Season Three Header
High Hopes is a coastal serial drama created by Hannah in January 2013, focusing on an island community in Canvey Island in the south of England. She was joined by Jaay, who formed part of the production team briefly in early 2013, but later rejoined the series in August 2013 in time for Season Two. The project lasted for three full seasons, 94 episodes in all, between 7th January 2013 and 5th February 2015. It is, to date, the only long-running project set on the coast.
The first episode of Season One premiered on 7th January 2013, concluding with Episode 20 on 16th June 2013. Season Two followed on 26th July 2013, ending on 24th March 2014. This season was almost twice as long as the first, at 38 episodes. The last four episodes of Season Two were a spin-off mini-series called High Hopes: A Step Back In Time (often truncated to ASBIT); canononically however they are part of Season Two. The third and final season began on 21st April 2014, drawing to a close on 5th February 2015. This consisted of 36 episodes.
On 21st November 2015, due to several personal committments, Hannah left Writers Express indefinitely. She hinted that 'High Hopes' would therefore be left in the hands of Jaay. Two episodes written by Jaay, marking the start of Season Four, were published in mid-November 2015, but were later scrapped when Hannah left. Hannah later returned, however High Hopes did not, and that marked the end of the project.
It was announced on 21st October 2013 that High Hopes would follow in the footsteps of fellow Writers Express projects The Avenue, These Days and Uncertain Nights with a special scripted episode. The episode focused on the relationships between Naomi and Cole Donovan and Olivia Kane and Matthew Fitzgerald as the Donovans' stalker causing chaos by exposing Naomi and Matthew's past.
Season One/Two Header
High Hopes celebrated it's first anniverary with a bumper double on the first weekend of 2014 featuring the wedding of Olivia and Matthew. Season Two concluded with a shocking season finale on 14th February 2014.
It was announced on 24th February 2014 that the project would be getting its first ever spin off. High Hopes | A Step Back in Time focused on the story of Matthew Fitzgerald and why he tormented ex Naomi Donovan to the point of madness. The spin off kicked off on 21st March 2014 and concluded on 24th March 2014.
Season Three kicked off with a five-night special tagged 'Trial Week' on 21st April 2014. The Season Three finalé set on Christmas Day aired on 5th February 2015 and featured scenes in London, and saw the much anticipated return of Vicki Connor.
Formation[]
High Hopes was created at the beginning of 2013. Drama writer Hannah was looking for a new challenge and the creation in the soap genre seemed like the perfect solution.
The show is set on a small island off the south coast of England near Portsmouth "My Nan lives about 11 miles from Portsmouth so I pretty much grew up on the south coast, this influenced my decision to base the ficticious island there. The title card is special because it is a photograph taken by myself on the beach at my Nan's" explains Hannah.
Settings[]
| Canvey Crescent | Who Lives Here: |
|---|---|
| No 14 (House) |
The Spencers:  Siobhan Spencer lives here with step son Anthony and daughter Emily. Siobhan's mother Katherine Lavery moved in after Siobhan lost her husband Robert. |
| No 20 (House) |
The Donovans:  Cole Donovan lives here with his wife Naomi, eighteen year old daughter Ava and sister in law Olivia Kane. |
| No 32A (Flat) |  |
| No 32B (Flat) |  |
| No 34 (House) |
The Faradays:  Duncan Faraday lives here with his daughter Lindsay, former daughter in law Sophia Phillips and granddaughter Mia. Lindsay moved in after her marriage break up with Daniel Hastings, while son Steven moved out after his affair was exposed to wife Sophia. |
| No 36 (House) |
The Connors:  |
| No 42 (House) |
The Campbells:  |
| Collison Avenue | Who Lives Here: |
|---|---|
| No 145 (Flat) | Empty |
| No 169 (House) |
 Kayla Macey lives here with her foster children Kyle and Molly Campbell. She shared her home with her fiance Patrick Hale until his untimely death at Christmas. |
| Palmers Street | Who Lives Here: |
|---|---|
| No 2 (Flat) |  |
| No 4 (Flat) |  |
| No 10 (Flat) |  |
Season One[]
Season One of the island based soap began on Writer's Express on January 7th 2013 and concluded on June 16th 2013. Season One had twenty six cast regulars, many of which are still part of the main cast.
Season One consisted of twenty episodes, there were no major cast changes throughout the season.
Season Two[]
Season Two of the island based soap began on Writer's Express on July 26th 2013. Season Two began with twenty six regular characters and ended with thirty four.
High Hopes | A Step Back In Time[]
Special spin off A Step Back In Time is began on Friday 21st March 2014 and concluded on Monday 24th March 2014. The spin off featured four special episodes. The first episode featured a series of flashbacks which told the story of how Matthew Fitzgerald and Naomi Donovan met while the second episode saw Matthew confronted by the two women in his life. This episode was the second ever scripted episode of High Hopes. The final double episode featured a series of flashbacks of Matthew's dirty deeds on Canvey Island.
Season Three Header
Season Three[]
The third season of High Hopes officially began on 21st April 2014 and kicked off with a five night special surrounding the armed robbery trial of Noah Donovan. The season three finale set on Christmas Day aired on Thursday 5th February 2015 and featured scenes in London and saw the much anticipated return of Vicki Connor.
High Hopes Cast[]
Present Cast:
| Character | Actor | Duration | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Luke Roberts | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Christine Stephen Daly | 2013 - | 2x03 - |
 |
Kim Medcalf | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Danielle Harold | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Simon Rouse | 2013 - | 1x03 - |
 |
Gillian Taylforth | 2013 - | 1x02 - |
 |
William Ash | 2013 - | 1x02 - |
 |
Uncredited | 2014 - | 2x31 - |
 |
Nadine Lewington | 2013 - | 1x02 - |
 |
Eden Taylor-Draper | 2013 - | 1x02 - |
 |
TJ Ramini | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Claire Goose | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
David Witts | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Madeline Duggan | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
MyAnna Buring | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Jake Wood | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Orla Brady | 2013 - | 1x02 - |
 |
Neil McDermott | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Kaya Scodelario | 2013-2014, 2015- | 1x02 - 3x16, 3x35 - |
 |
Felix Dean | 2013 - | 1x03 - |
 |
Alexandra Fletcher | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Jamie Borthwick | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Harley Graham Ruby O Donnell |
2013 - 2014 2014 - |
1x01 - 3x21 3x22 - |
 |
Diane Parish | 2013 - | 1x02 - |
 |
Melanie Liburd | 2014 - | 3x32 - |
 |
Liz May Brice | 2013 - | 2x20 - |
 |
Ayden Callaghan | 2013 - | 2x06 - |
 |
Carl Au | 2013 - | 2x01 - |
 |
Katie Griffiths Sammy Oliver |
2013 - 2014 2014 - |
2x01 - 3x28 3x29 - |
 |
Susan McCann | 2013 - | 2x10 - |
 |
Allen Leech | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Linzey Cocker | 2013 - | 1x01 - |
 |
Ben Hardy | 2013 - | 2x15 - |
 |
Hannah Tointon | 2014 - | 2x28, 3x12 - |
 |
Naomi Ryan | 2014 - | 2x33 - |
 |
Jeremy Sheffield | 2014 - | 3x24 - |
 |
Declan Bennett | 2015 - | 3x36 - |
Recurring Cast:
| Character | Actor | Duration | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Claire King | 2013 - | 1x12 - |
 |
Patsy Kensit | 2013 - | 2x18 - |
 |
Sarah Hadland | 2013 - | 2x20 - |
 |
Danny-Boy Hatchard | 2014 - | 3x03 - |
 |
Karen David | 2014 - | 3x12 - |
 |
Alfie Browne-Sykes | 2014 - | 3x12 - |
Past Cast:
| Character | Actor | Duration | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Chucky Venn | 2013 | 1x02 - 2x22, 2x38 |
 |
Karen Hassan | 2013 - 2014 | 1x02 - 2x34, 2x38, 3x07 |
 |
Rupert Hill | 2013 - 2014, 2015 | 2x30 - 3x16, 3x35/36 |
 |
Tom Lister | 2013 - 2014 | 1x02 - 3x21 |
Guest Cast:
| Character | Actor | Duration | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Lee Warburton | 2013 | 1x04-1x05, 2x37, 3x02 |
 |
Billy Murray | 2013 | 1x04-1x05, 2x37-2x38, 3x02 |
 |
Bronaugh Waugh | 2013 | 2x21 |
 |
Todd Carty | 2014 | 2x28 |
 |
Rudolph Walker | 2014 | 2x29 |
 |
Angela Wynter | 2014 | 2x29 |
 |
Micah Balfour | 2014 | 2x29 |
 |
Nina Wadia | 2014 | 2x30 - |
 |
Joanna Lumley | 2014 | 2x35 |
 |
Addy Miller | 2014 | 2x35 |
 |
Suzanne Shaw | 2014 | 2x35 - 2x36 |
 |
Kim Thomson | 2014 | 3x01 - 3x04 |
 |
Fletcher O'Leary | 2014 | 3x07 |
 |
Kaye Wragg | 2014 | 3x11 |
 |
Michele Dotrice | 2014 | 3x11 |
 |
Amanda Mealing | 2015 | 3x35 - 3x36 |
 |
Paul Usher | 2015 | 3x35 - 3x36 |
 |
Lorna Fitzgerald | 2015 | 3x35 - 3x36 |
 |
Scott Maslen | 2015 | 3x35 - 3x36 |
Cast Changes:
| Character | Actor | Arrival/Return | Departure |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Zahra Ahmadi | 2015 |
The High Hopes Character Appearance Count[]
As of: Thursday 5th February 2015 | Number of Episodes to Date: 94
| Episodes | Character |
|---|---|
| 71 Episodes | Lindsay Faraday |
| 68 Episodes | Olivia Kane, Daniel Hastings |
| 67 Episodes | Chloe Charles |
| 66 Episodes | |
| 65 Episodes | |
| 64 Episodes | Ava Donovan |
| 63 Episodes | Naomi Donovan |
| 62 Episodes | Siobhan Spencer |
| 61 Episodes | Anthony Spencer |
| 60 Episodes | Steven Faraday, Duncan Faraday |
| 59 Episodes | Cole Donovan, Megan Donovan |
| 58 Episodes | David Fields |
| 57 Episodes | Sophia Phillips |
| 56 Episodes | |
| 55 Episodes | |
| 54 Episodes | |
| 53 Episodes | Katherine Faraday |
| 52 Episodes | Kayla Macey, Mia Faraday |
| 51 Episodes | Matthew Fitzgerald (Past) |
| 50 Episodes | Noah Donovan |
| 49 Episodes | Heather Connor |
| 48 Episodes | Imogen Sandford |
| 47 Episodes | Kyle Campbell |
| 46 Episodes | Michael Connor |
| 45 Episodes | Eileen Fields |
| 44 Episodes | Harry Campbell |
| 43 Episodes | |
| 42 Episodes | Vicki Connor |
| 41 Episodes | Molly Campbell |
| 40 Episodes | |
| 39 Episodes | Tate Yorke |
| 38 Episodes | Michelle Fox (Past) |
| 37 Episodes | |
| 36 Episodes | |
| 35 Episodes | |
| 34 Episodes | |
| 33 Episodes | |
| 32 Episodes | |
| 31 Episodes | |
| 30 Episodes | Chrissie Campbell |
| 29 Episodes | |
| 28 Episodes | |
| 27 Episodes | Emily Spencer |
| 26 Episodes | |
| 25 Episodes | |
| 24 Episodes | Jake Connor |
| 23 Episodes | |
| 22 Episodes | |
| 21 Episodes | Jay Willis (Past) |
| 20 Episodes | |
| 19 Episodes | Patrick Hale (Past), Nicki Grant |
| 18 Episodes | |
| 17 Episodes | |
| 16 Episodes | Natalie Hunt, Luke Campbell (Past) |
| 15 Episodes | |
| 14 Episodes | Alfie Faraday (Uncredited) |
| 13 Episodes | |
| 12 Episodes | |
| 11 Episodes | |
| 10 Episodes | |
| 9 Episodes | Sahira Jakra (Recurring) |
| 8 Episodes | Alex Ellison (Recurring), James Chandler |
| 7 Episodes | Drew Lomax (Recurring) |
| 6 Episodes | |
| 5 Episodes | Tommy Thompson (Guest), Andrea Yorke (Recurring), Charlotte Pope (Recurring) |
| 4 Episodes | Adam Thompson (Guest), Carrie White (Guest) |
| 3 Episodes | Lauren Macey |
| 2 Episodes | Amina Chowdry (Guest), Grace Fitzgerald (Guest), Sophie Fitzgerald (Guest - Uncredited), Amy Fitzgerald (Guest - Uncredited), Marilyn Costello (Guest), Rick Osbourne (Guest), Alison Monroe (Guest) |
| 1 Episode | Rachel Fields (Guest), Derek Williams (Guest), Gareth Hale (Guest), Paulina Hale (Guest), Nathan Hale (Guest), Jennifer Kane (Guest), Gabby Yates (Guest), Val Fitzgerald (Guest), Andrew Manson (Guest), Tom McAllister |
| Yet to Appear |
Awards[]
High Hopes is beginning to achieve recognition through the Writer's Express Awards. High Hopes has picked up an impressive 5 awards so far.
Spring WriXAs 2013
- Best Soap Male (Josh Connor)
- Best New Soap
Winter WriXAs 14
- Best Christmas Episode (2x24 'You two have murdered enough Christmas classics as it is sweetheart')
- Best Soap Plot (Patrick Hale's Death and Aftermath)
- Best Soap Scene (Noah Donovan's role in the siege is revealed to wife Megan)
Summer WriXas 2014
- Best Newcomer (Nicki Grant)
- Best Soap Male (Matthew Fitzgerald)