Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20111017 | Following his son's separation, Ray is forbidden from seeing his granddaughter Ellie. By Richard Monks 1 of 5 Following his son's separation, Ray is forbidden to see Ellie, his granddaughter, And so the legal struggle begins for access to the child he loves. Ray....Paul Copley Rachel....Julia Ford Ellie....Grace Clarke Martin....Alun Raglan Policeman....Simon Bubb WPC....Elaine Claxton This is the heartbreaking story of Ray's fight for the right to see his granddaughter, Ellie, after his son and the girl's mother, Rachel, separate. When Rachel takes custody of Ellie, Ray is denied access. He has done nothing wrong but he soon learns that he has no legal right to see his granddaughter. What's more, there is precious little in the way of support for people in his situation. When Ray's son is killed in an accident and his ex-wife goes off the rails, Ray's struggle becomes even more urgent. His granddaughter needs him. And then Ray discovers that he is not alone. Britain is a country with one of the highest rates of divorce, and the highest rate of teenage pregnancy, in Europe. Yet it's institutions, it's laws, are founded on an ever less common model of how the contemporary family is constituted. Children's primary carers may still be mothers and fathers, but with the rise in broken marriages and single-parenthood, there is an increasing reliance on atomised extended families - grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings - as carers. Yet these people, who can form deep bonds with the children they look after, have no legal status should things go wrong. Over the course of five episodes, it becomes clear that this issue is not black and white - there are no simple solutions. 'Disconnected' explores this complex dilemma in its most immediate and most moving form as it follows a sympathetic protagonist battling against a system seemingly devoid of feeling. | |
| 02 | 20111018 | Following the death of his son, Ray finds himself caught in a web of legal difficulties. By Richard Monks 2 of 5. Following the death of his son, Ray finds himself caught in a web of legal difficulties as he fights for the right to see his beloved granddaughter. Ray....Paul Copley Rachel....Julia Ford Ellie....Grace Clarke Annie....Paula Wilcox Alex....Simon Bubb Howard....James Lailey Craig....Carl Prekopp Judith/Mourner....Elaine Claxton Judge....Jane Whittenshaw Solicitor....Alun Raglan. | |
| 03 | 20111019 | Ray hopes that he will soon be granted legal access to his beloved granddaughter. By Richard Monks 3 of 5 But things are not as straightforward as he would like to believe. Ray....Paul Copley Rachel....Julia Ford Ellie....Grace Clarke Annie....Paula Wilcox Judith....Elaine Claxton Security Guard....Simon Bubb Petrol Attendant/BailiffRay....Alun Raglan. | |
| 04 | 20111020 | After the CAFCAS meeting, Ray begins to believe that access to Ellie will never be granted By Richard Monks 4 of 5. Following the meeting with Ellie at the CAFCAS offices, Ray is beginning to believe that access to Ellie will never be granted. But Annie has other ideas. Ray - Paul Copley Rachel....Julia Ford Ellie....Grace Clarke Annie....Paula Wilcox Alex....Simon Bubb Judge....Jane Whittenshaw Solicitor....Alun Raglan Volunteer/Operator....Elaine Claxton. | |
| 05 LAST | 20111021 | Following his row with Annie, Ray despairs of being granted access to his grandchild. By Richard Monks 5 of 5. Increasingly desperate, following his row with Annie, Ray is beginning to believe that he will never be granted access to his beloved grandchild. Ray....Paul Copley Rachel....Julia Ford Ellie....Grace Clarke Annie....Paula Wilcox Howard....James Lailey Craig/Clerk....Carl Prekopp Judge....Jane Whittenshaw Volunteer/PA....Elaine Claxton. | |
| OMNI | 20111022 | 20111023 |