Where the Heart Is (British TV series)

Did You Know?

• A tie-in book based on the characters of Peggy and Ruth, written by Kate Lock, was released on 7 May 1998.
• Series 1–4 were released on DVD by Network between 2006–2014, with all four series re-released together in a boxset in 2023.
• Margaret Tiffany, a real-life Meltham district nurse, provided Featherstone with the premise of the show and served as a script advisor.

Plot overview

Set in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, this ITV series follows the professional and personal lives of district nurses, initially centering on Peggy Snow and Ruth Goddard. The story later broadens to include other locals, such as workers at a nearby toilet paper factory. The show was described as a tale of life, love, and changing fortunes in rural England.

Production

Where the Heart Is was created by Ashley Pharoah and Vicky Featherstone for ITV's prime time slot. Filming took place in the Colne valley of West Yorkshire, mainly in Marsden, Slaithwaite, and Meltham, with occasional use of Huddersfield Town Hall. The theme song, also titled "Where the Heart Is", was performed by Prefab Sprout. Featherstone's inspiration came from a visit to the Colne Valley, where she attended a wedding and became intrigued by the district nurses in Meltham. She had previously worked with Pharoah on Silent Witness. Pharoah initially found the concept "soft and sentimental" but changed his mind after visiting a district nursing office with Featherstone.

Cast and characters

The series initially focused on the Snow and Goddard family, headed by matriarch Peggy Snow, based on Pharoah's mother Maureen. Peggy's role was to drive stories by being an investigator; her characterisation could be interpreted as nosiness but her caring nature allowed her to uncover stories. Pam Ferris was cast as Peggy, having previously played Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May. She liked the scripts and noted the show was daring for portraying euthanasia. Sarah Lancashire played Ruth Goddard, Peggy's sister-in-law, while still appearing in Coronation Street. Pharoah scripted Ruth as lively, younger, less experienced, and a little disrespectful, inspired by a nurse he met. He decided the characters should be best friends and sisters-in-law to create tension through family disagreements.