Ankle Tag: Series 1-3

Synopsis

All three series of the BBC radio sitcom about a fraudster dad on parole - plus pilot episode The Beginning'Well crafted, well acted, with the requisite level of nuttiness' - Miranda Sawyer, The ObserverEx-con Bob has done his time. After five years at Her Majesty's pleasure, he's been released on licence with an ankle tag registered to his estranged son's address. Uptight Gruff isn't too happy about it - he's just become a father himself, and the last thing he needs is his delinquent dad back in his life. But Bob turns on the charm, persuading sympathetic daughter-in-law Alice that his heart's in the right place, and manages to inveigle his way into moving in.These three series find him getting back on the dating scene, landing a job as a bingo caller, catching up with an old acquaintance from C Wing and reconnecting with a long-lost family member. Meanwhile, Gruff is delighted when he's commissioned to write an article about smoothies, Alice bonds with Bob over ape-based reality show Monkey World, Gruff and Alice decide to get daughter Carys baptised and Alice's mum has a new boyfriend - but Bob is suspicious. Can he use his expert knowledge of the Falklands War to prove that Jeffrey's a conman?Scripted by acclaimed comedy writers Gareth Gwynn and Benjamin Partridge, this quirky, warm-hearted sitcom stars Steve Speirs as Bob, with Elis James as Gruff and Katy Wix and Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Alice. Among the guest stars are Morwenna Banks, Neil Pearson, Felicity Montagu and Ben Willbond.Please note: content has been updated as of January 2021CreditsPublished by Penguin Random House LtdLicensed by BBC Studios Distribution LtdProduction creditsWritten by Gareth Gwynn and Benjamin PartridgeProduced by Victoria Lloyd (Pilot and Series 1 & 2) and Adnan Ahmed (Series 3)Sound Designer: David ThomasProduction Co-Ordinator: Gwyn DaviesA BBC Studios ProductionFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 November 2015 ('The Beginning'), 30 August-13 September 2017 (Series 1), 31 October-21 November 2018 (Series 2), 28 May-2 July 2020 (Series 3)CastGruff - Elis JamesAlice - Katy Wix/Margaret Cabourn-SmithBob - Steve SpeirsLinda/Mariella - Gemma WhelanDavid/Terry - Oliver MaltmanPam - Vivienne Acheampong/Anna Brophy LeonChris/Trevor/Monkey World announcer - Jason ForbesRuth/Ruby - Shola AdewusiMargaret/Ena - Morwenna BanksKeith/Father Mike/Anthony - Mike WozniakRichard Flint - Neil PearsonTabitha/Receptionist - Adelayo AdedayoHakan/Canteen Guy - Naz OsmanogluLauren - Ruth BrattNappy advert v/o - Anna Leong BrophyJeffrey - Simon GreenallElaine - Felicity MontaguGraham- Ben WillbondCash and Carry Worker/Sara- Vivienne AcheampongRashid - Phaldut SharmaHarry - Owen MoneyAnna - Sally TatumNicholas - Tom CrowleyJoanna - Emily Lloyd-SainiZara - Chiara GoldsmithSimon - Jordan BrookesBailiff - Sanjeev KohliDarren - Kevin EldonCashier - Emma SidiRich - Jon PointingMegan - Gabby BestIan - Marek LarwoodMonica - Amy GledhillQuentin - Robert BathurstRoz - Julia DeakinShirley - Gbemisola IkumeloBarbara - Ruth MadocDerek - Joseph Marcell