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On 1 May 1986 the first episode of Bread was broadcast. Writer Carla Lane returned to Liverpool after the success of The Liver Birds, and created the Boswells, a close-knit, extended working class Catholic family. The Boswells were shown using their wits to survive life on the dole. The sitcom was initially criticised in Liverpool for stereotyping Liverpudlians as scroungers, but Lane's affection for her characters soon won critics over and at its peak the programme attracted audiences of 21 million.

The popularity of Bread was in part due its continuing plot, with cliff-hanger endings, and to its large cast of characters. Head of the Boswell family was Nellie, played by Jean Boht. Her husband Freddie was played by Ronald Forfar. Their children were Joey, Aveline, Jack, Adrian and Billy. The family invariably gathered for meals, although Grandad, who lived next door, had his delivered on a tray. Boht defended the depiction of Liverpool in Bread by describing it as a comedy version of Boys from the Blackstuff.

The series ran for 7 series until November 1991, and featured cameo appearances from Paul and Linda McCartney. The stars were reunited in a special programme for Comic Relief which also featured characters from Lane's other successes, Butterflies and Solo.