When the Boat Comes In (1976–1981) Cast Then and Now | Classic BBC Drama

When the Boat Comes In was a BBC television drama series set in the north-east of England in the years following the First World War. Created by James Mitchell, the series explored political change, class conflict and social upheaval through the experiences of returning soldiers, working families and industrial communities. Renowned for its realism, strong writing and historical depth, the series became one of the BBC’s most acclaimed dramas of the late 1970s.

At the centre of the story was Jack Ford, a former soldier navigating post-war Britain, alongside a wide ensemble cast portraying family life, labour struggles and shifting social power during the interwar period.

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Main Cast
• James Bolam – Jack Ford
• James Garbutt – Bill Seaton
• Jean Heywood – Bella Seaton
• John Nightingale – Tom Seaton
• Edward Wilson – Billy Seaton
• Susan Jameson – Jessie Seaton
• Madelaine Newton – Dolly
• Malcolm Terris – Matt Headley

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Supporting Cast
• Basil Henson – Sir Horatio Manners
• Rosalind Bailey – Sarah Lytton
• Geoffrey Rose – Arthur Ashton
• Lois Baxter – Lady Caroline
• William Fox – Duke of Bedlington
• Catherine Terris – Miss Laidlaw
• Michelle Newell – Mary Seaton
• Isla Blair – Lady Caroline

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Guest and Recurring Cast
• Judy Loe – Tania Corley
• William Morgan Sheppard – Dixon
• Christopher Benjamin – Channing
• Martin Duncan – Roddy
• Bryan Pringle – Doughty
• Louie Ramsay – Violet Laurence
• Clive Merrison – Nigel Scott-Paliser
• Sabina Franklyn – Imogen Lorrimer
• David Daker – Chater
• Michael Melia – Savory
• Timothy Carlton – Edward Mostyn
• Mel Martin – Jane Martin
• Paul Antony-Barber – Bill Pierce
• Jeremy Child – Canon Penfold
• Simon Cadell – Philip Martin
• Phyllida Law – Lady Leamington
• George A. Cooper – Tommy Price
• Bill Dean – Stobbs
• Ray Mort – Manny Goldstein
• Tom Georgeson – Captain Moore
• Lesley-Anne Down – Jane Cromer
• Tony Doyle – Father Keenly
• John Woodvine – Les Mallow
• James Grout – Richard Harley Evans
• John Savident – Colfax
• Paul Darrow – Barford
• Richard Griffiths – P.C. Price
• John Ringham – Mr. Armstrong
• Tim Healy – Reilly


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