Kate Oates

Kate Oates
Born	Nottingham, England
Nationality	British
Ethnicity	White British
Occupation	TV producer, researcher, story editor
Years active	2003–present
Employer	ITV
Notable work	See below
Television	The Archers Emmerdale Coronation Street

Kate Oates is a British television producer, known for her work on the soap operas The Archers, Emmerdale, and Coronation Street.

Early life

Oates was born in Nottingham, England.^[1] She attended Warwick University, where she graduated with an English and Theatre degree.^[1]

Career

Early work

Oates begun her career as a researcher and editorial assistant for writer, Germaine Greer and credited Greer as "inspiring", "inimitable", "kind" and "enthusiastic".^[2] Oates moved to Carlton Television as a researcher and script editor for soap opera, Crossroads, which she continued until 2003.^[1] Crossroads was cancelled in March 2003, with the final episode airing in May.^[3] Oates' work on Crossroads lead her to begin producing BBC Radio 4 soap opera, The Archers, a place which she credits as the "bulk of her training".^[4] In 2012, Oates praised The Arches's editor of twenty-one years, Vanessa Whitburn, calling her "inspiring".^[2] Oates produced the soap opera for seven years, choosing to leave in 2010.^[1]

Emmerdale

Oates began working on the ITV soap opera Emmerdale in early 2010 as a story editor, under then-producer, Gavin Blyth. Oates edited various storylines from the show such as Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) assisting the suicide of his boyfriend, Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock);^[4] Zak Dingle's (Steve Halliwell) mental breakdown and attack on his son, Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley); Ashley Thomas' (John Middleton) abuse of his father, Sandy Thomas (Freddie Jones); and Chas Dingle's (Lucy Pargeter) disastrous relationships with Carl King (Tom Lister) and Cameron Murray (Dominic Power).^[5] The Aaron assisting Jackson's suicide storyline received critical acclaim and various awards, including the British Soap Award for Best Storyline in 2012^[6] and was the first storyline Oates had major involvement with.^[4] She also played a heavy role in the show's fortieth anniversary special episodes, later stating she was "proud" to be involved in the episodes^[7] and was "excited to see the stories play out".^[5] Oates left her role at Emmerdale in mid-2012, having worked on the show for two and a half years.^[2]

As series producer

On 15 October 2012, Oates was announced to be taking over from Stuart Blackburn as the producer of Emmerdale, a mere few months following her decision to leave the show.^[5] Oates revealed that she believed she would "love" to return the show, but did not "except it to happen so quickly."^[5] Of her new position, Oates said, "I'm delighted to be Emmerdale's new producer as I'm passionate about the programme and everyone who works on the show. It's a privilege to be renewing my working relationship with everyone."^[5] Oates described herself as "very lucky" to be returning to "such a wonderfully successful show", before stating she was "in awe of the cast, crew and writing team".^[5] Oates reports to the ITV creative director of soaps, John Whiston, who commented, "Kate swept into Emmerdale a couple of years ago with a deadly combination of determination and brio. She soon proved her worth to the show, working on stories that ranged from the extremely tough to the light and funny."^[2] He also stated how pleased he was that Oates would be returning from Coronation Street and praised her "inspiration and sheer hard work" and the way she keeps "the vibrant spirit of modern Emmerdale".^[2] Oates assumed the position in January 2013^[5] and her first episode as producer aired on 4 April 2013.

In her first few months on the show, Oates focused on storylines rather than changing the cast, with storylines including Brenda Walker's (Lesley Dunlop) brain tumour, Cameron Murray's killer spree, Laurel Potts' (Charlotte Bellamy) carjacking, and Rhona Goskirk's (Zoe Henry) painkiller addiction becoming a point of focus. Oates spoke of this, saying "My main aim is to tell the best stories we can and to make the show really talked-about."^[7] Cameron's killer spree was a feature storyline throughout 2013, which resulted in the death of Gennie Walker (Sian Reese-Williams) and concluded with the show's forty-first anniversary week as Cameron held several villagers hostage in The Woolpack pub. The week saw Cameron electrocuted and die after tense scenes in the pub's cellars saw him try and drown both Chas Dingle and Debbie Dingle (Charley Webb), whilst Alicia Gallagher (Natalie Anderson) fought for her life after being shot by Cameron.^[8] The siege received four award nominations, successfully winning the Spectacular Scene of the Year award at the 2014 British Soap Awards.^[9]

Oates cast former Hollyoaks actor, Quinlan, in the role of Barton son, Pete.

Oates' first major casting was Michael Parr as Ross Barton, the nephew of Moira Barton (Natalie J. Robb),^[10] who went on to become popular with fans of the show.^[11] The expansion of the Barton family continued throughout autumn 2013, with the arrival of Moira's brother-in-law James Barton (Bill Ward), and his children Pete Barton (Anthony Quinlan) and Finn Barton (Joe Gill).^[12] The mother of Pete, Ross and Finn, Emma Barton was introduced over a year later, with Gillian Kearney cast in the role. Oates rejuvenated the Home Farm family in October 2014 following the exit of the Macey family, introducing the White family - patriarch Lawrence White (John Bowe), his daughter Chrissie White (Louise Marwood) and her son Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson) - and reintroducing Robert Sugden as Chrissie's fiancée, with the role recast to Ryan Hawley.^[13] Other major characters introduced by Oates include father-son duo, Rakesh^[14] and Kirin Kotecha^[15] (Pasha Bocarie and Adam Fielding), vicar Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow Blyton),^[16] "chaotic" Tracy Shankley (Amy Walsh),^[17] "good-natured" Tess Harris (Nicola Stephenson),^[18] and her husband, Pierce Harris (Jonathan Wrather).^[19] Oates also reintroduced several characters who had previously featured in the show, including Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi),^[20] Steph Stokes (Lorraine Chase),^[21] Donna Windsor (Verity Rushworth),^[22] Aaron Livesy,^[23] Douglas Potts (Duncan Preston),^[24] Paul Lambert (Matthew Bose),^[25] and Nikhil Sharma (Rik Makarem).^[26] The characters of Robert Sugden, Carly Hope,^[27] and Gordon Livesy^[28] were also reintroduced, but the roles were recast to Ryan Hawley, Gemma Atkinson and Gary Mavers respectively.

Oates has also been responsible for some of the show's most publicised storylines including Donna Windsor's terminal illness, which was described as "heart-wrenching",^[29] Val Pollard's (Charlie Hardwick) HIV, Alan Turner's (Richard Thorp) funeral, a special week of episodes which saw Declan Macey (Jason Merrells) try to kill his wife Charity Macey (Emma Atkins), the relationship between Robert Sugden and Aaron Livesy (more commonly known as "RobRon"), which received positive reviews and a fan following,^[30] Lachlan White sexually assaulting Alicia Gallagher, Laurel Potts' alcoholism, which was described as gritty,^[31] the 'Who Shot Robert Sugden?' storyline, which culminated in a rewind episode, Ashley Thomas' vascular dementia, Aaron Livesy revealing he was sexually abused by his father as a child, which was described as "tear-jerking",^[32] and a week of episodes, entitled 'Summer Fate', which saw a helicopter crash into the village hall and kill Ruby Haswell (Alicya Eyo) and Val Pollard. 'Summer Fate' was met with positive reviews and saw ratings reach 6.6 million viewers,^[33][34] whilst the week also saw the supposed death of Ross Barton, causing an outrage with fans and a petition for his return received 9,147 signatures.^[35] However, the popular character did return weeks later, with the show announcing it was always part of the storyline to see Ross return.^[36]

It was announced on 18 September 2015 that Oates would be leaving Emmerdale, with Hollyoaks producer Iain MacLeod replacing Oates. Speaking of her time on the show, Oates said: "Emmerdale is an exceptional programme and I've thoroughly enjoyed working with the cast, writers and crew. They are some of the absolute best in the business and it's been a privilege to work with such dedicated, hard-working and creative people, and make some life-long friends in the process."^[37] Reflecting on Oates' time at Emmerdale, John Whitson commented, "Everywhere you go these days everyone is talking about Emmerdale. Kate Oates has been responsible for the show’s on-going resurgence. She has that rare combination, a sharp editorial eye for a compelling story together with deep understanding of what drives characters caught up in such drama. As a result, under her leadership, Emmerdale has reached new heights and importantly, new audiences. Kate has done this without sacrificing either the credibility or the humour for which Emmerdale has always been renowned."^[37] Oates left the show in December 2015, with her final Emmerdale episode set to air in March 2016.

Coronation Street

Having left Emmerdale in mid-2012, Oates joined longest-airing soap opera, Coronation Street as the assistant producer. The show's executive producer Kieran Roberts said that Oates had a "huge impact" whilst the assistant producer of the show.^[37] Oates first episode as assistant producer aired on 10 September 2012. However, Oates only stayed with the show for a few months as she returned to Emmerdale in January 2013 and her final episode as assistant producer aired on 15 March 2013.

It was announced on 18 September 2015 that Oates would be replacing Stuart Blackburn as the series producer of Coronation Street in early 2016. Oates expressed her "delight" at becoming the show's new producer, describing the move from Emmerdale to Coronation Street as "exciting" and revealed she felt "blessed" to do so.^[37] Oates also mentioned that despite Emmerdale "meaning the world" to her, Coronation Street "has a special place in her heart".^[37] ITV creative director of soaps, John Whiston, described Oates as the "ideal person to take Corrie on to its next phase",^[37] whilst Blackburn wished Oates "well in her role as she takes on one of the best jobs in television."^[37] Roberts spoke of Oates' appointment, "Finding a successor to Stuart was never going to be easy but in Kate Oates I believe we have the ideal next producer. After the terrific job she has done on Emmerdale I know she has all the qualities to be a big success as producer of Coronation Street."^[37] Mark Jefferies of Daily Mirror called Oates the "Coronation Street saviour".^[1]

References

1. Jefferies, Mark (19 September 2015). "Coronation Street saviour Kate Oates is a fearless soap boss not afraid to axe the deadwood". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
2. Kilkelly, Daniel (15 October 2012). "'Emmerdale': Kate Oates named new producer". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
3. "ITV drops Crossroads". BBC News. 10 March 2003.
4. Oates, Kate (6 October 2014). "Emmerdale boss: Let's make soaps get real again". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
5. "Kate Oates unveiled as new Emmerdale producer". stv.tv. STV. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
6. "Winners". The British Soap Awards.
7. Kilkelly, Daniel (14 June 2013). "Exclusive: 'Emmerdale' gossip and teasers from producer Kate Oates - part one". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
8. Brown, David (17 October 2013). "Emmerdale: Cameron Murray killed off in tense finale to the Woolpack siege". Radio Times. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
9. Kilkelly, Daniel; Dainty, Sophie (25 May 2014). "British Soap Awards 2014 - winners in full". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
10. Kilkelly, Daniel (24 October 2013). "'Emmerdale' unveils new regular Ross Barton in storyline twist". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
11. Agius, Nicola (27 December 2015). "Emmerdale Ross Barton actor Michael Parr hints he may leave following Charley Webb's exit". Daily Mirror. (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 14 February 2016.
12. "Casting news: Meet the Barton boys". itv.com. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
13. Kilkelly, Daniel (4 October 2014). "Emmerdale reveals new family for Home Farm". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
14. Rigby, Sam (11 June 2014). "Emmerdale: Pasha Bocarie joins cast as love interest for Priya". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
15. Kilkelly, Daniel (23 July 2014). "Emmerdale: Rakesh's teenage son to be Vanessa's new love interest". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
16. Klompus, Jack (31 October 2013). "'Emmerdale' casts new regular Katherine Dow Blyton". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
17. Kilkelly, Daniel (1 July 2014). "Emmerdale: Amy Walsh playing Sam Dingle's new girlfriend". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
18. Kilkelly, Daniel (20 August 2015). "Emmerdale casts ex-Brookside star Nicola Stephenson as village newcomer Tess". Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
19. Warner, Sam (10 January 2016). "Coronation Street actor Jonathan Wrather joins Emmerdale as Pierce Harris". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
20. Kilkelly, Daniel (25 December 2013). "Emmerdale: Roxy Shahidi on Leyla Harding's shock return". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
21. "Alan Turner Rest In Peace". itv.com. (ITV plc). 12 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
22. Brown, David (8 January 2014). "Emmerdale: Verity Rushworth to return as Marlon's ex-wife Donna". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
23. Kilkelly, Daniel (4 April 2014). "Emmerdale: Danny Miller returning as Aaron Livesy". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
24. Kilkelly, Daniel (30 July 2014). "Emmerdale: Duncan Preston to reprise Doug Potts role". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
25. "Emmerdale: Val Pollard's son Paul returning to show for a brief stint". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
26. "Emmerdale: Rik Makarem to return as Nikhil Sharma". Radio Times. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
27. "Emmerdale: Gemma Atkinson confirmed for Carly Hope role". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
28. Kilkelly, Daniel (7 November 2015). "Emmerdale to reintroduce Aaron Livesy's father Gordon as Gary Mavers takes over the role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
29. Lamacraft, Tess (3 August 2014). "Emmerdale week ahead: Donna’s heart-wrenching cancer storyline is about to get weepier". Daily Mirror. (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 19 February 2016.
30. "Emmerdale spoilers: see Robert and Aaron kiss in new trailer". Radio Times. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
31. Love, Ryan (12 June 2015). "Soap Spy: Laurel's Emmerdale journey to rock bottom has hit a turning point". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
32. Kilkelly, Daniel (3 February 2016). "Danny Miller's best performance yet? Emmerdale's Aaron reveals his tragic secret to Chas". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
33. Kilkelly, Daniel (6 August 2015). "UK TV ratings: Emmerdale brings in 6.6m as Ruby Haswell is killed off". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
34. Debnath, Neela (5 August 2015). "Emmerdale Disaster Week: Viewers praise helicopter crash at Debbie Dingle's wedding". The Express. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
35. Duncan, Amy (16 August 2015). "There’s a petition to bring Emmerdale bad boy Ross Barton back from the dead". Metro. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
36. Kilkelly, Daniel (25 August 2015). "Emmerdale's Michael Parr on shock return: 'Ross Barton will want revenge'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
37. Brown, David (18 September 2015). "Emmerdale boss Kate Oates appointed new Coronation Street producer". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 19 February 2016.

External links

• Kate Oates at the Internet Movie Database