- Title: Jake's Progress
- Date: 12th October 1995
- Summary: *WINNER OF MONTE CARLO AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A SERIES AND BEST WRITER OF A SERIES. JULIE AND JAMIE DIADONI, AN ATTRACTIVE COUPLE IN THEIR EARLY FORTIES,LIVE IN A VILLAGE IN THE PRESENT DAY ON THE YORKSHIRE COAST WITH THEIR SIX YEAR OLD SON, JAKE. ONCE UPON A TIME, IN THE LATE SIXTIES, JAMIE DIADONI BRIEFLY WENT TO AMERICA AND ALMOST BECAME A ROCK AND ROLL STAR...BUT THOSE HEADY DAYS ARE LONG PAST. NOW, IN THE MID-NINETIES, HAVING BEEN MADE REDUNDANT FROM HIS JOB, THE CHARMING AND CHARISMATIC JAMIE GLADLY LOOKS AFTER HIS SON AT HOME OR IN THE PLAYGROUND ON THE CLIFFS, SURROUNDED BY ADMIRING MOTHERS. MEANWHILE, JULIE WORKS LONG AND EXHAUSTING HOURS AS A NURSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE ENDS LOOKS AS THOUGH THEY ARE GOING TO MEET ONE FINE DAY. CONSEQUENTLY, YOUNG JAKE BECOMES ALIENATED FROM HIS MOTHER WHEN SHE ARRIVES BACK FROM WORK TOO TIRED TO PLAY WITH HIM, AND FORMS AN INTENSE AND EXCLUSIVE ALLIANCE WITH HIS EASY GOING DREAMER OF A FATHER. JULIE DISCOVERS, TO HER NEAR HORROR, THAT SHE IS PREGNANT AGAIN. IN A FURIOUS ROW WITH HER HUSBAND ABOUT EXPECTING A CHILD SHE WAS FAR FROM EXPECTING, JULIE FOCUSES MOST OF HER RAGE AND DESPAIR UPON THE FIRST CHILD. UNKNOWN TO BOTH JULIE AND JAMIE, JAKE IS LISTENING, AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON HIS DIFFICULT IF UNDERSTANDABLE BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS INCREASE WILDLY. SEVEN MONTHS LATER AND HEAVILY PREGNANT, WORRIED SICK IF NOT MORNING SICK, JULIE IS ADVISED BY HER BANK MANAGER THAT TO REPAY THE FAMILIES DEBTS, THEY WILL HAVE TO SELL THEIR COTTAGE. MATTERS ARE MADE WORSE WHEN JULIE'S FATHER, THE SWEET AND BENIGN ALEX HALLIWELL, SUFFERS A HEART ATTACK AND CONFIDES TO HIS DAUGHTER THAT UNKNOWN TO HIS OVERBEARING WIFE, GRACE, THE HALLIWELLS TOO ARE IN DESPERATE FINANCIAL TROUBLE. JAMIE STUDIOUSLY IGNORES ALL THE BANK STATEMENTS AND RED LETTER DAYS IN FAVOUR OF COMPOSING POP SONGS - "NO 47 IN THE BILL BOARD TOP 100 - LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JAMIE DIADONI AND THE WANDERERS!" AND ESCAPING WITH JAKE TO THE SWING PARK AND THE INNOCENT ATTRACTIONS OF HIS FEMALE FAN CLUB. SOON JULIE AND JAMIE ARE CONDUCTING SILENT SUPPERS WHILE JAKE CONTEMPLATES HIS OWN FUTURE VERSION OF CAIN AND ABEL. STILL NOT SPEAKING, JULIE AND JAMIE ATTEND A SIXTIES PARTY, WHERE MONICA, THE LOCAL AMATEUR DRAMATIST AND FORTUNE TELLER, INFORMS A RELUCTANT JAMIE THAT WHILE HE IS A FAITHFUL MAN, HE WILL HOWEVER, JUST BEFORE HE DIES, HAVE AN AFFAIR. WHEREUPON, IN GREAT DISTRESS, SHOCK AND TEARS, MONICA RUNS DRAMATICALLY INTO THE NIGHT. JAMIE IS IMMEDIATELY AND FOREVER UNABLE TO TALK SENSE TO ANY WOMEN HE MEETS. THE SAME NIGHT, KATE THE YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER OF THE HALLIWELLS FARM MANAGER, MYSTERIOUSLY RETURNS HOME AFTER AN ABSENCE OF THIRTEEN YEARS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, ALEX, HAPPILY GREETING KATE AT THE FARM, SUFFERS HIS SECOND HEART ATTACK AND COLLAPSES INTO HER ARMS. JULIE, ON A VISIT TO JAKE'S SCHOOL, GOES INTO LABOUR AND SHE IS SOON FOLLOWING HER FATHER INTO HOSPITAL. AT HOME, IN THE COTTAGE, JAMIE AND JAKE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SHOCK AWAITS THEM.
- Description:Jake is a hyperactive 8 year old. His mother works but his father doesn't. So Jake suspects his mother doesn't love him.
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Entertainment
- Producer:DIPLOMAT FILMS LTD
- Programme Episode:Episode 1
- Transmission Date:12/10/1995
- Rights:On Request
- Decade: 1990s