Chase, The (BBC-1 2006-2007, Gaynor Faye, Nicola Stephenson)

The Chase marked Kay Mellors return to the BBC being her first production for the channel since the superb Playing the Field.

Set in the small Yorkshire community of Oxley, The Chase focuses on the vetinary practice run by George Williams (played by Keith Barron) and his daughter Anna (played by Mellor’s daughter Gaynor Faye). As the series opens though George drops a bombshell on the practice, having just remarried to the much younger Claudie (Michelle Holmes), he announces his retirement.

Anna, 8 months pregnant, is needless none too happy about this turn of events and pins her hopes on the return of her sister Sarah (played by the excellent Nicola Stephenson) to help keep things on an even keel.

Sarah though, who has been living in London following the death of their mother, has her own reasons for not wanting to return to Oxley, before she left she caught Anna’s husband Tom (Nicholas Gleaves) in a clinch with surgery nurse Fiona (Heather Peace).

Of course being a Kay Mellor drama there is heavy emphasis on relationships and secrets unfurling and things not always working out for the best.

The first season ended with George being killed and the second season was mainly concerned with the fallout from that.

Filmed mostly in Otley, Yorkshire which served for the series setting of Oxley.

production details
UK / BBC One / 20×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 16 July 2006 – 26 August 2007

Creator: Kay Mellor

cast
Gaynor Faye as Anna Williams
Nicola Stephenson as Sarah Williams
Nicholas Gleaves as Tom Bedford
Heather Peace as Fiona Jones
Michelle Holmes as Claudie Williams
Janet Dibley as Deborah Johnson
Reece Dinsdale as Rick Johnson
Rachel Davies as Margaret Wright
Sunetra Sarker as Clare Burnes
Liam Garrigan as Matt Lowe
Paul Opacic as Adrian Huby
Rebekah Manning as Paula Higgins
Christian Cooke as Liam Higgins
Philip Jackson as Frank Jones
Guy Henry as William Montgomery
Adam Croasdell as Sebastian Montgomery
Grace Cassidy as Harriet Johnson (season 2)
Grace Ruiz as Daisy Williams
Nathan Chaplow as Jake Williams
Eliot Anthony as Luca Williams
Charlie Connew as Theo Jones
Keith Barron as George Williams (season 1)