Original title
Bread
Released
5/1/1986
Origin country
GB
Genre
Comedy
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
7
Number of episodes
74
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.
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.
Billy buys a ring for Julie, but later learns that opals are bad luck and is told to get rid of it.
Freddie Boswell makes a return to his family home. He gets a cool reception from his wife and children.
A photographer suggests Aveline should pose topless and wishes he hadn't. Jack makes an unsuccessful entry into the art world.
Freddie's sea-faring brother has died and the Boswells decide to arrange a burial at sea.
Billy finds out that he is to become a father, Joey learns of his dad's gambling debt, Adrian is made redundant, Aveline's nude pictures are published and Jack buries a stolen candlestick in his Grandma's grave.
Adrian has found a girlfriend, Carmen. Jack gets hijacked by a couple of punks who need a lift to Manchester.
Julie goes into labor earlier than expected and Joey has to come to Billy's rescue.
Jack and Adrian witness a burglary, then find themselves pursued by the perpetrators.
Things are looking up for Billy when he starts making money on his sandwich round. Unfortunately, his sudden realization that money can come out of a hole in the wall, is spoilt when it is stolen out of his hand.
Billy is distraught when Julie takes the baby and heads to London to stay with friends, and Freddie Boswell comes home to stay.
The Boswell's pet dog, Mongy, is not well and the family rally round to make sure he has every comfort. Meanwhile, Julie has returned from London.
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!
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.
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!
Lilo Lill pays a visit to the Boswell home and indulges in an all out war with Nellie on the doorstep. Roxy has returned into Joey's life and Adrian buys an enormous statue.
Aveline is taken to hospital and the family gather to comfort her. Joey finds out that Roxy is married.
Joey is forced to confront Roxy's husband, with unusual results, and Aveline decides to give up her modelling career.
Freddie has been arrested for running off with his dust cart after getting the sack, and Grandad has been taken to hospital after wandering off on his own.
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.
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.
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.
Yizzel's mate involves Shifty in an insurance job on his car but forgets that he didn't have an MOT certificate. Meanwhile, Shifty's romance with Martina continues and Celia starts to bond with Nellie.
Billy and Adrian both leave home and Nellie decides to teach them a lesson by delivering their belongings to them personally. They both realise that the grass is not so green on the other side and return home, while Shifty appears to be heading in the opposite direction.
Nellie advises the family against fussing over their dad, but she knows that she's wasting her breath. Shifty attempts to move in with Martina but finds it impossible to leave Grandad on his own. Meanwhile, Adrian's joy at publication of his poems is short-lived when he is nearly arrested.
Joey gives Freddie an ultimatum - Lilo Lill or his mum. Linda McCartney opens an Animal Rescue Centre and, while getting her autograph, Billy invites her round for tea if she's ever "passing". She does - and an unwitting Nellie tells her all her troubles.
In this Christmas Special the Boswells holiday in Rome and find their time is filled with happy memories, and new or renewed relationships.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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.
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!
Christmas for the Boswells brings its usual mix of hilarity, sadness and surprises.
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.
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.
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!
Shifty tries to convince Martina that he has changed but ends up taking his passengers on an unexpected trip. Adrian and Jack are both competing for Leonora's affections.
Billy's van has been broken in to and Joey's new shop has been vandalized - the culprits are unknown. Aveline has decided to leave Oswald and return home to her mother, with her baby. The sibling rivalry over Leonora comes to a head when Jack tells Adrian that he has slept with her.
Billy's constant complaint of being neglected forces him to make an important decision. Nellie makes plans to go away with Derek, Shifty pledges his love to Martina and Lilo Lill plans a candlelit supper for Freddie.
Nellie is away with her "friend" and finding the experience very uncomfortable; meanwhile, the family try to manage without her. Her absence becomes more acute when Grandad has a fall and breaks his leg!
Mrs Boswell finds that little things can cause enormous problems when all should be peace and tranquility.
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