Taff Acre

1 9 8 1 (UK)
26 x 30 minute episodes

Billed as the Welsh answer to Coronation Street and debuting on 24 September 1981, this 26-part soap from HTV told tales of the everyday lives and loves of the residents of the (fictional) South Wales mining village of Taff Acre – population 6,000.

The majority of episodes revolved around the turbulent Johnson family headed by father Max (former Please Sir! star Richard Davies), who was unemployed and finding it hard to get used to the fact that his wife, Beth (Rhoda Lewis), was now the breadwinner. Their son Gareth (Dewi Morris) was a PE teacher with a pushy wife, Cilla (Beth Morris).

Daughter Sian (Sue Jones-Davis) lived at home but worked as a nurse in Cardiff, where she led a double life.

Their youngest son Wayne (Steve Davis), was a problem boy with the added distinction of having been made redundant at 17.

Episodes aired on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6.30 pm on HTV Wales and Thursdays and Fridays at 1.30 pm on ITV throughout the rest of Britain.

Actor Michael Povey devised the series – recorded on OB tape at Llantrisant near Cardiff – and wrote 16 of the episodes. Seven episodes were written by Herbert Williams, with series producer Alan Clayton contributing three. The director was Sian Humphreys.

Max Johnson
Richard Davies
Beth Johnson
Rhoda Lewis
Sian Johnson
Sue Jones-Davies
Gareth Johnson
Dewi Morris
Cilla Johnson
Beth Morris
Wayne Johnson
Steve Davis
Jan Evans
Myfanwy Talog
Harry Mainwaring
Ioan Meredith
Danny Evans
Robert Blythe
Dilys Mainwaring
Christine Pritchard
Linda Beck
Eluned Jones
Marilyn Beck
Louise Jervis
Judy Morris
Sian Smith
Johnny Owen
Dafydd Hywel
Yvonne Jenkins
Gillian Elisa