Home Fires (UK TV series)

Home Fires is a British period television drama about the life of Women's Institute members on the Home Front during World War II. Set in a rural Cheshire community called Great Paxford, the series is produced by ITV and debuted in May 2015. The first series is set between September 1939 and 1940. The six-part series was inspired by the book Jambusters by Julie Summers.^[1]With the first series having an average viewing ratings of 6.2 million ITV commissioned a second series. The second series will have an additional six episodes. The show features prominently acclaimed actresses Samantha Bond, Claire Rushbrook, Fenella Woolgar and Leanne Best, and alongside these performances the cast features Ed Stoppard.

Cast

• Francesca Annis as Joyce Cameron, the manipulative wealthy former president of the WI. At the beginning of the first series Frances speaks against Cameron's corruption and proposes a vote of no confidence. Joyce extremely embarrassed walks out on the institute. When Joyce resigns from the WI she becomes a tyrant and an enemy to the newly reformed WI as she frames the institute for tearing down the cricket pitch for no reason causing trouble for Pat. Cameron is the villain of the series as she is rude and cruel toward the members of the WI, she tries to remain in power over the village through corruption and blackmail. She is subtly horrid to Frances and her allied in the WI, her true colours become visible when she tried to make a joint president position with Frances when she finds that she has not be voted in by the village. Yet despite being cruel to her enemies Joyce comforts Kate when she is distraught over her husband. Cameron has a son who went to Canada. Mrs Cameron is very claustrophobic and is terrified when the alarm goes off reluctantly going down the stairs, however Isobel kindly promises that she will help her to safety. Throughout the experiences Joyce is terrified but feels comforted by Isobel. Joyce moves to the coast with her husband to live out the war. However, before Joyce leaves she hands the keys to the back door of her house ordering Frances to use her tennis courts as vegetable patches, the two happily part as allies.
• Daisy Badger as Claire Hillman, the former maid of Mrs Cameron. When Joyce fires her, Frances and her husband allow Claire to come and work for them out of kindness, she is very thankful. She indirectly is also the reason the Woman Institute becomes recreated. Hillman is a member of the WI.
• Mark Bazeley as Bob Simms, an aspiring author following his recent success of one book. He is married to Pat and is very violently sick during the first episode; this is due to Pat accidently choosing spoiled fish to feed him. Bob is not supportive of Pat being in the WI; he bans her from attending the first meeting and begs her to look after him. He treats Pam as if she is a slave and screams to her for more tea frequently. When Erica's drug makes Bob kinder and less abusive he allows Pat to go to the WI meetings. However, when Dr Campbell finds out and confiscates the drug Bob return to his unkind and short tempered self. Bob then goes to London where he is offered a job as a war correspondent to which he accepts and leaves for London permanently.
• Leanne Best as Teresa Fenchurch, the new local teacher. She becomes a tenant in Alison's home but accidentally loses her dog Boris whilst out on a walk, leading to friction in the relationship. Yet when Teresa shows heavy regret over losing the dog, Alison forgives her and the two become friends (Boris is later found injured nearby, but survives his subsequent operation). It is revealed in episode four that Teresa is a lesbian, and was asked to leave her former teaching post after she and girlfriend Connie's relationship was brought to the headmaster's attention. Connie arrives in Great Paxford with two one-way tickets to America and begs Teresa to join her, but she refuses and they part amicably. Much to her horror Connie's ship is later sunk by German U-boats mid-way through its voyage.
• Samantha Bond as Frances Barden, the inspirational, ambitious leader of the reformed WI. She is kind and always speaks her mind. Frances leads the reformed WI following her urging for a Vote of No Confidence. Frances believes in a bright future for the WI and is overjoyed whenever anything good happens to the reformed WI or even one of her friends. Frances only ever wants what is good for the WI. Frances becomes angry at Joyce's constant struggle to bring down the newly reformed WI; however, despite this, Frances remains kind and calm throughout her time in the WI. She is very supportive of Pam, unlike her husband. She soon becomes a mentor to Claire and advises her not to wait on Spencer. Frances constantly supports and advises her sister to do the right thing and look forward to the future. When Sarah's husband goes off to war, Frances encourages Sarah and gives her sister a shoulder to cry on. This gives evidence that Frances is kind and cares for her sister. When the evacuees from London come, Frances meets them expecting a child but instead gets an elder blind lady from Liverpool. Happy that she has someone to care for, Frances takes her in. Frances is a very skilled gunwoman, much to the surprise of her sister and Steph. Frances's husband suddenly becomes extremely busy when the war begins as he is the main supplier of army wear, Sarah questions whether she is over compensating the funding raise for the WI due to her husbands absence; Frances is angered at this to which she shoots the target fully on the head.
• Clare Calbraith as Steph Farrow, a very hardworking farming wife who happily supports the WI after reluctantly joining it. Steph is very happy with her husband and only wants what is best for him. when he wants to leave to enlist, she supports him through love rather than reason. Steph also offers many ideas to the WI and becomes good friends with Frances, and later Teresa, who gradually realizes that Steph is illiterate and offers to teach her to read and write.
• Chris Coghill as Stanley Farrow, the kind local farmer who is married to Steph. He is brave and wants to enlist in the war, Stanley loves his wife and children and looks to work to provide for them all the time on the farm.
• Ruth Gemmell as Sarah Collingborne, the sister of Frances and a member of the WI. She offers advice to her sister frequently, hoping for the WI to move on from the corrupt ways of Mrs Cameron. When Frances remakes the Institute she becomes a prominent member with wits and ability. When her husband shows an ambition to enlist Sarah is heartbroken and cannot cope, yet when he leaves she begins to be attracted to the dashing pilot who has been billeted with her. She goes into kiss him but pulls away feeling guilty saying "I might, but I can't". She looks happy when Joyce leaves and reconciles with Frances.
• Frances Grey as Erica Campbell, Erica is the caring wife of Dr Campbell. She is very kind and cares for her family more than anything. She is a member of the WI. Erica loves DR Campbell with her whole heart and always seeks support and advice from him.
• Rachel Hurd-Wood as Kate Campbell. She wears the wedding dress of her mother and is the first of the two daughters to marry. She is kinder than her sister and cares more for love and happiness of others. When her husband dies on a training course, crashing into the ground, Kate is devastated and goes into mourning.
• Leila Mimmack as Laura Campbell, one of the two daughters of Dr Campbell. She is shallow and cares more about her looks, but when Kate asks for help she always pulls through.
• Mike Noble as Spencer Wilson, the local postman. Takes a fancy to Claire after she trips on her bike after an arm van swings round the corner only just missing her. He is cheery and supports the WI new form. Yet when he gets his call up papers he has to part ways with Claire much to her sadness. However, it is shown by the way he does this that he does it out of kindness. When he is named a coward for not going off to war, Spencer is shunned and shouted at by the people of Great Paxford.
• Claire Price as Miriam Brindsley, the wife of the local butcher and a mother. She is very frightened by the war due to the fact that it will eventually take away her son. She is a member of the WI. When David goes to fight Miriam is heartbroken and takes her anger out on Spencer when he does not go to fight, when a telegram comes to the house Miriam fears for the worse and hides it in a sudden fit of fear. When Bryn finds the telegram he advises her to open it, however Miriam is very happy to learn that David is only reported missing and not officially dead. Miriam finds she is pregnant in the finale of the first series and is utterly thrilled at the thought David will get a brother or sister.
• Claire Rushbrook as Pat Simms, a member of the WI. She has been a victim of her husband Bob's physical and verbal abuse for many years. She constantly tries to make his life happy but continues to be fearful of him. She eventually grows to hate her husband due to his daily acts of mental cruelty, including banning her from remaining with the WI (out of jealousy at her successful speech giving). When Bob leaves for London (thanks to Frances' machinations, having friends in high places at the Home Office), Pat is relived she can remain in Great Paxford and re-join the WI, Pat rushes to Frances first buzzing with excitement that her abusive husband has left. Frances admits to being behind Bob's posting to London and the two share an emotional hug.
• Daniel Ryan as Bryn Brindsley. Bryn is the local butcher in the village and is married to Miriam. Bryn fought in the First World War and survived. However, he was scarred by the events and Miriam worried too much for him to be dangerous. He cares greatly for his family and offers advice to his son when he urges to enlist. He at first supports his son's ideas but later decides it's best for the family if he does not fight. Bryn comforts Miriam frequently when she worries for her son's health and safety. Bryn is supportive of the WI out his love for his wife. When the telegram comes after David goes off to fight Bryn and Miriam finally open it, Miriam shows hope as it only says that their son is missing but although Bryn does not show this he believes David is dead.
• Ed Stoppard as Will Campbell, the local doctor. He is very kind and a very able doctor. He is also very honest and lives to help people through medicine. He then discovers he has lung cancer much to his wife's horror. This makes him ineligible to enlist to fight for the country.
• Fenella Woolgar as Alison Scotlock. Alison is a member of the WI and lost her husband George during WWI. His name can be seen on the memorial wall. Frances tells her husband that the WI is essential in Alison's case as if she was not a member she would never leave the house and her life would revolve around looking at the memorial wall and caring for her dog, Boris. Alison is kind to her new tenant Teresa but when she discovers that she is a lesbian she is utterly shocked and worried for her reputation, but, remembering her late husband's belief that "it can never be a sin to love another human being", soon learns to accept her. She also reveals to Teresa that she and George were never legally married, due to his first wife refusing to grant a divorce. Alison is soon blackmailed into taking in the accounts of traitors to the British government and attempts suicide when the traitor threatens to expose her. She is arrested in the finale of Series 1 on suspicion of fraudulent activity and aiding and abetting tax evasion.
• Jacqueline Pilton as Cookie, an elderly member of the WI. Cookie is kind and worries for the WI when it becomes corrupt and selfish under Joyce's rule. However, she shows a lot of happiness when Frances takes over and happily supports the newly reformed WI's movements. She worried for Frances's blind evacuee when she constantly cannot find her way to the shelter.
• Eileen Davies as Anne, the friend of Joyce and constant supporter of Mrs Cameron. She comments rudely on Kate when her husband dies but Joyce does not agree and becomes the voice of reason comforting the mourning girl.
• Anthony Calf as Peter Barden. Peter is a businessman of sorts. He is the husband of Frances and very supportive of her acts in the WI. Peter loves his wife dearly and when she puts herself down, Peter is always the first to pick her back up. Peter cannot have children with Frances.

Series 1 (2015)

Summary

When the WI is reformed by Frances Barden (Samantha Bond), she makes the committee less exclusive and creates it into a happier environment; she is later voted as the official President. Meanwhile, Pat (Claire Rushbrook), a member of the committee, begins to get abuse from her husband Bob. She is forced to become a servant for him. As war begins to loom on Great Britain and the world, the WI make jam, preventing the available fruit to be taken a way from Great Paxford. When war is officially declared, there is much discussion on who will enlist. Miriam's son, David, shows an urge to enlist for the army, which greatly frightens her. When the registration form comes from the government, she purposely fills it out incorrectly, so it looks as though she and Bryn never had a child. David later enlists for the navy. He is declared missing, to Miriam's relief, as she had believed the telegram had said he was dead.

Dr Campbell finds he has lung cancer, preventing him from enlisting. This pleases Erica, but she is horrified at the thought of her husband dying. Spencer declines his call-up papers. With the villagers shunning him, Claire worries for him. Alison takes in a tenant, who she later finds is lesbian, but she allows her tenant to stay in her house as long as she does not mention it in public. Steph worries for her husband when he shows an urge to fight. Meanwhile, Frances expands the WI to become more helpful toward the war effort by pushing for every available piece of land to be put toward food production. However this plan is met with great resentment by the men of the community, as she plans to change the cricket pitch into a vegetable patch. The day comes when all the men enlisting leave, with nearly only woman being left behind. Frances is plagued with interference from Joyce but soon tries to reconcile with her.

When war becomes even more certain, Frances and the WI decide it is time for a community air raid shelter to be installed in case of an attack. Claire helps Frances to irritate Joyce by acting as if the church would be used instead of Joyce's planned bunker. Teresa helps Steph to learn how to read in order to save her family's farm. An air raid comes in the second to last episode, in which Joyce is terrified but is helped by Frances's evacuee Isobel Reily, who in fact is blind.

In the final episode, Bob leaves for London, leaving Pat relieved and happy to be away from him, whilst Joyce leaves for the coast. She speaks with Frances over the war effort and hands over the keys to her tennis courts so that they may be used for food production. As the series finishes the final scene hints at the war taking its toll in Great Paxford.

Episodes

Series 2 (2016)

Series 2 will definitely feature Samantha Bond as Frances Barden, Claire Rushbrook as Patricia Simms and Clare Calbraith as Steph Farrow. However, as Francesca Annis's character moved away at the end of the first series it is likely that Joyce will not return. Series 2 will also have 6 episodes as Series 1 did. Robert Quinn will direct the majority of these 6 episodes and with John Hayes directing two episodes. The second series will also be produced by Louise Sutton.

Reception

The first series had a consolidated average rating of 6.2 million viewers to date and a 24 percent share.^[3]June 2015, ITV announced that it had ordered a second series of the programme.^[4]The first series currently has a 7.9 out of 10 on IMDB. Alongside the positive attention from IMDB Home Fires has been favourable among critics and viewers. Samantha Bond was nominated for an award from the Satellite Awards.

Broadcast

Home Fires first aired on 3rd May 2015 on ITV Encore. Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on 10 October 2015 on BBC First.^[5] The series premiered in the United States on 4 October 2015 on PBS.

References

External links

• Home Fires at the Internet Movie Database