Â鶹ԼÅÄ

By Sarah Woods

A love story, about flu.

It's 1975, six years since Jill and David huddled under the blankets together, full of flu. Now Jill is preparing to marry John – the wedding preparations are in full swing, but then David arrives on the doorstep.

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tracks the life of Hong Kong Flu – how, over 45 years, it has traversed the globe, evolved and is ultimately being superseded by new, more virulent strains, such as Swine Flu.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.... Hannah Daniel
David.... Ronan Summers
John.... Liam Williams
Minister.... Alun Raglan
Yvette.... Eirlys Bellin
Narrator.... Eiry Thomas

Directed by James Robinson
A Â鶹ԼÅÄ Cymru/Wales Production