Boys from the Blackstuff

[not-bono-ever]

I can’t watch it again. If you were around at the time or just after , it’s pretty spot on to what was happening. I was angry when I first saw it, then furious then sad.yosser was an analogue meme for us kids for a long time afterwards. Dark stuff that just upsets me when I think about it now

 

[campanula]

No, I couldn't watch it again either. It's all too bloody familiar.

 

[friedaweed]

Reminds me so much of working with my dad as a kid. It's amazing that people think that it's fiction. It was like Bleasedale put a mirror on our way of life for everyone to see when it came out. My dad is the epitome of George still.

 

[oryx]

It's amazing that people think that it's fiction.

To be really pedantic, it is fiction.

But you can bet your last penny that Yosser, Chrissie, George, Angie etc were all entirely based on real people, and real situations.

Watch it. 19 days to go.

Boys from the Blackstuff - 4. Yosser's Story

After his wife leaves him, Yosser Hughes struggles to hold his family together.

www.bbc.co.uk

I'm pissed off at the BBC for hiding away one of their greatest ever creations. Not on the iPlayer landing page - you have to search for it.

Maybe a bit too political and hard-hitting.

 

[Elpenor]

I watched it 15 or so years ago and while I am certainly not old enough to have remembered the time it’s set in as said it’s one of those things which is a bit too bleak for me to revisit, as powerful as it was.

 

[friedaweed]

To be really pedantic, it is fiction.

But you can bet your last penny that Yosser, Chrissie, George, Angie etc were all entirely based on real people, and real situations.

You got my point then

 

[planetgeli]

Couple of things.

It's brilliant, everyone should watch it. Twice.

It still rankles that my dad saw The Black Stuff but died before Boys from the Black Stuff.

I once saw Bleasdale give an interview where he swears the whole thing came about because he wanted to write the line "I'm desperate, Dan" (from Yosser to the Priest who has just told him to call him Dan.) That in itself is some kind of genius.