2008 was Emmerdale's 37th year. Production was overseen by Kathleen Beedles until March when she handed her duties to Anita Turner.

Major storylines included Daniel Thomas' cot death and Laurel and Ashley Thomas discovering that he wasn't their child and had been swapped at birth, Viv Hope being framed and imprisoned for fraud, Jo Sugden's domestic abuse, Nicola De Souza repeatedly attempting to kill her husband Donald, Genesis Walker arriving to meet her family, the Dingles, and Jasmine Thomas killing Shane Doyle and being helped by Debbie Dingle to cover it up.