 Director Steven Woodcock (II) (qv) had two actresses in mind for  the lead character of Ellen Hardy: Lesley Dunlop (qv) and  Barbara Marten (qv). Barbara Marten was unavailable because she  was a regular in the BBC TV series _"Casualty" (1986)_ (qv). Lesley  Dunlop accepted the role but dropped out at the last minute because  she was offered a regular part in the ITV TV series  _"Where the Heart Is" (2000)_ (qv). By this time Barbara Marten had  decided to leave Casualty and Steven Woodcock delayed filming so she  could take the part, her first after leaving the BBC.