Blackburn, who has been working as Emmerdale's series producer since early 2011, will take up the position in January 2013.
Phil Collinson will remain at ITV in a new role working with Kieran Roberts to develop new drama from ITV's base in Manchester.
Speaking of his new post, Blackburn commented: "I'm in the very privileged position of producing Emmerdale's hour-long live episode to celebrate the programme's 40th birthday, and I get to produce Coronation Street too. Life just couldn't get any better. Emmerdale is a very special programme to me, as I was born and brought up in West Yorkshire. I'm in total admiration of the cast and production team as they are all incredibly talented people. They do an amazing job and I'll be sad to leave them. Coronation Street also has a place in my heart, as I believe passionately in storytelling, and although I recognise it's a massive responsibility, I have the best job in the world."
Well, well, well. So this tabloid spoiler was true after all.
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19 comments:
I don't watch Emmerdale at all is this fella any good then?
Can I ask a favour of this new producer? PLEASE put Tracy Barlow out of our misery.
Thanks.
Proof is in the pudding. Let's see what this new fella can do before we cheer the departure of Collinson. I would have rather seen a change in the producer and all the writers. Clean sweep; you can't convince me there aren't some fantastic writers who couldn't show us some interesting new ideas, if only given the chance!
I don't know him either - does anyone have any experience of what he's done at emmerdale?
Let's hope Collinson takes Michelle Collins with him.
Stuart is pretty good at Emmerdale, he's "normalised" it a bit, made it a bit less sensationalist, which is something Corrie needs right now. I think he's a good producer on Emmerdale, I just hope Emmerdale gets a good producer too.
I don't watch Emmerdale but I'm aware of what goes on in the Dales. Blackburn seems like a good producer - and the plots seem like good soapy plots over there. So I think this could be all good.
I will cheer the departure of Collinson with a loud whoop, banner and flags regardless of what Stuart Blackburn has done at Emmerdale to be honest. I think that PC was totally wrong for our Corrie. This day has been toO long a coming for me!
However I do think that we should all start petitioning him now that he axe (kill off/ never to return so we can be sure) Tracy, Stella, Paul the Fireman and the whole Alahan clan PLEASE :)
Beth, agree 100% with your comments.
Yay!!! A nation rejoices!!! If the new man can return the Street to bearing some resemblance to reality, then he might save the show. Under Collinson, it's become Doctor Who complete with fantasy plots, Daleks (Tracey Luv) and Aliens (St Ella, the alien who entered Sunita's body and completely changed her, Paul the fireman, Carla's brother, the alien who gave Ryan a face and personality transplant....
This is a shock. PC definately said he will be there to see the move to the new outdoor set so he probably was asked to move on. I don't watch emmerdale but i have read on other blogs that emmerdale fans are rejoicing that he is leaving. I think Phil Collinson has been both good and bad in his time. I've been really disappointed that he ruined betty's funeral poor continuity. Same with Carlas brother - they forgot his name was Darran. Also the first 12 months after the tram crash was too much drama happening all at once, then he slowed things down, but still people like sunita get complete personality transplants to suit sensationalist storylines. Stella has been wrongly cast (theres no way she ever slept with les battersby) and although she is a good actress she is not in the right role. i really don't think gloria is either. Bringing Tracy back out of a life sentence was pointless and bringing dennis tanner back and making him almost a non-speaking extra was a wasted opportunity. Who could forget the awful marc/marcia and now we have to endure poor marcus jumping back into the closet, all for the sake of a sensational headline. I do think it is time for PC to move on but I am worried about the future if Stuart Blackburn has got so many emmerdale fans rejoicing.
See ya Phil! Don't let the door hit yer ass on the way out! :-)
~JB in Canada
The only issue i ever had with Stella was the pitch in her voice. Always made me think she was about to start singing "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Listen for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBwS66EBUcY
Question: what's wrong with Paul the fireman? He seems alright to me.
Paul the fireman is insipid. Sniveling, spineless, grating tone of voice. Truly, he and Sean should hook up.
Paul the fireman said "sorry" so many times to Eileen that I was convinced he was wind-up toy. And now Kirsty is doing the same thing. I think Paul and Kirsty should get together, then they could spend all day saying sorry to each other.
Eileen is a VERY strong woman and Paul is kinda wishy-washy. Not a good match.
And he treated Eileen like shit when Lesley croaked.
~JB in Canada
Becky's baby buying was also terrible as was the Peter/Leanne custody battle. The list of good things is very short and even the tram crash failed to live up to Collinson's own hype. If the Street was never the same again, it is only because Collinson had no respect for the show's history ot its strengths.
I've not watched much Emmerdale, it's never really worked for me, but having spent a few months living with an Emmerdale viewer earlier in the year I was really impressed with the storylines they were pulling out. Firstly, they took a whodunnit (Cain being assaulted) and instead of taking it down a dead end it actually had ongoing consequences as part of a larger storyline about Zak's mental health. Compared to the Frank Foster murder it was clearly a lot more sophisticated. Secondly, I thought the elder abuse storyline was brilliantly handled because again it was part of a larger story about a normal man's decline in the face of him losing control of his personal life. And again there were real consequences with no goodies or baddies. Compared with post-tram Corrie it has been so much more involving. I think Phil Collinson is a pretty stubborn guy and so he should be as a Producer of one of the biggest shows on telly. But not taking on it board when things are badly received is a mistake - I'm not saying scour the forums because somebody is always in a mood about something, but it is pretty clear that Michelle Collins, a fine actor though she is, was mis-cast as Stella. Tracy Barlow was a brilliant character for her time, but has served very little purpose upon returning aside from annoying the viewers. Fiz in prison (Fizzon?) was mind-numbing. And he hasn't got the best record for respecting Corrie history, and when you have a long-committed audience it does take the mickey a bit when that is undermined. However, the man did give us tram week so we should at least be grateful for that! I reckon Stuart Blackburn will do great things with Weatherfield in 2013, bring it on!
Phil Collinson almost brought the show to its knees., under his tenure., 99% of the cast characters have slept with each other., way to go Phil !
Your either sex mad or not getting enough yourself ?
All i can say is DING DONG the witch is dead !
Please Stuart Blackburn when you take the reigns next week., STOP THE MADNESS
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