Emmerdale new production team headed by executive producer Keith Richardson was brought in and the show's focus moved to the nearby village of Beckindale, with more dramatic storylines such as Pat Sugden's 1986 car crash and the 1988 Crossgill fire. By 1988, the show had been moved to an evening time slot in all ITV regions. "Emmerdale Farm" also began broadcasting episodes year-round that year. Reflecting its change in focus, the title was changed to "Emmerdale" on 14 November 1989. Coinciding with the title change was the introduction of the wealthy Tate family, bringing with them racier storylines. Under Richardson, the
Emmerdale Reckitt Benckiser took over until 2009, advertising Calgon, Air Wick, Veet, and Lemsip. Tombola Bingo underwrote the show from November 2009 to March 2012, followed by Bet365 Bingo until March 2014. McCain Foods began a two-year, £8 million sponsorship on 7 April 2014. An average "Emmerdale" episode generally attracts 6–8 million viewers, making it one of Britain's most popular television programmes. During the 1990s, the series had an average of 10–11 million viewers per episode. On 30 December 1993, "Emmerdale" had its largest-ever audience of 18 million when a plane crashed into the village. On 27 May 1997, 13 million