Plot Synopsis

Based on the 1997 Martina Cole novel of the same name, THE RUNAWAY follows the story of a runaway girl, an outrageous transvestite and an epic love story between childhood sweethearts in the 1960s and 1970s, as these star-crossed lovers struggle for redemption against a background of crime and corruption. East London kids Cathy Connor and Eamonn Docherty dream of a brighter future, but their hopes are shattered when Cathy is sent into care after her mother takes the blame for a murder. Cathy is then compelled to later run away, and forced to survive on the streets of Soho, where she is befriended by colorful transvestite Desrae. While Cathy grows up in the heart of London's underworld, Eamonn is drawn into a life of crime and ultimately flees to New York after he kills the mob boss's daughter. As London's red light district sinks into the sleaze of the 1970s, and the IRA, police corruption and industrial strikes dominate the nation's mood, Cathy and Eamonn are drawn back together yet again when he returns to London to source weapons for the IRA -- only to discover that their past is not far behind. Ovation aired the U.S. premiere of this series on Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 10pm ET.