Introduction Clocking Off Claire Sweeney, Pam Ferris and Keith Barron join the cast of Paul Abbott’s BAFTA award-winning drama series Clocking Off, which is back for a fourth series on BBC One, from Red Production Company. Ferris plays new factory boss, Pat, and Barron plays her husband Roy.The familiar faces of factory workers Kev (Jack Deam), Suzie (Nicola Stephenson), Freda (Joan Kempson), Barney (Ben Crompton) and Ade (Tony Mooney) are joined by other new cast members.They include Hugo Speer (Hearts & Bones) as Suzie’s old flame Stuart; Derek Riddell (The Book Group) as Jamie, Suzie’s fiancé; Branka Katic (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) as PR girl Maya; Mark Benton (Breezeblock) as new recruit Colin, whose domineering wife Katrina is played by Claire Sweeney (Brookside); and Mark Womack (Liverpool One) as nurse, Lewis. “The fourth series is full of the messy, passionate and tender daily dramas of everyday life,” says producer Juliet Charlesworth.“Former boss Mack’s departure also makes way for Pat, who looks to have the perfect life with the perfect marriage, until we meet her husband and his crippling addiction.” Clocking Off is produced by Red Production Company for BBC One. Juliet Charlesworth is producer and the executive producers are Nicola Shindler (Red) and Mike Dormer (BBC). Clocking Off writers Daniel Brocklehurst (whose two-part drama The Stretford Wives starring Fay Ripley was shown recently on BBC One) and John Fay are joined by Bill Gallagher (Four Fathers) and Richard Zajdlic (This Life).The directors are Brian Grant and Brian Percival. The previous series of Clocking Off, shown last year, continued to attract considerable critical acclaim. The Daily Mail called it “a potent and effective format, strengthened by a terrific cast and top- notch scripts,” The Guardian described it as “Still the BBC’s best drama by far,” and Radio Times said “One of the pleasures of Clocking Off is that nothing ever works out quite as you’d expect, and nothing is ever completely rosy.” Clocking Off 4 Production notes Production notes Mackintosh Textiles has a new boss – Pat Fletcher story really has a life of its own,” says producer (played by Pam Frerris) – and things are set to Juliet Charlesworth. change. For the first time a female boss takes the reigns – how will the close-knit workforce deal with Clocking Off is produced by Red Production not only a stranger, but a woman at the helm? Company for BBC One.“One of the joys of working with Red Production Company is that they “From the outset Pat creates a new atmosphere. never accept second best when it comes to writers The old boss, Mack, was one of the crowd. It was and production values. Once again they have his father’s factory and they’d all grown up with him, assembled a superlative team of writers to carry but Pat is from a management background. She this groundbreaking drama forward,” says Mike appears open and warm, but she’s got steel running Dormer, BBC Drama executive producer. through her.There’ll be more conflict in the factory now, rather than the safe relationships the Pam Ferris plays Pat Fletcher, Nicola Stephenson employees enjoyed with Mack,” comments plays Suzie, Derek Riddell plays Jamie, Hugo Speer executive producer Nicola Shindler. plays Stuart, Jack Deam plays Kev, Joan Kempson plays Freda, Mark Benton plays Colin and Claire In this new work culture, Clocking Off continues Sweeney plays Katrina. apace, amplifying the dramas of everyday life. Seamlessly blending the regular characters with the “Clocking Off was never intended to be a single newcomers punching their cards for the first time, writer’s voice,” says Shindler.“The idea that Paul Clocking Off exposes the reality of the workmates’ Abbott and I had was to create a modern Play For lives.As the threads start to unwind, it begs the Today and encourage different writers to write a question – do you really know those who are single film. Because of the environment of closest to you? broadcasting at the moment, the stories needed to be set in a single precinct – that is where the “Paul Abbott created such a core of strong and factory comes in. Ever since the first series we have compelling characters, a great base out of which approached respected writers and new talent each series grows, that many of the new writers like offering them the chance to write their own to pick up on them,” adds Shindler. completely fresh story every week.We have had the privilege of starting the careers of some great new This new series examines the challenges facing young writers. characters new and old – Suzie struggles with her conscience on the eve of her wedding to Jamie. “The core of television drama has always been the Factory favourite Kev confronts his demons after a writing – what people want is good stories.Writing car accident renders him with epilepsy; and Freda has always been the star of Clocking Off, and that is battles with her emotions as her standing in the its strength.There are very few dramas on television factory and new-found romance are threatened.As that have this single format, and that is why we need events spiral out of control, can she keep it together? it,” adds Shindler. Clocking on for the new series is Pam Ferris, whose The BAFTA award-winning drama series, comprising apparently perfect life as the factory boss is not all six distinct and self-contained dramas, begins on it seems. Joining Pam is Mark Benton as Colin, one BBC One in early March. Clocking Off’s strength has of life's simple souls, who is looking forward to the always lain with extraordinary writing talents at its birth of his first child with wife Katrina. However core.“The opportunity it gives writers in the when his priorities are divided, his actions in current climate of television is unique,” observes support of his brother threaten the future of his writer Richard Zajdlic. family.“I think the stories in this series are incredible.We give the cast and crew enough space Through the first three series of Clocking Off a great to make it their own – it’s not a format show. Each variety of writers have contributed to the Clocking Off 5 Production notes programme’s eclectic mix: John Fay, Daniel Brocklehurst, Jan McVerry, Matt Greenhalgh and Peter Bowker.This new series sees Bill Gallagher and Richard Zajdlic join the team. In addition to working on previous series of Clocking Off, Daniel Brocklehurst’s other credits include The Stretford Wives (BBC) and Linda Green (BBC). Bill Gallagher’s work includes Chandler & Co. (BBC) and Out Of The Blue (BBC). Up and coming writer John Fay has written previously for Brookside (C4) and Coronation Street (ITV), as well as extensive work for theatre. Matt Greenhalgh’s new 10-part series for BBC Three, Burn It, started on the new channel’s launch night, Sunday 9 February. Peter Bowker’s single film Flesh And Blood, in which Christopher Eccleston played a father adopted at birth who discovers that his birth parents had learning difficulties, was shown last autumn on BBC Two to considerable critical acclaim. Both Burn It and Flesh And Blood were produced by Red Production Company. Writer Richard Zajdlic writes for Clocking Off for the first time. Previously he has written attachments (BBC Two) and This Life (BBC Two – winner of the Writer’s Guild, Royal Television Society, and South Bank Awards and BAFTA nominated). Clocking Off 6 Cast Clocking Off Cast Roy Fletcher ............ Keith Barron Colin Wilkes ............ Mark Benton Faz Usmani ............ Sushil Chudasama Kev Leach ............ Jack Deam Barney Watson ............ Ben Crompton Pat Fletcher ............ Pam Ferris Babs Leach ............ Ashley Jenson Maya Lazarevic ............ Branka Katic Freda Wilson ............ Joan Kempson Hannah Phillips ............ Katisha Kenyon Gary Dugdale ............ Marshall Lancaster Grace Eastwood ............ Lisa Millett Ade Cameron ............ Tony Mooney Jamie Campbell ............ Derek Riddell Sam Davidson ............ Nicholas Sidi Stuart Savage ............ Hugo Speer Suzie Davidson ............ Nicola Stephenson Katrina Wilkes ............ Claire Sweeney Jackie O’Farrell ............ Paula Wolfenden Production Credits Written by ............ Daniel Brocklehurst ............ John Fay ............ Bill Gallagher ............ Richard Zajdlic Directed by ............ Brian Grant and Brian Percival Produced by ............ Juliet Charlesworth Executive producers ............ Nicola Shindler (Red) ............ Mike Dormer (BBC) Juliet Casting Directors ............ Beverly Keogh ............ David Shaw Directors of Photography ............ Witold Stock and ............ Peter Morgan Production Designer ............ Marius Van Der Werff Costume Designer ............ John Krausa Make-up Designer ............ Jill Sweeney Sound by ............ Dennis Cartwright Dubbing Mixer ............ John Whitworth Editors ............ Fiona Colbeck and ............ Charles Alexander Script Editor ............ Caroline Hollick Clocking Off 7 Synopses Episode synopses – the threads unravel… Episode One Episode Five Suzie Davidson is getting married to the man of Hapless secretary Grace has a crush on cutter Faz, her dreams. So why does she do a bunk out of the much to the horror of her BNP-voting dad, Dave, bathroom window in full wedding dress, leaving and Faz’s strict Moslem father Mehmood. Grace is husband-to-be Jamie heartbroken at the altar? Is convinced it’s only racist bigotry keeping her and she still in love with her bad-boy ex, Stuart? Suzie Faz apart, but Faz himself has other ideas… goes on a journey of the heart to find out the truth. Episode Six Episode Two Freda is the best machinist at Mackintosh’s, and is well-loved by all her colleagues. But when boss New boss Pat Fletcher starts to turn around the Pat Fletcher seems to get in her way of a factory’s ailing fortunes. But as the behaviour of promotion at work, and a second chance at love, her alcoholic, gambling husband Roy escalates, Pat all Freda’s insecurities come to the surface.