How accurate is Bleasdale’s portrayal of family life in the 1980’s in ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’?

Have a little read: ... Jenny Corcoran 10a How accurate is Bleasdale's portrayal of family life in the 1980's in 'Boys from the Blackstuff'? It is the 1980s. Britain's working class are suffering due to high unemployment and a bleak and depressing world recession. The mood of the general public, especially the unemployed, is one of despair and resignation, coupled with the fact that the government do not understand their hopeless predicament. Then, amongst the riots and protests breaking out all over the country, a new and extremely relevant drama is aired on the BBC. 'Boys from the Blackstuff' by Alan Bleasdale, a series depicting the effects unemployment has on family life, is immediately popular, among audiences and critics alike. This is mainly because of its startling similarities to Britain at the time, enabling the general public to relate to the scripts in one way or another. The Anglican Bishop of Liverpool (the setting of 'Boys from the Blackstuff'), Reverend David Sheppard commented, 'it's about people with great gifts and abilities being robbed of a chance to use them'. This reflected the situation of many families at this time. Unemployment had varying effects on the relationships between husband and wife. While some couples were brought closer together by their troubles, many family bonds became strained and volatile. The Todd's are a good example of a family with problems like these. They suffered from many petty arguments - in one instance, Chrissie said to Angie, 'I said shut up,' to which Angie replies, 'Why should I shut up? You started it.' These arguments occurred regularly in the Todd household, deteriorating their relationship further as time went on. It is apparent that the Todd's problems are due to unemployment as it is unemployment that makes Chrissie feel so emasculated and second-class. The fact that the gas board come to cut off the gas supply can be seen as a metaphor for his feelings of lack of masculinity. This is amplified when Angie says to him, 'I can't cut out off what you haven't got' As a result of comments like these, Chrissie continues to feel worthless, venting his frustrations on Angie, straining their relationship further. Although Angie's comments seem harsh and unfeeling, they are only there because of the affection Chrissie and she are losing along with their food, money, and Angie's dreams of a good, honest life. She is a result embittered and resentful. Chrissie too feels the effect