Clocking Off is a British television drama series which was broadcast on BBC One for four series from 2000 to 2003. It was produced for the BBC by the independent Red Production Company, and created by Paul Abbott.
Effectively an anthology programme that followed the lives of a group of workers at a Manchester textile factory, with each episode focusing on the private life of a different character. Well-known actors and actresses who appeared in the series included Christopher Eccleston, Sophie Okonedo, Philip Glenister, John Simm, Lesley Sharp, Siobhan Finneran, Emma Cunniffe, Diane Parish, David Morrissey, Ricky Tomlinson, Julian Rhind-Tutt, William Ash, Ben Crompton, Jack Deam, Jack P. Shepherd, Tina O'Brien, Jason Merrells, Pam Ferris, Wil Johnson, Ashley Jensen, Susan Cookson, Mark Benton, Lindsey Coulson, Paul Copley, Sarah Lancashire, Crissy Rock, Marshall Lancaster, Marc Warren, Claire Sweeney and Maxine Peake.
The series received high acclaim, winning the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2001. However, over the following two years, Abbott's involvement decreased as he pursued other projects. Nonetheless, every series was nominated for a BAFTA and other writers including Danny Brocklehurst, John Fay and Jan McVerry wrote successful standalone episodes. The programme finally ended, after a series with no Abbott scripts at all, in 2003. The BBC said the programme was axed following declining ratings, but Abbott said the programme's demise was down to "a lack of writers able to come up with stories good enough to carry the stand alone episodes."
Twenty-seven episodes were produced across four series, and, in 2004, the first series was released on DVD. In 2015, the first series was released on DVD in Australia and was made available for purchase via the BBC Store.
Cast Actor Character Series 1 2 3 4 Jack Deam Kev Leach colspan="4" Christopher Eccleston Jim Calvert colspan="1" colspan="3" Siobhan Finneran Julie O'Neill colspan="3" colspan="1" Philip Glenister James "Mack" Mackintosh colspan="3" colspan="1" Joan Kempson Freda Wilson colspan="4" Steve Jackson Barry Sleight colspan="3" colspan="1" Wil Johnson Steve Robinson colspan="3" colspan="1" Sarah Lancashire Yvonne Kolakowski colspan="1" colspan="3" Jason Merrells Martin Leach colspan="2" colspan="2" Tony Mooney Ade Cameron colspan="4" Paul Oldham Brian Pringle colspan="2" colspan="2" Diane Parish Sylvia Robinson colspan="2" colspan="2" Jason Sampson Jake Robinson colspan="1" colspan="3" Lesley Sharp Trudy Graham colspan="2" colspan="2" Andrew Sheridan "KT" colspan="1" colspan="3" John Simm Stuart Leach colspan="1" colspan="3" Christine Tremarco Katherine Mackintosh colspan="1" colspan="3" William Ash Nick Anderson colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="1" Susan Cookson Janice Piper colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" Paul Copley Mal Aindow colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" Lindsey Coulson Bev Aindow colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" Ben Crompton Barney Watson colspan="1" colspan="3" Ashley Jensen Babs Leach colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" Alison Swann Sue Leach colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" Ricky Tomlinson Ronnie Anderson colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="2" Alice Barry Peggy Hargreaves colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" colspan="1" Katie Blake Tasha Roscoe colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Emma Cunniffe Kim Anderson colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Sharon Duce Vicky Sullivan colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Craig Kelly Eddie Mackintosh colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Katisha Kenyon Hannah Phillips colspan="2" colspan="2" Marshall Lancaster Gary Dugdale colspan="2" colspan="2" Lisa Millett Grace Eastwood colspan="2" colspan="2" David Morrissey Franny Rothwell colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" James Murray Mark Talbot colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Sophie Okonedo Jenny Wood colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Robert Pugh Alan Preston colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Nick Sidi Sam Davidson colspan="2" colspan="1" colspan="1" Nicola Stephenson Suzie Davidson colspan="2" colspan="2" Steven Williams Ryan Davidson colspan="2" colspan="2" Paula Wolfenden Jackie O'Farrell colspan="2" colspan="2" Keith Barron Roy Fletcher colspan="3" colspan="1" Mark Benton Colin Wilkes colspan="3" colspan="1" Sushil Chudasama Faz Usmani colspan="3" colspan="1" Pam Ferris Pat Fletcher colspan="3" colspan="1" Branka Katić Maya Lazarevic colspan="3" colspan="1" Derek Riddell Jamie Campbell colspan="3" colspan="1"
Episodes Series overview
Series 1 (2000)
Series 2 (2001)
Series 3 (2002)
Series 4 (2003)
References
External links
Clocking Off at bbc.co.uk Clocking Off at the British Film Institute
How We Made Clocking Off at The Guardian