The scripts were by Ronald Wolfe and Ronald Chesney, who later wrote Wild, Wild Women, Meet the Wife and On the Buses. Wild, Wild Women was a period variation of The Rag Trade.
The action centred on a small clothing workshop (the title refers to the textile industry), Fenner Fashions in London. Although run by Harold Fenner (Peter Jones) and Reg the foreman (Reg Varney), the female workers are led by militant shop steward Paddy Fleming (Miriam Karlin), ever ready to strike, with the catchphrase "Everybody out!" Other cast members included Sheila Hancock (as Carole), Esma Reese Cannon (as Lily Swann), Wanda Ventham (as Shirley) and Barbara Windsor (as Judy).
The Rag Trade was revived by ITV company LWT in 1977, with Jones and Karlin reprising their roles. The 1977 version ran for two series, most of the scripts being based on the BBC episodes from the 1960s, and featured Anna Karen (reprising her role as Olive from On the Buses) and future EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth as factory workers.
The theme tune for the LWT series was written and performed by Lynsey De Paul.
In 1990 the series was remade as the series Fredrikssons Fabrikk by NRK in Norway, it ran for three season (1990–93) (17 half hours and one 45min special) and spawned a film version Fredrikssons Fabrikk - The Movie in 1994 with a script credited to Chesney and Wolfe, and Norwegian series writer Andreas Markusson.
Read more about The Rag Trade: Episode List, Surviving BBC TV Episodes, DVD Release
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