Heidi Thomas first developed the idea for Lilies from listening to her grandmother's stories about growing up in post-war Liverpool.
Thomas elected to insert certain elements into the script to give the series a sense of realism, such as the slaughter of animals in the Moss home.
A variety of actors were cast in Lilies, including native Liverpudlian Kerrie Hayes in her acting debut.
[7] During location scouting, the production team was unable to find an area of Liverpool with terraced houses that had been sufficiently preserved so they decided to reconstruct a whole neighbourhood on a backlot in Aintree.
In order to give a sense of space to the production, large painted billboards mimicking distant buildings were erected on the edges of the set.
[7] Other scenes were filmed on location at the Woolton Picture House, the Walker Art Gallery, and Croxteth Hall.
Father Melia, the local priest, announces that there will be a homecoming street party as all the young men who survived the war have returned and asks the Mosses to lend the pianola for some music.
Ruby trains for a place on the British Ladies Olympic swimming team, with a former neighbour, Phyllis Cook.
On the day of the trial, Ruby's family go to support her, including Billy – despite his terror of water after his ship sank.
Someone, however, disapproves of Billy as he receives white feathers (symbolising cowardice) in the post and gets another on the day of the trial, leading him to attempt suicide.
He survives and tells his family that Phyllis was responsible, leading her and Ruby to fight in the street, and lose their places on the Olympic team.
Free from lunchtime, her friendship with Richard Brazendale turns to flirtation but halts when he introduces her to a friend, Claude Freeman.
Knowing this, Richard rescues May from Claude's studio and finding her drugged, puts her to bed and sleeps on her bedroom floor.Seeing him there and discussing their feelings later, they realise they care deeply for each other and start an affair.
Unfortunately Mrs. Brazendale returns sooner than planned and in disgust at Madeleine telling May about how pleased Richard was to see her, May walks out.
(Originally broadcast: 26 January 2007) Iris helps Mrs Quirke (the local midwife) when Mrs. McBride gives birth prematurely.
Once the paperwork is complete, the Matron tells Father Melia and Iris that Arthur (the youngest) will be transferred to Doctor Barnardo's for adoption and the older boys will go abroad.
Nazzer stays over and helps Billy overcome his fear of the sea but admits hating living as a cripple in institutions.
Father Melia tells her that the McBride boys have been split up but he hopes to get the girls transferred to Catholic orphanages so they can stay together.
May ignores her and tries to induce a miscarriage but asks Iris and Ruby for help when feeling ill, so the baby isn't harmed.
Ruby is horrified when she learns her new friends believe in sterilising people they deem unfit to reproduce – particularly girls that have illegitimate children and she rejects them.
(Originally broadcast: 23 February 2007) Billy's new job and May's condition makes Iris feel that they are the talk of the street.
Mrs. Quirke, the midwife, refuses to help at the birth and Richard tells Ruby that he and Madeleine offered to adopt the baby.
He admits that he has feelings for Iris and is sent to Ireland on retreat but discovers that she is not joining a convent, due to their exorbitant demand of 300 guineas and a pair of silver candlesticks.
Seeing his daughters return with the baby and shaken by recent events, Dadda takes the temperance pledge again and registers his grandson's birth, naming him Victor William Moss.