Love Life

[Perdita]

Downton Abbey star Rob James Collier has signed up for a lead role in ITV's new romantic drama Love Life.

He will star opposite DCI Banks actress Andrea Lowe in the show, the broadcaster announced today.

Love Life, which has been written by Lark Rise to Candleford and Conviction scribe Bill Gallagher, focuses on the relationship between Collier's character Joe and Lowe's Lucy.

After Lucy pressures him to settle down, Joe goes travelling for a year - but when he returns, he discovers that Lucy is now pregnant after an affair with her married boss.

Gregor Fisher has joined the cast as Lucy's father Will, while Alexander Armstrong will play her boss Dominic and Sophie Thompson will star as Dominic's wife Penny.

Kieran O'Brien, Lisa Millett, Sorcha Cusack and Naomi Bentley have also landed roles in the three-part series.

BBC One is also developing a separate project called Love Life, which features stars including David Tennant, Billie Piper and Jenny Agutter.

[Perdita]

Thursday, 15 March 2012, 9:00PM - 10:00PM


Funny, passionate, warm and knotty, this is the tale of how good people come to terms with the trials of love.

Written by Bill Gallagher and directed by Dominic Leclerc the new three-part romantic comedy drama stars Rob James-Collier, Andrea Lowe, Alexander Armstrong, Sophie Thompson, Sorcha Cusack and Kieran O’Brien.


A year ago Joe (Rob James-Collier) decided to travel the world just one last time, but his girlfriend Lucy (Andrea Lowe) had other ideas. She felt it was time they finally settled down, but Joe wasn’t ready.

Although he’d hoped they could do the trip together, Joe eventually left alone. Now he’s back. Joe’s brother, Dez (Kieran O’Brien), collects him from the airport and gives Joe a place to stay while he finds his feet.

On a night out with Dez and the lads, Joe bumps into Lucy (Andrea Lowe), and they exchange awkward conversation. Awkward because Lucy is quite clearly pregnant and wearing a wedding ring. Doing the maths, Joe knows the baby can’t be his. And Lucy’s married. Joe is numb with shock.

It was twelve months ago when Lucy first toyed with the idea of starting a family but Joe wasn’t ready for that sort of commitment. They seemed to want different things from life. But now, seeing Lucy married and pregnant, Joe can finally see what he’s thrown away. Determined to find out who the father is, Joe goes to see Will (Gregor Fisher) – Lucy’s debt-ridden father – and manages to squeeze the truth out of him.

Lucy’s not married and the baby’s father is nowhere to be seen. Will explains that Lucy jacked in her job as soon as she knew she was pregnant– and that’s all Joe needs to hear to know who the father is. Lucy’s married boss – Dom (Alexander Armstrong).

Dom’s personal situation is also complicated. He and his wife Penny are having difficulties conceiving, and have been for some time. Dom has suggested adoption, but Penny desperately wants a child of their own.

When Joe confronts Dom for abandoning Lucy and the baby, Dom’s reaction is shock. Now Joe realises why Lucy was keeping it quiet. Dom had no idea Lucy was pregnant. Joe doesn’t know how to tell Lucy what he’s done. He tries, but quickly realises Lucy is wracked with her own guilt and didn’t want Penny to ever find out, so he stops himself. Joe knows he’s really put his foot in it, but can’t say a word. It’s an awkward meeting, but all underpinned with a sense of the shared history between Lucy and Joe – what was lost, and what might have been. It’s certainly complicated.

This complication is thrown into sharp relief by the appearance of Alex, a young, attractive girl Joe met on his travels. After the messy emotional trauma of the last few days, everything about Alex represents simplicity, so when she suggests they go for a drink, Joe’s head can’t help being turned just a little.

Meanwhile, Dom – reeling from Joe’s revelation – calls Lucy and tells her that he knows. They meet, and it’s awkward. But it helps to hear her side of the story – if she didn’t keep quiet, she knew a lot of people could get hurt. Lucy hasn’t told a soul. Penny need never know. But then Lucy starts to realise how Dom must have found out. Joe.

At home, Dom tries to be normal with Penny. But it’s a struggle. He loves her – couldn’t bear to hurt her – and Dom has to stop himself from telling Penny his secret.

Lucy goes to confront Joe, furious that he told Dom. But as her anger builds, and she shouts at Joe, she feels a sharp pain. And then another one. The contractions start to come more regularly, so Joe gets her in the truck and drives her to hospital. The baby is born.

[alan45]

Love Life
Episode: 2 of 3
Thursday, 22 March 2012, 9:00PM - 10:00PM



Dom (Alexander Armstrong) makes his way through a caravan park – searching – until he finds the caravan he’s looking for. He knocks and the door opens to reveal Lucy (Andrea Lowe) and baby Arthur. Dom doesn’t quite know how to tell Lucy the reason for his visit. He bites the bullet and just says it. Penny wants the baby.

Two days earlier…

At the hospital, Will (Gregor Fisher) helps Lucy pack her things and prepare to head home for the first time with baby Arthur. Joe turns up to help, and the three of them leave together. Although Will seems to be behaving strangely, and it’s not just his persistent stomach ulcer. Is Will hiding something?

Dom is struggling to keep his secret from Penny (Sophie Thompson), whose behaviour only makes life harder for him as she tries to engineer a romantic weekend away. Penny can see Dom is more distracted than usual, and when he leaves work on a flimsy premise, she decides to follow him.

Lucy, Joe, Will and the baby arrive back home at Will’s flat, only to find it virtually empty. Will comes clean. The bailiffs have taken everything. Lucy is furious and distraught. Joe offers to take Arthur outside so Will and Lucy can talk.

Dom is sitting outside, steeling himself to talk to Lucy, when Joe comes out carrying the baby. It’s an awkward meeting and Dom can’t take his eyes off the baby. Dom assumes Joe is now back with Lucy, and Joe does nothing to contradict this. Everything is civil, but it’s a strange sort of standoff, until Joe asks Dom if he’d like to hold the baby. Standing there with his son is arms, Dom is overwhelmed. He returns the baby to Joe and leaves. In the background we realise Penny has been watching.

With Will being evicted, Lucy and Arthur have nowhere to live. It’s far from ideal, but Joe tells her his brother Dez has a caravan in a holiday park nearby – maybe Lucy could stay there until they find somewhere better. He’ll ask Dez.

Penny still knows nothing about Dom’s secret. From distance, the meeting between Dom and Joe looked innocent enough – Dom taking the baby in his arms just looked like a man in touch with his emotions, inevitably moved by a newborn baby. For Penny this only serves to convince her that it really is time they became parents – she’s now willing to consider adoption, and puts this to Dom. But the more she talks about babies, the harder this gets for Dom until he can bear it no more and he finally cracks. He had an affair with Lucy, and now she’s had his baby. A son.

Penny goes into shutdown, loses control of the car, and drives through a cemetery fence. As Dom’s words sink in, she can only feel a sense of deep betrayal, pain and anger at what he has done. Dom can say nothing that makes it better.

Meanwhile Joe is meeting Alex (Naomi Bentley) for a drink. They reminisce about their travels, and Alex says she’s going to head off again soon – want to come? Joe tells her his situation is now more complicated. Really complicated. But Alex makes her offer clear. She’s not complicated. At all. If you decide you want to come, just pick up the phone.

The next day Penny goes to see her mum at the nursing home where she works. She tells her about Dom – what should she do? Liz (Sorcha Cusack) is shocked, but gentle and comforting – reassuring her daughter that she can get through this. But the more they talk, the more Penny’s thoughts begin to form into determination. She knows it’s mad, but she wants that baby.

At Dom’s tile shop, a young woman, Tilly (Jennie Jacques), arrives to start her work experience. Not what Dom needs right now, but he tries to be as accommodating as possible under the circumstances. Inside he’s in turmoil. And then, as if things could get no worse, a policeman – P.C. Paul (James Baxter) – arrives to question Dom about the incident at the cemetery.

Meanwhile, Joe takes Lucy to visit the caravan. It’s spacious and pretty, in beautiful surroundings. She loves it. Joe helps her settle in, and it seems they may be reaching a comfortable détente, but when Lucy finds the note Alex wrote to Joe, things change. She realises Joe sees she and Arthur as a “complication” – it’s time for Joe to leave.

At the police station, Penny and Dom are waiting to be interviewed – Liz sitting between them like a referee. Penny tells Dom she wants the baby. Dom makes clear how ridiculous that sounds. But Penny drives home the point – Dom is the father. Arthur is as much his baby as Lucy’s. He has rights. They should at least talk to Lucy.

Stung from Lucy’s outburst, Joe meets with Alex. It seems things might get intimate, but Joe hates himself for it, and stops things going any further. Alex sees what’s going on here – he’s still in love with Lucy.

It’s the middle of the night and it’s pouring with rain. Joe goes to the caravan park to check on Lucy – make sure she’s OK. All’s well, and Joe spends the night on the sofa. When Arthur wakes the next morning, Joe wakes up too. Not wanting to disturb Lucy, who is still sleeping peacefully, Joe takes Arthur out for a walk.

Penny and Liz seek legal advice about Arthur. The solicitor stresses that the law favours the birth mother, but certain circumstances may give the father reasonable grounds for a custody claim. Learning that Lucy is currently homeless, the solicitor believes they may have a case and agrees to take it on.

Back at the caravan park, Lucy wakes to find Arthur has gone. Mortified, she rushes outside – searching, calling, distraught. Until she finds him with Joe. A rush of emotion, she grabs Arthur – how could Joe be so stupid? He’s apologetic, but she’s furious. Their row quickly becomes about Dom, and Joe finally asks Lucy outright – did you tell him you loved him? It’s clear she did.

Joe leaves, and Lucy and Arthur are alone once again in the caravan. A knock at the door. Dom…

[alan45]

Love Life

Episode: 3*of*3
Thursday, 29 March 2012,*9:00PM*-*10:00PM

Joe (Rob James-Collier) and Penny (Sophie Thompson) sit together on some scaffolding. Penny tells Joe she thinks Lucy (Andrea Lowe) and Dom (Alexander Armstrong) are going to run away together. Joe is shocked.

One day earlier…

Penny is shopping for baby gear, while Liz (Sorcha Cusack) tries to talk some sense into her. She implores her daughter to be reasonable, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. Penny is determined to do everything she can to get the baby.

Back home, Dom tells Penny he went to see Lucy to discuss their situation. Penny presses Dom – does he still have feelings for Lucy? It’s clear a spark still lingers, but Penny reverts to her default setting – denial.

Joe visits Lucy in the caravan, bringing blankets, a heater, supplies. He’s being thoughtful and Lucy’s grateful. And then Joe drops the news – he’s booked a flight to Argentina. He’ll be out of her hair soon. Lucy’s not quite sure how to take this. She asks Joe if he will look after Arthur tomorrow morning, just for an hour or two. There’s something she has to do.

Will is evicted from his flat – leaving with just a few belongings in a suitcase. He calls Lucy to try to apologise for his failings as a father, but his phone is low on credit and he gets cut off.

Dom visits Liz at the nursing home. He tells her he thinks he might still be in love with Lucy – knows it’s a strange thing to talk to his mother-in-law about, but he also knows she’s straight-talking and has always been honest with him. True to form, Liz doesn’t pull any punches – she’s not God, she doesn’t always know what’s best. Dom needs to work things out for himself.

Penny visits Joe at work – tells him she thinks something’s still going on between Dom and Lucy. She thinks they’re going to run away together. Joe is shocked. Penny leaves and, shortly after, Lucy arrives to drop off Arthur. Joe’s going to take care of him for a few hours. Joe tries to press her on where she’s going, but she won’t be drawn. Joe is increasingly convinced Lucy is in love with Dom. She heads off.

Some time later, Alex sees Joe holding baby Arthur. She can now appreciate what he meant when he said things were complicated. But he assures her he’s just doing Lucy a favour – it’s not that complicated. He’s booked his flight – he’s going to join Alex on her travels.

Will (Gregor Fisher) visits Dom at work to vent his indignation. What kind of man gets a girl pregnant leaves her to fend for herself, then tries to steal her baby? In contrast to Dom’s wealth, Lucy’s now practically living rough, for heaven’s sake. Dom says he’s offered to help her financially but she wouldn’t accept. Will hatches a plan. Why doesn’t Dom give some money to him, and he can give it to Lucy, saying he had a win on the horses? Dom sees there’s some sense in this, and agrees to go along with it.

Liz goes to see Penny to explain she’s not going to tell her what to do any more – she can stand on her own two feet. Penny apologises – it seems to be finally dawning on her that she’s made a string of big mistakes. But then Lucy turns up and Penny’s anger returns. She accuses Lucy of trying to steal her husband. Lucy tries to explain, but it develops into a huge row, with Lucy accusing Penny of trying to steal her baby. The situation is only exacerbated when a delivery truck arrives with all the baby gear Penny ordered. As Liz tries to separate the two women, a heavy box falls on Liz, breaking her leg.

Tilly (Jennie Jacques) returns to Dom’s tile shop to resume her work experience, while Dom divvies cash up for Will. Dom calls Lucy to tell her he needs to see her. When he visited her in the caravan, he realized they could be happy together – she, him, Arthur. He has to see her – can they meet?

Will takes Dom’s money and goes straight to the bookies. He reasons, if he sticks half of it on a horse and wins, he can have even more money for Lucy. If he loses, he can give her what’s left and she’ll be none the wiser.

Joe talks to Dez (Kieran O’Brien) about marriage, kids – settling down. Dez doesn’t even need to say much for Joe to realise what he should be doing with Lucy. The thoughts have already formed in his mind. But then his phone rings.

Joe rushes into the police station to find Lucy, accused by Penny of assaulting Liz. Joe is staggered. But know he has to say what’s been on his mind. In this inauspicious setting he takes Lucy’s hand and tells her he wants to marry her. Lucy doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t know whether she can trust him. A year ago he said things and then he took them back. How can she be sure he won’t do the same again? It’s not just her any more – she has Arthur to think of. And then she starts to wonder – is he only saying this now because he thinks she might go off with Dom? Joe admits, of course, that’s how he feels, he doesn’t want to lose her. But she’s hurt by this, flags a taxi and leaves. Joe jumps in his truck and follows her to her destination - a coffee shop. He stops, and watches her go in.

At the local hospital, Penny helps her mum towards the exit. Liz now has her leg in plaster. Liz finally gets Penny to see that she’s her own worst enemy. She has to sort herself out.

Dom meets Lucy in the coffee shop. He tells her how he feels. By almost mystic coincidence, their waitress is Alex, who remarks on baby Arthur and how beautiful he is. It seems the presence of a newborn baby always has a powerful effect on people, but it’s not yet clear how this has affected Alex.

In the bookies, Will watches his race. But his horse is a nag. He loses. And now he has a dilemma. Does he give Lucy the remaining cash, or chance it all for one big win? For Will, the answer’s clear.

In the coffee shop, Lucy is explaining to Dom how Joe asked her to marry him. She admits she loves him – she just doesn’t know whether to trust him. Lucy manages to get Dom to see that Penny loves him – she just has a funny way of showing it sometimes. It seems they’re each finally coming to realise what they really want. They part on good terms, leaving Alex watching Lucy, deciding whether or not to come over.

In the bookies, Will’s luck has finally changed. His horse comes in. He’s won – and won big. Ecstatic, he calls Lucy and tells her he’s got nearly five grand for her – rent, food, nappies. His delight at finally being able to provide for his daughter is overwhelming.

Outside the tile shop, Liz has finally managed to persuade Penny to call off the lawyers and reconcile with Dom. For the first time in a long time Penny is back on an even keel. She leaves her mum in the car, and goes into the shop, where she finds Tilly manning the fort. Will also arrives, to return Dom’s money with thanks. It’s an unfortunate meeting of minds – to Will, Penny is the witch who tried to steal his grandson, to Penny, Will is a man who has seemingly been taking money from her husband behind her back.

[Perdita]

f you want something a bit different on television this week, you might want to give Love Life a go! The ITV drama - written by Lark Rise To Candleford scribe Bill Gallagher - focuses on what happens after Joe (Downton Abbey's Rob James-Collier) goes travelling for 11 months, only to discover when he returns that his former girlfriend Lucy is now pregnant...

Lucy's played by DCI Banks star Andrea Lowe, who recently chatted to reporters at a screening of Love Life.

Read on to find out what she had to say about being pregnant while filming (but it being too early to tell anyone), working with Alexander Armstrong and Gregor Fisher, and her 'contractions face'...

Was it weird having a big bump over your real bump?
"Yeah, because my bump was really small. It was very light, this one. I've had a pregnancy bump before that was sand - and I was really glad it wasn't that because that was so heavy - but this one was light. There were some days when I was in and out of the bump a lot because we were doing the flashbacks and I'd have run back to make up and get my extensions done and take the bump off, and I was like, 'Cor, I hope it's not getting squashed'.

"It was quite funny because obviously everybody wanted to ask me if I wanted children or if I was feeling broody, because I was obviously pregnant in it. So it was quite hard keeping a straight face and I just wanted to tell people, but I had to wait."

What was it like holding the real babies? Was it weird knowing you're about to have your own?
"Yeah. I love babies anyway. I really enjoyed working with these and I felt quite confident with them, but people say you're not so confident with your own. I just felt really lucky that these mums and dads even wanted to lend us their babies. I felt quite protective over them... And the mums were very good.

"Off screen, I'd be holding them and looking after them - I think they were like, 'Can I have my baby back now?' But yeah, it was lovely to work with them and they're so unpredictable that I think they bring something more real to your performance."

You and Rob have a good chemistry - had you worked together before?
"No, we only met on the first day of filming actually. I was probably more nervous on the first day than I usually am because we hadn't met. He's just really down to earth and lovely and we just got on straight away. I really enjoyed working with him - it was great."

Who did you ask for help with your 'contractions face'?
"Oh God, I was thinking, 'I hope it's alright!' I've taken my friend who was in labour to the birthing centre before, so I'd seen her. I have given birth twice on screen before so I did some research then. I remember watching videos and stuff, so that's where I got my information from.

"I'm avoiding One Born Every Minute because I'm planning on having a hypno birth, so apparently you're not meant to engage with the horror stories. I did watch one of those One Born Every Minute shows and the baby was about ten pounds and the midwife said, 'It's a monster!' I was like, 'I don't want to watch this!' But I know, I was looking at Love Life thinking, 'I wonder if I'm going to look like that in labour'."

We've seen lots of will-they-won't-they storylines before - how does Love Life make the idea fresh?
"I suppose that's in every relationship, whether it be a tragedy or soap. Or if it's a relationship, you wonder if they are going to stay together and how much in love they are. I think this is quite unique because I think the way Bill writes with the flashbacks and these lengthy scenes - you rarely get lengthy scenes in anything anymore where you're just purely talking and being honest and natural.

"It's not tricksy, it's just quite a simple piece and I think the writing speaks for itself. I think it's got more depth to it than a lot of romantic comedies - I think there's real pain at the core of it.

"I think it'll have kind of universal appeal because I think even if we haven't been in those situations we can relate to the situations they're in, and it's just how we make the wrong decisions - I think that's something we can definitely all relate to... There's something quite quirky about it I think."

Were you worried about making Lucy sympathetic? Often a woman who has a married man wouldn't necessarily be a character we like on television.
"Yeah, actually. When I watched it I was a bit like, 'Ooh', because it looks very real. I think it's something that Lucy would never have normally done and she's in strange circumstances.

"I have to be honest and say yeah, you do get really critical of yourself and your performance and you do want people to like every character you do. I suppose that's human nature, but actually you're not doing your job so you've just got to forget about that. I think I probably worry more about what people think after I've done a job than when I'm doing it. I'm just focused on doing justice to the writing.

"I think it's all on the page, really. Bill's so talented that you just had to believe in what he'd written and trust it."

When you watch stuff, do you think, 'Oh I could have done that better'?
"I don't think it's even about knowing that you could have done it better. I think it's just something about seeing yourself that's a bit awkward and uncomfortable. It's a weird thing because as an actor you love what you do and I love being other people, but I don't do it because I want other people to look at me, which probably seems a bit strange.

"I'm quite lucky that I don't get recognised at all - I love that and I'm really thankful for that. Whereas Rob on the other hand... I think I've played a lot of different parts and not stayed in something that long. I'm normally proud of things I've been part of because of watching everyone else and how brilliant they are in it - you realise it's not just about what you're doing."

Did the other guys on Love Life become more protective when they found out you were pregnant?
"Yeah, a bit, yeah! I think that's what I was afraid of. Especially Rob, I didn't want him to feel compromised, so we really established our relationship before I told him. I don't think I told him immediately after I'd had the scan either. You know what? I still haven't told some people I'm pregnant. It's really terrible.

"I think because I was working and I have a responsibility to other jobs, things I'm contracted to do if they go again like DCI Banks, I wanted to honour them and let them know before everybody else knew. And then I was busy working on this so I couldn't really engage with my pregnancy, so I didn't tell a lot of people. I'm probably going to end up offending a lot of people!"

The show stars Alexander Armstrong as well, a recognisable face...
"He's never off the telly, is he?"

What was it like doing scenes with him?
"Xander was so busy that we didn't meet him until quite a way into the shoot. My first scene with him was just kissing him - we hadn't even said anything to each other! I think it was quite nice for him to do a drama and take on a role because obviously he's doing a lot of presenting, which I think he's getting a lot out of.

"He's lovely - a real gent. It's so nice to meet so many different people who are not just actors and can bring something else to it. I remember him from years and years ago when I first left university - I was a receptionist at a sound studio and Xander used to do loads of voiceovers. It was before anything else had kicked off for him, and him and Ben [Miller] used to come in and do a lot of voiceovers, and I used to make him tea! I didn't tell him that though when we were working together..."

And what was it like working with Gregor Fisher, who plays your dad?
"Aw, it was lovely. It was really lovely. He's just such a pro, so you learnt a lot. He just opens his mouth and it comes out and it's brilliant, and you're like, 'Okay!'

"I think we felt really pleased that he wanted to be part of it and to play Lucy's dad because he doesn't do so much work any more - he picks and chooses and is quite selective, so it was like, 'Okay, he's obviously really behind it'. I think he had a good time, which is always a good sign - being away from home, no-one really likes being holed up in a hotel. I really enjoyed working with him."

Do you think playing a pregnant woman gave you an insight to what being a mum would be like?
"No, because the babies were taken off me as soon as they started crying! No, I think I've definitely had much more of an insight by helping my friends out, being there for my friends when they've got newborns or not being able to see my friends who've got newborns because they're going up the wall!

"I think a role allows you to access part of your brain that you might not normally go to. But this part I don't think gave me a very real idea. I hope I look like that - maybe I can get a permanent make-up and hair person by my side! I don't think anyone looks quite like that when they've had a baby!"

Love Life begins on Thursday (March 15) at 9pm on ITV1.