01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

This programme contains scenes

which some viewers may find upsetting

from the start

If I can come back again,

I'd be a baker.

Why a baker? I love cake.

I'd make constant cakes.

You could be a baker now,

after the w*r.

Come back, be a baker.

If you die, what's the plan for

the next life?

I can be anything I want?

Anything you want.

Can I be a man?

Absolutely. Be a man.

What sort of man?

I don't know.

Maybe I'll want to come back as me.

But I'd do things better.

If you came back, would you want

the same family?

Me as your brother? Definitely.

Pamela? Jimmy? Mm-hm.

Mum and Dad? Mm-hm. Maurice?

Enh.

THEY LAUGH

What if we could come back

and live it all over again

and again and again?

Wouldn't that be fantastic?

They're the two best words

in the English language,

when you put them together,

aren't they?

What if?

SHE GROANS

Dr Fellows should be here.

Why isn't he here? Where is he?

Your man will be stuck

in the snow, I bet.

Oh, sure dreadful wild out there.

The road will be closed.

Come here.

SHE GROANS

The other end.

GROANS INTENSIFY

Oh, ma'am, she's white,

like a ghost.

A girl? The cord's wrapped around

her neck.

Oh, Mary, mother of God,

she's been strangled.

The poor wee thing. Let me see.

We have to do something.

What can we do?

She's gone, dead before she had

a chance to love.

I'm awful, awful sorry.

She'll be a little cherub in heaven

now for sure.

I wish Mr Todd were here.

I'm awful sorry.

Shall I wake Mrs Glover?

SHE SOBS

It was snowing when Ursula died.

It was snowing when Ursula was born.

SHE GROANS

And one more push, please, Mrs Todd.

GROANS INTENSIFY

Scissors.

Scissors! Sewing scissors?

BABY CRIES

Boy or girl?

A bonny, bouncing baby girl.

Sylvie thought Dr Fellows

might be over egging it

with the alliteration.

You were lucky I got here in time.

Before the snow closed the roads,

I called for Mrs Haddock,

the midwife,

but I believe she's stuck somewhere

outside of Chalfont Saint Peter.

Mrs Haddock?

Yes, Mrs Haddock.

Is that funny?

No.

So I thought I'd better

fight the elements.

Lucky I did.

She would have died from the cord

around her neck.

Hello, little one.

For God's sake, girl,

fetch some water and towels.

Do you know nothing?

Were you raised in a field?

Baby Ursula doesn't know

this is her second life

..but already she has an instinct.

The world is a dangerous place.

Oh, for goodness' sake.

A farmer has been trampled

by a bull.

His life hangs in the balance.

You hold it in your hands.

And they call it horsepower.

Put your backs into it.

That's what comes from relying

on new-fangled machines.

There he is.

My son, George, will take you.

He'll get you there.

You're not serious.

Come on, sir.

You, help me up.

One, two, three.

DOOR OPENS

Here you are.

Maurice, Pamela, come and say hello

to your new sister.

Another girl.

Name? I shall call her Ursula.

It means little she-bear.

I wish she was a bear.

Uh!

I hear the baby nearly died.

When will Mr Todd be back?

Oh, a snowdrop.

The first flower to raise

its poor head above the ground.

How brave it is.

Sorry.

Poppa's home!

What's this sister of yours like,

any good?

No. No?

No?

Well, well, well, how is everybody?

Sorry I couldn't be here last night.

Snow.

Hello.

Will you take Ursula to Bridget

for her bath? I'm going to rest.

Ursula?

Ursula.

Ursula, hmm?

Ursula Todd.

Everything went all right?

Fingers and toes all correct?

Mother and child doing well?

You know she was born with

the cord wrapped around her neck?

I didn't know.

How are you, Mrs Glover?

There's devilled kidneys

left over from breakfast.

Can I tempt you?

You cannot.

BRIDGET COOS OVER URSULA

God surely wanted you back.

URSULA GARBLES

Uh-huh. He wanted you back.

Ursula would learn the universe

was chaos and destruction.

And she would love it anyway.

There was something reassuring

about the way it repeated itself,

something delicious

about her father's smell.

She learned rabbits

were also delicious.

The sun and spiders were gifts.

Afternoon, ladies.

Horses were immense and strange

and wonderful.

Mrs Glover loved her son.

Follow me!

People her own size could be fun.

Goo-goo-goo, stupid baby.

And Maurice himself was chaos

and destruction.

Maurice!

LOUD SLAP

Ow!

Like a hedgehog in hibernation.

Poor old thing.

Ursula entered her fifth summer

without further mishap.

Ursula! Get away from that window.

Come on,

let's go jump over the waves.

It's not ours.

Come on, let's go paddle.

SHE GASPS

What?

He's been burnt in a fire.

Mr Rochester's been burnt in a fire.

Can you believe it?

Hold on.

BABY CRIES

Dear God, dear God!

Getting hungry?

Bridget, I'm going to feed Teddy,

and then I should probably telephone

Hugh and see what time his train

BABY CRIES

And so Ursula died.

Scissors. Give me the scissors.

Sewing scissors? What's happened?

And yet she seems to have been given

the chance to live again.

BABY CRIES

The cord was wrapped around

her neck. She'll be all right.

A bonny, bouncing baby girl.

Come on, let's go paddle.

Oh, dear!

They went out a bit too far.

But they'll be fine.

Pammy, you were supposed

to be watching her. I was.

What in the name of heaven's

gone on?

Er, they went out a bit too far.

Give me Teddy, take Ursula home

and get her dry.

Don't cling so, Ursula,

you're all right.

BABY BABBLES

Come on. Why is there a wet man?

Ursula nearly drowned.

Idiot.

How can we ever thank you?

You must let us take you to tea

at some point.

Ursula had heard Bridget

retell the harrowing story

of her birth several times.

"God had wanted her back",

the Irish maid had told her.

Come on, now.

You're too old for that.

Daddy!

Oh, hello, Little Bear.

Did you have fun?

There's a surprise

for you at home, guess.

Better not be a dog.

A dog. A dog! A puppy?

We'll see. Let's go.

Go, go, go, go, go.

Glad to be back?

Glad to have us back?

WHISTLE

Are we all ready?

What does it do?

Let there be

..light!

You'll blow us all up!

I don't like this at all.

Who wants to try next?

Yes, come on, Little Bear.

I hear you survived

some very big waves,

you're brave enough.

She'll blow up.

Oh!

Wow!

A dog would have been more useful.

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

BABY GURGLES

Shh, shh, shh.

Best one yet.

Yes. I think we should keep him.

Hmm!

Your holiday was jolly

and everything?

Ursula should take swimming lessons.

Clearly, she's not a natural.

And she gets so anxious

about everything.

I worry about her.

She's fine.

BONES CLICK

SYLVIE SIGHS HEAVILY

HUGH EXHALES

This is marriage.

Yes, this is marriage.

DOOR CLOSES

What's wrong?

I keep dreaming that I'm drowning

Mm?

..and I'm dead.

You're not dead.

It's a beautiful, sunny day.

Go and run around outside.

What if I fall and hit my head?

What if I die?

Ursula,

you must avoid dark thoughts

at all costs, do you understand?

When you think them, just

..shake your head.

Hmm.

Now, get some fresh air

and run around. Now.

It was only in dreams

that life was frightening.

The days were perfectly lovely.

Some were more than that.

Some were beautiful.

Ursula resolved to enjoy life.

There was so much life to enjoy.

With the exception of Mrs Glover's

sandwiches, obviously.

HORSE NEIGHS

BRIDGET SCREAMS

What's the matter with you, Bridget?

A frog!

MAURICE LAUGHS

Maurice!

What?!

I'm going to feed the baby.

BABY GURGLES

EXHALES DEEPLY

HORSE APPROACHES

CROW CAWS

SYLVIE SIGHS DEEPLY

GASPING AND MOANING

HUGH SIGHS HAPPILY

You're very

..lively.

Must be all that fresh air.

Oh, it's going to be

a tremendous storm.

I can feel it.

THUNDER

Doesn't he look handsome?

Very.

He was one of the first to sign up.

w*r?!

You're going to w*r?!

I don't want to look back years

from now and know that I missed it,

and I don't want to look back

and know that others

stepped forward for their

country's honour and I did not.

It's the only adventure

I might ever have.

Adventure? And what about your

children? What about your wife?!

It's for you that I'm doing this.

To protect hearth and home -

to defend everything I believe in.

And yet I heard the word adventure.

DOOR SLAMS

He's quite right, you know.

Shut up, Maurice!

Her father seldom raised his voice.

Something terrible

must have happened.

But the night before he left,

her father seemed to have made

everything all right again

Dance under the stars.

..as he always did.

HE HUMS: Mm-hm-hm, hm-mm.

What would it be like without him?

Mm-hm-hm, hm-mm.

Thank you.

Mm-hm-hm, hm-mm, hm-mm.

MAURICE IMITATES g*nshots

Maurice, stop!

All right, stop walking,

stop walking.

What a fine family I have.

Fine, fine family.

Don't be frightened. Not now.

But he was frightened.

Everyone spent an inordinate

amount of time knitting.

It was the coldest winter on record

and the soldiers on the front

were freezing.

Sylvie hadn't heard from Hugh

in months.

She didn't tell the children.

She spent more money than usual

at Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

She told Ursula that the doll

was a present from Daddy.

Let's see.

Shall we be friends?

Gertrude, come back!

Just as Sylvie had hoped,

the creation of Chicken Corner

was an excellent way

to distract her children

from the newspaper headlines.

Ursula wrote to Hugh,

describing the wonder of warm eggs.

He didn't write back.

But Sylvie explained,

he was awfully busy.

It's snowing!

THEY LAUGH

Get out of our room!

"Get out of our room!"

Maurice was home from boarding

school, recovering from chickenpox

and making everyone's life

miserable.

Get out!

I'm going to your room now, and

there I shall destroy something!

Neeeaaaow!

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

She would never have reached

for that odd little doll

if Sylvie hadn't lied and told her

it was from her daddy.

I hear the baby nearly died.

And I must stay the rest of

the night on account of the snow.

Neeeaaaow!

Dsssssh!

Come and get your tea!

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

Get back from that window, Ursula,

for the love of God!

As for you, Maurice,

you're little more than a savage.

I am a savage. I'm an Apache.

This time around,

she trusted her instincts.

She avoided water and windows

..and Maurice.

..two, three, four.

She missed her father.

He'd been gone for so long.

CHICKEN SQUAWKS

EXPLOSIONS

Ursula.

SHE GASPS

SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

This isn't one

of our chickens, is it?

No, darling, it isn't.

Your father sends his love.

How's the w*r?

I have no idea. Your father

just talks about the weather.

I miss Daddy.

Me, too.

Now eat your chicken.

This is one of our chickens,

isn't it?

It's Henrietta.

Wishbone.

Come on, let's make your dreams

come true. Not my dreams.

I can't cut it. Here, silly.

Baby Teddy was his mother's

favourite, but nobody minded.

Everybody loved him.

Even Maurice.

On the morning of Teddy's

fourth birthday,

the w*r to end all wars ended.

I'm going to be a pilot. Neeeeaow!

The family was crackling

with excitement.

When would Hugh be home?

Mrs Glover was delighted

to have her son home.

Sadly, he'd lost the use of his legs

and his mind

..during a sneak attack on a German

trench 30 days before the ceasefire.

Bridget had bought a new hat

to celebrate a new world.

Her fiance, Clarence,

had also survived.

He had written to her

from a field hospital

to say she was under no obligation

to stick with him.

She'd written back to say

she wasn't the sort

to renege on a promise.

Train's leaving soon.

Let's not miss it.

Sure now you don't want to come

with us, Mrs Glover?

I bet there'll be some

high jinks to be had.

I'm avoiding crowds.

My nephew dropped dead

of the influenza in the street.

Not even in his own bed,

in the street.

You mustn't be scared of

the influenza, Bridget.

Four years of w*r, I think the

peace deserves a trip to London

and a bit of a knees-up. He was

perfectly healthy at breakfast.

Dead by noon. Who was? Her nephew.

Life must go on.

Have a wonderful time, Bridget.

Hasn't there been enough suffering?

Let's go.

DOOR CLOSES

Hi. We saw the King!

No! Stop. The King.

Right in front of us.

She saw the King.

There was a sea of people,

everyone shouting themselves hoarse

for the King.

"We want the King!

We want the King!"

Who wants cocoa? Me. Me.

I got swept up.

I lost my hat. Goodness.

I think I'll say good night.

So soon?

A bit of a headache.

Goodnight. Bye. Bye.

Come on, then, tell us everything.

Well

Thank you for coming.

You suspect the influenza?

She was down in London yesterday?

Yes, for the Armistice Day

celebrations. Crowds everywhere.

Perfect conditions for the virus

to spread.

Who feels unwell?

Bridget and now Ursula.

Get out, Pamela.

Sh.

ETHEREAL MUSIC

DOOR CLOSES

Did you have a nice time?

There was a sea of people.

They were everywhere.

Everybody was shouting, "We want

the King! We want the King!"

Ursula was very curious to learn

whether or not Bridget

had actually met the King.

But instinct took her back to bed.

Where's Bridget?

She says she feels ill.

Hardly surprising. I dread to think

what time she staggered in.

I really don't think Bridget is

well, Mrs Glover. Too much drink.

I think we should call

Dr Fellows out. For Bridget?

The girl's as healthy as a horse.

Dr Fellows will give you

short shrift when he smells

the alcohol on her.

Mrs Glover, I really do think

Bridget is ill.

Can you see to the children?

I will telephone the doctor.

Aren't the children going to school?

Oh, yes, of course they are.

Though perhaps not.

No Yes, they are.

Or should they?

I think keep them home for today.

Crowded school rooms and so on.

But keep them down here just now.

Handwriting, sums.

Where's Teddy?

Teddy?

There's cake downstairs.

Teddy!

I thought I might make

Bridget feel better.

I think Bridget is asleep

but her eyes are open.

Get off the bed, Teddy.

Dear God!

Go to your room.

No, go to Teddy's room.

No, both of you go to my room.

Go now!

Did you say cake?

Teddy's skin is the same colour

as Bridget's.

Heliotrope cyanosis.

See those mahogany spots

on his cheeks?

This is the more virulent strain,

I'm afraid.

Stop it. Please, stop.

Do not lecture me like a medical

student. I am their mother.

And again.

There must be something I can do.

You can pray.

Pray?

Was there more Ursula could have

done to save him, she wondered?

Sylvie did not believe in God

but she prayed that night

with desperate conviction.

And no faith.

Teddy was gone by nightfall.

Ursula knew the moment he had died.

She felt it inside her.

SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

There was a silly note

left on the door last night.

Bridget was locked out.

You know, it looks just like

your handwriting, Ursula.

I don't suppose you can

explain that?

No, I can't.

I've sent Pamela

to fetch Bridget home.

You sent Pamela?

Yes, Pamela.

Pamela's with Bridget?

Yes. What's the matter with you?

Ursula, you really are

such an anxious child.

I'm starting to wonder if we

should take you to a doctor.

Argh!

Aargh.

Aaaargh!

All Ursula knew

was that she had to do it.

She felt a surge of victory.

I'm coming!

Caught you.

Got you.

The world was indeed

a dangerous place.

LAUGHTER

But she was not powerless.

Quite the opposite.

Children, get in here now!

Someone pushed me.

Who?

Teddy?

Pamela? Me?

It was beyond doubt, thought Sylvie.

There was something wrong

with Ursula.

SHE PANTS

Hello, Little Bear.

Teddy.

Teddy, it's all right.

It's Daddy.

This is Daddy.

Hello Hello, little man.

Can I give you a hug?

We have chickens.

THEY LAUGH

Teddy was her mother's favourite.

But she was her father's.

She'd forgotten that.

She had also forgotten

the smell of him

and the way she felt in his arms.

This was love, thought Ursula.

It would be worth dying for.

Don't you wonder sometimes,

if just one small thing

had been changed in the past,

surely things would be different.

I keep thinking I'll wake up

and it was all a dream.

That we're not trapped

in this endless nightmare.

Oh, chin up. It won't last forever.

Nothing does.

I wish I could go instead of you.

I really do. It isn't fair.

This is me.

You should leave me here.

Be as safe as you can.

Will do.

Fly very carefully.

Try not to die.

Do my best.

Teddy!

♪ Oooo-ooooh

♪ Again

Ooooo-ooooh

♪ This couldn't happen again

Ooo-ooh, ooo-oh, ooooh

♪ This is that once in a lifetime

♪ This is the thrill divine

♪ Ooo-ooh, ooo-oh, ooo-oooh

♪ What's more

♪ This never happened before ♪