The Gathering Seed

• E1

  Episode 1

  A bare-knuckle fight on a patch of waste ground. A hard, bruising, savage battle between Welsh Dave and Jim Larkin - who is watched and hero-worshipped by his grandson, the 13-year-old Joe Henshaw. But Joe's childhood is soon to come to a shattering end.

  1983-09-07 · 55m
  Mark watched
• E2

  Episode 2

  The war is over, and in the General Election the Labour Party has swept to a colossal victory. Joe Henshaw , home on leave, joins the VJ night celebrations.

  1983-09-14 · 55m
  Mark watched
• E3

  Episode 3

  After demob, a restless Joe Henshaw returns to Collyhurst. The Kilbride family is in trouble - Martin is still in Strangeways, Martha is badly in debt and Irene has disappeared. Joe sets out to find her

  1983-09-21 · 55m
  Mark watched
• E4

  Episode 4

  A dispute on the site, and the employers bring in scab labour. The attempt to make the strike official involves Joe once more with Sarah

  1983-09-28 · 55m
  Mark watched
• E5

  Episode 5

  The strike going badly; a sudden illness; and a career taking off. Joe is learning fast, but the lessons are uncomfortable ones.

  1983-10-05 · 55m
  Mark watched
• E6

  Episode 6

  Joe is torn between Sarah's ambitions, Pawsey's idealism and Martin's schemes for making money. But it is to be through his grandfather that he makes the significant discovery.

  1983-10-12 · 55m
  Mark watched

Top cast

David Threlfall

Joe Henshaw

Gilly Coman

Irene Kilbride

Brenda Fricker

Kitty Henshaw

Karen Meagher

Peggy Henshaw

James Ellis

Jim Larkin

Caroline Hutchison

Sarah Goldman

Peter Kerrigan

Fred Pawsey

Niall Buggy

Father Healy

Tony Westrope

Martin Kilbride

Rita May

Martha Kilbride

Dave Hill

Dennis Kilbride

Christine Hargreaves

Lizzie Scanlon