‘Fighting Back’ – photo from John Greening

Photograph probably taken by Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

‘Fighting Back’:  TX 1 4 Aug 1986, 5 part series

Actress and singer Hazel O’Connor stars and sings the title song of ‘Fighting Back’.

Hazel plays Viv Sharpe, a young mother who just walked out on her current man  – father to her youngest child – and lands up back in her home town, Bristol.  Her mother’s dead, and she didn’t know, and no one wants to know her because of her past history.  She has no money to feed her kids, and to top it all she gets nicked and the children are put into care …… and her troubles are only just beginning.

‘Fighting Back’ also features Cheryl Maiker and Tont Carney as Viv’s children – Yvonne and Neil; Derek Thompson as Viv’s husband, Bruce; and Malcolm Frederick as Viv’s ex-lover.

John Greening

Jane Green remembers working on ‘Fighting Back’ well: ‘My first ever BBC day on work experience – in at the deep end – looking after Ms O’Connor. A right baptism of fire. I was supervised by Gareth Williams who was the FA on the studio floor. Pebble Mill made fab drama.’