513:
epidemics gentleman calls the tallyman, worried about overcrowding. Dadda makes sure no families are broken up. Realising no one can take all seven children, Father Melia puts them in an orphanage, having been assured that they will be raised together. Once the paperwork is complete, the Matron tells Father Melia and Iris that Arthur (the youngest) will be transferred to Doctor
Barnardo's for adoption and the older boys will go abroad. Horrified, Father Melia and Iris want to remove the children but are refused permission. Ruby and Billy, suspicious that May didn't get a reference, write to Richard Brazendale and he replies, revealing May walked out but will be given a reference if she visits his office. They meet and Richard ends their romance but later sends a key and a note with an address, asking her to meet him. Curious, she goes and he offers her a flat. Guessing he wants her to be his mistress, she is furious, feeling that would make her little better than a prostitute and walks out.
579:
May comes to terms with her son, but a visit from
Madeleine and a row with Dadda, make her decide to allow Madeleine to adopt the baby. Richard Brazendale stops May signing the papers, knowing that it isn't her decision. He persuades her to make her own decision and – aided by her sisters – she does. Father Melia visits Iris, wanting to apologise as the bishop, confused by Iris's request for a reference, sends Canon Kenan for an explanation. He admits that he has feelings for Iris and is sent to Ireland on retreat but discovers that she is not joining a convent, due to their exorbitant demand of 300 guineas and a pair of silver candlesticks. Dadda goes home to find the pianola gone and the Brazendales are adopting the baby. Dadda objects but Billy tells him that it is not his decision. Seeing his daughters return with the baby and shaken by recent events, Dadda takes the
567:
to meet his children. They are horrified that their father has a girlfriend and that Billy's new job is a waiter in a gentleman's club. The girls insist that he end it. Iris reveals that she wants to be a nun. Father Melia initially supports her but later changes his mind and refuses to explain. May starts dating Frank Gadney and Ruby starts dating Joseph. May is happy with Frank until she sees
Richard Brazendale, who visits before sailing to New York. After feeling the baby kick, he asks her to love their child and May realises that she can not hide her pregnancy any longer. Dadda is horrified at the news and walks out but returns later, drunk. Angry with his daughters, he beats May but Iris and Ruby protect her. Dadda packs his belongings and leaves. Frank, bathing May's wounds, asks her to marry him but she refuses, telling him she is in love with the baby's father.
525:
him to tea, Nazzer accepts and Billy invites
Queenie Hicks to join them, knowing she fancies him. She agrees, providing Billy is her date at a dance. During the tea party, Nazzer tells Dadda what he saw the night their ship sank when Dadda tells him about Billy's nightmares and fear of water. Nazzer stays over and helps Billy overcome his fear of the sea but admits hating living as a cripple in institutions. He asks Billy to help him commit suicide, but he refuses. The night Billy and Queenie go to the dance, he visits Nazzer only to find him dying of pneumonia. Billy attends the funeral and signs up as cabin steward on the
531:, in his memory. May has a new job — cook for Father Melia — and Iris helps her. Father Melia tells her that the McBride boys have been split up but he hopes to get the girls transferred to Catholic orphanages so they can stay together. Seeing that May is ill, Father Melia calls the doctor and he tells her that she is pregnant. Now unable to work, she hands in her notice and visits Richard. She is shocked to learn Madeleine left deliberately, leaving Richard to seduce May. They hoped she would get pregnant and give them the baby. Angry at being used, she tells Madeleine about Richard's offer of a flat and leaves.
856:
493:, but his motives are far from pure. Knowing this, Richard rescues May from Claude's studio and finding her drugged, puts her to bed and sleeps on her bedroom floor.Seeing him there and discussing their feelings later, they realise they care deeply for each other and start an affair. Unfortunately Mrs. Brazendale returns sooner than planned and in disgust at Madeleine telling May about how pleased Richard was to see her, May walks out. Dadda and Billy practice, with the rest of their lodge, for the
477:
marriage and Iris accepts. Dadda and Ruby are unhappy about this (both hating change) but come round to the idea. Domingo tells them that he was in the army during the war but was invalided out. Domingo reveals the full extent of his injuries to Iris on their wedding night. She is angry to discover that the future she hoped for (a home and family of her own) is impossible. Disgusted by
Domingo's lies, she goes home and is assured by Father Melia that she will not have to return or get a divorce.
546:. They refuse but worried about what May will do, Madeleine threatens to have her charged if she harms the baby. May ignores her and tries to induce a miscarriage but asks Iris and Ruby for help when feeling ill, so the baby isn't harmed. Ruby receives a letter from Marianne Parkes. She condemns corsets, believing them vile and unnecessary, and invites Ruby to a debate. She invites Ruby to a picnic, drawing her into their intellectual circle. They advocate
555:
is impressed by Ruby's spirit and they become friends. Ruby is horrified when she learns her new friends believe in sterilising people they deem unfit to reproduce – particularly girls that have illegitimate children and she rejects them. She promises to support May and helps her hide her condition. Iris supports May too after Father Melia reminds her that May needs support, not condemnation.
465:(symbolising cowardice) in the post and gets another on the day of the trial, leading him to attempt suicide. He survives and tells his family that Phyllis was responsible, leading her and Ruby to fight in the street, and lose their places on the Olympic team. Phyllis sent them to Billy, angry that he survived while her dad (serving on the same ship) didn't.
566:
Billy comes home for a visit, bringing mini pineapples and a snake. The snake leads Dadda to meet a Miss Bird — she is a teacher and asks Dadda to give a talk about the snake. He does and starts accompanying Miss Bird and her classes on their excursions. They start dating and Dadda invites her to tea
554:
amongst other things. Iris and May see Ruby is becoming a snob and warn her to be careful but she releases the pigs kept by the butcher on an allotment, damaging other allotments. Ruby admits what she has done and is ordered to pay compensation and work on the damaged allotments. Joseph, the butcher,
512:
Iris helps Mrs Quirke (the local midwife) when Mrs. McBride gives birth prematurely. Dadda sees that the McBrides are ill and calls the doctor but they die, leaving seven children. Iris takes the girls and the boys stay with Father Melia at the rectory. The doctor notifies the Board of Health and the
464:
Ruby trains for a place on the
British Ladies Olympic swimming team, with a former neighbour, Phyllis Cook. On the day of the trial, Ruby's family go to support her, including Billy – despite his terror of water after his ship sank. Someone, however, disapproves of Billy as he receives white feathers
524:
Billy gets a letter from an old friend, Nathaniel
Sullivan, known as Nazzer. In his letter, Nazzer tells Billy that he is being transferred to the Turner Home and asks him to visit. It is revealed that Billy and Nazzer's relationship is homosexual and they have feelings for each other. Iris invites
476:
Iris, May and Ruby are unhappy with Dadda's behaviour and discuss it while at confession. They agree to put their foot down about it, leading Dadda to put the rabbits in the backyard up for sale. Iris starts going out the man who buys them, Domingo
Hennessy, and after a brief courtship, he proposes
460:
for some music. Unfortunately it was pawned to pay for Mamma's funeral and the family do everything they can to raise the money necessary to get it back in time. Ruby works overtime, selling corsets, and May dances at a gentleman's club in her underwear. The
Brazendales, Richard and Madeleine, take
578:
Billy's new job and May's condition makes Iris feel that they are the talk of the street. Mrs. Quirke, the midwife, refuses to help at the birth and
Richard tells Ruby that he and Madeleine offered to adopt the baby. Ruby confronts her and May reveals that that was what Madeleine wanted all along.
296:
from listening to her grandmother's stories about growing up in post-war Liverpool. The Moss sisters are loosely based on her grandmother and her three sisters. Some aspects of the series, such as the grave fund that the girls save for, are taken directly from their lives. Thomas wrote the first
280:
and, as such, the after effects of that conflict are apparent. The story depicts a life lived on a knife-edge of poverty, tempered by various kinds of love. All three girls must make their own way in the world. In the course of the series, each sister tastes passion for the first time, and their
301:. During that time she lost the script and had to recreate it from an old copy she found in her attic. Thomas elected to insert certain elements into the script to give the series a sense of realism, such as the slaughter of animals in the Moss home. A variety of actors were cast in
501:). Iris struggles to cope with what she discovered about Domingo after she married him. Father Melia tells Iris that, although it will take time, her marriage can be dissolved. Mrs. Dobbs visits Ruby, wanting the gossip about Iris and Domingo.
488:
Mrs. Brazendale goes to a spa for her nerves, reducing May's workload. Free from lunchtime, her friendship with Richard Brazendale turns to flirtation but halts when he introduces her to a friend, Claude Freeman. He claims to be a
320:. In order to give a sense of space to the production, large painted billboards mimicking distant buildings were erected on the edges of the set. Other scenes were filmed on location at the
441:
The first episode introduces the Moss family; Dadda Moss and his children; Iris, May, Ruby and Billy. Mamma Moss has recently died and Walter, Ruby's twin brother, died during the
816:
456:
Father Melia, the local priest, announces that there will be a homecoming street party as all the young men who survived the war have returned and asks the Mosses to lend the
678:
932:
735:
243:. The show's tagline was "Liverpool, 1920. Three girls on the edge of womanhood, a world on the brink of change." Despite high ratings of 4.5–5 million viewers and being
641:
927:
912:
907:
902:
619:
461:
an interest in May. Richard sits with May in the kitchen and tries to make friends, much to May's surprise. May supports Madeleine after she miscarries again.
704:
922:
861:
583:
again and registers his grandson's birth, naming him Victor William Moss. He also asks if he can come home and his children welcome him back.
449:, May is a parlourmaid to the Brazendales and Ruby, having been previously employed by the Post Office, is now a dressmaker, employed by
820:
674:
727:
917:
649:
872:
542:
Iris and Ruby discovers May's pregnancy and do not react well. Panicking, May visits the Brazendales, wanting money for a
615:
700:
793:
88:
445:. All the family work, except Billy. Dadda works at the local dairy and is local vet. Iris runs the house and
316:
that had been sufficiently preserved so they decided to reconstruct a whole neighbourhood on a backlot in
60:
490:
321:
580:
547:
423:
342:
164:
70:
325:
297:
complete draft of the script in 1996 but it was almost ten years before it was optioned by the
887:
867:
393:
182:
245:
312:
During location scouting, the production team was unable to find an area of Liverpool with
442:
414:
277:
855:
758:
595:
381:
360:
313:
269:
896:
551:
527:
498:
387:
372:
329:
446:
366:
348:
306:
289:
236:
143:
74:
44:
494:
354:
78:
851:
408:
845:
273:
153:
543:
265:
881:
787:
276:
in the early 1920s. The story is set in the years immediately after the
662:
The BBC's controller of fiction has explained why Lilies has been axed.
457:
450:
317:
240:
197:
34:
786:
Heidi Thomas (writer), David Moore (director) (16 April 2007).
298:
701:"Don't pull the plug on Lilies – liverpoolecho Administrator"
268:
sisters living with their widowed father and brother in a
239:, which ran for one eight-episode series in early 2007 on
235:
is a British period-drama television series, written by
789:
Lilies: The Complete First Series (Behind the Scenes)
264:
details the lives of Iris, May and Ruby Moss, three
203:
193:
188:
178:
170:
160:
149:
137:
132:
121:
110:
102:
94:
84:
66:
50:
40:
30:
23:
594:This series is available on DVD, distributed by
8:
281:lives, newly launched, are changed forever.
253:was not recommissioned for a second series.
249:Pick of the Week for eight weeks in a row,
16:2007 British television period drama series
854:
728:"People power sways BBC to rethink Lilies"
20:
933:British English-language television shows
570:(Originally broadcast: 23 February 2007)
558:(Originally broadcast: 16 February 2007)
534:(Originally broadcast: 9 February 2007)
516:(Originally broadcast: 2 February 2007)
504:(Originally broadcast: 26 January 2007)
480:(Originally broadcast: 19 January 2007)
468:(Originally broadcast: 12 January 2007)
675:"Press Office – Lilies: Brian McCardie"
607:
928:Television series by World Productions
913:2007 British television series endings
908:2007 British television series debuts
903:2000s British drama television series
781:
779:
707:from the original on 24 December 2017
586:(Originally broadcast: 2 March 2007)
7:
796:from the original on 31 August 2017
14:
923:Television shows set in Liverpool
703:. Liverpool Echo. 22 March 2007.
681:from the original on 9 March 2011
622:from the original on 6 March 2007
405:Anthony Burrows as Barney McBride
738:from the original on 2 June 2016
305:, including native Liverpudlian
726:Midgley, Neil (11 April 2007).
648:. 22 March 2007. Archived from
437:1. "The Chit Behind King Billy"
402:Charlie Deery as Arthur McBride
399:Rose Farley as Margaret McBride
642:"Controller explains decision"
426:as Nathaniel "Nazzer" Sullivan
420:Laura Wallace as Queenie Higgs
122:
111:
1:
292:first developed the idea for
949:
378:Iain McKee as Frank Gadney
616:"Press Office – Lilies"
396:as Madeleine Brazendale
484:3. "The White Charger"
918:BBC television dramas
819:. BBC. Archived from
491:portrait photographer
390:as Richard Brazendale
322:Woolton Picture House
309:in her acting debut.
792:(DVD). Acorn Media.
757:Productions, World.
472:2. "The Thunderbolt"
150:Production locations
878:at BBC Press Office
548:reproductive rights
343:Catherine Tyldesley
138:Executive producers
71:Catherine Tyldesley
574:8. "The Reckoning"
497:(they are staunch
326:Walker Art Gallery
179:Production company
868:World Productions
763:World Productions
581:temperance pledge
508:4. "The Tallyman"
394:Jennifer Hennessy
228:
227:
183:World Productions
103:Original language
95:Country of origin
58:Ferdinand Fairfax
940:
858:
833:
832:
830:
828:
812:
806:
805:
803:
801:
783:
774:
773:
771:
769:
754:
748:
747:
745:
743:
723:
717:
716:
714:
712:
697:
691:
690:
688:
686:
671:
665:
664:
659:
657:
638:
632:
631:
629:
627:
612:
562:7. "The Serpent"
538:6. "The Release"
447:makes chocolates
246:The Sunday Times
224:
222:
214:
212:
189:Original release
124:
113:
21:
948:
947:
943:
942:
941:
939:
938:
937:
893:
892:
842:
837:
836:
826:
824:
823:on 9 March 2011
815:Coslett, Paul.
814:
813:
809:
799:
797:
785:
784:
777:
767:
765:
756:
755:
751:
741:
739:
725:
724:
720:
710:
708:
699:
698:
694:
684:
682:
673:
672:
668:
655:
653:
652:on 5 March 2016
640:
639:
635:
625:
623:
614:
613:
609:
604:
592:
576:
564:
540:
522:
510:
495:12th July march
486:
474:
443:First World War
439:
434:
429:
415:Gillian Kearney
384:as Phyllis Cook
375:as Father Melia
338:
314:terraced houses
287:
278:First World War
259:
220:
218:
216:
210:
208:
142:
77:
73:
59:
57:
55:
17:
12:
11:
5:
946:
944:
936:
935:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
905:
895:
894:
891:
890:
879:
870:
859:
841:
840:External links
838:
835:
834:
807:
775:
749:
718:
692:
666:
633:
606:
605:
603:
600:
596:Acorn Media UK
591:
588:
575:
572:
563:
560:
550:for women and
539:
536:
521:
518:
509:
506:
485:
482:
473:
470:
451:Aurora Corsets
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
427:
421:
418:
412:
406:
403:
400:
397:
391:
385:
382:Georgia Taylor
379:
376:
370:
364:
361:Brian McCardie
358:
352:
346:
339:
337:
334:
286:
283:
270:terraced house
258:
255:
226:
225:
205:
201:
200:
195:
191:
190:
186:
185:
180:
176:
175:
172:
168:
167:
162:
158:
157:
151:
147:
146:
139:
135:
134:
130:
129:
126:
119:
118:
115:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
98:United Kingdom
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
68:
64:
63:
52:
48:
47:
42:
38:
37:
32:
28:
27:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
945:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
900:
898:
889:
885:
884:
880:
877:
875:
871:
869:
865:
864:
860:
857:
853:
849:
848:
844:
843:
839:
822:
818:
811:
808:
795:
791:
790:
782:
780:
776:
764:
760:
753:
750:
737:
733:
732:The Telegraph
729:
722:
719:
706:
702:
696:
693:
680:
676:
670:
667:
663:
651:
647:
643:
637:
634:
621:
617:
611:
608:
601:
599:
597:
589:
587:
584:
582:
573:
571:
568:
561:
559:
556:
553:
552:vegetarianism
549:
545:
537:
535:
532:
530:
529:
519:
517:
514:
507:
505:
502:
500:
496:
492:
483:
481:
478:
471:
469:
466:
462:
459:
454:
452:
448:
444:
436:
431:
425:
422:
419:
416:
413:
411:as Alice Bird
410:
407:
404:
401:
398:
395:
392:
389:
388:Stephen Moyer
386:
383:
380:
377:
374:
373:Scot Williams
371:
369:as Billy Moss
368:
365:
363:as Dadda Moss
362:
359:
356:
353:
350:
347:
344:
341:
340:
335:
333:
331:
330:Croxteth Hall
327:
323:
319:
315:
310:
308:
304:
300:
295:
291:
284:
282:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
256:
254:
252:
248:
247:
242:
238:
234:
233:
206:
202:
199:
196:
192:
187:
184:
181:
177:
173:
169:
166:
165:Single-camera
163:
159:
155:
152:
148:
145:
140:
136:
131:
127:
120:
116:
109:
105:
101:
97:
93:
90:
89:Kevin Sargent
87:
83:
80:
76:
72:
69:
65:
62:
53:
49:
46:
43:
39:
36:
33:
29:
26:
22:
19:
882:
873:
862:
846:
825:. Retrieved
821:the original
810:
798:. Retrieved
788:
766:. Retrieved
762:
752:
740:. Retrieved
731:
721:
709:. Retrieved
695:
683:. Retrieved
669:
661:
654:. Retrieved
650:the original
645:
636:
624:. Retrieved
610:
593:
585:
577:
569:
565:
557:
541:
533:
526:
523:
520:5. "The Sea"
515:
511:
503:
487:
479:
475:
467:
463:
455:
440:
417:as Miss Bird
367:Daniel Rigby
351:as Ruby Moss
349:Kerrie Hayes
345:as Iris Moss
311:
307:Kerrie Hayes
302:
293:
290:Heidi Thomas
288:
261:
260:
250:
244:
237:Heidi Thomas
231:
230:
229:
217:2 March 2007
171:Running time
161:Camera setup
144:Tony Garnett
141:Heidi Thomas
75:Kerrie Hayes
56:Roger Goldby
45:Heidi Thomas
24:
18:
544:termination
499:Protestants
424:William Ash
357:as May Moss
355:Leanne Rowe
125:of episodes
79:Leanne Rowe
61:Brian Kelly
54:David Moore
51:Directed by
897:Categories
876:press pack
852:BBC Online
734:. London.
711:31 October
685:31 October
626:31 October
602:References
409:Pam Ferris
285:Production
221:2007-03-02
211:2007-01-12
207:12 January
174:59 minutes
133:Production
41:Created by
528:Aquitania
274:Liverpool
156:, England
154:Liverpool
114:of series
817:"Lilies"
794:Archived
759:"Lilies"
736:Archived
705:Archived
679:Archived
646:BBC News
620:Archived
432:Episodes
266:Catholic
85:Composer
67:Starring
827:4 April
768:3 April
742:4 April
677:. BBC.
656:12 June
618:. BBC.
458:pianola
318:Aintree
257:Outline
241:BBC One
219: (
215: –
209: (
204:Release
198:BBC One
194:Network
106:English
883:Lilies
874:Lilies
863:Lilies
847:Lilies
800:1 July
328:, and
324:, the
303:Lilies
294:Lilies
262:Lilies
251:Lilies
232:Lilies
25:Lilies
35:Drama
31:Genre
888:IMDb
829:2011
802:2018
770:2024
744:2011
713:2018
687:2018
658:2007
628:2018
336:Cast
886:at
866:at
850:at
590:DVD
299:BBC
272:in
123:No.
112:No.
899::
778:^
761:.
730:.
660:.
644:.
598:.
453:.
332:.
831:.
804:.
772:.
746:.
715:.
689:.
630:.
223:)
213:)
128:8
117:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.