Where the Heart Is (1997 TV series)
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''Where the Heart Is'' (also stylised as Where The Heart Is) is a British drama television series set in the fictional
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
town of Skelthwaite, created by
Ashley Pharoah Ashley Pharoah (born 13 September 1959) is a British screenwriter and television producer. He is best known as the co-creator/writer of the successful drama series ''Life on Mars'', which began on BBC One in 2006, and creator/writer of the fami ...
and
Vicky Featherstone Vicky Featherstone (born 5 April 1967) is a theatre and artistic director. She has been artistic director of London's Royal Court Theatre since April 2013. Prior to that she was founding artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, a ...
. The series first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on 6 April 1997. The show focuses on the lives of a group of district nurses and their families who reside in the town. The show was created after Featherstone visited the Yorkshire town of
Meltham Meltham is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Holme Valley, below Wessenden Moor, four and a half miles south-west of Huddersfield on the edge of the Peak District Na ...
. She was intrigued by the tight-knit community, particularly those connected to the local district nursing office. She approached Pharoah with her ideas, and they pitched the show to ITV; after the network ordered production of the first series, they – along with producer Kate Anthony – began creating the show. The series was filmed in the
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located northeast of Nelson, north-east of Burnley, east of Preston and west of Leeds. The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne ...
valley of
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, mainly in the villages of Marsden and Slaithwaite and the town of Meltham. ''Where The Heart Is'' focuses on the stories that occur in small communities without being sentimental. Pharoah wanted to explore the hidden conflicts that occur within the families and friends. Margaret Tiffany, a real-life Meltham district nurse, provided Featherstone with the premise of the show. She was employed as a script advisor and coached the cast and helped the production create an authentic representation of life in the Colne Valley communities. ''Where The Heart Is'' initially focuses on five main characters from the Snow and Goddard family. In later series it expanded its focus to additional characters using an ensemble cast format. On 12 October 2006, ITV announced that the tenth series was the last as they decided to focus on creating other shows. The final episode was broadcast on 10 September 2006.


Plot overview

''Where the Heart Is'' focuses on the personal lives of two district nurses in the small Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite. The official ITV website described the series as "an engaging story of life, love, family and people’s ever-changing fortunes in rural England. Set against the rugged landscape of Yorkshire, it follows the busy professional and family lives of District Nurses, as they bring nursing and emotional care to young and old alike." Initially, it mainly concentrated on the lives of two of the district health nurses, Peggy Snow (
Pam Ferris Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including ''Connie'' (1985), '' The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), '' Where the Heart Is'' (1997–2000), '' Rosemary & Thyme'' ...
) and Ruth Goddard (
Sarah Lancashire Sarah-Jane Abigail Lancashire (born 10 October 1964) is an English actress from Oldham, England. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1986 and began her career in local theatre, whilst teaching drama classes at the ...
). The story expands to focus on the lives of more Skelthwhaite residents, particularly those related to the nurses as well as those working in a local toilet paper factory.


Production

''Where The Heart Is'' was created by
Ashley Pharoah Ashley Pharoah (born 13 September 1959) is a British screenwriter and television producer. He is best known as the co-creator/writer of the successful drama series ''Life on Mars'', which began on BBC One in 2006, and creator/writer of the fami ...
and
Vicky Featherstone Vicky Featherstone (born 5 April 1967) is a theatre and artistic director. She has been artistic director of London's Royal Court Theatre since April 2013. Prior to that she was founding artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, a ...
. The show is a drama series and was made for ITV's "prime time" television slot. The series was filmed in the
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located northeast of Nelson, north-east of Burnley, east of Preston and west of Leeds. The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne ...
valley of
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...
, mainly in the villages of Marsden and Slaithwaite, and the town of
Meltham Meltham is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Holme Valley, below Wessenden Moor, four and a half miles south-west of Huddersfield on the edge of the Peak District Na ...
. The production team would also use
Huddersfield Town Hall Huddersfield Town Hall is a municipal facility in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. It is a Grade II listed building. History The building was commissioned to replace the offices of the Huddersfield Improvement Commissioners who had ...
as an occasional filming location. The show's theme song, also titled "Where the Heart Is", was performed by the band
Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they re ...
. Featherstone's inspiration for the series came from a visit to the Colne Valley, where she attended a wedding. Hayward 1999, p. 8 Featherstone was intrigued by a close-knit community based in Meltham, particularly the district nurses working in the town. Featherstone had previously worked with Pharoah writing for the
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...
television drama ''
Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC, which focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. First broadcast in 1996, the series was created by Nigel ...
''. She recalled that he was keen to create a story about a teenager who wanted to break away from a tight-knit community, Hayward 1999, p. 9 and thought that the two stories could be combined. When Featherstone approached Pharoah with her idea, he was uninterested in the concept because he believed it "sounded soft and sentimental". Hayward 1999, p. 10 She convinced Pharoah to accompany her to Meltham where they visited a small district nursing office. After conversing with the staff, Pharoah realised they had valid stories which had the potential to be explored fully on a television series. After two days in Meltham, Pharoah was determined to create the show. He had even envisioned all the characters based on the people he had met and thought of storylines. Hayward 1999, p. 11 Pharoah was soon hired by United Productions, where Featherstone was already employed, to write a script. The pair knew the show would need to be suitable for a pre-watershed time slot and were mindful to exclude profanity and nudity. Pharoah was adamant that ''Where The Heart Is'' would not be sentimental and would include conflict. Hayward 1999, p. 12 The decision to make the two main characters female was made to give the show a "maternal heart". Pharoah decided to make certain characters related to add to the conflict that arises from family disagreements. Pharoah observed a toilet paper factory in Meltham and decided to incorporate it into the scripts because it dominated the town's employment. He told Deborah and
Anthony Hayward Anthony Hayward (born 26 October 1959) is a British journalist and author. He is a regular contributor to ''The Guardian'', ''The Daily Telegraph'' and ''The Independent'', and has written more than 20 books about television and film. The subje ...
, in their book ''Where The Heart Is'', that "I thought it would be good to have that sense of industry. It gave us a workplace for the men that added a completely different angle from the women's nursing storylines." The show also features a local rugby team, with their story providing the more comedic elements of the series; Pharoah was a keen rugby fan and thought it added good balance to some of the show's "dark storylines". Hayward 1999, p. 13 The story which set the tone for the show was the issue of euthanasia. In the opening episode the lead characters help their patient to die. Originally ITV was not keen on exploring the issue, but changed their stance after reading Pharoah's scripts. Hayward 1999, p. 14 The network was also concerned about the show's structure in regards to its equal focus on all of the characters. They believed the programme better suited a "pyramid structure", in which the matriarchal character of Peggy was at the top. Simon Lewis took on the role of the executive producer of ''Where The Heart Is''. Hayward 1999, p. 16 Kate Anthony was hired as the show's producer and was intrigued by the story of a woman choosing how she wanted to die. Hayward 1999, p. 15 She met with Featherstone and Pharoah to discuss the series and travelled to the Yorkshire towns of Meltham, Marsden and Slaithwaite, which she decided to use as filming locations for the show. Naming the show's main town Skelthwaite was inspired by the real village of Slaithwaite. Anthony recalled watching the sun gleam over the Yorkshire moors and feeling that the show had found its home. She then set about finding the show's cast with the help of Lewis and casting director Gail Stevens. One of Featherstone's biggest inspirations for the series was Margaret Tiffany, a district nursing sister based in Meltham. Tiffany had twenty-three years experience working her role in the Colne Valley area. She helped Pharoah research information for the stories included in the first series of the show and assisted cast members with their research as well, particularly Ferris. Tiffany also acted as a nursing advisor, providing information on medical practises and procedures, coaching the cast in how to perform first aid, apply bandages, and take a patient's blood pressure. Filming began in the British winter of 1996. They soon discovered they had to exclude the use of medical aprons in scenes because they affected on-set lighting. Ferris told Hayward that "we decided to take liberties with that sort of thing", noting it was a drama rather than a factual documentary. Hayward 1999, p. 19 ''Where The Heart Is'' debuted on ITV on 6 April 1997. The first episode was watched by more than ten million viewers during its first broadcast in the United Kingdom. On 12 October 2006, it was announced that ITV had decided to not renew the show for an additional series. The show was dropped despite high ratings, averaging more than six million viewers per episode. A publicist from the channel stated "Where The Heart Is has been a very successful series for ITV1. But the decision has been taken in order to create some flexibility for new programme ideas in that 8pm Sunday slot." The show's producer, Ian Hopkins, said he was "sorry" the show had been cancelled and added "I would like to thank you for all your support for the programme over the last 10 years."


Cast and characters

The series initially focused on the Snow and Goddard family, which was headed by matriarch Peggy Snow. The character was based on Pharoah's mother Maureen, sharing her "decency, warmth and down-to-earth humanity." Peggy's role in the series was to drive the stories featured in each episode by being an investigator. Anthony told Hayward that Peggy's characterisation could be interpreted as nosiness but her "caring and inquisitive" nature allowed her to "wheedle out the stories". Anthony wanted to find an actress who could portray Peggy's "tremendous strength and resolve" alongside her "warmth and humour". The casting team decided to approach actress Pam Ferris for the part. Ferris had previously played matriarch Ma Larkin in '' The Darling Buds of May''. She had previously refused other similar roles but liked the scripts for ''Where The Heart Is''. She explained that the show was "daring" for portraying euthanasia and which made her want the role. The role of Peggy's sister-in-law Ruth Goddard was given to Sarah Lancashire. She had been approached with the role while she was still appearing in the soap opera ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Orig ...
'' as Raquel Watts. Ferris and Lancashire being so well known for other roles worried Pharoah but having watched them perform and learning of their commitment to their new roles, he accepted them. Pharoah scripted Ruth very differently to Peggy; he stated that he wanted "someone who was lively, younger, less experienced and a little disrespectful." Pharoah was inspired to do so having met a nurse with similar characteristics. He decided that they should be best friends and sisters-in-law in order to create tension and conflict in their friendship via family disagreements. Auditions for the male leads proved difficult for casting directors, who were determined to find actors that matched the strength that Ferris and Lancashire offered their respective role. Anthony auditioned countless actors and was fearful that casting the wrong person as Peggy's husband Vic Snow would ruin the relationship dynamic they envisioned. Hayward 1999, p. 17
Tony Haygarth George Anthony Haygarth (4 February 1945 – 10 March 2017) was an English television, film and theatre actor. Life and career After leaving Marlborough College, Liverpool, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully in 1963 as a lifeguard in Torquay, and a ...
auditioned and was cast as Vic; according to Anthony he stood out because "he had all the qualities of strength and humour - as well as the potential to be a bit grumpy." Vic was scripted as a well loved family man but has never amounted to great success materially. Thomas Craig was selected to play Simon Goddard, Ruth's husband and Peggy's younger brother. Simon was one of the final original characters to be cast, with Thomas receiving the offer weeks prior to filming. He had auditioned for another role and during his audition he tried to sell some cheap fireworks. This caused Anthony to offer him the role of Simon because she thought his behaviour better suited Simon. The character of Simon was pivotal to the show, not only as Peggy's sibling but the owner of the local toilet paper factory. He was characterised as a
Thatcherite Thatcherism is a form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular policies but also her personal character and general style of manag ...
but also liked being a part of his community. He was portrayed as "ruthless and ambitious" but his role of an employer made him one of Skelwhaite's main providers. William Ash was hired to play Peggy and Vic's son, Stephen Snow. He was transformed into the character that Pharoah had always wanted to create; the teenager keen to move away from a tight-knit community. This characterisation was what initially prompted Featherstone approach Pharoah to create the series. Stephen was portrayed as loath to end up like his father Vic, who had settled for a life time lived in a small community.
Jessica Baglow Jessica Baglow (born 23 March 1989) is an English actress, known for '' Gentleman Jack'', '' Where the Heart Is'' and '' Waterloo Road''. Early life and career Baglow was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. She began her acting career ...
completed the Snow family, playing Peggy and Vic's young daughter Lucy. Other original characters featured in the series included William Travis as factory worker Dick Lampard,
Andrew Knott Andrew Knott (born 22 November 1979) is a British actor. He played Dirtbox in ''Gavin & Stacey'', and Dickon Sowerby in the 1993 film '' The Secret Garden''. Life and career Knott was born in Salford. His first acting was done in British televi ...
as Stephen's best friend Henry Green, Maggie Wells as part-time district nurse Patricia Illingworth and Laura Crossley as Deborah Allis. Graham Turner played Walter Charlton, a recurring character created by Pharoah. Anthony did disliked his "old man" characterisation and decided to rewrite him. Turner originally auditioned for another role in the series, but Anthony believed he fitted her plans for Walter. He has learning difficulties, which Anthony was keen to portray in ''Where The Heart Is''. She thought that television series were often scared to fully explore learning difficulties and she wanted to show how people like Walter fit into a community.


Cast list

*
Lesley Dunlop Lesley Jane Dunlop (born 10 March 1956) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Norna in the ''Doctor Who'' serial "Frontios", Anna Kirkwall in '' Where the Heart Is'' and Zoë Angell in ''May to December''. Her current role is Bre ...
as Anna Kirkwall (series 4–10) * Jessica Childs-Cavill as Amy Kirkwall (series 9–10) * Molly Martin & Millie Martin as Rachel Kirkwall (series 9–10) *
Christian Cooke Christian Louis Cooke (born 15 September 1987) is an English actor. He is known for playing Luke Kirkwall in '' Where the Heart Is'', Luke Rutherford in ''Demons'', Dorian Gaudain in ''Trinity'', Freddie Taylor in '' Cemetery Junction'' and Len ...
as Luke Kirkwall (series 4–10) *
Philip Middlemiss Philip Middlemiss (born Philip Sean Lloyd; 19 June 1963) is an English television, radio actor and businessman, best known for playing bookmaker Des Barnes in ITV's '' Coronation Street'' between 1990 and 1998. The character was killed off, o ...
as David Buckley (series 4–10) *
Brian Capron Brian Capron (born 11 February 1947) is an English actor who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He is best known for his role as serial killer, Richard Hillman, in the long-running ITV soap opera, ''Coronation Street'', ...
as Ozias Harding (series 8–10) * Andrew Paul as Billy Boothe (series 7–10) * Holly Lucas as Megan Boothe (series 10) *
Adam Paul Harvey Adam Paul Harvey (born 7 July 1984) is an English actor. Early life Harvey was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, the son of Andrea (née Foster) and Gordon Harvey, an engineer. He attended Sir William Ramsay School in Hazlemere, High Wycom ...
as Nathan Boothe (series 7–10) *
Shobna Gulati Shobna Gulati (born 7 August 1966)www.shobnagulati.co.uk
Shobna Gulati official website is an English ...
as Nisha Clayton (series 10) *
Ian Kelsey Ian Kelsey (born 17 December 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Dave Glover in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Patrick Spiller in the BBC medical drama '' Casualty'', DI Richard Mayne in the ITV crime drama '' Blue Mur ...
as Jack Clayton (series 10) *
Fiona Wade Fiona Sarah Wade (born 20 March 1979) is an English actress, known for playing Priya Sharma in ''Emmerdale'' from 2011 to 2023. Career In 2008, Wade played Mamta in a play called ''Alaska'' by DC Moore at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstai ...
as Rowan Clayton (series 10) *
Richard Mylan Richard Mylan (born 24 November 1973) is a Welsh actor and former dancer. He is best known for his roles in ''The Bill'', '' Bad Girls'' and '' Grownups'' as Chris. Early life Mylan was born in Swansea in 1973. There he attended the Birchgrove ...
as Danny Flint (series 9–10) * Taylor Bourke as Cady Flint (series 9–10) *
Andrea Lowe Andrea Lowe (born 1 May 1975 in Arnold, Nottinghamshire) is an English actress. Career She started her theatre career at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in the play '' The Birthday Party'' by Harold Pinter.Joanna Riding as Terri Gough (series 10) * Wesley Nelson as Alfie Gough (series 10) *
Tom Chadbon Tom Chadbon (born 27 February 1946, in Luton) is an English actor who has spent much of his career appearing on British television. Although principally a character actor, he has occasionally had leading or recurring roles. Chadbon starred in a ...
as Dr. Kenworthy (series 5–10) * Denise van Outen as Kim Blakeney (series 9–10) *
Geraldine Newman Geraldine Newman (born 18 February 1934) is an English film and television actress who has acted in more than 30 television programmes and films. Career Newman attended drama school in Brighton. She is best known for her role as Hilda Hughes in ...
as Mrs Murfin (series 4) * Katie Riddoch as Molly Beresford (series 6–9) * Pam Ferris as Peggy Snow (series 1–4) * Tony Haygarth as Vic Snow (series 1–6) * Leslie Ash as Karen Buckley (series 4–7) *
Keith Barron Keith Barron (8 August 1934 – 15 November 2017) was an English actor and television presenter who appeared in films and on television from 1961 until 2017. His television roles included the police drama ''The Odd Man'', the sitcom ''Duty Free ...
as Alan Boothe (series 7–8) *
Georgia Tennant Georgia Elizabeth Tennant (; born 25 December 1984) is an English actress and producer. She played Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon's daughter Abigail in ''The Bill'', Jenny in the ''Doctor Who'' episode " The Doctor's Daughter" and Lady Vivi ...
as Alice Harding (series 8–9) * Kelly Wenham as Jess Buckley (series 4–7) * Julian Lewis Jones as Tom Beresford (series 6–9) *
Samantha Giles Samantha Elizabeth Giles (born 2 July 1971) is an English actress and author. She is known for portraying the role of Bernice Blackstock in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. She had also portrayed Sally Boothe in the ITV drama series '' Where ...
as Sally Boothe (series 7–9, guest 10) * Thomas Craig as Simon Goddard (series 1–6, 9) *
Sarah Lancashire Sarah-Jane Abigail Lancashire (born 10 October 1964) is an English actress from Oldham, England. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1986 and began her career in local theatre, whilst teaching drama classes at the ...
as Ruth Goddard (series 1–3) *
Andrew Knott Andrew Knott (born 22 November 1979) is a British actor. He played Dirtbox in ''Gavin & Stacey'', and Dickon Sowerby in the 1993 film '' The Secret Garden''. Life and career Knott was born in Salford. His first acting was done in British televi ...
as Henry Green (series 1–5) * William Ash as Stephen Snow (series 1–2) *
Jason Done Jason Done (born 5 April 1973) is an English actor who appeared as Mordred in the 1998 TV miniseries ''Merlin'', opposite Sam Neill. He is best known for his role as Stephen Snow in ITV drama '' Where The Heart Is'' from 1999 to 2001 and Tom ...
as Stephen Snow (series 3–5) * Jessica Baglow as Lucy Snow (series 1–6) * Danny Seward as Joe Beresford (series 6–9) *
Kerrie Taylor Kerrie Taylor (born 1973) is a British actress from Romsey, Hampshire. Career Taylor is best known for the role of Beth Enright/Beresford on the ITV family drama '' Where the Heart Is'', a role she played for four years, leaving in 2005. Sh ...
as Beth Enright (series 5–9) *
Holly Grainger Holliday Clark Grainger (born 27 March 1988), also credited as Holly Grainger, is an English screen and stage actress. Some of her prominent roles are Kate Beckett in the BAFTA award-winning children's series ''Roger and the Rottentrolls'', Lu ...
as Megan Boothe (series 7–9) *
Marsha Thomason Marsha Lisa Thomason Sykes (born 19 January 1976) is a British television and film actress who is best known for playing Sara Evers in Disney's ''The Haunted Mansion'', Nessa Holt in the first two seasons of the NBC series '' Las Vegas'', Naomi ...
as Jacqui Richards (series 2–3) * Paulette P Williams as Jacqui Richards (series 4–5) * Matthew Lewis as Billy Bevan (series 1) *
Vincenzo Pellegrino Vincenzo David Pellegrino (born 1967 in Liverpool, Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises f ...
as Chris Eckersley (series 4–5) * William Travis as Dick Lampard (series 1–6) *
Kathryn Hunt Kathryn Hunt is a British actress best known for her roles as Angela Harris in '' Coronation Street'' and Val Lorrimer in Series 1–2 of ''Fat Friends''. She also appeared in '' Waterloo Road'' and ''The Royal''. Kathryn also starred in the ...
as Cheryl Lampard (series 2–4) * Phillippa Wilson as Cheryl Lampard (series 5–6) *
Kelly Harrison Kelly Harrison (born 1980) is a British actress. Initially a model for four years, she was cast in BBC's Saturday night programme, ''Casualty'', as paramedic Nikki Marshall. Harrison has also appeared in ''Born and Bred'', '' Waking the Dead'', ' ...
as Isabel Noakes (series 8) * Neil McCaul as Keith Harrison (series 3) * Melanie Kilburn as Sandra Harrison (series 3) * Alex Carter as Craig Harrison (series 3)


Series overview


Home media

A tie-in book based on the characters of Peggy and Ruth, written by Kate Lock, was released on 7 May 1998. A television companion book was released on 28 October 1999. Series one to four of ''Where the Heart Is'' were released on DVD in the United Kingdom via Network. These are listed in the table below.


References

*


External links


Official website

''Where the Heart Is''
at itv.com
''Where the Heart Is''
at
Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Where The Heart Is (British TV series) 1990s British drama television series 2000s British drama television series 1997 British television series debuts 2006 British television series endings British television soap operas Huddersfield ITV television dramas Television shows set in Yorkshire Television series by ITV Studios Television shows produced by Anglia Television Television shows produced by Meridian Broadcasting English-language television shows