Common As Muck
- TV comedy drama
- BBC One
- 1994 - 1997
- 12 episodes (2 series)
Comedy-drama series in which a team of binmen fight to prevent their jobs being privatized. Stars Neil Dudgeon, Richard Ridings, Stephen Lord, Edward Woodward, Roy Hudd and more.
Press clippings
'Real' Common As Muck binman dies
Writer William 'Billy' Ivory has paid tribute to a binman who inspired his breakthrough TV comedy drama Common As Muck.
Malcolm Greaves, who has died aged 75, worked with Ivory when they were both binmen in Nottinghamshire.
Mr Greaves inspired two characters in the programme, who were played by actors Edward Woodward and Tim Healy.
Common as Muck (BBC1) ended not so much with a bang as a fusillade. [...] The cast was so strong you got the impression of admirable actors, all jammed in a revolving door, which threw one at every episode. It was very much [g=6179]a man's story, cemented with matiness. For that reason I particularly admired Kathy Burke's shining performance as Sharon.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 13th February 1997Now, Common As Muck (BBC1) feels authentic. William Ivory, who wrote the series, used to work on the bins. When you hit rock bottom you bounce, and Common As Muck has a lot of built-in bounce.
Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian, 8th September 1994