Bread - Series 1 & 2 [DVD] [1986]

This was a brilliant series and, watching it now it's as fresh now as it was in the mid 1980s to early 1990s when it was first aired on BBC1. Living in Australia now, I haven't seen it in years, so it was wonderful to watch the hilarious antics of the Boswells desperately trying to survive life in working class Liverpool, cheating everything they possibly can from the DSS and hearing such classic lines as "you had a reasonable head on you 'til mother nature put a gob in it" and "she is a tart!!!!" was an absolute treat. The family consists of Nellie Boswell, Freddie Boswell (her estranged husband) and their five children. It stars Jean Boht, Peter Howitt (before he went on to write and direct films like Sliding Doors and Johnny English), Victor McGuire, Gilly Coman, Jonathan Morris, Nick Conway, Kenneth Waller, Ronald Forfar, Caroline Milmoe and Pamela Power. Nellie (Jean Boht) "She is a tart!". Nellie is the matriarch of the family. When she says jump the kids say "how high?". She keeps them all tied to the apron strings. A devout Catholic, who doesn't allow anyone to eat until they've said prayers, she rules the roost with an iron fist. Joey (Peter Howitt) "Greetings!". Joey is the eldest of the children. He's the one they all turn to when things go wrong and the one who sorts out everyone elses problems and the one who regularly visits the DSS on behalf of the whole family. Joey is secretive, no-one knows how he earns his money, yet he drives a Jag and wears leathers. Jack (Victor McGuire). The second eldest, Jack is the one who always tries to pull off the deal and ends up either getting paid in tomatoes or finding a box full of apples underneath three ghetto blasters. He really tries to be the wheeler dealer, but most of the time he can't quite pull it off. Aveline (Gilly Coman) "I'm a model" Aveline is the only girl and consequently is so overprotected it's unbelieveable. Dressed in her stiletto heels and skirts that closely resemble belts, she's never allowed beyond the front door without her wistle in case she gets attacked. She drives the rest of the family mad because she takes so long in the bathroom and has so many creams and potions in there. Still, she's a woman, what do they expect? Adrian (Jonathan Morris) "My job is 'angin' by a tread" Adrian has changed his name from Jimmy, probably because he thinks it sounds better. The only member of the family with a job in the first series, he works in real estate and is so proud of it. In episode 6, the thread snaps and Adrian has to join the rest of the family on the dole, which totally mortifies him. Billy (Nick Conway) "I'm not ready for all this" Billy is the youngest of the clan. Never thinks before opening his mouth and constantly jumping in with both feet. At 17, he's got his girlfriend, Julie who lives across the road, pregnant, much to the dismay of his mother. Granddad (Kenneth Waller) is Nellies father, who lives next door. The family look after him, take his meals round on a tray only for him to grab the tray from them like one of those soft toy grabbing machines you see on a fairground and say something like "I'd better 'ave a puddin". He constantly thinks of very little other than his stomach and sits outside the house in his chair telling everyone who walks by to "piss off". Freddie (Ronald Forfar) is Nellie's estranged husband. He ran off with Lilo Lil 3 years ago and Nellie is very bitter about it. He turns up as and when he feels like it and pushes a little yellow cart around the streets for the council for a living. He loves being a free spirit and Nellie really can't understand this. In Series 3, we finally get introduced to Lilo Lil, his bit on the side. She is referred to in these series though. Julie (Carolilne Milmoe) is Billys girlfriend. She hates the rest of the family. She doesn't like their loyalty to each other and their closeness, probably because she doesn't have that in her own family. Her father is working away and her mother is an alcoholic who can't find her way home from the pub, so she's really on her own. Martina (Pamela Power) "Next!" Martina is the stone faced DSS clerk who Joey always tries to give the sob story to to gain more money. Although Martina never believes any of the stories any of the family feed her, she always gives in and with a huge sigh and a hint of "God, why am I doing this" in her voice, will hand them a form and say "fill that in". Occasionally, other members of the family are sent in to plague her and the look on her face as she realizes it's yet another one of the Boswell clan is wonderful. It's just a pity they really don't make 'em like this any more. If I could give this 10 stars I would, absolute classic.

Bread was an excellent series on TV and I loved seeing it again. I watched it with my teenage children and was amazed at how much they could learn about the UK in the late 1970's from this sitcom. I think Carla Lane develops some superb characters and really gets under the skin of what was going on at the time in a very wholesome way. There are some very poignant morals in amongst the skulduggery. It is a big contrast with the world today, hard times, but good times - or am I just getting old. Anyway i highly recommend these DVD which were delivered promptly and very reasonably priced.

I got into "Bread" by accident but I am so glad I did. With Mum ruling the roost at home, the leather clad enigmatic Joey, Jack and his attempts to sucessfully wheel and deal, Adrian hanging by a thread, Aveline and her 1980's modelling outfits and Billy who is never ready for what life throws at him plus Dad, Grandad, Julie and the sardonic Martina behind her DHSS counter - Carla Lane has developed some amazing and believable characters. Yes, it's Thatcher's Britain and the Boswell's are playing the system. But they have love, faith, family unity and honour - and that, for me, is what makes Bread a comedy gem.

i wish we could be back in the 80's. true comedy, true life. truely british and that is how it was in the 80's....i hate the world we live in now....what i'd do to go back in time to the 80's...i have a serious problem with this era!!! loved this show, watch over and over.

Okay, so in retrospect, Joey's padded shoulders and big hair no longer look so stylish (the fashion tragedy of the 80's), but he's still extremely cool. Adrian was the quintessential metro-sexual long before the term was coined, and there is still something mildly hilarious about "our Adeline's" chorus of "I'm a model". I loved this show way back when, and I love it still. The first two series were, to me, the best, and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them again. The cynicism is balanced by the strong sense of family and the humour is as fresh and witty as it ever was. Definitely recommended.

I loved watching this on the tv so i was really happy to see it on DVD. i bought this and series 3&4 also. I love the cheeky Boswells and 'is my tea ready yet?' Grandad! i love Adrian, he makes me laugh so much, and young Billy who cant say anything right! I also love that Linda McCartney is in an episode and she does really well in it and Paul makes a small appearance. but thats not in series 3 or 4 though. it's in later series that i cant seem to find on dvd which is sad. i would definately recommend this though for fun and brilliant laughs.

Bread was on TV when I was growing up, but I only had very vague memories of it-- a scene here and there. I'm very interested in the history of TV comedy, so I found myself reading about here and there. I was intrigued. I liked the premise of the show- -a working class family ruled by a matriarchal figure. I liked the emphasis upon family cohesion and the mundane setting. It's far from a bad show, but I was quite disappointed. It's not very funny, and the drama doesn't make up for the lack of laughs. The characters are rather cartoonish, and the plots aren't particularly ingenious or deep. It's quite a warm comedy, and I certainly appreciate that, but it's very far from greatness. My guess is that the people who enjoy this the most will do so out of nostalgia value.

I simply love these shows - I watched them on tv a few years back and when I stumbled across them at amazon I just had to buy them ! And although they are almost twenty years old they age really well, it's not only that they are funny - which they definetly are - they are also very warm and while watching you feel that the Boswell's are a family you really would like to be a part of. I mean, they are all disfunctional in one way ore another - but very human and one can relate to them and their problems. These are shows you can watch over and over again - - or in the words of Adrian's girlfriend Carmen : "WONDERFUL."!! My favourites are the parts which take place at the DHSS - and it's also very exciting to watsh the development of Nellies relationship with her estranged husband, Freddie. A must-see !!!!!