Pobol y Cwm

Pobol y Cwm
Format	Soap opera
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Running time	19 Mins 45 Secs (Approx) without adverts
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC Wales (1974-1982) S4C (since 1982)
Original run	16 October 1974 – present
External links
Website

Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley) is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974.^[1] The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it opened in November 1982.^[1]

Rugby specials apart, Pobol y Cwm is consistently the most watched programme of the week on S4C,^[2] and in 1994 was briefly shown in the rest of the UK on BBC2 with English subtitles.^[3] Five episodes are produced each week, normally broadcast at 20.00 every weeknight, with a repeat (subtitled in English) shown on the following weekday evening at 18.00. An omnibus edition (also subtitled) is shown on Sunday afternoons.

Setting

The setting for the show in the fictional village of Cwmderi, located in south-west Wales in an area lying somewhere between Carmarthen and Llanelli, although little effort is made to ensure that all the cast speak with Carmarthenshire accents – indeed, the fact that there are "incomers" from other Welsh-speaking parts of Wales in the village is one of the programme's features. Most of the village activity centres on the pub, Y Deri,^[4] and its adjacent small businesses and houses. Other frequent settings for storylines include the comprehensive school, Ysgol y Mynach, and a local farm, Penrhewl. The village is to be found in the heart of the Gwendraeth Valley. There are two other imaginary villages close to Cwmderi, namely Llanarthur and Cwrt Mynach.

While most of the cast are largely unknown to the English-speaking world, Ioan Gruffudd – who later became an international film star – played the part of Gareth Wyn Harries between 1987 and 1994. Other well-known faces who have appeared include Rachel Thomas, Huw Garmon, Gillian Elisa, Ieuan Rhys, Aneirin Hughes, and Gwenno Saunders (of The Pipettes). In October 2006, Imogen Thomas made a cameo appearance.

Gareth Lewis (who plays pub landlord Meic Pierce) is the seventh longest-serving actor in a continuous role in British television soap history, while Gwyn Elfyn has played the part of village shopkeeper Denzil Rees continuously since 1984, making him the tenth longest-serving actor still appearing in a United Kingdom soap opera role.^[5][6]

Current cast members

• Llinor ap Gwynedd : Gwyneth Jones
• Rhys Bidder : Macs White
• Nia Caron : Anita Pierce
• Jeremi Cockram : Siôn White
• Sera Cracroft : Eileen Markham
• Aled Davies : Rhys Llywelyn
• Arwel Davies : Eifion Rowlands
• Arwyn Davies : Mark Jones
• Donna Edwards : Britt Monk
• Bethan Ellis Owen : Ffion Llywelyn
• Gwyn Elfyn : Denzil Rees
• Marged Esli : Nansi Furlong
• Mark Flanagan : Huw "Jinx" Jenkins
• Alex Harries : Scott Lewis
• Elin Harries : Dani Thomas
• Rhys Hartley : Huw White
• Justin Jones : Ieuan Griffiths
• Mirain Alaw Jones : Lois Evans
• Gareth Lewis : Meic Pierce
• Richard Lynch : Garry Monk
• Nicholas McGaughey : Brandon Monk
• Caryl Morgan : Izzy Evans
• Jonathan Nefydd : Colin Evans
• Victoria Plucknett : Diane Ashurst
• Catrin Powell : Cathryn "Cadno" Richards
• Maria Pride : Debbie Collins
• Dyfan Rees : Iolo White
• Iwan Roberts : Kevin Powell
• Sharon Roberts : Gaynor Evans
• Tonya Smith : Yvonne Evans
• Andrew Teilo : Hywel Llywelyn
• Emily Tucker : Sioned Rees
• Lisa Victoria : Sheryl Hughes
• Simon Watts : Gethin Thomas
• Tomos West : Ricky Jones
• Buddug Williams : Marian Rees ("Anti Marian")
• Siôn Ifan Williams : Liam Collins
• Emyr Wyn : Dai Ashurst
• Darren Borst : "Dafyd Ap Bleddyn"

Former or occasional cast members

• Rhys ap Hywel : Jason Francis
• Rhys ap William : Cai Rossiter
• Heledd Baskerville : Lucy Steadman
• Emyr Bell : D.I. Gwyn Lewis
• Geraint Benney : Geraint
• Eirlys Britton : Beth James
• Ieuan Rhys : Sgt Glyn James
• Huw Ceredig : Reg Harris
• Glan Davies : Clem
• Huw Euron : Darren Howarth
• Gillian Elisa : Sabrina Ashurst
• Hywel Emrys : Derek Jones
• Huw Garmon - Steffan Humphries
• Ioan Gruffudd : Gareth Wyn Harries
• John Harries : Jon y Post
• Phylip Harries : Ken Coslett
• Brian Hibbard : Johnny Mac
• Siw Hughes : Kathleen Pearl Jones
• Kate Jarman : Erin Medi Hughes
• Harriet Lewis : Maggie Mathias
• Marc Llewellyn : Rhodri Lewis
• Catrin Mara : Nesta Roberts
• Grug Maria : Julie Hughes
• Elen Morgan : Lydia Lewis
• Paul Morgans : Dwayne Richards
• Dewi Pws Morris : Wayne Harris
• Lisa Palfrey : Rhiannedd Frost
• Lauren Phillips : Kelly Evans
• Shelley Rees : Stacey Jones
• Iwan Rheon : Macs White
• Rosalind Richards : Kim
• Gwynfor Roberts : Gwynfor
• Helen Rosser Davies : Sara Francis
• Cadfan Roberts : Glan Morris
• Mared Swain : Carys Jenkins
• Ed Thomas : Dr Gareth
• Rachel Thomas : Bella Davies
• Charles Williams : Harri Parri
• Gari Williams : Edgar Sutton
• Owen Williams : Mathew Price

Characters

Main article: List of Pobol y Cwm characters

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Davies, John; Jenkins, Nigel; Menna, Baines et al., eds (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 688. ISBN 9780708319536. 
2. ^ S4C viewing figures
3. ^ The series could occasionally also be seen in England during regional optout slots on BBC1 in the mid to late 1970s.
4. ^ Outdoor filming for the pub used to take place at The Sportsman's Rest in Peterston-super-Ely.
5. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/pobolycwm/sites/characters/pages/denzil_rees.shtml
6. ^ http://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/5034794.Pobol_y_Cwm_returns_to_Gwendraeth_roots/

External links

• Pobol y Cwm at BBC Online
• Pobol y Cwm at the Internet Movie Database