Alys (TV series)

Alys

Title card for Season Two
Genre Drama
Created by Siwan Jones
Written by Siwan Jones
Directed by Gareth Bryn
Lee Haven-Jones
Rhys Powys
Dylan Richards
Starring Sara Lloyd-Gregory
full main cast
Composer(s) Strange Village
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) Welsh (main language)
English (partly spoken)
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 16 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Jon Williams
Producer(s) Paul Jones
Location(s) Barry, Vale of Glamorgan • Brecon • Cardiff
Editor(s) Dafydd Hunt
Camera setup Single-camera setup
Running time 52–56 minutes
Production company(s) Apollo[1]
Distributor Boomerang[2]
Release
Original network S4C[3]
S4C Clirlun (HD)
Picture format 576i (16:9 SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Audio format Dolby Digital 5.1
Original release 23 January 2011 – 30 December 2012
External links
Website

Alys is a Welsh-language television drama series created by BAFTA Award-winning scriptwriter Siwan Jones. The series follows single mother, Alys, who moves away from Cardiff to a dingy flat in a small West Wales town along with her 10-year-old son, Daniel, while trying to escape her past.

Alys is portrayed by actress Sara Lloyd-Gregory, in a role which was specially written for her.[4][5] The show is also her first leading role.[6] Co-stars include William Thomas and Aneirin Hughes, whom Gregory had worked with on Con Passionate, another television drama series written by Siwan Jones. The Show is produced by Apollo for S4C. It began on Sunday 23 January 2011 as part of a new year line-up of brand-new television series on S4C.

The first season of Alys rated quite well for S4C, with the first episode attracting 61,000 viewers,[7] while the season peaked at 71,000 viewers[8]

for episode three. Season Two seen a decline in ratings, with an extremely low rating of just 27,000 viewers[9] for episode six, with a slight rise for subsequent episodes. 37,000 viewers tuned in for the final episode.[10]

So far, two seasons of Alys have been produced and broadcast; with the first in early 2011, while the second season aired in late 2012. As of yet, a third season has not been commission, nor has there been any word as to whether or not the series has been officially cancelled.

The series has been nominated twice in 2012, first for a Celtic Media Award and then a BAFTA Cymru Award. In 2013, the series was nominated for three BAFTA Cymru Awards; winning two, including Sara Lloyd-Gregory receiving the award for Best Actress.

Premise and development

Alys was created and written by Siwan Jones, whose work as a writer earned her a BAFTA Cymru Award and a Rose d'Or for her critically acclaimed television series Tair Chwaer and Con Passionate.[4]

The role of the main protagonist, Alys was written especially for actress Sara Lloyd-Gregory. She had met Jones in 2009 and had collaborated with her in the third and final season of Con Passionate, and was initially in mind to play the leading role in Jones' then-upcoming new drama series, Alys. Gregory admitted that, to her knowledge, she did not know that the leading role was written for her, which was a good thing, as she still had to audition and would have probably felt more pressure.[11]

The idea for Alys came to Jones while she was shopping in a small West Wales town. She watched as a group of people carried some furniture as she walked from the car park towards the town. Behind them was a dark tunnel which led into the heart of a building; while they were walking, some children followed along and as she watched on, this triggered the image for the series with became Alys. Jones' idea which started there was to create two worlds; one of working-class people such as the shop owners in a small town; and the others who were unemployed and struggled to make ends meet, such as Sara Lloyd-Gregory's character, 'Alys'. She aimed to show how different these two worlds are and yet how similar they also are.[4]

"I didn’t know at first it had been created for me but it was my first lead role and it was such an honor to have this role created for me by Siwan."

 — Sara Lloyd-Gregory interview for South Wales Guardian.[12]

The story of the series is centered around the character Alys as she moves to a small town in Wales with her 10-year-old son Daniel after fleeing her troubled life in Cardiff; she plans to start a new life and does anything she can to she can to make ends meet and that Daniel is looked after. This includes criminal activity, such as stealing and prostitution. Her son has a dream of one day moving to America and becoming an astronaut and Alys will see that his dream is fulfilled. In her new surroundings, she is met with hostility from several of the middle-class locals, as she is judged for her background. However, she manages to makes friends and is accepted by certain people within the area.

Production

Alys was created and entirely written by Siwan Jones. Paul Jones was producer for the entire run of the series, while Jon Williams served an executive producer. For the first season, Gareth Bryn directed the pilot episode and episode two; with Lee Haven-Jones and Rhys Powys directing subsequent episodes, respectively. Most of season two was direct by Powys. Dylan Richard served a director for one episode, while the remaining episodes were directed by Paul Jones.[13]

The language in the series was almost entirely spoken in Welsh, with the exception of a few scenes with English was spoken. The music score was provided and composed by Strange Village.

The first season of Alys commenced production in the summer of 2010, while the second season went into production in March 2012 for Apollo TV.[14] The series was filmed on location primarily in Cardiff, Brecon, a small town within Powys, and Barry, a seaside town in the Vale of Glamorgan.[14]

Road2Reel, a company which provides vehicles for film, television and advertising purposes, supplied the series for its entirety for stunt work, action and background vehicles. In addition, they provided on-set mechanics, vehicle modification and logistical vehicle movement services.[14]

Cast and characters

Main characters

Sara Lloyd-Gregory as Alys
Sara Lloyd-Gregory with Carwyn Glyn (Shane, left), Aled Pugh (Kevin, centre) and Catrin Mai Huw (Ceri, right) (season 1)

Recurring characters

Series overview

Season One

Alys, a young mother arrives at a small town in West Wales, having escaped her troubled past in Cardiff, involving the death of her brother from a drug overdose and her boyfriend who died in a car accident. She is determined to see that her ten-year-old son, Daniel is well provided for. Daniel has a dream of one day moving to America to become an astronaut and Alys will stop at nothing to see that his dream comes true. Upon her arrival, she moves into a flat rented from Eirwyn Toms, owner of a local garage. Alys will do all that she can to make ends meet; including robbery, blackmail and prostitution, with Toms becoming a regular client. Within the building where Alys lives, she makes several new friends with her neighbours; brothers Kevin and Shane and Kevin's girlfriend, Ceri, a troubled young woman who was raped and got pregnant by her attacker. Alys forms a close friendship with Wiliam, an ex-minister and alcoholic who lives upstairs, while their friendship is frowned upon by Wiliam's nephew, Iestyn. Several people in the area do not exactly take a liking to Alys, this includes Toms' wife, Heuwen who refers to Alys a "trailer trash" and especially Angie, the wife of local chef, Chris, whom Alys begins an illicit affair with. Angie becomes aware of the affair and informs Alys that it is not the first time he has played away. Debbie, the owner of the lingerie shop below the flats discoves that Alys has stolen several items from her shop. When Debbie's husband, the town mayor, Ron offers Alys and Ceri a job cleaning his home, Debbie warns Alys to stay away. Debbie soon makes a shocking discovery when she uncovers Ron's secret – his laptop contains pictures of young girls and that Toms and Ron are both in on it. Alys comes to realise that she has more to worry about than what the town thinks of her; she and Wiliam track down the taxi driver, Terry, who raped Ceri and they are determined to make him suffer. However, Alys is unprepared for him when he later attacks her. Not only does she have problems with Terry, it is later revealed that Heulwen is her aunt, her mother's sister, and when Ron's house is robbed, Alys becomes in possession of his laptop and discovers the pictures. She holds onto the laptop and demands a ransom. She is viciously assaulted by Toms and later, two thugs whom Ron has sent to take care of her and retrieve the laptop which is now missing. When the thugs arrive to find that Alys is not there, they attack Wiliam leaving him for dead. While Wiliam is in hospital she reveals that she caused her boyfriend's car accident and later without her knowledge, Wiliam is discharged from hospital and is threatened by Iestyn to stay away from him. Ceri plans to attend the funeral of a teenage girl who was recently raped and murdered and when she arrives at the girl's home she finds it empty with only Terry inside. Meanwhile, Toms has a deceitful plan to burn down the garage to collect the insurance and enlists the help of Shane to do the deed. While Alys and Daniel lay on the floor of Wiliam's empty flat, Daniel reveals that he had the missing laptop all along and had it hidden for safe keeping, much to her relief. Soon they hear and explosion in the distance and see that Toms' garage is on fire.

Season Two

Alys, now having discovered that the laptop was hidden by Daniel, confronts Debbie and blackmails her into giving her cash in exchange for the laptop. Following the explosion at the garage, Shane demands money from Toms for committing his deed. Ceri's body is dumped in a nearby stream. Twelve months pass; the whereabouts of Wiliam are still unknown. Alys has moved into a house opposite Bessie, Kevin and Shane and they are unaware of her deceit in concealing that she returned the laptop for a large sum of money and is worried that she may be discovered once Debbie and Ron return from a holiday in Spain. Alys is determined to uncover the truth behind Ceri's murder and is aware that Terry, the taxi is behind it and is going to make him pay. Meanwhile, Heulwen, unable to pay the mortgage on her home, following Toms' bankruptcy and his breakdown, is forced to live in a caravan in her back garden, while receiving frequent visits from Alys, whom she has revealed to be her aunt. A young couple, Dylan and his pregnant wife, Llio decide to rent the unoccupied home, while Dylan is not pleased that Heulwen is living in the garden. Llio believes that a supernatural entity is within the house when unexplainable things begin to happen. Dylan is not convinced of this. However, Heulwen reveals that it may be the ghost of her deceased daughter, Sara. Bessie's son, Phil arrives, having been recently released from prison for murdering his girlfriend; he begins to fall for Alys, and while the feeling is mutual, she suddenly begins to have doubts when Martin, the brother of Phil's deceased girlfriend appears and begins to torment him, forcing Alys to make a difficult decision as to whether she can trust Phil. Chris becomes jealous when Simon, an old school friend of Angie's moves to the area, and becomes convinced that Simon is obsessed with her. Wiliam returns and moves in with Alys.

Broadcast history

Alys premiered on Welsh-language channel S4C on 23 January 2011, available with English subtitles. It aired on Sundays at 9.00pm with the episodes repeated Thursdays at 10.00pm. Season One consisted of eight episodes and concluded on 13 March 2011.

Television drama fans were given the chance to preview the first episode days before it was aired on TV. The previews took place in Llandeilo's Civic Hall on Monday 17 January at 7.30pm, Bangor University's JP Hall on Tuesday 18 January, and Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon on Friday 21 January. Following the screening, the audience discussed the show and asked questions to the panel connected with the series, including Siwan Jones, Sara Lloyd-Gregory and producer Paul Jones.[17][18]

The second season of Alys premiered on S4C on Sunday 11 November 2012 at 9.00pm, with repeated episodes airing from Wednesday 14 November 2012 at 10.00pm.[19] This season included eight episodes, concluding on Sunday 30 December 2012. It was again available with English subtitles which has to be switched on manually for the premiere episodes, while they were included on-screen for the repeated episodes.

The show was broadcast in high-definition on Welsh freeview channel S4C Clirlun, which was available only in Wales.[20] However, this operation ceased and the final five episodes of season two could only be screened in standard-definition on the original channel as S4C Clirlun closed on 1 December 2012.

Seasons one and two were available to view online after they aired on S4C at the online service S4C Clic.[21][22] However, this has since expired due to episodes only being made available for up to 35 days after airing on S4C.

It has been advised that anyone under 16 should not watch due to strong language.[23] Apart from the language, the show has also contained scenes of strong violence, sex, sexual violence and strong adult themes.

The series was available to view outside Wales, in countries such as England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as S4C is available on the Sky platform throughout the UK. The episodes on Clic were also available to UK-only viewers outside Wales.

As of 2016, there have been no repeated episodes of Alys, apart from the catch-up repeats which screened days after the premiere episodes. During the summer months, S4C generally rerun episodes from a series. However, no plans had been made to show Alys again and it is uncertain at present if the series will rerun on S4C. Furthermore, there are currently no plans to release the series on DVD or Blu-ray.

A third season of Alys has not been commissioned, and it is currently unknown if the series will return, despite the fact that viewers were left with an unresolved cliffhanger. At present, the series is considered finished.

Episodes

Main article: List of Alys episodes
Season Time slot Episodes Premiered Ended Ave. Viewers
Date Viewers Date Viewers
1 Sunday 9:00 pm 8 23 January 2011 61,000[7] 13 March 2011 42,000[24] 54,000
2 Sunday 9:00 pm 8 11 November 2012 42,000[25] 30 December 2012 37,000[10] 36,000

Reception

Reviews for the series were generally positive. The series currently holds a rating of 8.3/10 at the Internet Movie Database.

Ratings

Season Episode Airdates
Total Viewers
Rank
First Repeats
1
1
23 January 2011
27 January 2011
61,000[7]
7
2
30 January 2011
3 February 2011
53,000[26]
9
3
6 February 2011
10 February 2011
71,000[8]
6
4
13 February 2011
17 February 2011
65,000[27]
6
5
20 February 2011
24 February 2011
49,000[28]
11
6
27 February 2011
3 March 2011
42,000[29]
14
7
6 March 2011
10 March 2011
49,000[30]
10
8
13 March 2011
17 March 2011
42,000[24]
10
Season Episode Airdates
Total Viewers
Rank
First Repeats
2
1
11 November 2012
14 November 2012
42,000[25]
8
2
18 November 2012
21 November 2012
39,000[31]
12
3
25 November 2012
28 November 2012
39,000[32]
Not in Top 20
4
2 December 2012
5 December 2012
37,000[33]
15
5
9 December 2012
12 December 2012
35,000[34]
10
6
16 December 2012
19 December 2012
27,000[9]
Not in Top 20
7
23 December 2012
26 December 2012
33,000[35]
17
8
30 December 2012
2 January 2013
37,000[10]
13

Accolades

Year Award Event Category Recipient Result
2012
Bronze Torc Award
Celtic Media Festival
 Best Drama Series Alys[36][37] Nominated
BAFTA Cymru Award
BAFTA Cymru Awards
 Best Director Gareth Bryn[38] Nominated
Photography & Ligiting Richard Wyn Hughes[38] Nominated
Original Music Strange Village[38] Nominated
Writer Siwan Jones[38] Nominated
Production Design Gerwyn Lloyd[38] Won
2013
 Best Writer Siwan Jones[39] Nominated
Best Actress Sara Lloyd-Gregory[39] Won
Photography & Lighting Richard Wyn[39] Won
2014
Bronze Torc Award
Celtic Media Festival
 Best Drama Series Alys[40] Nominated

Opening titles

Season one title card

The opening title used for the first season of Alys was basically a simple title and music played of about five seconds, as there were no traditional opening titles that included cast names. The theme tune for the series was used over the opening. Although it could be heard in full over the end credits. In the first episode, the title appeared before the opening scene. All subsequent episodes following this, included a recap at the beginning of each episode just before the title.

For the second season, a more contemporary version of the opening title was used and again of just five seconds with the theme much played. The title font was changed and below it saying "gan Siwan Jones" (from Siwan Jones). For the first episode of season two an extended recap of events from season one was shown just before the opening title. Following the title the events from the final episode of season one were seen in a flashbacks mixed with the opening scene. Following this episode, the opening title was now shown before the recap. The recap sequence for season two was screened in a 2.35:1 ratio and the theme music was also changed slightly.[41]

References

  1. ↑ "Boomerang - Apollo". boomerang.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Boomerang+". boomerang.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "S4/Croeso". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "The making of Alys - Siwan Jones". walesonline.co.uk. 22 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  5. ↑ Jones, Rhiannon (15 January 2011)"Screen role is tailor-made for rising star". thisissouthwales.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  6. ↑ Price, Karen (15 January 2011)"'I like characters who are dark' - Sarah Lloyd-Gregory". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 23/01/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 06/02/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 16/12/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 30/12/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  11. ↑ "INTERVIEW: SARA LLOYD-GREGORY". Walesartsreview.org. November 14, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "The interview: Sara Lloyd-Gregory". South Wales Guardian. November 1, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Alys". Leehavenjones.co.uk. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 "ALYS - S4C". Road2reel.co.uk. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  15. ↑ "S4C's Alys is a dark drama". dailypost.co.uk. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  16. 1 2 "Alys returns to S4C". Daily Post. November 10, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Special previews of S4C drama". welshicons.org.uk. 14 January 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  18. ↑ "Drama fans get sneak preview". thisissouthwales.co.uk. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  19. ↑ "Dewis neu Dynged: Mae Alys yn ôl ac mae'n brwydro dros ei dyfodol". y-cymro.com. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Clirlun". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  21. ↑ "S4/Clic Alys". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  22. ↑ "Welcome to Clic". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  23. ↑ "Alys". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
  24. 1 2 "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 13/03/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  25. 1 2 "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 13/03/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  26. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 30/01/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  27. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 13/02/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  28. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 20/02/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  29. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 27/02/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  30. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 06/03/2011". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  31. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 18/11/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  32. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 25/11/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  33. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 02/12/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  34. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 09/12/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  35. ↑ "Top 20 Welsh Programmes - Week ending 23/12/2012". s4c.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  36. ↑ "12 nominations for S4C programmes at Celtic Media Festival 2012". s4c.co.uk. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  37. ↑ "Drama - Drama Series Corp + Anam Body + Soul". Celtic Media Festival. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 "British Academy Cymru Awards Winners in 2012". bafta.org. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  39. 1 2 3 "British Academy Cymru Awards Winners in 2013". bafta.org. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Y Gwyll/Hinterland proves a Celtic Media Festival hit". Wales Online. April 8, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  41. ↑ "Alys C02P06 (S4C)". YouTube. December 16, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2015.

External links

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