With the year having kicked off with snow, record-breaking storms and chilly temperatures, what better way for ITV soap Emmerdale to mark winter by plunging some of their cast into an icy lake.
The show is, once again, pulling out all the stops with a deadly stunt sequence they have become synonymous for.
As you might expect, not everyone will come out alive, with someone fighting for their life in a limo crash (of course) and another trapped in the freezing depths below.
It all begins with a party-like atmosphere, with half of the villagers heading out for a night out. reveling friends and location shoots are always a harbinger of doom in a soap, and Emmerdale sticks to this tradition as somehow, both vehicles are involved in separate accidents, that leaves one perilously sitting on the surface of the frozen water.
That’s when the cracks start to physically and metaphorically form.
‘It has been one of the best things I have ever done,’ director Vicky Thomas told us. ‘These episodes have been absolutely the highlight of my career to date.’
Promising huge spectacle for the ‘tense and life-affirming’ week, she continued with true enthusiasm: ‘The repercussions of what happens over this night will go on for a very long time, and I think some things will even change forever from them as there are some who do not make it…’
Fascinatingly, Emmerdale had its own make-shift set designed for the event, as they couldn’t film on a real lake for safety reasons. The surface of the fake, flat body of water was laid out at the studio car park but the filming was done in real, cold water at 2am.
Holes were drilled under the limo as it was dangled into the depths so that they would fill quickly with water. Rather them than me!
The team are holding back some big secrets such as which limo goes under and which body may be pulled from their freezing tomb.
But what kicks it off is a fight between Caleb Miligan and Cain Dingle over his secret tryst with Ruby, while Charity Dingle is forced to swerve the other car out of the way of her drugged son, Noah.
Just another standard day in Emmerdale, then.
There are 16 characters involved in the carnage including Paddy Kirk, Mandy Dingle, Leyla Harding and Liam Cavanagh, among many others.
Understandably, it left actors fearing for their future on the soap, with Dominic Brunt (Paddy) admitting: ‘I turned to Lisa Riley and said “are we going to die in this car?”‘
There’s every possibility!
William Ash, who plays Caleb, added: ‘There is so much that happens across this week – so many twists, turns and revelations. When I read the scripts it was like, “wow”! As it is just one thing after another. Each episode ends on another cliffhanger!’
With her colleagues describing the set-pieces as ‘mindblowing’, Roxy Shahidi, who is confirmed to soon be leaving her role as Leyla, can’t wait for the impact the drama will have.
‘I’m so excited for the audience to see these because I don’t think we have done something like this before,’ she enthused.
‘I think there are epic and harrowing storylines in these episodes while also still managing to sandwich in that classic Emmerdale comedy.
‘I think the audience will really, really enjoy the ride!’
Which, I can only assume, is more than be said for the passengers in the limousines of death.
