Series synopsis
Bread is a British comedy television series that premiered on BBC One on May 1, 1986. It ended on November 3, 1991. It was created by Carla Lane. It stars Peter Howitt, Jean Boht, Bryan Murray and Graham Bickley.
Bread is a British television sitcom, written by Carla Lane, produced by the BBC and screened on BBC1 from 1 May 1986 to 3 November 1991.
The series focused on the devoutly-Catholic and extended Boswell family of Liverpool, in the district of Dingle, led by its matriarch Nellie through a number of ups and downs as they tried to make their way through life in Thatcher's Britain with no visible means of support. The street shown at the start of each programme is Elswick Street. A family called Bo ...
Premise
Bread is a British television sitcom, written by Carla Lane, produced by the BBC and screened on BBC1 from 1 May 1986 to 3 November 1991.
The series focused on the devoutly-Catholic and extended Boswell family of Liverpool, in the district of Dingle, led by its matriarch Nellie through a number of ups and downs as they tried to make their way through life in Thatcher's Britain with no visible means of support. The street shown at the start of each programme is Elswick Street. A family called Boswell had also featured in Lane's earlier sitcom The Liver Birds and Lane admitted in interviews that the two families were probably related.
Nellie's feckless and estranged husband, Freddie, left her for another woman known as 'Lilo Lill'. Her children Joey, Jack, Adrian, Aveline and Billy continued to live in the family home in Kelsall Street and contributed money to the central family fund, largely through benefit fraud and the sale of stolen goods.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Peter Howitt as Joey Boswell
- Jean Boht as Nellie Boswell
- Bryan Murray as Shifty Boswell
- Graham Bickley as Joey Boswell
- Nick Conway as Billy Boswell
- Jonathon Morris as Adrian Boswell
- Deborah Grant as Leonora Campbell
- Kenneth Waller as Grandad
Supporting cast
- Melanie Hill as Aveline Boswell
- Caroline Milmoe as Julie Jefferson
- Gilly Coman as Aveline Boswell
- Victor McGuire as Jack Boswell
- Ronald Forfar as Freddie Boswell
- Jenny Jay as Carmen
- Hilary Crowson as Julie
- Giles Watling as Oswald
- Pamela Power as Martina
- David Williams as Farmer Jackson
- Eddie Ross as Mr. Kelly
- Ben Davis as Boy
Guest cast
- Pamela Power as Martina
- David Williams as Farmer Jackson
- Eddie Ross as Mr. Kelly
- Ben Davis as Boy
- Josie Kidd as DHSS Claimant
- Janet Davies as DHSS Claimant
- Pamela Sholto as May
- Barbara New as May's Neighbour
- Barry McCarthy as RSPCA Warden
- Ishia Bennison as DHSS Clerk
- Pauline Chamberlain as DHSS Clerk
- J.G. Devlin as Father Dooley
Episodes
This series spans 7 seasons with 74 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | May 1, 1986 | June 5, 1986 |
| Season 2 | 6 | January 8, 1987 | February 12, 1987 |
| Season 3 | 13 | September 6, 1987 | November 29, 1987 |
| Season 4 | 14 | September 18, 1988 | December 25, 1988 |
| Season 5 | 14 | September 10, 1989 | December 25, 1989 |
| Season 6 | 11 | September 9, 1990 | December 25, 1990 |
| Season 7 | 10 | September 1, 1991 | November 3, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 The family talks about their dreams and what they hope to achieve in the future. Over breakfast discussions develop about working and what the individual members of the Boswell family do. None appear to have any sort of regular income except Adrian who is in real estate. |
May 1, 1986 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Billy buys a ring for Julie, but later learns that opals are bad luck and is told to get rid of it. |
May 8, 1986 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Freddie Boswell makes a return to his family home. He gets a cool reception from his wife and children. |
May 15, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Adrian has found a girlfriend, Carmen. Jack gets hijacked by a couple of punks who need a lift to Manchester. |
January 8, 1987 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Julie goes into labor earlier than expected and Joey has to come to Billy's rescue. |
January 15, 1987 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Jack and Adrian witness a burglary, then find themselves pursued by the perpetrators. |
January 22, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Aveline has been mugged and the Boswell boys make a mass protest at the police station. Billy, meanwhile, has to break the news to his mother that his baby is to be christened in a Protestant church! |
September 6, 1987 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Joey suspects that he's found his dog that went missing some years back, and Grandad proves to be as shrewd in negotiation as any of them. |
September 13, 1987 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Freddie loses a valuable ring at a party. Jack, who found it and tried to pawn it, is filled with remorse. Meanwhile, Adrian has gone through a personality change and insists on being called Jimmy! |
September 20, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Jack has left home to go to America for a while and Nellie is missing him greatly. Cousin Shifty is coming out of prison and heading for the Boswell home, and Aveline is engaged to a protestant vicar who none of the family have met. |
September 18, 1988 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Aveline brings Oswald home and he finds a family in chaos when they all show him their true colours. Adrian is accepted as a male model after a less than impressive interview and Shifty is back to his old ways. |
September 25, 1988 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Freddie's visit to the doctor has left him unsure of his future, but only Joey notices that his father is suffering from a serious heart complaint. Celia Higgins arrives in the street but finds getting access to her new home a challenge thanks to the Boswell's fleet of battered vehicles. |
October 2, 1988 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 Adrian becomes a hero by accident and, despite warnings, starts to embellish his role in the proceedings. Billy is troubled by his forthcoming divorce, Joey gets a worrying letter from the Inland Revenue and Aveline has a check up after failing to become pregnant. |
September 10, 1989 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 Joey visits the taxman to plead his case but his words fall on deaf ears, Aveline suggests to Oswald that he should have a sperm count and Billy attends court to get his divorce. But all troubles are briefly forgotten when the family go to the airport to meet Jack who has returned home from America. |
September 17, 1989 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Jack soon gets back into the swing of buying and selling but the piano he buys causes more trouble than it is worth. Joey tells his mother about his debt and the family agree to pull together to help him. Meanwhile, Aveline is making every effort to get pregnant and creating problems for Oswald. |
September 24, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 601 When Leonora arrives to take up residence in Billy's former home, Jack and Adrian are besotted but Billy is horrified as Julie neglected to tell him she was moving. Shifty returns full of apologies and gets a final chance from the family. To add to an eventful 24 hours, their pet dog Mongi has died and the family buries its ashes - then Aveline is rushed to hospital as she is about to give birth. |
September 9, 1990 |
| 2 |
Episode 602 A double celebration for the Boswells when Aveline brings her baby home in style and Leonora offers Adrian a job as her chauffeur - even though it is Jack she is interested in. Lilo Lill returns to put another spanner in the Boswell works, just as Joey sets his dad up in business. |
September 16, 1990 |
| 3 |
Episode 603 To everyone's amazement Shifty has got a job as a bus driver, while Jack and Leonora's relationship is growing ever stronger. Lilo Lill confides in Freddie that she is suffering an incurable illness and hasn't got long to live! |
September 23, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 701 | September 1, 1991 |
| 2 | Episode 702 | September 8, 1991 |
| 3 | Episode 703 | September 15, 1991 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | May 1, 1986 |
| Last aired | November 3, 1991 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday at 20:00:00 |