Footballers’ Wive$ (ITV 2002-2006, Zoe Lucker, Susie Amy)

Footballers’ Wive$ followed the players and wives of top premier club Earl’s Park FC, key characters included Chardonnay Lane-Pascoe (Susie Amy) married to Kyle; Tanya Turner (Zoe Lucker) married to star striker Jason who is having an affair with Kyle’s mum Jackie played by Gillian Taylforth (who gets pregnant and persuades Chardonnay and Kyle to adopt the baby)> manager of Earl’s Park is Frank (played with malicious glee by John Forgeham). Season two picked up where the first left off, with Chardonnay and Kyle taking delivery of their baby. Other key plot points of the season included Tanya making eyes at the teenage new boy on the team and Kyle being accused of murdering a woman who was stalking him.

Season three saw the introduction of Jesse Birdsall as new manager Roger Webb and Gary Lucy’s Kyle descending into a mire of gambling and bare knuckle boxing.

Following the end of the 3rd season, Tanya Turner, crossed over into the prison drama Bad Girls for a three episode stint as an inmate. Both shows were made by Shed Productions for ITV. At the start of the fourth season the team are holidaying in Spain. The top quality golf courses, sexy female golf caddies and picturesque poolside villas make it the perfect way for the lads to unwind before next season. But it’s not all fun in the sun as when a poolside party gets out of hand the players soon find themselves in hot water with both the police and their wives.

Zoe Lucker returned as Tanya Turner and new characters included nasty Bruno Milligan (Ben Richards) and his wife Lucy (Helen Latham). Season four ended with the murder of Conrad Gates and in season five his widow Amber is determined to find out who did it. New chairman Garry Ryan arrived and there was a major new signing for the club with bad boy Tremaine Gidigbi who brought along his international model girlfriend Liberty.

A spin-off Footballers’ Wive$ Extra Time aired on ITV2 for two seasons from 26 May 2005 – 18 May 2006. Season four had a tie-in mockumentary series called Footballers’ Wive$ TV, this aired on ITV2 the same night as each proper episode aired on ITV1 and was 8×25 minute episodes and took on a fake chat show format. Quite a few of the regulars appeared.

Even though the series officially ended on 13 April 2006, on 15 July the same year there was a 7 minute special for Sport Relief called Last Ever Ever Footballers Wive$. Cast members including Zoe Lucker appeared, as did Graham Norton.

production details
UK / ITV-1 Network – Shed Productions / 42 episodes, mostly x50 minutes although seasons 3-5 featured a 75 minute opening episode / Broadcast 8 January 2002 – 13 April 2006

Creators: Maureen Chadwick, Ann McManus / Idea: Paul Marquess / Executive Producer: Brian Park

cast
NATHAN CONSTANCE as Ian Walmsley
KATHERINE MONAGHAN as Donna Walmsley
CHRISTIAN SOLIMENO as Jason Turner
ZOE LUCKER as Tanya Turner
SUSIE AMY as Chardonnay Lane/Pascoe
GARY LUCY as Kyle Pascoe
GILLIAN TAYLFORTH as Jackie Pascoe
DANIEL SCHUTZMANN as Salvatore Biagi
PHILIP BRETHERTON as Stefan Hauser
MICAIAH DRING as Marie Minshull (season 1)
From season three the cast also included
BEN PRICE as Conrad Gates
LAILA ROUASS as Amber Gates
JESSE BIRDSALL as Roger Webb
JAMIE DAVIS as Harley Lawson
SARAH BARRAND as Shannon Donnelly
NICHOLAS BALL as Garry Ryan