ITV has announced the commission of Tina and Bobby.

Written by Lauren Klee (EastEnders, Waterloo Road), the three-part drama series tells the story of England and West Ham legend Bobby Moore’s life with his childhood sweetheart, Tina Dean, from their humble beginnings to the dizzy heights of superstardom.

Tina and Bobby is based on Tina Moore’s memoir, Bobby Moore: By The Person Who Knew Him Best and is described as “an epic love story about an ordinary girl from Essex who fell head over heels in love with an ordinary boy, who just happened to be an extraordinarily talented footballer.”

ITV’s Director of Drama, Steve November commented: “Tina and Bobby became national sweethearts in a time when the whole of Britain seemed youthful, successful and optimistic. Tina has reason to be called the first WAG, the Moore’s were the first celebrity football couple and the nation fell in love with them. Tina and Bobby is a personal and frank insight into their lives and we’re delighted to commission the drama from Kieran Roberts and ITV Studios.”

Executive producer Kieran Roberts added: “Most people will know the story of Bobby Moore’s achievements as captain of club and country – the only Englishman ever to lift the football World Cup. Far fewer will know the story of his life with Tina  – a love story every bit as dramatic and epic as Bobby’s exploits on the pitch. We are thrilled to be dramatising Tina and Bobby’s amazing story for ITV.”

The official synopsis reads: “A typist for the Prudential, Tina first met Bobby aged 15 when she ‘played hookey from school to go to the Ilford Palais with her cousin Jenny’.  Film star handsome and coolness personified, Bobby was only 17 himself and, though an exciting emerging talent, had yet to make a first team appearance.

“Unpretentious Tina had a loving upbringing in the modest semi-detached home of her resilient mother Betty. Typically down to earth, Bobby had experienced the same nurturing relationship with his parents Big Bob and Doss, who were always to feature prominently in his life.

“Tina was to marry Bobby on 30 June 1962 with former West Ham and Manchester United full back Noel Cantwell as Bobby’s Best Man and flamboyant football manager Malcolm Allison and the West Ham team in the congregation.

“Finding her feet in this new glamourous world, Tina looked radiant and was fizzing with nervous energy.  She and Bobby were excited about the future and the new home they were setting up together. Yet whilst on honeymoon in Majorca, Noel Cantwell, Malcolm Allison and their respective wives joined them, and Tina began to realise she might have to share Bobby with the world of football.

“As Bobby’s career flourished, Tina was happy to consider herself the first WAG, though she struggled to master life as a suburban housewife. She befriended some of her fellow WAGS – Judith Hurst, Kathy Peters and Janice Sealey – and pregnancy with their first child gave her renewed purpose.

“Then in 1965 the ‘golden’ couple were dealt a devastating blow: Bobby was diagnosed with testicular cancer and faced a career threatening operation.  With the World Cup around the corner it looked as if Bobby wouldn’t be eligible to play but, against all the odds, he fought his way back to fitness and the rest, as they say, is history.

“England’s victory made Bobby and Tina national celebrities and they experienced amazing highs, including the birth of their son Dean. Their heady lifestyle did take its toll, though the marriage survived. However, when Bobby’s career waned and business ventures failed the cracks started to show and Tina began to realise that the biggest challenges were still to come…”

Tina and Bobby will begin filming in Manchester this summer.

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