Happy Valley Page #3

Season #1 Episode #1

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MRS.MUKHERJEE

You’re such a nice little boy,

Ryan. Most of the time. But then

you let this unpleasant temper get

the better of you. And I understand

you get frustrated, but we have to

find better ways of dealing with

it.

CATHERINE’s finding this difficult.

CATHERINE:

Did he...? Hurt anyone?

MRS.MUKHERJEE

Well no, he hurt himself.

(we see a tiny blemish on

RYAN’s forehead)

No-one else was hurt, but the point

is Ryan. They could’ve been. When

you start throwing chairs across

the room and using unacceptable

language

(she turns to CATHERINE)

-and you see we do have a

responsibility to protect the other

children.

CATHERINE hates this but has to take it on the chin. RYAN

seems subdued but indifferent.

CUT TO:

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 13.

8 EXT. CATHERINE’S HOUSE, BACK DOOR. HEBDEN BRIDGE. DAY 1. 8

15.45

CLARE (45, streaks in her hair, excessive jewellery, exotic

clothes, a bit of an aging rock chick, with a bit of the

wasted look of an ex-addict) sits on the back door step of

CATHERINE’s three-bedroom terrace house. She’s smoking a fag,

and she’s wrapped up warm with a steaming hot mug of tea in

her hands. She’s soaking up some rare rays of winter

sunshine. The back door’s open behind her, and - deep in the

narrow house - we’re aware of CATHERINE and RYAN returning

home through the front door

RYAN:

I’m watching telly.

CATHERINE:

Can you get changed first, please?

RYAN:

Ohh! Why?

CATHERINE:

Because I said so.

We hear him scramble up the stairs.

RYAN:

Can I have some juice then?

CATHERINE:

Need you ask.

RYAN:

No, I mean are you getting it me?

CATHERINE:

Get changed.

CATHERINE drops RYAN’s stuff on the kitchen table then heads

outside to see what CLARE’s up to.

CLARE:

Lad down Sowerby Bridge set fire to

himself this morning.

CATHERINE:

No he didn’t.

CLARE:

Apparently. Woman in t’shop said.

CATHERINE:

D’you want these?

Sunglasses.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 14.

CLARE:

Oh. Ta.

She puts them on and continues to bask.

CATHERINE:

You been busy?

CLARE:

I’ve been up the allotment all

afternoon, I’ve only just got back.

There’s some tea in the pot.

CATHERINE:

I saw Richard. He asked me out. For

a meal. Tonight. Is that all right?

Can you see to Ryan?

CLARE:

Sure. That’s a bit mad. Isn’t it? A

date with your ex-husband. Won’t

the new younger model have

something to say?

CATHERINE opens her mouth to say something, but realises she

can’t be arsed. She just shrugs. Who cares if the new younger

model has something to say? Instead (reluctantly) she says

CATHERINE:

He’s been in bother again. He

chucked a chair across the

classroom and told Mrs.MUKHERJEE to

eff off.

CLARE groans:
“Not again”. But then she wonders

CLARE:

Do you sometimes think they overreact?

CATHERINE:

Tommy Lee Royce is out of prison.

CLARE hesitates before answering sensitively

CLARE:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I heard.

So that’s a bit of a surprise for CATHERINE.

CATHERINE:

Why didn’t you tell me?

CLARE:

(genuine)

I didn’t want to upset you.

CUT TO:

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 15.

9 INT. KEVIN WEATHERILL’S HOUSE, DINING ROOM. EVENING 1. 9

17.30

KEVIN’s angry, subdued. He’s sitting at the supper table with

his wife, JENNY (40) who’s in a wheelchair. The meal’s

finished. MELISSA (11) and CATRIONA (8) are watching TV in

the living room. They are laughing, happy. JENNY worries

about KEVIN when he’s in this mood, because she can’t reach

him.

JENNY:

You did your best.

KEVIN:

Well it wasn’t good enough.

JENNY:

It doesn’t matter.

KEVIN:

It matters.

JENNY:

At least he thought about it.

KEVIN:

And then said no.

JENNY:

It was always going to be unlikely.

KEVIN:

I’m not just anyone.

(suddenly)

Jesus Christ!

His temper, when it comes out, is frightening.

Disproportionate to what’s gone before. Shocking.

JENNY:

No. No. He knows that.

KEVIN:

Does he? Does he? How does he know

that? What does he do that shows he

knows that? You tell me one tiny

thing he ever does that shows me he

knows that.

JENNY can’t think of anything specific in the heat of the

moment. She also knows that anything she says right now is

likely to make him cross.

CUT TO:

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 16.

10 INT. NEVISON GALLAGHER’S HOUSE, DINING ROOM. NIGHT 1. 10

18.20

NEVISON eats supper with his wife HELEN (60) and his daughter

ANN (24). ANN prods her food gingerly. She doesn’t want to be

at this table with these people. She doesn’t really want to

be in this house with these people. (In contrast to KEVIN’s

perfectly nice, three-bed, detached bungalow, NEV’s house is

probably worth just shy of 1.5 million).

HELEN:

It isn’t like Kevin’s just anyone.

Is it.

NEVISON:

Course he isn’t. And I did think

about it. It’s more than I’d have

done for anyone else. Anyone else,

I’d have said on your bike. Fact

I’ve mentioned it to you shows it’s

not a decision I’ve made lightly.

Doesn’t it? Eh?

He looks momentarily to ANN for support, which was a mistake,

and he realises that as soon as he’s done it.

ANN:

You’re not looking at me. You don’t

think I’m going to agree with

anything you say. Do you?

NEVISON:

How much did we spend on her

education?

HELEN:

Let’s not go down that route again.

NEVISON:

Eh? And what good did that do? I

might as well’ve pissed it all up

against a wall.

ANN drops her fork noisily on her plate and walks out. All

done with an air of massive indifference.

NEVISON (CONT’D)

Yeah, go on. And slam the door.

(she does)

Clang.

Despite his apparent indifference, ANN’s dramatic exit has

put NEVISON momentarily off his food.

HELEN:

(calm, quiet, sad)

That was unnecessary.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 17.

NEVISON:

I’m a nice fella, Helen. I’m a good

boss. I can’t do for one what I

can’t do for everybody. Even if it

is Kevin.

(HELEN appears to be

experiencing some

discomfort. Not that she

parades it. NEV notices)

Have you...?

(nods towards her abdomen)

Had an okay day? Love?

HELEN nods, murmurs “Mmm”, but she’s holding her side,

clearly in some discomfort. NEVISON suddenly looks his age.

He can’t stand what’s happening to her.

CUT TO:

11 INT. INDIAN RESTAURANT. NIGHT 1. 20.45 11

CATHERINE and RICHARD share a table. CATHERINE remains

preoccupied, but it hasn’t affected her appetite. Perhaps

when she’s wound up or upset she eats more. Or faster. I

would.

RICHARD:

I don’t know what it is she doesn’t

get. You don’t move house when

you’ve just lost your job. Do you?

You’d get it.

CATHERINE:

Yeah well. You know. You married

her.

RICHARD:

She goes, “Oh, something’ll crop

up”, so I’m like, “Well what? I’m

nearly fifty, I’m not trained to do

anything else”.

CATHERINE:

No. Well.

RICHARD:

Speaking of which. What was the

story this morning? With that

fella.

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