Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20080825 | Doris Lessing's 20th-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. In the summer of 1957, writer Anna Wulf is welcoming home her friend Molly, just returned from a year's travelling. The two friends have a lot to catch up on. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Richard - Ron Cook Tommy - Adam Paulden Saul - Peter Brooke Directed by Polly Thomas. The ground-breaking novel about motherhood, breakdown, marriage and communism. |
| 02 | 20080826 | Doris Lessing's 20th-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Anna becomes embroiled in the conflict between Molly and her ex-husband Richard over their son Tommy's future. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Richard - Ron Cook Tommy - Adam Paulden Ella - Emma Fielding Janet - Ellie Sager Mr Mathlong - Wyllie Longmore Mrs Marks - Brigit Forsyth Saul - Peter Brooke Dick - Marc Parry Directed by Polly Thomas. Molly is reunited with her son Tommy, but she is in conflict with her ex-husband. |
| 03 | 20080827 | Doris Lessing's 20th-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. As Anna tries to shake off the painful memories of her unhappy affair with a married man, she finds herself turning them into a story about her alter ego Ella. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Ella - Emma Fielding Paul - Sean Gallagher Dr West - Mark Chatterton Mrs West - Christine Brennan Directed by Polly Thomas. Anna is suffering writer's block, so starts to write about an old affair to try to move on |
| 04 | 20080828 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Anna finally exorcises the painful memory of her affair as she concludes the story of her alter ego Ella being left by her married lover. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly/Julia - Fenella Woolgar Ella - Emma Fielding Paul - Sean Gallagher Janet - Ellie Sagar Directed by Polly Thomas. Anna finally exorcises the painful memory of her affair with a married man. |
| 05 | 20080829 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Anna is bombarded by her friends' problems as she continues to struggle with her own. Then Tommy takes dramatic action that shocks them all. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Dick - Marc Parry Tommy - Adam Paulden Marion - Julia Rounthwaite Janet - Ellie Sager Directed by Polly Thomas. In need of help, a questioning Tommy arrives at Anna's house uninvited and agitated. |
| 06 | 20080901 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Tommy's blindness has an unsettling effect on his family and friends. Anna is once again called in by everyone to sort out their conflicts, at the same time as her own depression and anxieties start tipping her into mental turmoil. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Richard - Ron Cook Dick - Marc Parry Tommy - Adam Paulden Marion - Julia Rounthwaite Janet - Ellie Sager Nurse/Jean - Laura Harding Ella - Emma Fielding Mrs Marks - Brigit Forsyth Directed by Polly Thomas. Anna is once again called in by everyone to sort out their conflicts. |
| 07 | 20080902 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Anna's fragile mental state is made worse by the increasing demands of her friends to resolve their problems. She does so, to their delight, but her own troubles are increasing. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Richard - Ron Cook Tommy - Adam Paulden Ella - Emma Fielding Janet - Ellie Sager Mr Mathlong - Wyllie Longmore Marion - Julia Rounthwaite Directed by Polly Thomas. Anna's fragile mental state is made worse by the increasing demands of her friends. |
| 08 | 20080903 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. When Anna's daughter goes off to boarding school, she loses her grip on reality. Her new lover Saul is equally unstable, and it is only when she buys a Golden Notebook that Anna begins to see a way out of her chaotic life. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly - Fenella Woolgar Ella - Emma Fielding Saul - Peter Brooke Janet - Ellie Sager Mrs Marks - Brigit Forsyth Directed by Polly Thomas. |
| 09 | 20080904 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Anna finally admits the cause of all her problems - she has been unable to write. She finishes with Saul, but not before he has given her the first line of her new novel. Anna - Susannah Harker Ella - Emma Fielding Saul - Peter Brooke Mrs Marks - Brigit Forsyth Directed by Polly Thomas. |
| 10 | 20080905 | Doris Lessing's twentieth-century classic, dramatised by Sarah Daniels. Anna and her friend Molly finally find their feet again as they put aside the chaos of earlier times and take more control of their lives. Anna - Susannah Harker Molly/Julia - Fenella Woolgar Ella - Emma Fielding Milt - Eben Young Directed by Polly Thomas. Anna and Molly finally find their feet again as they put aside the chaos of earlier times. |