´óÏó´«Ã½

By Sarah Woods

A love story, about flu.

It's the year 2000 and Jill's lungs bear the scars of the bacterial pneumonia she suffered fourteen years ago. The doctor urges her to have the flu jab, but Jill has other things on her mind - her daughter Polly is preparing to leave for University, and Jill has the urge to phone an old friend.

My Life with Flu has been produced in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. In five episodes it follows the story of Jill across five decades as she struggles with the highs and lows of life, love and viruses. At the same time the story tracks the life of Hong Kong Flu – how, over 45 years, it has traversed the globe, evolved and is ultimately being superseded by new, more virulent strains, such as Swine Flu.

The series uses cutting edge science – of transmission, viral evolution and genetic predisposition – to tell the story of flu, and investigate the unique qualities of Jill's genome which make her a 'severe responder'. Paul Kellam, Virus Genomics team leader at the Sanger Institute worked closely with writer Sarah Woods to weave the science seamlessly into the story. The drama underlines the deep connection human beings have to the viruses that survive through us, and how illness can shape the course of our lives.

Jill.... Sharon Morgan
David.... William Hope
John.... Simon Armstrong
Polly.... Hannah Daniel
Doctor.... Alun Raglan
Narrator.... Eiry Thomas

Directed by James Robinson
A ´óÏó´«Ã½ Cymru/Wales Production