Catherine Cookson: The adaptations

A Dinner Of Herbs

This is the last of the Catherine Cookson adaptations to date. And it's one of the most thrilling, action-packed stories she ever wrote.

Set in a working class town in the 19th Century, it charts the lives of three childhood friends: Roddy, Hal and Mary-Ellen. Roddy and Hall have a terrible bond, as both their fathers were murdered by the same scoundrel. Mary-Ellen, meanwhile, has always been in love with Roddy, setting the stage for a love triangle that spans decades and will result in heartache, rage and all the other Cookson specialties.

There's some serious talent in this one. Jonathan Kerrigan is one of the stars – you'll probably remember him as the gay nurse Sam in Casualty, or for his part in Merseybeat (talented Kerrigan even wrote the theme song for that series).

And then there's Billie Whitelaw. She's best known for playing the stern mother of Gary and Martin Kemp in The Krays, but she found fame in arty circles as the muse and favoured performer of the great Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, who called her "the perfect actress". Not bad going, really.

The Wingless Bird

Claire Skinner has had an illustrious career since getting her first big break in an old Inspector Morse. After all, she had the honour of working alongside Johnny Depp in Sleepy Hollow – although her character did get her head chopped off.

Things aren't quite that bad for Agnes Conway, the character she plays in The Wingless Bird. On the eve of World War One, Agnes has her hands full running her family shop – and running her family. And when she's not sorting out her sister's turbulent love life, she has to contend with her own romances – with the dashing Charles Farrier and his brother Reginald.

Playing Charles to perfection is Edward Atterton, who almost seems genetically engineered for romantic leads. The hunky star went onto American success following this Cookson drama, appearing in US shows like Firefly and Charmed. And he has a black belt in karate. And he can speak fluent Japanese. Not just a pretty face, then...

Tide of Life

Gillian Kearney, who is perhaps best known as Sue in the council estate comedy-drama series Shameless, plays a very different kind of role here.

She stars as Emily Kennedy, a spirited young housekeeper who lives in Tyneside in the early 20th Century. Tide of Life follows her many ups and downs as she goes from employer to employer, suffering tragedies and experiencing heights of passion along the way.

A wealth of heritage sites were used in the making of Tide of Life – including the remarkable Beamish Open Air Museum in County Durham, where whole streets from the Victorian and Edwardian eras have been rebuilt brick-by-brick.

The Dwelling Place

Nobody can conjure up the squalor and hardship of rural 19th Century Britain quite like Catherine Cookson, as The Dwelling Place proves.

Taking us back to the 1830s, it chronicles the arduous life of the young, helpless Cissie Brodie, who is orphaned when her parents succumb to a cholera epidemic. Cissie becomes the mother figure to her gaggle of young siblings, but – with no money to their name – they are forced to live in a dank cave. And things become only more dangerous from that point onwards.

Perhaps the most moving of all the Cooksons, this provided the breakthrough role for Tracy Whitwell, who went onto appear as Saskia in Red Cap and Carla in the cult comedy series Peep Show. Also in attendance is veteran actor James Fox appearing as a wealthy landowner.

The Fifteen Streets

If you're a fan of the star-studded Catherine Cookson dramas that were made throughout the 1990s, then you certainly don't want to miss The Fifteen Streets. This was the first of the big adaptations, and one of the very best.

A classic Cookson tale of class struggle and ambition against the odds, it tells of factory worker John O'Brien, who despite his lowly social status is determined to win the hand of beautiful schoolteacher Mary. But, as John seeks to cross the chasm between them, things are complicated by his black sheep brother Dominic – a brawler who takes orders from nobody.

A powerful and poignant story, The Fifteen Streets also boasts the presence of a young Sean Bean, who is perfectly cast as the violent and charismatic Dominic. Watch this and you'll see a star in the making.

The Rag Nymph

Honeysuckle Weeks features in this Cookson classic – and that's the name of the star rather than the main character. Given that unusual name because her parents felt the smell of honeysuckle flowers was especially strong on the day she born, Weeks has had major roles in programmes like Foyle's War and Where The Heart Is, and she makes a fantastic Cookson heroine in The Rag Nymph.

She plays Millie, a Victorian girl who didn't exactly get the best start in life. Her mother was a prostitute, and they were separated when Millie was just 10 after being chased by police down the streets of Newcastle. The hapless girl has since been raised by Aggie, a rag lady, who raises Millie like her own daughter. However, there are still dangers lurking around the corner for the spirited, intelligent Millie…

And while you're being swept along in Millie's story, you may find the actor playing Bernard Thompson familiar. That's because he played Mr Bingley alongside Colin Firth's Darcy and Pride and Prejudice. His name's Crispin Bonham Carter – Helena's cousin.

The Girl

Undoubtedly one of Catherine Cookson’s most moving tales, The Girl is the story of Hannah Boyle, a young lass growing up in 19th Century Yorkshire. Her life changes when her dying mother reveals that her real father is one Matthew Thornton.

Hannah is sent to live with him, but has to contend with Thornton’s bitter wife who simply sees Hannah as a living reminder of her husband’s adultery. Many more hardships lie in wait for Hannah (dismissively dubbed “that girl”), but then a man comes into her life who could finally help turn things around...