Mandy and Lisa round up anything that will sell from their home. But come the time of reckoning all they have to show is £160. These are hard days for roguish Zak and his clan and for the first time it starts to dawn on them all that they are fighting a losing battle. Lord Michael comforts Lady Tara, who's all torn-up over the breakdown of her affair with Biff. He tells her she should fight for what she wants - but Biff is in no mood for reconciliation when she arrives at his home.

Lovelorn aristocrat Lady Tara Oakwell may be forced to sell the silver spoon in her mouth if things gets much worse. She's become public enemy number one by handing out eviction notices to Home Farm tenants and has seemingly lost the love of a good man because of it. Biff has dug his heels in and finished their upstairs downstairs affair in protest at Lady Tara's moves to make Betty and Seth homeless. And if life wasn't complicated enough, confidante and secret admirer Lord Michael Thornfield, out of the blue admits he loves her, and wants her to marry him! Lady Tara goes hot-foot back to Biff - but will this latest shock snap him out of his malaise?

Kim receives the results of the blood test confirming if James is Dave or Frank's son. Lady Tara has a big decision to make. Does she continue to try to rekindle her affair with Biff or does she accept the marriage proposal of long time friend and confidante Lord Michael Thornfield? He invites her to dine with him and finally Lady Tara informs him of her decision. But when she starts to cry who are the tears really for? Paddy is caught in the horns of a dilemma when Mandy discovers he's actually got enough money in the bank to save the family home. Paddy stresses the money is for a rainy day for the two of them. But Mandy tells him bluntly that the Dingles come as a package. Poor Paddy is stuck between a rock and a hard place and all he can do is try to buy some time to think. Meanwhile, Mandy resolves the conflict between Zak and Butch by throwing a cup of cold coffee in Zak's face.

Paddy is going animal crackers after girlfriend Mandy got a glimpse of his fat building society book. The cash-strapped Dingles need £6,000 to buy their condemned property or face eviction. And poor Paddy looks like being the one who will have to cough-up. He pleads with Mandy not to say anything just yet while secretly wondering how he can dig himself out of this hole. But when he runs the whole thing past outcast Dingle Marlon he gets some sobering advice - pay-up, or else! Kim takes the news that Dave was not James's father to Ned and Roy. When Ned tells her he's glad this episode in their lives has been finally laid to rest,

Biff and Kim both have very different reasons to look shocked when they learn of Lady Tara's impending marriage. Biff can't quite believe she would have moved so quickly after the break-up of their affair and wonders if she's simply tying the knot to feather her depleted nest, Kim meanwhile is left spitting feathers when she learns that after the wedding Lady Tara is putting Laura in charge of her affairs at the Stud Farm, for the first time Kim appears to show some interest in Steve's plans to steal one of the stud horses. Mandy can't keep Paddy's cash-stash a secret any longer and blows the lot to her family. From being in the depths of depression, suddenly the dozy Dingles are riding high again, When Paddy comes into The Woolpack and is held aloft by Zak and Butch he realises Mandy has spilled the beans. Jack and Sarah are lumbered with Ned as a lodger after he decides he's not going to contest eviction from his farm. Roy begs sofa-space with the lads in Annie's Cottage.

Ever since her demise Kim has believed that she can climb out of her financial rut by fair play. But when a potential big-spending customer suddenly withdraws from a substantial deal with the Stud Farm after learning that Kim is involved, it is almost too much to bear. Now she is prepared to listen to the plans that her husband Steve has dreamed up to steal one of the stud farm horses. Steve is delighted and believes they'll make enough money to skip the country and lead the kind of lives they're more accustomed to. But Kim pulls back on the reins and tells him that they will play it her way or not at all. Paddy is offered a partnership in the vets practice - but it will cost him £45,000. He tells Zoe it's what he wants and is sure Mandy will understand when he has to tell her his offer to buy the Dingles home will have to be withdrawn.

Paddy faces the wrath of the Dingles when he withdraws his offer of cash to save their house. He's been handed a partnership deal by Zoe but will need every penny of his savings as a deposit on the £45,000 she is asking. The worried vet breaks the news first to Lisa hoping he'll find a sympathetic ear. But she tells him to do his dirty work. When Mandy finds out she flies into a rage and despite Paddy's pleas that the partnership will mean a brighter future for them, she throws him out of the flat and insists that they are through. Kim astonishes Steve with her reworking of the horse robbery plan.

Kim and Steve give their robbery plan a trial run using Ashley as the alibi. Kim coaxes him to the cottage for wine on the pretence of offering her services more regularly at the creche. Once at the house Steve says he has to make some phone calls and heads off upstairs. While Ashley and Kim chat Steve leaves the house and times himself running to the Stud and back. When he comes back down the stairs, Ashley is none the wiser. Paddy has a bucket of pig-swill thrown over him by an unforgiving Mandy. Paddy tells Mandy that's the end of their relationship. Later, on her own, Mandy quietly cries herself to sleep.

Biff can't do right for wrong in Betty's eyes. She has sent him to Coventry since his lover Lady Tara handed out an eviction notice to her and Seth. When he approaches her to say he can arrange a mortgage for them, and admits he gave her the £5,000 deposit, she tells him to take the money back and leave. She doesn't need charity from him. Biff is perplexed. He's ditched Lady Tara, when deep down he really loves her. Yet old friends like Betty and Seth still won't give him the time of day. Biff starts to doubt whether ending his affair was a wise move. Kim is shaken when she discovers Laura intends bringing in an assistant to look after Lady Tara's share of the Stud Farm.

Kim and husband Steve have gone from riches to rags thanks to his ill-timed gambling on the money markets. But now they are looking to bounce back. They've concocted an elaborate plan to steal, then sell stud horse Orsino, while making the whole episode look like the work of others. And they've even invited Zoe to their house to be the perfect alibi. Later when the insurance money comes through the conniving couple hope to skip the country. Will's birthday party begins at the pub, with a lovelorn Mandy throwing herself into the celebrations.

Steve is running on adrenaline as he races around the stables to finish off his daring robbery. Everything goes well until an ill-timed phone-call from Kim leads to tragedy and the life of Kathy is left in the balance. Later when Steve is back home with Kim, his face tells a shocking story. Biff and Lady Tara spend a night of passion on the eve of her wedding to Lord Michael. Both realise they will have to decide whether they have a future together, but they will wait until morning. Will's birthday bash at The Woolpack turns into a shambles and Alan is forced to get tough with everyone including his manager Terry.

Kathy is fighting for her life in intensive care in need of a critical operation. Waiting patiently for news is Chris her former husband. Back at Home Farm a police investigation is in full flow into both the robbery and accident. Laura explains that while Lady Tara is a co-owner of the missing horse Orsino, it is her wedding day and she must be left alone. Laura suggests the police talk to Kim the partner. When the police arrive Kim has the smug smile wiped from her face when she hears Kathy has been seriously hurt.

Biff is consumed with guilt when he learns of Kathy's accident. Alone with her he quietly whispers "you're the last person in the world I'd ever want to hurt". He bumps into Betty and their recent arguments seem meaningless at the side of Kathy's predicament. Ashley organises a service of prayer for Kathy which is attended by many of the villagers. Kim doesn't want to go, afraid she'll give away hers and Steve's dark secret and Steve's heart misses a beat when Kim suddenly breaks down mid-service and has to leave. Scott is quick to spot a good looking woman and flirts with Tricia in The Woolpack.

The police are making little if any headway in their hunt for the Home Farm gang. But they believe they might be onto a lead when Kelly points out that Zak and Butch left Will's party at The Woolpack for some time on the night of the robbery, trouble seems to follow the Dingles and they know they've now got just two weeks to find the money to buy their farmhouse before the bailiffs come to evict them, Zak believes there's only one thing to do - go back to burgling again. Butch wonders what Lisa will think? With their friendship back on track Biff has one last go at persuading Betty to let him become her landlord. Zoe and Chris are thrown when Laura casually remarks that for the sake of Home Farm, she hopes Kathy either stays in her coma for some time, or wakes up with amnesia.

Viv is at her wicked-worst when the police arrive at the Dingles armed with a search warrant. She quickly puts it about that they're the ones who robbed the Stud Farm and put Kathy in hospital. Zak, Butch and Lisa are horrified anyone could imagine they were involved and Mandy explodes in The Woolpack when Viv repeats her allegations. Kim tells Steve the good news that the police are chasing dead-ends, and that Kathy appears to be getting better - but he's at the end of his tether and says he wants them to skip the country now.

Steve's dark secret is driving him to despair. He wants to leave the country now with the money he made from the horse robbery but Kim tells him they must stay-put and tough it out. It's the day of the village fun run and as Steve leaves to take part he secretly slips his own passport into his carry-all intent on going alone. But when he feigns injury and abandons the run to dig up the robbery loot, it's gone. Butch and Zak arrive to do the run and are immediately set-upon by vicious Viv. But later in The Woolpack Butch hands over a clutch of fivers to Betty to buy something for Kathy. Rachel and Graham head the run which turns out to be anything but fun as they vie for the lead.

Kim and Steve are over the moon when the police announce they are about to close down their incident room. They've no real leads and it seems Kim and Steve are in the clear over the robbery. But a chance remark Steve makes to Chris has his brain working overtime and it suddenly dawns on him, even though he has no hard proof they must be the culprits. Tricia talks love struck Terry into a shopping trip and with a flash of her long eyelashes has him reaching for his cheque book. Paddy arrives with trepidation for his date with former sweetheart Jane. When she arrives his eyes nearly pop out of his head. For plain Jane has blossomed into a real beauty. Ned is behaving strangely around the Sugdens, leaving Jack to joke that Ned has a crush on Sarah. Sarah and Betty stand up to Viv over her continued blame of the Dingles for the accident. Eric further drives Graham away from Rachel by telling him about her affair with Chris.

Kim is shocked to the core when Chris accuses her outright of being involved in the robbery. For now, he tells her, he has no proof, but he's certain that Kim's grief over Kathy's life-threatening accident has been fuelled by guilt. He tells her he's on the case and will be watching her every step. Scott has managed to dodge the real issue why he was discharged from the army. But his secret is out when Cass, the wife of his army medical officer suddenly appears in the village, making his heart skip an almighty beat. Zak tells Lisa that despite the looming eviction in two days, he's staying put. They'll take his home from him over his dead body.

Viv gets personal when teacher Graham gives Donna a poor report. She immediately latches onto his interest in school secretary Rachel and lets slip about her affair with Jack. Paddy has fear etched across his face when Mandy spots him with Jane. But Jane notices the exchange of glances and later makes a decision that leaves Paddy's matchmaker mother, Mrs Kirk, heartbroken. Laura is furious with Chris for his obsessive pursuit of Kim and Steve and reminds him it is within her power to remove him from his job. Kelly discovers the truth about Scott and his one time lover Cass but tells her step-brother she knows exactly how to deal with her.