Home Fires (UK TV series)
| Home Fires | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Period drama |
| Created by | Simon Block |
| Based on |
Jambusters by Julie Summers |
| Directed by | Robert Quinn Bruce Goodinson |
| Starring |
Francesca Annis Daisy Badger Mark Bonnar Samantha Bond Mark Bazeley Leanne Best Clare Calbraith Chris Coghill Ruth Gemmell Frances Grey Jodie Hamblet Rachel Hurd-Wood Leila Mimmack Mike Noble Claire Price Claire Rushbrook Daniel Ryan Ed Stoppard Mark Umbers Fenella Woolgar |
| Theme music composer | Samuel Sim |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Francis Hopkinson Catherine Oldfield Rebecca Eaton |
| Producer(s) | Sue de Beauvoir |
| Running time | 44–46 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
ITV Studios Masterpiece |
| Distributor | ITV Studios Global Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 1080i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 3 May 2015 – 8 May 2016 |
Home Fires is a British period television drama about the life of Women's Institute members on the Home Front during the Second World War. Set in a rural Cheshire community called Great Paxford, the series is produced by ITV, and launched its first series in May 2015. The first series is set between September 1939 and early 1940.
The series was inspired by the book Jambusters by Julie Summers. With the first series having an average viewing ratings of 6.2 million ITV commissioned a second six-part series, aired in April 2016. The show focuses on a largely female cast, including notable actresses Francesca Annis, Samantha Bond, Claire Rushbrook, Fenella Woolgar and Leanne Best.
Series 2 of Home Fires premiered on 2 April 2016 and gained 5.2 million views with a 23.7% share. ITV announced it would not renew the show in May 2016.
When the WI is reformed by Frances Barden (Samantha Bond), she makes the committee less exclusive and more egalitarian; she is later voted as the official President. Meanwhile, Pat (Claire Rushbrook), a member of the committee, is being abused by her husband Bob, upon whom she is forced to wait hand and foot. Bob becomes increasingly abusive as Pat finds herself and begins to be noticed by the town and her fellow WI members, sparking increased jealousy and anger in her husband, who blames her for his lack of the success he feels he deserves as a writer.
The newly reformed WI's first project is the gathering of wild blackberries which they then use to make jam, as "every pound of jam we make is a pound of jam that doesn't have to come in on the ships".
When war is officially declared, the men of the town begin to consider what roles they might play. Miriam's son, David, is determined to enlist in the Navy, which terrifies her. However, after a talk with his father, who fought in WWI, he accepts the idea that in order to soothe his mother's fears and give her as much time as possible to overcome them he should wait to be "called up" or drafted.
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Wikipedia