The BBC continues to give its major new dramas high-definition exposure with this simultaneous HD transmission with BBC One. This eight-part period drama is a departure from literary adaptations such as Bleak House in that it’s from an original screenplay by Heidi Thomas (whose credits include I Capture The Castle and Madam Bovary).
Another important name connected with the production is producer Tony Garnett, who over the years has brought us such dramatic highlights as Cathy Come Home, Kes, Between the Lines and This Life.
Set in 1920s Liverpool, Lilies follows three sisters – Iris, May and Ruby Moss – who are coming of age and live on the breadline in a dockland terrace house…
The BBC hints that this won’t be a rose-tinted slice of nostalgia (a glance at Tony Garnett’s credits instantly confirms that too). The broadcaster’s press release describes it as: “Tough, sexy, funny and heartbreaking… Lilies pulls no punches in its storytelling. It depicts a sensual, vivid and sometimes savage universe, where life is lived on the breadline, yet fuelled by various kinds of love. All three girls must make their own way in the world.”
Iris is played by Catherine Tyldesley, Ruby by Kerrie Hayes and May by Leanne Rowe (who appeared in Oliver Twist and Boudica). Brian McCardie (Rob Roy, Kidnapped and Low Winter Sun) plays the sisters’ charismatic father. Let’s hope Lilies lives up to expectations.
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