Pobol y Cwm
Encyclopedia
Pobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera
which has been produced by the BBC
since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales
television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C
when it opened in November 1982.
Rugby
specials apart, Pobol y Cwm is consistently the most watched programme of the week on S4C, and in 1994 was briefly shown in the rest of the UK on BBC2
with English
subtitles. Five episodes are produced each week, normally broadcast at 20.00 every weeknight, with a repeat (subtitled
in English) shown on the following weekday evening at 18.00. An omnibus
edition (also subtitled) is shown on Sunday afternoons.
and Llanelli
, although little effort is made to ensure that all the cast speak with Carmarthenshire
accents – indeed, the fact that there are "incomers" from other Welsh-speaking parts of Wales in the village is one of the programme's features. Most of the village activity centres on the pub, Y Deri, and its adjacent small businesses and houses. Other frequent settings for storylines include the comprehensive school, Ysgol y Mynach, and a local farm, Penrhewl. The village is to be found in the heart of the Gwendraeth Valley. There are two other imaginary villages close to Cwmderi, namely Llanarthur and Cwrt Mynach.
While most of the cast are largely unknown to the English-speaking world, Ioan Gruffudd
– who later became an international film star – played the part of Gareth Wyn Harries between 1987 and 1994. Other well-known faces who have appeared include Rachel Thomas
, Huw Garmon
, Gillian Elisa
, Ieuan Rhys
, Aneirin Hughes
, and Gwenno Saunders
(of The Pipettes
). In October 2006, Imogen Thomas made a cameo appearance.
Gareth Lewis (who plays pub landlord Meic Pierce) is the seventh longest-serving actor in a continuous role in British television soap history, while Gwyn Elfyn has played the part of village shopkeeper Denzil Rees continuously since 1984, making him the tenth longest-serving actor still appearing in a United Kingdom soap opera role.
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which has been produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
when it opened in November 1982.
Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
specials apart, Pobol y Cwm is consistently the most watched programme of the week on S4C, and in 1994 was briefly shown in the rest of the UK on BBC2
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
subtitles. Five episodes are produced each week, normally broadcast at 20.00 every weeknight, with a repeat (subtitled
Subtitle (captioning)
Subtitles are textual versions of the dialog in films and television programs, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen. They can either be a form of written translation of a dialog in a foreign language, or a written rendering of the dialog in the same language, with or without added...
in English) shown on the following weekday evening at 18.00. An omnibus
Omnibus (broadcast)
An omnibus is a compilation of daily television or radio episodes that is re-broadcast during the following weekend. The term has been most frequently used in the United Kingdom, though it has also been used in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa...
edition (also subtitled) is shown on Sunday afternoons.
Setting
The setting for the show in the fictional village of Cwmderi, located in south-west Wales in an area lying somewhere between CarmarthenCarmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
and Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, although little effort is made to ensure that all the cast speak with Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
accents – indeed, the fact that there are "incomers" from other Welsh-speaking parts of Wales in the village is one of the programme's features. Most of the village activity centres on the pub, Y Deri, and its adjacent small businesses and houses. Other frequent settings for storylines include the comprehensive school, Ysgol y Mynach, and a local farm, Penrhewl. The village is to be found in the heart of the Gwendraeth Valley. There are two other imaginary villages close to Cwmderi, namely Llanarthur and Cwrt Mynach.
While most of the cast are largely unknown to the English-speaking world, Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd
Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
– who later became an international film star – played the part of Gareth Wyn Harries between 1987 and 1994. Other well-known faces who have appeared include Rachel Thomas
Rachel Thomas
Rachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay...
, Huw Garmon
Huw Garmon
Huw Garmon is a Welsh actor, probably best known for playing the eponymous lead in the Oscar-nominated Welsh language film, Hedd Wyn ....
, Gillian Elisa
Gillian Elisa
Gillian Elisa is an actress, singer, and comedian. Early in her career she was known by her full name of Gillian Elisa Thomas.-Career:...
, Ieuan Rhys
Ieuan Rhys
Ieuan Rhys is an actor. He attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar primary school, and Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen secondary school near Pontypridd, both Welsh language schools. His father, Gethin Evans, was a music teacher at the nearby comprehensive school...
, Aneirin Hughes
Aneirin Hughes
Aneirin Hughes born , is a Welsh television and film actor and a singer.Born in Aberystwyth in Wales as Aneurin Hughes, Hughes studied music at the University College of Wales Aberystwyth under Professor Ian Parrott. As a student Hughes's first acting experience was gained when he appeared in...
, and Gwenno Saunders
Gwenno Saunders
Gwenno Saunders is a British dancer and solo artist. She is best known as a singer and keyboardist with The Pipettes, and is also known by the name Gwenno Pipette.-Biography:...
(of The Pipettes
The Pipettes
The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs...
). In October 2006, Imogen Thomas made a cameo appearance.
Gareth Lewis (who plays pub landlord Meic Pierce) is the seventh longest-serving actor in a continuous role in British television soap history, while Gwyn Elfyn has played the part of village shopkeeper Denzil Rees continuously since 1984, making him the tenth longest-serving actor still appearing in a United Kingdom soap opera role.
Current cast members
- Llinor ap GwyneddLlinor ap GwyneddLlinor Wyn ap Gwynedd is a Welsh actress from Pembrokeshire, most notable for playing the part of Gwyneth Jones in the long-running television soap Pobol y Cwm on S4C. She also appeared in the soap's radio spin-off, Eileen...
: Gwyneth Jones - Rhys Bidder : Macs White
- Nia CaronNia CaronNia Caron is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character Anita Pierce in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm and Dilys Parry in the Welsh film Porc Pei and television series Porc Peis Bach. Caron is a native of Tregaron, Ceredigion, the daughter of artist Ogwyn Davies. She is married and...
: Anita Pierce - Jeremi CockramJeremi CockramJeremi Cockram is a Welsh television actor best known for playing the character of Sion White in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm.He attended Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, a Welsh language secondary school near Pontypridd.-References:...
: Siôn White - Sera Cracroft : Eileen Markham
- Aled Davies : Rhys Llywelyn
- Arwel Davies : Eifion Rowlands
- Arwyn DaviesArwyn DaviesArwyn Davies is a Welsh actor, best-known for playing the character of Mark Jones since 1993 on the long-running Welsh-language soap Pobol y Cwm. Arwyn Davies's father was the Welsh comedian Ryan Davies.-External links:...
: Mark Jones - Donna EdwardsDonna Edwards (actress)Donna Edwards is a Welsh actress, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, and lives in Cardiff. She is most famous for playing Britt Monk in Pobol y Cwm . She has starred in a number of Welsh-based TV drama including Dinas, Tair chwaer and Belonging...
: Britt Monk - Bethan Ellis OwenBethan Ellis OwenBethan Ellis Owen is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character of Ffion Llewelyn in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm.She was a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari after moving to South Wales as a child....
: Ffion Llywelyn - Gwyn Elfyn : Denzil Rees
- Marged Esli : Nansi Furlong
- Mark FlanaganMark FlanaganMark Flanagan may refer to:* Mark Flanagan , Welsh television actor* Mark Flanagan, the Queen's chef of the Royal Kitchens* Mark Flanagan , British blues guitarist* Mark Flanagan , English rugby league player...
: Huw "Jinx" Jenkins - Alex Harries : Scott Lewis
- Elin Harries : Dani Thomas
- Rhys Hartley : Huw White
- Justin Jones : Ieuan Griffiths
- Mirain Alaw Jones : Lois Evans
- Gareth Lewis : Meic Pierce
- Richard LynchRichard Lynch (Welsh actor)Richard Lynch is a Southern Welsh television and film actor best known for playing the character of Garry Monkin S4C's long-running Welsh-language soap Pobol y Cwm....
: Garry Monk - Nicholas McGaugheyNicholas McGaugheyNicholas McGaughey is a Welsh television actor best known for playing the character of Brandon Monk in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm. He has appeared on a number of top English television programmes such as Casualty in 1998...
: Brandon Monk - Caryl Morgan : Izzy Evans
- Jonathan Nefydd : Colin Evans
- Victoria PlucknettVictoria PlucknettVictoria Plucknett is a Welsh television actress, best known for playing the character of Diane Ashurst in the Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm and Mary in The Duchess of Duke Street.-Television:*How Green Was My Valley...
: Diane Ashurst - Catrin Powell : Cathryn "Cadno" Richards
- Maria PrideMaria PrideMaria Pride is a Welsh television actress who plays the recurring character of Debbie Jones in the Welsh Language soap opera Pobol y Cwm.She is a former pupil of Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, near Pontypridd....
: Debbie Collins - Dyfan Rees : Iolo White
- Iwan RobertsIwan "Iwcs" RobertsIwan "Iwcs" Roberts is a Welsh actor, lyricist and singer.-Biography:Roberts started his career as an actor, performing in the Urdd Eisteddfod and local Eisteddfodau whilst a pupil at Trawsfynydd primary school, where he was nicknamed "Iwcs"...
: Kevin Powell - Sharon Roberts : Gaynor Evans
- Tonya Smith : Yvonne Evans
- Andrew Teilo : Hywel Llywelyn
- Emily Tucker : Sioned Rees
- Lisa VictoriaLisa VictoriaLisa Victoria Redwood is a Welsh television actor best known for playing the character of Sheryl Hughes in the long-running Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm on S4C...
: Sheryl Hughes - Simon Watts : Gethin Thomas
- Tomos West : Ricky Jones
- Buddug WilliamsBuddug WilliamsBuddug Williams is a Welsh actress, best known for her roles in the long-running television soap Pobol y Cwm on S4C – first as the mother of Sabrina and Reg...
: Marian Rees ("Anti Marian") - Siôn Ifan Williams : Liam Collins
- Emyr Wyn : Dai Ashurst
- Darren Borst : "Dafyd Ap Bleddyn"
Former or occasional cast members
- Rhys ap Hywel : Jason Francis
- Rhys ap William : Cai Rossiter
- Heledd Baskerville : Lucy Steadman
- Emyr Bell : D.I. Gwyn Lewis
- Geraint Benney : Geraint
- Eirlys Britton : Beth James
- Ieuan RhysIeuan RhysIeuan Rhys is an actor. He attended Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar primary school, and Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen secondary school near Pontypridd, both Welsh language schools. His father, Gethin Evans, was a music teacher at the nearby comprehensive school...
: Sgt Glyn James - Huw CeredigHuw CeredigHuw Ceredig, born Huw Ceredig Jones was a Welsh television actor best known for playing Reg Harries in the Welsh soap opera, Pobol y Cwm.-Personal life:...
: Reg Harris - Glan Davies : Clem
- Huw Euron : Darren Howarth
- Gillian ElisaGillian ElisaGillian Elisa is an actress, singer, and comedian. Early in her career she was known by her full name of Gillian Elisa Thomas.-Career:...
: Sabrina Ashurst - Hywel Emrys : Derek Jones
- Huw GarmonHuw GarmonHuw Garmon is a Welsh actor, probably best known for playing the eponymous lead in the Oscar-nominated Welsh language film, Hedd Wyn ....
- Steffan Humphries - Ioan GruffuddIoan GruffuddIoan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
: Gareth Wyn Harries - John Harries : Jon y Post
- Phylip Harries : Ken Coslett
- Brian HibbardBrian HibbardBrian Hibbard is a Welsh actor and singer, best remembered as the lead vocalist in the original Flying Pickets.Hibbard was born in Ebbw Vale, and after various job including teacher, steel worker, barman and chimney sweep, he formed the Flying Pickets with a group of other actors who had practised...
: Johnny Mac - Siw HughesSiw HughesSiw Hughes is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character of Kath Jones in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm from 1993 until 2007....
: Kathleen Pearl Jones - Kate JarmanKate JarmanKate Jarman is a bilingual Welsh actress. She is most well known for playing lead characters in Hearts of Gold, Nice Girl and Pobol Y Cwm.- Early life :...
: Erin Medi Hughes - Harriet Lewis : Maggie Mathias
- Marc Llewellyn : Rhodri Lewis
- Catrin Mara : Nesta Roberts
- Grug Maria : Julie Hughes
- Elen Morgan : Lydia Lewis
- Paul Morgans : Dwayne Richards
- Dewi Pws Morris : Wayne Harris
- Lisa PalfreyLisa PalfreyLisa Palfrey is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character of "Rhiannedd Frost" in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm. She has also appeared in the British film Maybe Baby alongside Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson and starred in the cult film House of America.She attended Ysgol Gyfun...
: Rhiannedd Frost - Lauren PhillipsLauren PhillipsLauren Phillips is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character of "Kelly" in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm.She also plays Sara in Welsh drama Caerdydd.-External links:...
: Kelly Evans - Shelley ReesShelley ReesShelley Rees is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character of Stacey Jones in the Welsh television soap Pobol y Cwm. She also plays the part of Jo Pugh in the S4C drama series 2 Dy a Ni, for which she was nominated for a Welsh BAFTA award.-References:...
: Stacey Jones - Iwan Rheon : Macs White
- Rosalind RichardsRosalind RichardsRosalind Richards is a Welsh television actress of mixed race best known for playing the character of Kim on Pobol y Cwm. She appeared in Dau Dy a Ni, playing the character of Tiwtor, and in stage performances of Butterfly Kiss and A Small Family Business.Richards grew up in the Rhymney Valley and...
: Kim - Gwynfor Roberts : Gwynfor
- Helen Rosser Davies : Sara Francis
- Cadfan Roberts : Glan Morris
- Mared Swain : Carys Jenkins
- Ed Thomas : Dr Gareth
- Rachel ThomasRachel ThomasRachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay...
: Bella Davies - Charles Williams : Harri Parri
- Gari Williams : Edgar Sutton
- Owen WilliamsOwen Williams (producer)Owen Williams, is a Welsh television producer and actor.Best known for playing the character of Mathew Price in Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm in 1991, he is now a producer for Independent Television Production Company, Fflic, part of the Boomerang Group.-External links:...
: Mathew Price