Directing series about deserted Emmerdale (8)
I believe the answer is:
steering
'directing' is the definition.
(steering is a kind of directing)
'series about deserted emmerdale' is the wordplay.
'series' becomes 'string' (sequence of similar items or events).
'about' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'deserted' means to remove the middle letters.
'emmerdale' with its centre taken out is 'ee'.
'string' going around 'ee' is 'STEERING'.
(Other definitions for steering that I've seen before include "-- Committee; -- wheel" , "Con's activity" , "Guiding and directing, say a car" , "Controlling the direction" , "Guiding, directing the course" .)