Bread

1986–1991 · Ended · 7 seasons · 74 episodes · Comedy · United Kingdom

Creator Carla Lane · Channel BBC One · Starring Jean Boht, Nick Conway, Jonathon Morris

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.
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Episodes

14 episodes · September 1989 – December 1989
  1. Episode 1: Episode 1September 10, 1989 · 30 min
    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.
  2. Episode 2: Episode 2September 17, 1989 · 30 min
    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.
  3. Episode 3: Episode 3September 24, 1989 · 30 min
    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.
  4. Episode 4: Episode 4October 1, 1989 · 30 min
    When Adrian helps Jack to recover his stolen piano, they come into conflict with Yizzel and his mate - once again. Lilo Lill has taken a job in service to be near Freddie, whilst Freddie has sold his flat in order to pay Joey's debt.
  5. Episode 5: Episode 5October 8, 1989 · 30 min
    Aveline is causing concern for everybody as she continues to believe in her phantom pregnancy. Adrian is concerned that Magdalena has not replied to his letter, Billy hears that Julie has a new lover and Jack goes for a job as a handyman at the 'big house'.
  6. Episode 6: Episode 6October 15, 1989 · 30 min
    Mongy, the family dog, has been accused of biting a little girl and the police are called in to investigate. Billy changes his image in order to make Julie jealous, Jack gets a bumper wage packet thanks to his eccentric boss and Oswald is being pressurized to have a fertility test.
Show 8 more episodes
  1. Episode 7: Episode 7October 22, 1989 · 30 min
    Aveline has good news about Oswald's sperm count, Adrian finally hears from Magdalena and Joey's loyalty to the family drives a bigger wedge between him and Roxy. Meanwhile, Shifty is in trouble with Yizzel and his mate over money, so he steals their car and heads for London - again!
  2. Episode 8: Episode 8October 29, 1989 · 30 min
  3. Episode 9: Episode 9November 5, 1989 · 30 min
  4. Episode 10: Episode 10November 12, 1989 · 30 min
  5. Episode 11: Episode 11November 19, 1989 · 30 min
  6. Episode 12: Episode 12November 26, 1989 · 30 min
  7. Episode 13: Episode 13December 3, 1989 · 30 min
  8. Episode 14: 14. A Quiet ChristmasDecember 25, 1989 · 30 min
    Christmas for the Boswells brings its usual mix of hilarity, sadness and surprises.

Images

Credits

Film and series details

EPISODE LENGTH
30 minutes
FIRST AIRED
May 1, 1986
LAST AIRED
November 3, 1991

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