''The Gambling Man'' is a British three-part television serial, or long TV movie, first broadcast in 1995, starring

Robson Green Robson Golightly Green (born 18 December 1964) is an English actor, angler, singer-songwriter and presenter. His first major TV role was as hospital porter Jimmy Powell in BBC drama series ''Casualty'' in 1989. He then went on to portray Fusili ...

, directed by

Norman Stone Norman Stone (8 March 1941 – 19 June 2019) was a British historian and author. He was Professor of European History in the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University, having formerly been a professor at the University of Oxf ...

, based on a novel by

Catherine Cookson Dame Catherine Ann Cookson, DBE (''née'' McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998) was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile i ...

Outline

Rory Connor (

) is a rent-collector on

Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as published i ...

with a passion for playing

poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...

for high stakes, while Janie Waggett (

Stephanie Putson Stephanie Putson (born August 1973) is an English film, television, and stage actress. Born on Teesside, Steph graduated from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and after taking to the stage she gained her first screen role in the ...

) is the woman who loves him, standing by him through many troubles. Charlotte Kean (

Sylvestra Le Touzel Sylvestra Le Touzel (born 1958) is a British television, film and stage actor. She was born and raised in Kensington, London, to a prominent family from Saint Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands. She attended school in East Acton. Television Beginn ...

) is Connor's employer, and she too finds him attractive. He gets into bad company in the dark world of gambling is so sure that poker is his way to riches that he makes a terrible decision. He spends time trying,but still doesn't manage to meet Rafa. The plot may be partly autobiographical, as

’s own father was a

bigamist In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...

and a gambler.16 facts about Dame Catherine Cookson on her 110th birthday
in ''

Shields Gazette The ''Shields Gazette'', established in 1849, is a daily newspaper. It was known as the oldest provincial evening newspaper in the United Kingdom. It was originally established as a weekly paper - the ''North and South Shields Gazette and Nort ...

'', 27 June 2016
archived here
/ref>

Production

Producer Ray Marshall bought the film rights to several of the period works of Catherine Cookson, beginning in 1989 with ''The Fifteen Streets'', which had been turned into a successful stage play. These productions, sponsored by Tyne Tees Television, were very popular and drew between ten and fourteen million viewers each.Julie Anne Taddeo, ed., ''Catherine Cookson Country: On the Borders of Legitimacy, Fiction, and History'' (Routledge, 2016), p. 172

Cast

as Rory Connor *

as Janie Waggett *

Ian Cullen George Ian Cullen (20 October 1939 – 12 November 2019) was a British actor. Cullen first became interested in acting when appearing in a pantomime aged four (late 1943). He trained at RADA with a scholarship when he was 16. An early televis ...

as Paddy Connor *

David Nellist David John Nellist (born 16 July 1952) is a British Trotskyist activist who was the MP for the constituency of Coventry South East from 1983 to 1992. Elected as a Labour MP, his support for the Militant tendency led to his eventual expulsion f ...

as Jimmy Connor *

as Charlotte Kean *

Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (born 17 December 1944) is an English actor. He is well recognized for playing King Théoden in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in ''Titanic'', and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in the ...

as Frank Nickle *

Sammy Johnson Ronald Samuel Johnson (14 May 1949 – November 1998) was an English actor. Biography Johnson was born in Gateshead. the son of Samuel Johnson and Thomasina (Tina) Scott. He was brother to Kenneth (who died in September 1964), Raymond (Jimm ...

as Victor Pittie *

David Haddow David Haddow (12 June 1869 – 14 April 1955) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He won one cap for Scotland, in 1894. Career In 1890, Haddow was involved in an altercation between players from Airdrieonians and h ...

as John George Armstrong * John Middleton as Mr Buckham *

Frank Mills Frank Mills (born June 27, 1942) is a Canadian pianist and recording artist, best known for his solo instrumental hit "Music Box Dancer". Early life and education Mills was born in Montreal, Quebec. He was raised in Verdun, Quebec and started pl ...

as Mr Kean *

Ron Donachie Ronald Eaglesham Porter (born 26 April 1956), known professionally as Ron Donachie, is a Scottish actor. He is known for starring as DI John Rebus in the BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of the Ian Rankin "Rebus" detective novels and for his supporti ...

as Alec McLean *

Peter Marshall Peter Marshall may refer to: Entertainment * Peter Marshall (entertainer) (born 1926), American game show host of ''The Hollywood Squares'', 1966–1981 * Peter Marshall (author, born 1939) (1939–1972), British novelist whose works include ''Th ...

as Chief Constable *

Alan Mason Alan Mason (1934-2014) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played for Balmain and Canterbury-Bankstown in the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) competition. Mason later coached the cl ...

as Mr Dryden * Richard Franklin as Gambler *

T. R. Bowen Trevor Bowen (sometimes T. R. Bowen, born 1941 in Rangoon, Burma) is an English actor and screenwriter who has appeared frequently in British television dramas since the mid-1960s. Early life He is the son of Major General W. O. Bowen and w ...

as Mr Arden *

Jean Southern Jean Southern (born 14 January 1927) is a British actress. She primarily works in TV roles including '' Our Friends In The North' (1996). She appeared as the lady who operates the trolley in ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ...

as Mrs Tyler *

Paul Colman Paul Colman is a British-Australian pop-rock guitarist, vocalist, pianist, and composer. He has made a name for himself as a Christian musician independently, with his band the Paul Colman Trio, as a solo artist, and as part of the Newsboys. His ...

as Gambler *Max Smith as Bill Waggett *Anne Kent as Lizzie O'Dowd *Dennis Lingard as Little Joe *Allen Mechen as Dan Pittie *Ron Senior Jr. as Sam Pittie *Amber Styles as Ruth Connor *Margery Bone as Maggie Ridley *Lyn Douglas as Grannie Waggett *Sarah Finch as Mrs Buckham *Joe Ging as Dr Munday *Johnny Caesar as Mr Grable *Jan Gordon as Woman at Wedding *Tony Hodge as Oakshott *Jim Killeen as Man at Gaming House *Anissa Ladjemi as Widow's Child *George Lavella as Look-Out Boy *Peter Marriner as Police Sergeant *Nick Nancarrow as Nipper *Bryan St. John as Older Policeman

Notes

External links

*
The Gambling Man (Part 1)
full episode at dailymotion.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Gambling Man 1995 British television series debuts 1995 British television series endings 1990s British drama television series ITV television dramas 1990s British television miniseries Period television series Television shows based on British novels Television shows set in Tyne and Wear Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Tyne Tees Television English-language television shows Television series set in the 1870s British television films