When the Boat Comes In (1976)

Drama · History

When the Boat Comes In is a British television period drama produced by the BBC between 8 January 1976 and 21 April 1981. Taking place between 1919 to 1937, Jack Ford is a First World War veteran who returns to his poverty-stricken (fictional) town of Gallowshield in the North East of England. It dramatises the interwar political struggles of the 1920s and 1930s, and explores the impact of national and international politics upon Ford and those around him.

IMDb rating: 8.4 (579 votes)
Seasons: 4
Language: EN
Type: TV series

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Ratings refreshed Jul 3, 2026 · 4 seasons indexed

Cast

James Bolam Jack Ford

Seasons

Season 1 (1976)

8.12 avg 13 episodes 8.4 → 8.1 52 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	A Land Fit for Heroes and Idiots	8.4	32
2	Say Hello...... Say Tirra	7.8	24
3	Fish in Woolly Jumpers	7.9	25
4	Swords and Pick Handles	8.4	20
5	Coal Comfort	8.1	21
6	Empire Day on the Slag Heap	8.3	19
7	A First Time for Everything	8.2	20
8	Paddy Boyle's Discharge	8.3	19
9	Angel on Horseback	7.3	17
10	King for a Day	8.8	19
11	Happy New Year, Some Say	8.1	18
12	Heads You Win, Tails I Lose	7.8	16
13	Kind Hearted Rat with a Lifebelt	8.1	15

Season 2 (1976)

8.35 avg 13 episodes 8.1 → 8.5

Season 2 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Ask for Twopence, Take a Penny	8.1	14
2	Tram Ride to the Bluebell	8.1	15
3	A Pillowful of Buttercups	8.4	17
4	Roubles for the Promised Land	8.2	19
5	Some Bulbs to Keep the Garden Bright	8.4	15
6	God and Love and Wellesley Street	8.4	14
7	Whatever Made You Think the War is Over?	8.3	13
8	Ladies, Women, Sweethearts and Wives	8.7	13
9	After the Bonfire	8.5	13
10	A Wreath with Our Names On	8.2	13
11	The Way It Was in Murmansk	8.3	12
12	In the Front Line You Get Shot At	8.5	12
13	The Simple Pleasures of the Rich	8.5	14

Season 3 (1977)

8.02 avg 15 episodes 8.4 → 8.2

Season 3 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	A House Divided	8.4	16
2	A Tiger, a Lamb and a Basket of Fruit	8.2	14
3	My Bonnie Lass, Goodbye	8.2	14
4	A Ticket to Care for the Wounded	8.0	13
5	Travel Light, Travel Far	8.4	13
6	Requiem for a Loser	8.2	13
7	Debts Owed, Debts Paid	8.0	13
8	The Empire Builders	8.4	13
9	Look Up and See the Sky	8.2	14
10	Letters from Afar	7.3	15
11	The Father of Lies	7.8	14
12	Diamond Cut Diamond	7.6	13
13	A Marriage and a Massacre	7.5	14
14	High Life and Hunger	7.9	15
15	Please Say Goodbye Before You Go	8.2	20

Season 4 (1981)

7.57 avg 10 episodes 7.2 → 8.2

Season 4 episodes — IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Back to Dear Old Blighty	7.2	18
2	A Gift from Heaven	8.2	14
3	A Medal for the Argentine	7.8	12
4	Flies and Spiders	7.5	12
5	Oh, My Charming Billy Boy	7.0	12
6	Friends, Romans, Countrymen	6.6	12
7	The Bright Young Things	6.9	10
8	Action!	8.4	16
9	Comrades in Arms	7.9	13
10	Roll of Honour	8.2	18

When the Boat Comes In (1976)

Cast

Seasons

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