Where the Heart Is (1997 TV series)
Encyclopedia
Where the Heart Is is a British television
drama
series set in the fictional town Skelthwaite
.
First shown in 1997, it was created by Ashley Pharoah
and Vicky Featherstone. One of ITV
's longest-running shows, Where the Heart Is was known for being what has been described as a haven for former soap stars, including Thelma Barlow
, Sarah Lancashire
, Philip Middlemiss
, Samantha Giles
, Kerrie Taylor
, and Shobna Gulati
.
In October 2006, the series was cancelled after nine years, despite viewing figures of well over 7 million.
Rugby League was frequently featured in the series and was mainly made up from players from Brighouse Rangers Amateur Rugby League Club.
The theme song "Where the Heart is" was done by Prefab Sprout
(written and sang by Paddy McAloon
). It was released as a single and appears on the band's 38 Carat Collection
.
and Holme
valleys of Huddersfield
in West Yorkshire
using the real life villages of Marsden
, Slaithwaite
and Meltham
for many of the external shots.
The First series was mostly filmed in Slaithwaite, but from series 2 onwards, they used Marsden as their main and home filming location.
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
series set in the fictional town Skelthwaite
Skelthwaite
Skelthwaite is the fictional town set in ITV's television drama Where the Heart Is. Its main attractions for sightseers include Goddard's factory, and a house which was, in 2005, gutted by a fire. Most of the filming for Skelthwaite was done in the real life village of Slaithwaite in Huddersfield,...
.
First shown in 1997, it was created by Ashley Pharoah
Ashley Pharoah
Ashley Pharoah is a British Television writer, co-creator of the successful drama series Life on Mars, which began on BBC One in 2006....
and Vicky Featherstone. One of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's longest-running shows, Where the Heart Is was known for being what has been described as a haven for former soap stars, including Thelma Barlow
Thelma Barlow
Thelma Barlow is an English television actress and writer, most famous for her roles as Mavis Wilton in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street and as Dolly Bellfield in the sitcom Dinnerladies....
, Sarah Lancashire
Sarah Lancashire
Sarah Lancashire is an English actress, probably best recognised for her role as Raquel Watts in Coronation Street. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1986.-Television:...
, Philip Middlemiss
Philip Middlemiss
Philip Middlemiss is a British television and radio actor, who played bookmaker Des Barnes in ITV's Coronation Street...
, Samantha Giles
Samantha Giles
Samantha Giles is a British actress, probably best known for playing Bernice Thomas in Emmerdale , a role which earned her a TV Quick Award for Best Actress and a nomination for a National Television Awards for Most Popular Actress , and Sally Boothe in Where the Heart Is .Giles's other TV...
, Kerrie Taylor
Kerrie Taylor
Kerrie Taylor is a British actress.Taylor is best known for the role of Beth Enright/Beresford on the ITV1 family drama Where the Heart Is, a role she played for four years...
, and Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati is an English actress, writer, and dancer of Indian origin, best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies, and Sunita Alahan in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009...
.
In October 2006, the series was cancelled after nine years, despite viewing figures of well over 7 million.
Rugby League was frequently featured in the series and was mainly made up from players from Brighouse Rangers Amateur Rugby League Club.
The theme song "Where the Heart is" was done by Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout
Prefab Sprout are an alternative English pop rock band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham, England who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart, and one of their singles, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", peaked at number seven in the UK...
(written and sang by Paddy McAloon
Paddy McAloon
Paddy McAloon is an English singer-songwriter and member of the band Prefab Sprout. Allmusic describes him as "one of the most underrated lyricists of the '80s".-Career:...
). It was released as a single and appears on the band's 38 Carat Collection
38 Carat Collection
38 Carat Collection is a compilation album by British pop band, Prefab Sprout, released in 1999. It was released in a double CD version...
.
Production
The series was filmed in the ColneColne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley....
and Holme
Holme Valley
Holme Valley is a large civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 25,049 . Its administrative centre is in Holmfirth. Other sizeable settlements in the parish include, Brockholes, Honley and New Mill...
valleys of Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
using the real life villages of Marsden
Marsden, West Yorkshire
Marsden is a large village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield and located at the confluence of the River Colne and the Wessenden Brook...
, Slaithwaite
Slaithwaite
Slaithwaite is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Colne Valley laying across the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, approximately southwest of Huddersfield. The pronunciation of Slaithwaite varies...
and Meltham
Meltham
Meltham is a small 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 National Park...
for many of the external shots.
The First series was mostly filmed in Slaithwaite, but from series 2 onwards, they used Marsden as their main and home filming location.
2006 cast
- Lesley DunlopLesley DunlopLesley Dunlop is a British actress.Daughter of the television writer Pat Dunlop, she began as a child actress in the seventies featuring in a BBC version of the classic A Little Princess and as Lydia Holly in the ITV adaptation of South Riding.Her transition to adult roles began by playing Lizzie...
as Anna Kirkwall - Jessica Childs-Cavill as Amy Kirkwall
- Molly Martin & Millie Martin as Rachel Kirkwall/Boothe
- Christian CookeChristian CookeChristian Louis Cooke is an English actor, known for playing Luke Kirkwall in Where the Heart Is, Luke Rutherford in Demons, Dorian Gaudain in Trinity, Freddie in Cemetery Junction and Len Matthews in the Channel 4 mini series The Promise.-Background:Cooke was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where...
as Luke Kirkwall - Philip MiddlemissPhilip MiddlemissPhilip Middlemiss is a British television and radio actor, who played bookmaker Des Barnes in ITV's Coronation Street...
as David Buckley - Brian CapronBrian CapronBrian Capron, born 11 February 1947 at Eye in Suffolk, is a British actor, who trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . His father was an Algerian pilot, of French descent, who died in a plane crash before Brian was born....
as Ozias Harding - Andrew PaulAndrew PaulAndrew Paul is a British-Jewish actor best known for playing PC Dave Quinnan in the ITV drama The Bill for 13 years.- Career :...
as Billy Boothe - Holly LucasHolly LucasHolly Lucas is an English actress. Her main role was as Megan Boothe in Where the Heart Is taking over the role from Holly Grainger. She has also starred in Doctors, and Peak Practice. Recently she has played the recurring character of Martha Hope in Holby City.-External links:...
as Megan Boothe - Adam Paul HarveyAdam Paul Harvey-Early life:Harvey was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, the son of Andrea and Gordon Harvey, an engineer. He attended Sir William Ramsay School in Hazlemere, High Wycombe and in 1998 enrolled at JPA School of Drama and Dance, after which he began auditioning.-Career:His first professional...
as Nathan Boothe - Katy Clayton as Samantha Boothe
- Shobna GulatiShobna GulatiShobna Gulati is an English actress, writer, and dancer of Indian origin, best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies, and Sunita Alahan in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009...
as Nisha Clayton - Ian KelseyIan KelseyIan Kelsey is a British television actor.Kelsey was born in York, Yorkshire, England, to parents Julie and John . He also has an older brother named David. He trained at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre York and graduated at the Guildford School of Acting...
as Jack Clayton - Fiona WadeFiona WadeFiona Wade is a British actress.She has had an extensive career in British theatre and television, and is best known in the United States for her role as Anya Vicenze on the TV show 24Seven ....
as Rowan Clayton - Richard MylanRichard MylanRichard Mylan is a British stage and television actor and former dancer.He was born in Swansea in 1973. There he attended the Birchgrove junior school, where he played rugby and in 1982 won the Swansea heat of the British 'Disco Kids Championships'...
as Danny Flint - Taylor Bourke as Cady Flint
- Andrea LoweAndrea LoweAndrea Lowe is an English actress.-Career:She started her theatre career at the Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in the play The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter....
as Zoë Phelps - Joanna RidingJoanna RidingJoanna Riding, is an English actress. For her work in West End musicals, she has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, and has been nominated for two others.-Biography:...
as Terri Gough - Wesley Nelson as Alfie Gough
- Tom ChadbonTom ChadbonTom Chadbon is an English actor, who has spent the larger part of his career appearing on British television. While principally a character actor, he has occasionally had leading or recurring roles....
as Dr. Kenworthy
Notable ex-cast members
- Denise van OutenDenise van OutenDenise van Outen is an English actress, singer and television presenter. Her most notable roles to date are as a presenter on The Big Breakfast, and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on both the West End and on Broadway.- Early life :Born Denise Kathleen Outen in Basildon, Essex, she is the...
as Kim Blakeney - Geraldine NewmanGeraldine NewmanGeraldine Newman is an English film and television actress who has acted in more than 30 television programmes and films.Her most notable television performance was on the sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles.-Biography:...
as Mrs Murfin - Katie Riddoch as Molly Beresford
- Pam FerrisPam FerrisPamela Ann "Pam" Ferris is a German-born Welsh actress. She is best known for her starring roles on television as Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May, as Laura Thyme in Rosemary & Thyme, and for playing Miss Trunchbull in the movie Matilda...
as Peggy Snow - Tony HaygarthTony HaygarthTony Haygarth is an English television, film and theatre actor.-Career:At the age of eighteen, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully as a lifeguard in Torquay, and also tried escapology, equally unsuccessfully...
as Vic Snow - Leslie AshLeslie AshLeslie Ash is an English actress, best known for her role in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly. Her book My Life Behaving Badly: The Autobiography was published in 2007....
as Karen Buckley - Keith BarronKeith BarronKeith Barron is an English actor and television presenter, well-known from numerous roles on British television from the 1960s to the present day.-Career:...
as Alan Boothe - Georgia MoffettGeorgia MoffettGeorgia Elizabeth Moffett is a British actress. Moffett was born in West London, the daughter of actors Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson....
as Alice Harding - Kelly WenhamKelly WenhamKelly Wenham is an English actress. Wenham's early career was spent in modelling, before answering a casting call for a bit part in Always and Everyone. Following this she entered drama school, but quit three months later after being cast in a regular role in Where the Heart Is, as Jess Buckley, a...
as Jess Buckley - Julian Lewis-Jones as Tom Beresford
- Samantha GilesSamantha GilesSamantha Giles is a British actress, probably best known for playing Bernice Thomas in Emmerdale , a role which earned her a TV Quick Award for Best Actress and a nomination for a National Television Awards for Most Popular Actress , and Sally Boothe in Where the Heart Is .Giles's other TV...
as Sally Boothe - Thomas CraigThomas Craig (actor)Thomas Craig, is a British actor best known for his work on such TV series as Where the Heart Is and Tommy Harris in Coronation Street, and also the film The Navigators, directed by Ken Loach in 2001.Craig was originally a plumber before making the move into acting in the 1980s...
as Simon Goddard - Sarah LancashireSarah LancashireSarah Lancashire is an English actress, probably best recognised for her role as Raquel Watts in Coronation Street. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1986.-Television:...
as Ruth Goddard - Andrew KnottAndrew KnottAndrew Knott is an English actor.- Biography :Knott was born in Salford and now lives in Yorkshire. His first acting was done in British television and radio programmes. He was trained in the Oldham Theatre Workshop...
as Henry Green - William AshWilliam AshWilliam Ash MBE, was a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, writer, and Marxist.Born into a lower middle-class family in Dallas, Texas, Ash was a migrant worker during the U.S Great Depression and took a University course, doing privileged pupils' essays in order to gain money and also for his personal...
as Stephen Snow - Jason DoneJason DoneJason Done is a British actor.-Background:Jason Done was born and raised in Walkden, City of Salford, United Kingdom. His love for acting began at an early age after watching the Ken Loach film, Kes...
as Stephen Snow - Jessica BaglowJessica BaglowJessica Baglow in Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire) is a British actress. Her most notable TV role is that of pupil Karla Bentham in the BBC One drama Waterloo Road. The Bentham character has Asperger's syndrome...
as Lucy Snow - Danny SewardDanny SewardDanny Seward is a British television actor who was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, England on 17 May 1976.Danny started his career at the age of 15 at the Oldham Theatre Workshop. However it was not until 1997 at age 21, that he landed his first TV role in the soap Emmerdale for 3 episodes...
as Joe Beresford - Kerrie TaylorKerrie TaylorKerrie Taylor is a British actress.Taylor is best known for the role of Beth Enright/Beresford on the ITV1 family drama Where the Heart Is, a role she played for four years...
as Beth Enright/Beresford - Holly Grainger as Megan Boothe (first)
- Marsha ThomasonMarsha ThomasonMarsha Lisa Thomason is an English actress, who is known in the United States for playing Nessa Holt in the first two seasons of the NBC series Las Vegas, for her recurring role on ABC's Lost as Naomi Dorrit, and for playing FBI agent Diana Berrigan on USA Network's White Collar.-Early...
as Jacqui Richards