Happy Valley Page #4

Season #1 Episode #1

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CATHERINE:

Richard (

it’s so banal she doesn’t

want to think about it)

It was a domestic.

(MORE)

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 18.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)

He was off his head on booze, he

was off his head on skunk. His

girlfriend’d dumped him, that’s -

it’s the usual everyday story of

country folk.

RICHARD:

(interrupts)

Where did they take him?

CATHERINE:

Where did who take him?

RICHARD:

The paramedics. I assume there were

paramedics

CATHERINE:

I don’t know, I didn’t ask. Out of

sight, out of mind.

RICHARD:

How did you talk him down?

CATHERINE:

I didn’t. I tried to. But then he

got his cigarettes out. He hadn’t

made the connection. That trying to

light one of his petrol-soaked

cigarettes would involve clicking

his lighter. So I just foamed him.

RICHARD:

What’s his name?

CATHERINE:

I’m not - ! [telling you]. Look.

You wanna know what you should do

next? How about this. Instead of

trying to dish the dirt on one poor

misguided misinformed numpty, you

write a big article. Something you

can sell to one of the nationals.

About why so much of it goes on

round here.

RICHARD:

So much - ?

CATHERINE:

Drugs! Wasted lives! This valley is

awash with every kind of crap you

can get your hands on! There’s your

story. And you wanna know where

they took him?

(MORE)

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 19.

They probably took him to thepsychiatric unit when in fact allhe needed was a brief - controlled -

CATHERINE (CONT'D)

demonstration of how petrol behaveswhen you put it anywhere near anaked flame. Because he had no idea

how bad it would be.

(RICHARD’s thinking. Maybethat is the way forward.

CATHERINE goes quietagain before she asks...)

Where’s Tommy Lee Royce living?

RICHARD:

I’ve no idea.

CATHERINE:

Is he living round here?

RICHARD:

Catherine. You know as much as me.

More, probably. Hasn’t he got arelease address?

CATHERINE:

Yeah. His mother’s. I went back to

the nick and rang probation. Shelives in a terrace house on

Rishworth, but he won’t be there.

CUT TO:

12

INT. KEVIN WEATHERILL’S HOUSE, KEVIN AND JENNY’S BEDROOM. 12

NIGHT 1. 22.00

KEVIN’s helping JENNY into bed, as he does every night.

KEVIN’s calmer than he was earlier. He’s descended into

sadness.

KEVIN:

We have no luck.

JENNY:

We have a nice house. We have two

fantastic children.

KEVIN gives a humourless snigger. Two fantastic children who

are going to go to a sub-standard school because he doesn’t

earn enough money to send them elsewhere.

KEVIN:

Nevison says people make their own

luck.

JENNY:

Well maybe that’s easy for Nevison

to say.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 20.

KEVIN:

It’s a stupid thing to say. It

isn’t like anyone sets out to be

unlucky. Is it? We all take

opportunities. If we can. If we see

them.

JENNY:

I think we do very well. All things

considered.

KEVIN:

All things considered? What does

that mean?

JENNY:

Nothing. I just meant

KEVIN:

Given how little and dull and

ordinary we are.

(JENNY fears where this is

going, and she didn’t

mean that anyway. She was

probably thinking about

her illness. We feel the

tension rising within him

again)

Half that company should be mine.

Jenny. And instead. Every day I

have to go in there. Smiling. Then

bend over and take it up the [back

side]

(JENNY can’t hide her

distaste)

I’m sorry. It’s what it feels like.

Day after day, week after week,

month after month. Year after year.

CUT TO:

13 INT/EXT. RICHARD’S CAR/STREET. NIGHT 1. 22.25 13

RICHARD’s car pulls up. He’s dropping CATHERINE off. Cut to

inside the car.

CATHERINE:

Thanks.

RICHARD:

Pleasure.

They turn to say goodbye to each other, but end up lingering

and studying each another’s faces. They linger long enough,

then eventually they kiss. It’s so easy and so familiar. And

so inevitable and right. It becomes increasingly passionate.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 21.

CATHERINE:

What time’s she expecting you back?

From Rotherham.

A lie, obviously.

RICHARD:

Midnight?

They kiss again. And then they start fondling. It’s clear

they’re both becoming aroused.

CATHERINE:

You’ll have to come inside. I’m too

old to start shagging in cars.

CUT TO:

14 EXT. UPPER LIGHTHAZELS FARM, SOYLAND. DAY 2. 12.30 14

Saturday afternoon. KEVIN WEATHERILL’s car pulls into the

lane that leads to Upper Lighthazels Farm, right on the top

of Soyland Moor. It’s a trailer park for posh static

caravans; weekend retreats. The main farmhouse is a beautiful

building, beautifully restored. The barn and various

outhouses are covered in scaffolding, in the process of being

renovated. As they pass near the building itself, KEVIN lets

his window down to say hi to ASHLEY COWGILL (37) who owns and

manages the place. There’s something charming and personable

but narcissistic about ASHLEY COWGILL. His 2013-reg gleaming

white Range Rover is parked up by the farm, along with his

wife’s Range Rover Evoque. ASHLEY has a strange trait: even

at his most charming and pleasant, he never smiles. He has

the manner of someone who fears they’re just about to be

found out.

KEVIN:

Ashley!

ASHLEY:

Kevin.

(he peers into the car)

Jenny.

(looks into the back at

MELISSA and CATRIONA)

Ladies.

KEVIN:

I’ve got a cheque for you.

ASHLEY:

No rush.

KEVIN:

I’ll pop down later.

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 22.

ASHLEY:

Any time. You know me, I’m not

going anywhere. I’ve sorted you out

your access, Jenny! Wheelchair

access. To the games room. If you

fancy playing table tennis.

JENNY:

(touched, delighted)

Oh, Ashley.

ASHLEY:

You can play table tennis, can’t

you? You’re not

He nods at her legs.

JENNY:

I can, I love a game of table

tennis.

ASHLEY:

Good, well it’s all ready for you

then.

(he addresses the girls)

Our Sam and our Ben are about if

you’re short of somebody to play

with.

MELISSA:

Yay! Can we get out, dad?

KEVIN:

Sure.

The girls dive out of the back of the car and run towards the

farm where two boys - a similar age to themselves - are

playing in the yard. KEVIN raises his hand by way of saying a

pleasant “see you”, to ASHLEY

ASHLEY:

Enjoy your weekend!

-and drives off towards their holiday trailer. ASHLEY heads

off towards the farmhouse after the kids. We stay in the car

with KEVIN and JENNY. KEVIN’s pleasant expression slips into

sourness.

KEVIN:

Take him. Ashley. Prime example.

JENNY:

Of what?

KEVIN:

What I’m talking about! You see

that car he’s driving? Brand new.

Fifty-odd thousand.

(MORE)

HAPPY VALLEY. EPISODE ONE. BY SALLY WAINWRIGHT 23.

KEVIN (CONT'D)

All that from holiday caravan

rentals. I’m in the wrong game.

Altogether. I’m in the wrong... God

knows. Everything.

CUT TO:

15 EXT. HEPTONSTALL GRAVEYARD. DAY 2. 12.35 15

We find CATHERINE lost in her thoughts by her daughter’s

grave. It reads:
‘REBECCA CAWOOD “Becky” 1988 - 2006 beloved

daughter of Catherine and Richard’, then underneath ‘In God

Is My Hope’. CATHERINE stares at that: it does give her a

modicum of faith and courage. RYAN’s across the way with

CLARE, who’s just as fond and attentive to him as CATHERINE

(usually) is, picking their way through the sea of other

graves, stopping to read things that interest them. CATHERINE

watches RYAN. It looks like intense things are going on

inside her head. She looks like she’s either going to kill

someone or burst out crying. RYAN calls from across the way

(he’s found Sylvia Plath’s grave)

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