This drama was seen by many as an indictment of Thatcher's Britain, but, in fact, Alan Bleasdale wrote four out of the five episodes before Margaret Thatcher even came to power.
This series broke new ground for a major television drama in that it was shot almost entirely on videotape, using a new generation of smaller, portable, handheld video cameras and recorders that could be used more easily on-location. (ITV continued the trend the following year with Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983)). Yosser's Story (1982), however, was shot on 16mm film for artistic/creative reasons. However, it was not the first to primarily use videotape as, Il sindaco di Casterbridge (1978) was also originated entirely on tape.
Produced out of the BBC's Regional Drama HQ based at Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham, but shot entirely on-location in Liverpool.
Yosser Hughes' children were played by Alan Bleasdale's children, while Dixie Dean's son Kev was played by Bleasdale's cousin Gary Bleasdale.