| Genre: | Soap opera |
| Starring: | Present cast |
| Theme Music Composer: | Endaf Emlyn[1] |
| Producer: | Llyr Morus |
| Language: | Welsh |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Num Episodes: | [2] |
| Location: | Broadcasting House, Llandaff (19742011) Roath Lock, Cardiff (2011present) |
| Runtime: | 20 minutes (excluding advertisements) |
| Company: | BBC Studios Continuing Drama Productions |
| Last Aired: | present |
| Related: | Rownd a Rownd |
Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley; in Welsh pronounced as /ˈpɔbɔl ə ˈkʊm/) is a Welsh-language soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974.[3] The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Cymru (now BBC One Wales) and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it opened in November 1982.[3]
The programme typically centres around the residents of Cwmderi – a fictional, Welsh speaking, agricultural community.
Apart from rugby and football specials, Pobol y Cwm is consistently one of the most watched programmes of the week on S4C,[4] and in 1994 was briefly shown across the whole of the United Kingdom on BBC Two with English subtitles.[5] starting 10 January 1994 with four episodes a week, one daily episode from Monday to Thursday[6] for about three months[7] and on an experimental basis.[8]
On 25 September 2019, the soap hit a significant broadcasting landmark when it aired its 8,000th episode.[9] In October 2024, the show will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The setting for the show is the fictional village of Cwmderi, located in Gwendraeth Valley, which is between Carmarthen and Llanelli in south-west Wales. Whilst much of the show's early activity took place at a nursing home, storylines are currently centred on the village pub, Y Deri,[10] and its adjacent small businesses and houses. Other frequent settings for storylines include the comprehensive school, Ysgol y Mynach, and a local farm, Penrhewl. There are two other fictional villages close to Cwmderi, named Llanarthur and Cwrtmynach.
Originally filmed at Broadcasting House, Cardiff, since 2011 the programme has been filmed at the BBC's drama studios at Roath Lock in Cardiff Bay, other than a few on-location shoots around Cardiff. The exterior outdoor high street of Cwmderi was recreated from scratch, while many interiors are shot inside the Roath Lock Studios.
Three episodes are produced each week, broadcast at 8pm between Tuesdays and Thursdays, a reduction from a fifth episode in 2019, and a reduction from a fourth episode in 2021. In addition, a weekly omnibus with in-vision English subtitles airs on Sunday evenings.
On 18 March 2020 it was announced that filming would be suspended in the light of the spread of COVID-19 until further notice. The number of episodes being broadcast would be also be reduced to two per week "so that we can ensure the audience can continue to enjoy Pobol y Cwm in their homes for as long as possible." The episodes were shown on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the usual time slot.[11] In June 2020, it was announced that Pobol y Cwm would go on a transmission break following the broadcast on 16 June 2020. A behind-the-scenes show, Pobol y Cwm: Y Cymeriadau, aired in the show's place during the transmission break. Every episode featured an exclusive interview with the show's cast, with 12 episodes being shown. The soap also aired a repeat of "iconic" episodes from the past.
Five months later, it was confirmed that there were plans for a return to production. When production recommenced, social distancing measures were utilised and the cast were required to do their own hair and make-up, which is normally done by a make-up artist.[12] Filming recommenced on 10 August 2020, with new episodes airing twice a week from 8 September 2020, increasing to four in January 2021.
For a brief period in 1992, the series was broadcast at a 7pm slot on Nederland 3, under the title De vallei (The Valley).[13] The British producers commissioned a promotional tape featuring facets of Welsh culture, preceding the first episode broadcast by the channel on 11 August 1992.[14]