cut up culture

I’ve been a massive fan of Sally Wainwright’s writing and characters ever since At Home with the Braithwaites.

The series was passing me by until Lizzy from Virgin Megastore told me to watch it because there was angsty lesbian character in it – Virginia Braithwaite – that reminded her of me.

Obviously I couldn’t resist finding out more about this version of me on the small screen, so off I went to the backroom of 30 Haughton Green Road – the place I went to watch everything with a whiff of gayness, to vet it before unleashing it on Mum and Dad in the front room.

At Home with the Braithwaites was pretty safe –a comedy drama about a Yorkshire family who win millions on the Euro Lottery and the subsequent fallout. I mean it had Amanda Redman and Linda Bellingham in it, what was not to love.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the first lesbian to latch on to a fictional representation of their perceived self. But I did become a bit obsessed with Virginia Braithwaite played by the excellent and underrated Sarah Smart.

At that point in TV history I felt Virginia was by far the most realistic portrayal and characterisation of a young girl, coming out and wondering if anyone was going to love them.

She was intelligent, funny and vulnerable, but was in danger of pissing it all away (literally) as she knew she didn’t quite fit in to this world and didn’t quite know how to communicate it.

I don’t think Lizzy was the only one who saw parallels between me and Virginia. In the scene where Virginia finally comes out to her Mum and another one where she tries to commit suicide – because her next door neighbour and object of her affections, Megan Hartnell (Julie Graham) takes advantage of her and her credit card. I noticed my Mum get almost as involved as me in the drama, wanting Virginia to sort herself out, probably almost as much as she wanted me to get my act together.

Virginia even ended up being the subject of a Valerie song.

Don’t Jump. Don’t Jump.
Your gonna go far.
Don’t Jump. Don’t Jump.
Get to the bar.

We wrote songs about a lot of ladies – Mariella Frostrop, Geri Halliwell, but I think Virginia was our only song about a fictional character. I was pretty lucky to be in a band that humoured me so much.

I remember playing a gig at the Bull & Gate in London and being convinced that Sarah Smart was in the audience, she wasn’t, but it added a little excitement to the proceedings. As well as Betty, our lovely friend from The Blue Minkies closing the adjoining doors when Gertrude were playing saying ‘Contain the Noise’.

Throwing Muses

From the Braithwaites onwards I’ve always followed what Wainwright was up to. For a few years after the show, Sarah Smart seemed to be something of a muse to Wainwright. Both worked together on the astonishing Sparkhouse, and then the not so astonishing Jane Hall.

Then all of a sudden there was a new muse as the Wainwright penned Unforgiven and Scott & Bailey both starred ex Corrie actress Suranne Jones in the lead roles.

And currently another Corrie legend – Sarah Lancashire – seems to have been passed the muse baton, starring in Wainwright’s two latest offerings: Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley.

While I’ve always been a massive Corrie fan – and it might come as no surprise that Wainwright cut her chops on the show – I wasn’t a big Lancashire / Raquel fan. Suranne and baron Karen yes, Raquel no.

However, ever since Last Tango in Halifax I’ve had to hold my hands up and hail her as an absolute acting tour de force for her portrayal of Caroline – the pent up high achiever and late blooming lesbian – in Red Production’s tale of OAP love in Yorkshire.

Lancashire’s measured meltdowns at estranged husband John (Tony Gardner, who I always refer to as Tony Shales after his brilliantly pathetic turn in Fresh Meat) and slow burning romance with Kate (Nina Sosanya) have been a joy to watch.

(Not so Happy Valley)

But none of that could prepare us for Happy Valley. I had heard Wainwright speak about her love of American TV dramas like Nurse Jackie and Breaking Bad at a recent event and I can only think that she’s brought a bit of that grit to West Yorkshire.

When I first heard the cast – Lancashire, Steve Pemberton (League of Gentleman) and Rita, Sue and Bob Too alumni George Costigan and Siobhan Finnernan – I was expecting the usual comedy drama fare.

But Happy Valley, has had me on the edge of my seat every episode, to say it’s dark is an understatement. I can only think of certain bits of Scott & Bailey and Unforgiven where Wainwright has teetered close to this territory. Happy Valley would probably make Hannibal Lecter hide behind the sofa.

Rape, multiple murders, smack addiction, abduction, police corruption and drug cartels all at 9pm on the BBC.

It’s been slagged by critics for the plot being too contrived, but it’s the first British drama I can remember that people are posting on Facebook about in the way they do about HBO, Netflix and other American dramas.

Again Lancashire is putting in another towering performance as Catherine – a police sergeant trying to avenge her daughter’s death. She’s taken some pummellings over the series from psycho killer Tommy Lee Royce, and the only time my belief has ever wavered in Happy Valley was seeing Tommy Lee on the run, emerge from a charity shop cunningly disguised as a member of Belle and Sebastian.

It’s the last Happy Valley on Tuesday. I don’t know if there will be a new muse after that? All I hope is that Wainwright continues to write this amazing and original British drama and these characters to relate too.

I was really lucky to have a character like Virginia on TV when I was working through my own issues, and I reckon that someone out there will feel exactly the same way about Rachel Bailey, Caroline, Gillian and Celia in Last Tango and god forbid Catherine in Happy Valley.