Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20090802 | 20090808 (R4) | Dramatisation by Ellen Dryden of the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Sixteen-year-old orphan Ruth Hilton is apprenticed as a dressmaker to the hard-bitten Mrs Mason, because she is too much of an inconvenience for her legal guardian. A job as a seamstress for a Hunt Ball and an encounter with a young man have far-reaching consequences. Ruth - Laura Rees Bellingham - Rory Kinnear Benson - Anton Lesser Mrs Mason - Abigail Thaw Guardian/Jones/Thomas - Richard Hope Nelly/Mrs Bellingham - Alison Skilbeck Miss Duncombe - Aimee Cowen Jenny - Helen Jenkinson Bessie - Daisy Ashford Directed by Ellen Dryden. Orphan Ruth Hilton, 16, is apprenticed as a dressmaker to the hard-bitten Mrs Mason. |
| 02 | 20090809 | 20090815 (R4) | Dramatisation by Ellen Dryden of the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. Abandoned in Wales, Ruth is taken in by the preacher Benson and his reluctant sister. The cause of Ruth's illness is established and brings with it a secret which could destroy her unless it is kept from everyone. Ruth - Laura Rees Benson - Anton Lesser Faith - Anne Reid Bellingham - Rory Kinnear Bradshaw - David Schofield Sally - Marcia Warren Jemima - Amy Ewbank Mrs Bradshaw - Abigail Thaw Elizabeth - Helen Jenkinson Mary - Daisy Ashford Richard/Hickson - Dudley Hinton Directed by Ellen Dryden. |
| 03 | 20090816 | 20090822 (R4) | Dramatisation by Ellen Dryden of the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. The unexpected return of Bellingham presents real danger, and a distant connection from Ruth's past threatens to reveal the truth about Leonard. Meanwhile Mr Bradshaw's two eldest children face very different dilemmas. Ruth - Laura Rees Benson - Anton Lesser Faith - Anne Reid Bellingham - Rory Kinnear Bradshaw - David Schofield Sally - Marcia Warren Jemima - Amy Ewbank Mrs Bradshaw - Abigail Thaw Farquhar - Gus Brown Mrs Pearson - Anna Francolini Dr Davies - Tim Hardy Leonard - Jordan Clarke Directed by Ellen Dryden. |