When the Boat Comes In is a British television period drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 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.

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 of America, and follows him as he sets up in London.

Series

Cast

Regular

Supporting

Episodes

Series One (1976)

Series Two (1976–77)

Series Three (1977)

Series Four (1981)

DVD releases

All four series are available on DVD in the UK.