Boys from the Blackstuff
TV series that defined the depression-scarred 1980s Britain
S01E02: Moonlighter
In desperation to feed and clothe his four children, Dixie takes an illicit job as a night security guard at the docks. He soon discovers that one man alone on a ship at night can do nothing but turn a blind eye to a gang of pilferers but, if the missing goods are noticed, what will he tell his boss, whose small security company is struggling to survive? Meanwhile, the petty bureucrats at the D.O.E. launch an undercover operation, and Dixie's wife Freda is too frightened to open the door to the house.
Overview
Alan Bleasdale's five-part series relates the further experiences of unemployed Liverpudlian tarmac layers Dixie, Chrissie, Loggo and Yosser, and their revered older friend, retired longshoreman and union leader, George Malone. As they struggle to make ends meet in a depressed economy, and to hold together their financially battered families, they are harrassed by the petty bureaucrats of the DHSS. But the lumbering investigational juggernaut is, both comically and tragically, guided by drivers with only a provisional license.
Episodes
S01E02 Moonlighter
S01E03 Shop Thy Neighbour
S01E04 Yosser's Story
S01E05 George's Last Ride
Cast
