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The Price of Coal | |
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Also known as | The Price of Coal: Meet the People The Price of Coal: Back to Reality |
Genre | Comedy drama |
Written by | Barry Hines |
Directed by | Ken Loach |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producer | Tony Garnett |
Cinematography | Brian Tufano |
Running time | 75 mins 95 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | BBC1 |
Release | 29 March 5 April 1977 | –
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) |
The Price of Coal is a two-part television drama written by Barry Hines and directed by Ken Loach first broadcast as part of the Play for Today series in 1977.[1][2] Set at the fictional Milton Colliery, near Barnsley in South Yorkshire, the episodes contrast "efforts made to cosmetically improve the pit in preparation for a royal visit (part one) and the target-conscious safety shortcuts that precipitate a fatal accident (part two)".[3]
The plot bears some similarities to the Cadeby Main pit disaster of July 1912, which occurred whilst the King and Queen were visiting pit villages in Yorkshire.[4] This disaster is discussed by managers in the first episode, who refer to the timing of the disaster at the same time as the visit as "bad luck".