Comedy drama series Playing The Field focused on the lives, on the pitch and off, of a group of women in South Yorkshire who play football together for the Castlefield Blues ladies team.
Inspired by the real life Doncaster Belles ladies team Playing The Field was created by the excellent Kay Mellor. This was a supremely entertaining series, quite near the knuckle at times (like much of Mellor’s work in fact) but with excellent dialogue and brilliant performances.
With each successive season the football played less of a part but by that stage we were pretty involved with the characters anyway. Quite a few of the players have since gone on to achieve major sucess.
production details
UK / BBC One – Tiger Aspect / 25×50 minute episodes 6×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 3 March 1998 – 10 February 2002
Creator: Kay Mellor / Theme Music: Alison Moyet, Peter Glenister / Sung by Alison Moyet / Producers: Greg Brenman (Season 1), Hugh Warren (Season 2), Kathleen Hutchison (from season 3) , Lis Steele (2002)
cast
LESLEY SHARP as Theresa Mullen
JO McINNES as Jo Mullen
MELANIE HILL as Rita Dolen
LORRAINE ASHBOURNE as Geraldine Powell
MARSHA THOMASON as Sharon Pearce
TRACY WHITWELL as Angie Gill
BRIGIT FORSYTH as Francine Pratt
ELIZABETH SPRIGGS as Mrs Mullen
JAMES ELLIS as Mr Mullen
JOHN THOMSON as Eddie Ryan
RICKY TOMLINSON as Jim Pratt
TIM DANTAY as Dave Powell
JAMES NESBITT as John Dolan
DEBRA STEPHENSON as Diane Powell
ADELE McCORMACK as Vicky Dolan
NICHOLAS GLEAVES as Rick Powell
LEE ROSS as Ryan Pratt
EMMA RYDAL as Mikey
OLIVIA CAFFREY as Kate Howard (Season 2)
KELLI HOLLIS as Lizzy Makin (2002)
