TV series
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.
Availability
Checked Jul 22, 2026
Bread premiered May 1, 1986. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
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.
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Episode 1
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!
Directed by Susan BelbinWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Jenny Jay, Charles Lawson, Simon Rouse, Frank Vincent, Pamela Cundell, Duncan Gould, John Woodnutt
Episode 2
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.
Directed by Susan BelbinWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Jenny Jay, Peter Clapham, Peter Terry, Jean Challis, Campbell Morrison, Anthony Dutton
Episode 3
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!
Directed by Susan BelbinWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Jenny Jay, J.G. Devlin, John Laing, Gerry White, Mark Reader, Christine Kavanagh, Eileen Pollock, Chrissie Clark
Episode 4
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.
Directed by Susan BelbinWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Jenny Jay, Michael J. Jackson, Eileen Pollock, Helene Hunt, Tom Price, Barry Woolgar, Joanna Phillips-Lane
Episode 5
Aveline is taken to hospital and the family gather to comfort her. Joey finds out that Roxy is married.
Directed by Susan BelbinWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Jenny Jay, Joanna Phillips-Lane, Andrew Tourell, Myfanwy Talog, Pauline Daniels, Gladys Ambrose, Georgina Smith
Episode 6
Joey is forced to confront Roxy's husband, with unusual results, and Aveline decides to give up her modelling career.
Directed by Susan BelbinWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Charles Lawson, Simon Rouse, Eileen Pollock, Joanna Phillips-Lane, Myfanwy Talog, Paul Toothill, Nick Maloney
Episode 7
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.
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Jenny Jay, Pamela Power, Eileen Pollock, Barry Woolgar
Episode 8
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Pamela Power, J.G. Devlin, Mandy Walsh, Gerry White, Ann Haydn-Edwards, Gladys Ambrose, Georgina Smith
Episode 9
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Eileen Pollock, Ken Sharrock, James Culshaw, David Beale, Michael Stroud, Robert East, Patrick Nyland, Alan Bird
Episode 10
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Charles Lawson, Simon Rouse, Ken Sharrock, Sheila Fay
Episode 11
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Reginald Marsh, Arthur Cox, Roy Heather, Terry Melia, Stuart Fell
Episode 12
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars Pamela Power, Eileen Pollock, Joanna Phillips-Lane, Rex Robinson, Roger Walker, Terry Lennaine, Carolyn Lyster, Mark Moraghan
Episode 13
Directed by Robin NashWritten by Carla LaneGuest stars J.G. Devlin, Eileen Pollock, Joanna Phillips-Lane, Terry Lennaine, Jon Croft
Episode information updated Jul 24, 2026
Available now in United States
These shows are available now and closely match Bread.
Peter HowittJoey Boswell
Jean BohtNellie Boswell
Bryan MurrayShifty Boswell
Jonathon MorrisAdrian Boswell
Deborah GrantLeonora Campbell
Kenneth WallerGrandad
BBC OneUnited Kingdom
