Introduction

 Playing the field

Original channel	BBC One
Original run	8 March 1998 – 10 February 2002 (5 Series Totalling 32 Episodes)

Playing the Field is a BBC television drama series following the lives of the Castlefield Blues, a fictitious female football team from South Yorkshire.

Inspired by the Pete Davies' novel I Lost My Heart To The Belles — which was written about a real-life club, the Doncaster Belles — Playing the Field ran for five series, from 1998–2002, with scripts by, amongst others, Kay Mellor, Sally Wainwright and Gaynor Faye.
Despite being set in South Yorkshire, much of the location filming took place in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, although the fifth (and final) series was filmed around Leeds; whilst the theme song, "Blue" by Alison Moyet, was originally a B-side track about the singer's love of Southend United FC. A young Marsha Thomason — who has since appeared in U.S. shows Las Vegas and Lost — featured in all five series of Playing the Field. The first four series have been released on DVD in the UK, but the fifth has yet to be made available.

Production

 Executive producer(s) Charles Brand,Tessa Ross,Kay Mellor

 Producer(s) Kathleen Hutchison,Hugh Warren,Greg Brenman,Lis Steele

 Running time 60 minutes

Main cast

 

• Lorraine Ashbourne … Geraldine Powell
• Melanie Hill … Rita Dolan
• Jo McInnes … Jo Mullen
• Lesley Sharp … Theresa Mullen
• Marsha Thomason … Sharon 'Shazza' Pearce
• Saira Todd … Gabrielle 'Gabby' Holmes
• Debra Stephenson … Diane Powell
• Tracy Whitwell … Angie Gill
• Emma Rydall … Mikey
• Olivia Caffrey … Kate Howard
• Gaynor Faye … Holly Quinn
• Claudie Blakley … Kelly Powell
• James Nesbitt … James Dolan
• Tim Dantay … Dave Powell
• Nicholas Gleaves … Rick Powell
• Ralph Ineson … Luke Mullen
• Chris Walker … Matthew Mullen
• John Thomson … Eddie Ryan 
• James Thornton … Scott
• Lee Ross … Ryan Pratt
• James Ellis … Mr. Mullen
• Brigit Forsyth … Francine Pratt
• Elizabeth Spriggs … Mrs. Mullen
• Ricky Tomlinson … Jim Pratt
• Jason O'Mara … Lee Quinn
• Tom Moore … Martin Dolan

IMDB LINK