When the Boat Comes In

infobox television
show_name = When the Boat Comes In


caption =
format = Drama
runtime = 1 hour
creator = James Mitchell
starring = James Bolam
Susan Jameson
James Garbutt
Jean Heywood
country = UK
network = BBC
first_aired = 1976
last_aired = 1981
num_episodes = 51
imdb_id = 0074072

"When the Boat Comes In" is a British television drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.

The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War survivor who returns to his poverty stricken home town in the North East of England during the 1920s.

From 1964 to 1976 James Bolam had starred in another BBC series set on Tyneside, the television comedy "The Likely Lads" and its sequels.

The memorable traditional tune "Dance Ti Thy Daddy" was adapted by David Fanshawe for the title theme of the series. Fanshawe also composed the incidental music.

The first three series ran during 1976-77 and were very popular, although some thought it fell off slightly near the end. The BBC revived the series in 1981, and addressed the story of Jack Ford as he returned to Britain after a few years in the US. Whereas Seasons 1-3 addressed the story of Jack Ford's growth from returning war hero through Trades Union Representation and through entrepreneurism within the North East, particularly at a time of economic crises and the growth of fascism, Season 4 relocated the character to London. The series ended with Jack Ford, having volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War, losing his life.

DVD Release

All four series of "When the Boat Comes In" are available on DVD in the UK.

Further reading

*cite journal |first= Karen|last= McNally|year= 2007|title= The Geordie and the American Hero: Revisiting Classic Hollywood Masculinity in When the Boat Comes In |journal= Journal of British Cinema and Television|publisher= Edinburgh University Press|url= |volume= 4|issue= 1|pages=102|doi= 10.3366/JBCTV.2007.4.1.102

Links

*
* [http://www.zetaminor.com/cult/when_boat/when_boat_s1_v1.htm Season one episode guide]