Emmerdale is on fine form

At the moment, I do believe that Emmerdale is on fine form and it's currently my favourite out of the four British soaps. What makes it so good? Well we have some brilliant character development going on, some great character interaction between unlikely characters, fantastic storylines and some convincing acting to boot. The show seems to be flowing well overall. We have stories and characters at the forefront, with subtle stories building up and brewing in the background, waiting to unfold in the weeks to come and the cycle seems to continue in a seamless way. Characters and stories stay consistent, with a fair amount of screen time being devoted to each character in the Dales. All of this is the perfect recipe for a perfect soap.

My favourite storyline of the past six months or so has been Aaron Livesy coming out as a gay man and embarking on a relationship with Jackson Walsh. The acting from Paddy and Aaron has been top notch and I had a tear in my eye when Aaron came out in front of a packed court room. A credible and convincing human story that anybody facing up to their sexuality can easily relate to, and I love the fact the story is still ongoing as Aaron tries to come to terms with the kind of relationship he's having with Jackson. It's not like Aaron's struggle of being gay has been packed up and forgotten about. It's ongoing and will have further repercussions for his character, despite him being out and seemingly proud.

We've had a similar human story involving Nikhil confessing his virginity. Like Aaron's story, this will have impacted many viewers at home watching as they relate to his circumstances. In my opinion, what makes a soap opera so great is the balance between the stories that click with the audience as these stories help us empathise and sympathise with the characters and the stories that are escapism, that are ridiculous and entertaining, which brings the audience away from the troubles they are facing in their actual lives. The current plot with the Wyldes could be an example of this, as Nathan has framed Ryan for his dad's murder, despite Natasha doing the deed all along. This storyline has been brilliant from the start and Lyndon Ogbourne has been brilliant playing the conniving and smug Nathan. The actor has moulded Nathan into a perfect 'love to hate' character.

I hope Emmerdale keeps up its high quality. I have a feeling it will continue to do so.