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Catherine Cookson

Catherine Cookson

Writer · Died June 11, 1998, aged 91 · Tyne Dock, South Shields, County Durham, England

Dame Catherine Ann Cookson (née McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998) was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while she retained a relatively low profile in the world of celebrity writers. Her books were inspired by her deprived youth in South Shields (historically part of County Durham), North East England, the setting for her novels. With 104 titles in her own name or two other pen names, she is one of the most prolific British novelists.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 27, 1906
Died
June 11, 1998 (aged 91)
From
Tyne Dock, South Shields, County Durham, England
Works as
Writer
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 45% in 30 days

What are Catherine Cookson's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Power.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
41%
Power
20%
Morality
18%
Self
12%
Survival
7%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 5

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
13
Tense
12
Bittersweet
6
Hopeful
6
Romantic
4
Other
4

How their films linger

Bittersweet11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Catherine Cookson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Catherine Cookson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

24 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • A Dinner of Herbs(2000)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • The Secret(2000)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Tilly Trotter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Novel

  • Colour Blind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • The Round Tower(1998)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Rag Nymph(1997)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • The Moth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show Creator

  • The Wingless Bird(1997)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • The Moth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Writer

  • The Girl(1996)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Tide of Life(1996)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Gambling Man(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Glass Virgin(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • The Dwelling Place(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • The Cinder Path(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · Creator · Novel

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • The Man Who Cried(1993)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Black Velvet Gown(1991)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Black Candle(1991)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Fifteen Streets(1989)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Our John Willie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 5 episodes · Novel

  • The Mallens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 13 episodes · Creator · Novel

  • Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Original Story

  • Rooney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Novel

  • Jacqueline(1956)

    Additional Dialogue · Novel

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 1956 to 2000.

Most popular right now

A Dinner of Herbs (2000)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing22 of 23: 8 only writing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thOther crew15 of 23: 1 only other crew, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rd

23 titles, 14 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 14 of them.

By decade

1950s2 · crew1970s2 · crew1980s2 · crew1990s15 · crew2000s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Catherine Cookson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

None of their 16 titles divides audiences: 12 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most loved · writer

The Girl (1996)

Midcredits 79th · 72% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 53/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Catherine Cookson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Catherine Cookson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ray Marshall shares the most, 15.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers