The Lakes

The Lakes is a British television drama series, created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern, first broadcast on BBC1 on 14 September 1997. The series, which was principally filmed in and around Patterdale and The Ullswater Hotel, Glenridding, stars John Simm as Danny Kavanagh, a hotel porter, compulsive gambler, and philanderer who escapes from the dole queues in Liverpool to live in the Lake District. After he meets and marries local girl Emma Quinlan (Emma Cunniffe), they move back to Liverpool. However, the consequences of Danny's gambling habit results in Emma moving back to the Lakes. Months later, Danny also returns, and takes up a job looking after a rowing boat concession, and starts to patch up his relationship with Emma. Two series were broadcast. The first, made of four episodes including a feature-length pilot, aired during September and October 1997. A second series, extended to ten episodes, broadcast from January to March 1999. McGovern described the series as "partially autobiographical", having also been a gambling addict and having met his wife Eileen while working at a hotel in Cumbria. McGovern's involvement in the second series was heavily reduced, with a number of co-writers contributing to the series, including Joe Ainsworth, William Gaminara and Julie Rutterford. The series was critically acclaimed when first broadcast, although it caused controversy due to the hard-hitting portrayal of an immoral British sub-culture, and scenes of sex and violence. The series was considered a springboard for many members of the cast, including Kaye Wragg, James Thornton, Kevin Doyle and Elizabeth Berrington. Merchandise The complete series was released as a four-disc box set by Second Sight Media on 6 October 2003. The set contains additional commentaries for the first series by John Simm and director David Blair. The box set was re-issued on 16 April 2012, however both the original and re-issue are now out of print. Region 4 DVD released rated the series R16 for offensive language and scenes of a sexual nature. A novelisation of the first series by Kate Lock (credited as K.M. Lock) was released on 4 September 1997, ten days prior to the broadcast of the first episode. A soundtrack to the series was also issued on CD and Cassette in 1997, containing contributions from the likes of Blur, Cast, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Manic Street Preachers, Supergrass and Radiohead.