When the Boat Comes In is a British television period drama produced by the BBC between 8 January 1976 and 21 April 1981. Across the whole series, events are set in the time period from 1919 to 1937. The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken (fictional) town of Gallowshield in the North East of England. The series dramatises the interwar political struggles of the 1920s and 1930s and explores the impact of national and international politics upon Ford and the people around him.
Storyline
The story begins in 1919 with Sergeant Jack Ford proudly still wearing his British Army uniform in his hometown and reintegrating with the local community, finding attitudes have changed since 1914. Sgt Ford has to tactfully steer conversations away from the horrors of the trenches and lend an ear to his traumatised fellow soldiers.
Production The majority of episodes were written by creator James Mitchell, but in series 1 north-eastern writers Tom Hadaway, Sid Chaplin and Alex Glasgow contributed episodes, and in series 3 Jeremy Burnham and Colin Morris shared writing duties with Mitchell. Mitchell also wrote three tie-in books to the TV show: When the Boat Comes In, When the Boat Comes In: The Hungry Years and When the Boat Comes In: Upwards and Onwards. The final book brings the reader up to date with the end of the second series of the TV show.
Series 1 of When the Boat Comes In was produced by Leonard Lewis, Series 2 and 3 were produced by Andrew Osborn, and Series 4 was produced by David Maloney.
The traditional tune "When the Boat Comes In" was adapted by David Fanshawe and sung by Alex Glasgow for the title theme of the series. Fanshawe also composed the incidental music. The BBC revived the series in 1981, with the fourth series telling the story of Jack Ford as he returns to Britain penniless after six years spent bootlegging in the United States and follows him as he sets up in London.
Series Series 1: 8 January to 1 April 1976 (13 × 50-minute episodes) Series 2: 29 October 1976 to 4 February 1977 (13 × 50-minute episodes) Series 3: 8 September to 15 December 1977 (15 × 50-minute episodes) Series 4: 17 February to 21 April 1981 (10 × 50-minute episodes)
Cast Regular James Bolam as Jack Ford (48 episodes; all series) James Garbutt as Bill Seaton (39 episodes; series 1–3) Jean Heywood as Bella Seaton (39 episodes; series 1–3) John Nightingale as Tom Seaton (39 episodes; series 1–3) Edward Wilson as Billy Seaton (35 episodes; all series) Malcolm Terris as Matt Headley (34 episodes; series 1–3) Susan Jameson as Jessie Seaton/Ashton (30 episodes; all series). Jameson is Bolam's wife off screen. Madelaine Newton as Dolly Mather/Ford/Seaton (30 episodes; series 1–3) Basil Henson as Sir Horatio Manners (25 episodes; series 1–3) Geoffrey Rose as Arthur Ashton (18 episodes; series 1–3) William Fox as the Duke of Bedlington (13 episodes; series 2–3) Isla Blair (5 episodes, series 2) and Lois Baxter as Lady Caroline (15 episodes, series 3–4) Rosalind Bailey as Sarah Lytton/Headley (24 episodes; series 2–4)
Supporting Michelle Newell as Mary Seaton (6 episodes; series 1) Noel O'Connell as Young Tommy (6 episodes; series 2–3) Catherine Terris as Miss Laidlaw (7 episodes; series 2–3) Vernon Drake as hotel porter (7 episodes; series 2–3) Roger Avon as Stan Liddell (5 episodes; series 2–4) Ian Cullen as Geordie Watson (4 episodes; series 2–4) Bobby Pattinson as Eddy Morton (4 episodes; series 2–3)
Episodes Series One (1976) Title Airdate Overview8 January 1976In 1919 Sergeant Jack Ford returns to Gallowshield on discharge leave from the army. He meets Jessie Seaton, a schoolteacher, her brother Tom and his fiancée Mary. Later, Jack meets Jessie's brother, Billy a medical student and her parents – Bill, a miner, and Bella. Will Scrimgour, a shell-shocked ex-soldier, beats a child who was tormenting him. He is arrested and committed for trial despite Jack's evidence about his condition. The magistrate, Major Pinner, who is standing for election as a Liberal, is bitter that he never won a medal. Pinner wins the election, but Jack humiliates him by arranging for local veterans to throw their own medals at him. Featuring James Bate as Will Scrimgour, Roger Hammond as Pinner, Jeffry Wickham as Dr. Lang, Richard Griffiths as P.C. Price, Alec Sabin as Defence.# 2: Say Hello...... Say Tirra 15 January 1976Bella takes in Harry, a young boy whose mother has died. Harry steals 10 shillings from a fruit seller. Father Keenley, a local priest, arranges for the boy to be sent on an emigration scheme to Australia; Bella reluctantly agrees. Written by Tom Hadaway; featuring Tony Doyle as Father Keenley, Jeremy Watkin as Harry, Roger Avon as Chairman.# 3: Fish in Woolly Jumpers22 January 1976Times are hard as the miners strike. Jack, who is now engaged to Jessie, still has money. Tom is desperate for money because Mary is suffering from tuberculosis. He borrows from Jack. Jack sleeps with Dolly, the widowed sister of his war comrade, Matt Headley. Tom threatens to expose him unless he can join Jack's sheep-rustling gang. Jack agrees. Tom is almost caught, but Jack knocks out the policeman. Against Jack's expectations, Jessie condones his activities.# 4: Swords and Pick Handles29 January 1976Jack visits Sir Horatio Manners, father of his late commanding officer and gives him a present of a sword. Manners offers him a job. Tom is scabbing to get money for Mary. Jack saves him from a beating. Tom then turns to theft.# 5: Coal Comfort5 February 1976As the strike continues, Bill works out that an abandoned coal seam runs under his house and digs for coal in the front room. Tom pursues two children who have stolen leeks from his allotment but takes pity on them when he discovers that their mother is a war widow with no pension. Written by Alex Glasgow.# 6: Empire Day on the Slag Heap 12 February 1976The strike ends with no concessions won by the miners. Jessie's headmaster, Arthur Ashton, proposes to her. Matt tells Jack that Dolly is pregnant and he agrees to marry her. Bill is crippled in an accident at the pit. Jack prevents the mine owner from defrauding him of proper compensation. Jack tells Jessie that he has to marry Dolly. After he leaves, she breaks down in tears.# 7: A First Time for Everything19 February 1976Bella turns the front of the house into a shop using Bill's compensation. Bill, who uses a wheelchair, is initially hostile to the plan. Jessie is impressed by the talent and intelligence of fourteen-year-old pupil Ronnie Fairburn, and tries to dissuade him from working in the mines, but his widowed mother needs the money and Ronnie wants to become a man. He is killed on his first day in the pit. Jessie gets engaged to Arthur and Jack marries Dolly at the Register Office. Written by Alex Glasgow; featuring Tony Nelson as Ronnie, André Maranne as Pierre, Roy Pattison as Deputy.# 8: Paddy Boyle's Discharge26 February 1976Mary has died. Jack meets an old comrade, Sid Hepburn, who is still in the army. Hepburn is with the Black and Tans in Ireland on very good pay. Hepburn and his colleague, Harry Bartram take Jack to see Captain Leslie who tries to recruit him. Paddy Boyle, an Irish member of Jack's sheep-stealing gang, is a member of Sinn Féin. Hepburn and Bartram are shot by Paddy and his Sinn Féin boss, Michael Lynch. Despite a warning cry from Jack, Paddy and Lynch are shot by Captain Leslie. Featuring Ralph Watson as Paddy Boyle, George Irving as Sid Hepburn, Terrence Hardiman as Captain Leslie, Patrick Durkin as Bartram, Eamonn Boyce as Lynch, Gordon Faith as Barman.# 9: Angel on Horseback 4 March 1976Tom falls for a nurse, Rosie Trotter. Just before he dies, Bella's uncle Mick Murphy places a bet in Bella's name with his nephew, Ralph, a bookie's runner. Mick's funeral is well-attended, but the winning bet was never placed because Ralph was arrested. Written by Sid Chaplin; featuring J. G. Devlin as Mick Murphy, Judy Lamb as Rosie Trotter, John White as Ralph Murphy, Patrick Newell as the Undertaker.# 10: King for a Day11 March 1976Jack agreed to help Manners buy a house from Lord Calderbeck by acting as front man. At Calderbeck's house, he meets his nephew Freddy who wants to marry Jane Cromer, a wealthy young widow. Jane sleeps with Jack, but eventually decides to marry Freddy. Billy, who is working on a nearby farm, helps Jack obtain inside information, and Jack negotiates a good deal with Freddy and a large commission from Manners. He learns that Dolly has had a miscarriage. Featuring Lesley-Anne Down as Jane Cromer, John D. Collins as Freddy Calderbeck, John Lee as Major Rupert Routledge, Edward Dentith as Doctor.# 11: Happy New Year, Some Say 18 March 1976Jack is looking after Glaswegian socialist lecturer Sandy Lewis, who is speaking at the Co-Op Hall. There is also a Tory meeting at the George Hotel, and Tom avoids capture having stolen from the cloakroom. Billy takes Bill to a New Year's party at Jessie's against his will. Jack turns up with Sandy who needs somewhere to stay the night. Bill is summonsed for keeping the shop open too late. He suspects a rival shopkeeper of reporting him, and Sandy throws a brick through his window. Written by Alex Glasgow; featuring Bill Simpson as Sandy Lewis, Shay Gorman as Mr. Gibson.# 12: Heads You Win, Tails I Lose25 March 1976Tom is threatened by two local ruffians from whom he has won money. Jessie tries to persuade widow Lizzie Armstrong to let her son, Robert, take up a grammar school scholarship, but Lizzie needs him to leave school to earn money. Matt proposes to Lizzie who refuses him. Jack helps Tom take on the ruffians, who are then humiliated by a 'tin-panning' by local women arranged by Lizzie. Written by Sid Chaplin; featuring Val McLane as Lizzie Armstrong, Peter Thornton as Dickie Edgar.# 13: Kind Hearted Rat with a Lifebelt1 April 1976Les Mallow, the local branch chairman, asks Jack to help him become district secretary of the fitters union. Jack refuses. He then persuades the branch to vote against a strike and to provide financial help to Mrs Downey, the widow of a union member. Tom is awaiting trial for theft. Widow Downey – who informed on Tom – is evicted. Jack helps her recover her furniture by breaking into her flat. He then lets himself be arrested. Both he and Tom are sent to Durham jail. A month later, Jack is released to a hero's welcome. As planned, he is now favourite to beat Mallow in the election for district secretary, a post with a salary of £400 a year. Featuring John Woodvine as Les Mallow, Pamela Ruddock as Mrs Downey.
Series Two (1976–77) Title Airdate Overview29 October 1976Jack is now the district secretary of the fitters union, and he appoints Matt as his deputy. Les Mallow still wants Jack's job and reveals that his predecessor had agreed to ask for a two-pence an hour pay increase. Jack discovers that the plan was to settle for a penny. Mallow says that Jack must deliver this to keep his job beyond the probationary period. Jack persuades Sir Horatio Manners, now chairman of the large Lewis Bishop shipyard, to concede the extra penny to keep him rather than Mallow as union secretary. But Jack is now in Manners' debt. Written by James Mitchell: featuring Alan Browning as Les Mallow, Noel Collins as Baines.# 2: Tram Ride to the Bluebell 5 November 1976Jack, Dolly and Matt move to their posh new house in Lavender Avenue. Dolly wants to adopt a child, and is distraught to find that Jack's prison record will prevent this. Tom, now helping in the shop, is threatened by Big Mac, whom he and Jack had exposed as a tobacco baron when they were in prison. Jack and Matt beat up Mac and his friends. Written by James Mitchell: featuring Roddy McMillan as Big Mac.# 3: A Pillowful of Buttercups