The Rag Trade

The action centred on a fictional small clothing workshop (the title is a reference to the textile industry), ''Fenner's Fashions'' in London. In 1975, a colour pilot was made; with only Peter Jones reprising his role; this pilot featured a young Tony Robinson (replacing Reg Varney), Gaye Brown (briefly replacing Karlin), Jumoke Debayo, Diane Langton, Annabel Leventon, Jamila Massey, Mollie Maureen (replacing Esma Cannon) and Trixie Scales. The 1977–78 version ran for two series, most of the scripts being based on the BBC episodes from the 1960s, and featured Anna Karen (reprising her role as Olive from On the Buses) and future EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth as factory workers. In 1990, the series was remade as Fredrikssons Fabrikk by NRK in Norway. The cast comprised both Norwegian and Swedish actors, and the series was broadcast by SVT in Sweden as well. It ran for three seasons (1990–93, with 17 30-minute episodes and one 45-minute special) and a feature film version Fredrikssons Fabrikk – The Movie in 1994 with a script credited to Chesney and Wolfe, and Norwegian series writer Andreas Markusson. ==Cast==

All series • Peter Jones as Harold Fenner • Miriam Karlin as Patricia "Paddy" Fleming 1961–1963 • Reg Varney as Reg Turner • Esma Cannon as Lily Swann (series 1–2) • Sheila Hancock as Carole Taylor (series 1–2) • Barbara Windsor as Gloria (series 1) and Judy (series 3) • Ann Beach as Brenda (series 1) • Rita Smythe as Rita (series 1) • Wanda Ventham as Shirley (series 2–3) • Patricia Denys as Betty (series 3) • Stella Tanner as Olive (series 3) • Carmel Cryan as Gloria (series 3) • Amanda Reiss as Janet (series 3) • Irene Handl as Mrs Turner (series 3) 1977–1978 • Anna Karen as Olive Rudge • Christopher Beeny as Tony • Gillian Taylforth as Lyn • Diane Langton as Kathy • Deddie Davies as Mabel • Lucita Lijertwood as Jojo • Rowena Cooper as Mrs Fenner (series 4) • Joy Stewart as Mrs Fenner (series 5) ==TV episodes==

On original transmission many episodes of the original BBC TV series of The Rag Trade were not given titles, so some are from production notes and repeat screenings. Original BBC TV series Series 1 (1961) Series 2 (1962) Christmas Night with the Stars 25 December 1962 – featured a short sketch. (Has been lost) Series 3 (1963) Colour pilot (1975) LWT relaunch series Series 4 (1977) Christmas special (1977) Series 5 (1978) ==Missing episodes==

Because of the BBC's wiping policy of that era, of the 36 episodes made only 20 episodes of the original BBC Television version (1961–63) still exist in the BBC archives. Series 1 of the original BBC TV version of the show has eight episodes surviving and two episodes missing from the archive. The DVD release of Series 1 has the episodes out of broadcast order. Series 2 of the original BBC TV version of the show has 11 episodes surviving and two episodes missing from the archive, with the episodes in their correct broadcast order on the Series 2 DVD release. Only one of the 13 episodes of the third (and final) BBC TV series (1963) currently exists – "Baby Dolls", which was confirmed to have been unearthed by Philip Morris of the Television International Enterprises Archive and returned to the BBC in 2018. == Music ==

"The Rag Trade" was the theme song to the 1977 revival of The Rag Trade, The song was written by Lynsey de Paul, but the vocals are credited to Joan Brown singing "It's the rag trade" over a quirky tune, sounding remarkably like de Paul. Indeed, some sources credit the vocal performance of the song to de Paul. The recording was arranged by John Bell and the conductor was Denis King. It was released on an album of TV themes on the DJM Records subsidiary label Weekend Records. The DVD set featuring all 22 episodes of the LWT episodes, with the theme music at the beginning and ending of every episode, was released by Network. The original version of "The Rag Trade" can be heard on de Paul's official website. ==DVD release==

Eight of the ten surviving episodes from Series 1 (broadcast in 1961) were released on DVD by DD Home Entertainment in March 2006, although they were out of broadcast order. The 11 existing episodes of Series 2 (broadcast in 1962) were released on DVD by Simply Media 7 months later in October 2006, in their correct broadcast order. A 4-disc set consisting of the 19 surviving episodes from the first two series of the show were later released on 23 October 2017 by Simply Media, although Series 1 episodes remained out of broadcast order. All 22 episodes of both colour series 4 and 5 of the (1977–78) LWT version of the series, including the 1977 Christmas special, have been released on DVD by Network, under the titles "The Rag Trade: The Complete First LWT Series" and "The Rag Trade: The Complete Second LWT Series", and then all re-released under the title "The Rag Trade: The Complete LWT Series". ==References==