When the Boat Comes In is a British television drama produced by the BBC between 1976 and 1981.
The series stars James Bolam as Jack Ford, a First World War survivor who returns to his poverty stricken home town in the North East of England during the 1920s.
From 1964 to 1976 James Bolam had starred in another BBC series set on Tyneside, the television comedy The Likely Lads and its sequels.
The memorable traditional tune Dance Ti Thy Daddy was adapted by David Fanshawe for the title theme of the series. Fanshawe also composed the incidental music.
The first three series ran during 1976-77 and were very popular, although some thought it fell off slightly near the end. The BBC attempted to revive it with a fourth series in 1981, telling the story of Jack Ford as he returned to Britain after a few years in the US, but they did not re-unite all the previous cast and it was not as successful.
