An appeal has been launched to find the first episode of Welsh language soap Pobol y Cwm. 

The National Library of Wales has asked anyone who has footage from the early days of the series to get in touch before the show’s 50th anniversary in October.

Professor Jamie Medhurst from Aberystwyth University chairs the National Library’s broadcast archive academic panel.

He told an audience at the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd on Wednesday that the library does not have a copy of the first episode as “it wasn’t the norm to keep archive copies of material in the early days of TV broadcasting”.

“We’re asking anyone who could have a copy of those first episodes stored in the attic or the back of a cupboard to get in touch with us at the National Library,” he said.

The series made its debut on 16 October 1974 on BBC Wales before it moved to S4C when the channel was launched in 1982.

The original residents in the fictional village of Cwmderi were created by Gwenlyn Parry and John Hefin.

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BBC Wales, S4C and the National Library are also appealing for artefacts from the early years of the series.

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“Someone may have some artefacts or promotional material from the early days. It would be wonderful to see them and help build the collection as part of the broadcast archive,” Professor Medhurst added.

“The script of that very first episode is available in the archive and it’s incredible to read those first words which brought this series to life all those years ago.”

As part of the appeal launch, Professor Medhurst interviewed some of the show’s cast, including Lis Miles, who appeared in the first episode.

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