Sam
GenreDrama, Family
Written byJohn Finch
Directed byColin Cant
Les Chatfield
Bill Podmore
Roland Joffé
StarringMark McManus
Kevin Moreton
Barbara Ewing
Ray Smith
John Price
Frank Mills
Alethea Charlton
Michael Goodliffe
James Hazeldine
Maggie Jones
Dorothy White
Jennifer Hilary
Cherith Mellor
Jan Harvey
Ivor Roberts
Alan David
Stephanie Turner
Simon Rouse
Veronica Roberts
Peter Duncan
Windsor Davies
Jim Norton
Carol Drinkwater
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes39
Production
ProducerMichael Cox
Production locationsYorkshire
Gin Pit Village, Astley Lancashire
Production companyGranada Television
Original release
NetworkITV
Release12 June 1973 (1973-06-12) 
25 August 1975 (1975-08-25)

Sam is a television drama series written by John Finch and produced by Granada Television between 1973 and 1975 for broadcast on ITV. Finch also created and wrote A Family at War for Granada.

The series is based on fact, with Sam as a boy growing up in Featherstone. It was initially set in the coalfields of Yorkshire in the inter-war period but eventually progressed to the modern (then) era. Interior scenes were recorded at Granada's studios in Manchester, while many of the exterior scenes were filmed in Lancashire. For example, the railway station used for filming was Garswood, near Wigan. Local dialect is used, e.g. top-at-knob referring to North Featherstone. The series was made in a video/film hybrid format, which was common at the time.

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
11312 June 1973 (1973-06-12)4 September 1973 (1973-09-04)
21316 May 1974 (1974-05-16)8 August 1974 (1974-08-08)
3132 June 1975 (1975-06-02)25 August 1975 (1975-08-25)

Series 1 (1973)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"A Way of Life"Michael CoxJohn Finch12 June 1973 (1973-06-12)
Sam and his mother arrive in Skellerton and try to settle in with their relatives.
22"Poor Law"Colin CantJohn Finch19 June 1973 (1973-06-19)
The Labour Exchange is looking for Sam's mother. Sam is taken on a tour of the local pit by his grandfather.
33"Leaving Home"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch26 June 1973 (1973-06-26)
Sam is bullied at school. Sam's mother starts a new relationship with Alan. Sam doesn't like this and runs away.
44"For Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever"Bill PodmoreUnknown3 July 1973 (1973-07-03)
Sam is found.
55"A Day to Remember"Colin Cant, Les ChatfieldJohn Finch10 July 1973 (1973-07-10)
Sam is taken on a day out to the seaside.
66"The Cost of Living"Richard DoubledayJohn Finch17 July 1973 (1973-07-17)
Sam's mother and new partner set up a family home.
77"Out of the Blue"Colin CantJohn Finch24 July 1973 (1973-07-24)
Sam's family come under pressure from the disapproving locals.
88"United We Stand"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch31 July 1973 (1973-07-31)
Sam discovers a book written by his father. The pit workers are given notice.
99"The Beginning of Winter"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch7 August 1973 (1973-08-07)
Sam's mother falls pregnant. Sam's father sends a letter asking for money to be sent to him so that he can come home from Canada.
1010"Where the Heart Is"Colin CantJohn Finch14 August 1973 (1973-08-14)
Dora passes away in hospital giving birth to a son, Leslie. Alan, devastated, decides to go south to look for work, leaving his mother to care for the baby. Sam's uncle George goes with him.
1111"Home from Home"Richard Doubleday, Alan GrintJohn Finch21 August 1973 (1973-08-21)
Frank is worried about Sam's education and his grandfather wants to send him to a charity boarding school. Alan and George are disillusioned in the south and George returns home.
1212"No Going Back"Bill Gilmour, Bill PodmoreJohn Finch28 August 1973 (1973-08-28)
Sam is at boarding school, hating it and longing to go home, but can't, because of a diphtheria outbreak in Skellerton. After a fight at the school, he runs away and walks the fifty miles home.
1313"Breadwinners"Colin CantJohn Finch4 September 1973 (1973-09-04)
Sam's grandfather Toby sets up a garment factory in the old chapel, providing work for the women of Skellerton, leaving the men at home. Sam finally goes down the pit with his grandfather.

Series 2 (1974)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
141"A New World"Baz TaylorJohn Finch16 May 1974 (1974-05-16)
152"Legacy"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch23 May 1974 (1974-05-23)
163"Shape Yourself Round It"Baz TaylorJohn Finch30 May 1974 (1974-05-30)
174"Under a Cloud"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch6 June 1974 (1974-06-06)
185"Head and Heart"Alan GrintJohn Finch13 June 1974 (1974-06-13)
196"Stay Single and Live Forever"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch20 June 1974 (1974-06-20)
207"Credit"Roland JofféJohn Finch27 June 1974 (1974-06-27)
218"Sins of the Fathers"Alan GrintJohn Finch4 July 1974 (1974-07-04)
229"The World as It Is"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch11 July 1974 (1974-07-11)
2310"Land"Roland JofféJohn Finch18 July 1974 (1974-07-18)
2411"Half a Loaf"Quentin LawrenceJohn Finch25 July 1974 (1974-07-25)
2512"Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch1 August 1974 (1974-08-01)
2613"Moving On"Roland JofféJohn Finch8 August 1974 (1974-08-08)

Series 3 (1975)

No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
271"God Sent Sunday"Michael CoxJohn Finch2 June 1975 (1975-06-02)
282"In the Midst of Plenty"Quentin LawrenceJohn Finch9 June 1975 (1975-06-09)
293"Compensation"Quentin LawrenceJohn Finch16 June 1975 (1975-06-16)
304"Bonfire Night"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch23 June 1975 (1975-06-23)
315"The Difference Between Us"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch30 June 1975 (1975-06-30)
326"What You Care Is What You Do"Brian MillsJohn Finch7 July 1975 (1975-07-07)
337"Gains and Losses"Brian MillsJohn Finch14 July 1975 (1975-07-14)
348"The Honest Generation"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch21 July 1975 (1975-07-21)
359"Opting Out"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch28 July 1975 (1975-07-28)
3610"Home Thoughts from Abroad"Les ChatfieldJohn Finch4 August 1975 (1975-08-04)
3711"The Next Line"Stephen ButcherJohn Finch11 August 1975 (1975-08-11)
3812"Proposals"Stephen ButcherJohn Finch18 August 1975 (1975-08-18)
3913"Ends and Means"Roland JofféJohn Finch25 August 1975 (1975-08-25)

Video and DVD release

All three series were issued by Acorn Media UK in 2003.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.