''Murphy's Mob'' is a British children's

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

, created and written by Brian Finch which was produced and directed by David Foster for

Central Independent Television ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central, ITV1 for Central England and commonly referred to as simply Central, is the ITV (TV network), Independent Television franchisee in Midlands, the English Midlands ...

, and screened in the UK on ITV for four series between 1 March 1982 and 19 December 1985. The theme tune was sung by Gary Holton, of ''

Auf Wiedersehen, Pet ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'' () is a British comedy-drama television programme about seven British construction workers who leave the United Kingdom to search for employment overseas. In the first series, the men live and work on a building site ...

'' fame.

Plot

The series featured Ken Hutchison as Mac Murphy, who takes charge as manager of a struggling fictional Third Division football club, Dunmore United, and a group of young supporters of the club whose day-to-day troubles included attempts to set up a junior supporter's club and clubhouse within the stadium.

Cast

* Ken Hutchison as Mac Murphy *

Lynda Bellingham Lynda Bellingham ( ; 31 May 194819 October 2014) was an English actress, broadcaster and author. She acted in television series such as ''All Creatures Great and Small (1978 TV series), All Creatures Great and Small'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Second Tho ...

as Elaine Murphy * Terence Budd as Rasputin Jones * Milton Johns as Derek Cassidy * Amanda Mealing as Sheila * Tracy Lynn Stephens as Jean * Keith Jayne as Boxer * Lewis Stevens as Wurzel * Chris Gascoyne as Judd * Wayne Norman as Gerry 'Geronimo'

Production

The drama scenes also included action taken from real

Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...

games from the era. The fictional Dunmore team therefore played in yellow, red and black to allow the footage to be cut into the drama. Billy Wright, the former England captain is credited in the first series as "Soccer Advisor".

Broadcast

The show was broadcast twice weekly on ITV ''Series 1'' * 16 episodes generally broadcast on Monday and Wednesday between 1 March and 26 April 1982 ''Series 2'' * 12 episodes generally broadcast on Wednesday and Thursday between 9 March and 14 April 1983 ''Series 3'' * 14 episodes generally broadcast on Monday and Thursday between 29 October and 13 December 1984 ''Series 4'' * 12 episodes generally broadcast on Monday and Thursday between 11 November and 20 December 1985

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, id=0159188, title=Murphy's Mob 1982 British television series debuts 1985 British television series endings ITV children's television shows British English-language television shows Television shows produced by Central Independent Television Fictional association football television series