Truckers
Series title mimicking the Ford emblem on a radiator grill
GenreDrama
Written byWilliam Ivory
Directed by
Starring
ComposerTim Phillips
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes5 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerFaye Dorn
Production locationNottingham
CinematographyTony Slater Ling
Running time60 minutes
Production companyCompany Pictures
Original release
Network
Release10 October (2013-10-10) –
7 November 2013 (2013-11-07)

Truckers is a British drama television series first broadcast on BBC One on 10 October 2013. The series is about Britain through the lives of truck drivers working in Nottingham, and was written by William Ivory.

Cast

The cast of Truckers
  • Stephen Tompkinson as Malachi Davies
  • Sian Breckin as Wendy Newman
  • John Dagleish as Martin Banks
  • Jenn Murray as Michelle Truss
  • Harry Treadaway as Glen Davies
  • Ashley Walters as Steven "Steve" Warley
  • Ray Ashcroft as Bob
  • Charlotte Atkinson as Andrea
  • Trevor Atkinson Action Vehicle Driver
  • Terry Connor Action Vehicle Driver
  • Miffy Smith Artic and Trailer Driver
  • Andrew Howells Artic and trailer Driver
  • Martin Meden Action Vehicle Driver
  • Cliff Bradley Action Vehicle Driver
  • All Vehicle Modifications carried out by Wayne Ridel @ Anglo American Filming.

Production

The series was announced on 11 January 2012 by Ben Stephenson, controller of drama commissioning at the BBC at the Broadcasting Press Guild lunch. The drama was commissioned with Danny Cohen.[1]

Episode list

# Title Directed by Original air date UK viewers
(millions)[2]
1"Episode 1"Sheree Folkson10 October 2013 (2013-10-10)2.88 (overnight)

Episode centres on the life of Malachi Davies

Guest starring: Maggie O'Neill, Ben Heathcote, Katherine Dow Blyton, Sacha Parkinson and Marc Ryan-Jordan
2"Episode 2"Sheree Folkson17 October 2013 (2013-10-17)2.25 (overnight)

Episode centres on the life of Martin Banks.

Guest starring: Stephen Bent, Wendy Morgan and Lauren Carse
3"Episode 3"Sheree Folkson24 October 2013 (2013-10-24)2.31 (overnight)

Episode centres on the life of Steven "Steve" Warley.

Guest starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Kiano Samuels, Lisa Marged, Dasharn Anderson, Marianne McIvor, Jamie Michie, Victoria Elliott, David Wilson and Edward Neeson
4"Episode 4"Sue Tully31 October 2013 (2013-10-31)2.10 (overnight)

Episode centres on the life of Wendy Newman

Guest starring: Marian McLoughlin, Ian Peck, Kenneth Collard, Sean McKenzie and Elliot Levey
5"Episode 5"Sue Tully7 November 2013 (2013-11-07)2.37 (overnight)
Guest starring: Pooky Quesnel, Camille Ucan, Neil Fitzmaurice and Sharlene Whyte

Reception

Ratings

Overnight figures showed that the first episode on 10 October 2013 was watched by 13.5% of the viewing audience for that time, with 2.88 million watching it.[3] The second, third, fourth and fifth episodes were watched by 10.6%, 11.0%, 10.4% and 11.4% of the viewing audience respectively.[4][5][6][7]

Critical reception

David Butcher of Radio Times said the following about the first episode: "The trouble is, none of it makes a lot of sense, and the long, colourful speeches that writer William Ivory gives Tompkinson can’t save the drama from clattering oddness."[8] Sarah Rainey, writing for The Daily Telegraph gave it four out of five stars, called it a "bitter-sweet offering" and said: "The script offered a good mix of humour and poignancy, and there were also some unexpectedly lovely scenes of the countryside".[9] Ellen Jones of The Independent said: "The laboriously regional script didn't make it any easier. The dialogue was so crammed with earthy wisdom and quaint sexual euphemisms that the actors struggled to get a breath in." and "Truckers' debt to films such as Brassed Off and The Full Monty was made obvious".[10]

International broadcasters

In Australia the series premiered on 23 April 2015 on BBC First.[11]

Home media

The DVD edition was released on 3 February 2014.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "BBC Controller of Drama Ben Stephenson announces range of new commissions reflecting the unique strengths of BBC One drama". BBC. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  2. ↑ "BARB Top 30s".
  3. ↑ Eames, Tom (11 October 2013). "'Breathless' attracts 3.4 million for first episode on ITV". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ↑ Eames, Tom (18 October 2013). "'Breathless' drops 800k for episode 2, 'Peaky Blinders' climbs 200k". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  5. ↑ Eames, Tom (25 October 2013). "'Educating Yorkshire' finale tops quiet Thursday evening ratings". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  6. ↑ Eames, Tom (1 November 2013). "'Breathless' beats 'Truckers' on quiet Thursday evening". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  7. ↑ Eames, Tom (8 November 2013). "'MasterChef' tops Thursday ratings with 2.9 million". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Butcher, David. "Truckers Episode 1". Radio Times. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Rainey, Sarah (10 October 2013). "Truckers, BBC One, review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  10. ↑ Jones, Ellen (10 October 2013). "TV review: Stephen Tompkinson's line in put-upon nice guys is wearing a bit thin in Truckers". The Independent. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  11. ↑ "APRIL on FOXTEL: Game Of Thrones, Mad Men, Wentworth, Deadline Gallipoli and 200+ other new shows". The Green Room. Foxtel. 30 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Truckers (DVD)". BBC Shop. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
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