The
lowdown: The era of air raids, blackouts
and ration books is realistically recreated in 'A Family at War', an ITV1
war-time
drama series that was first broadcast between 14 April 1970 and 16 February
1972. It begins in 1938, and
focuses
on the Ashtons, a lower-middle class family in Liverpool. The family comprises
Edwin and Jean Ashton, and
their
five children, and the impact that the second world war on their lives
at home and at war. David Ashton joins the
RAF
just before the war, while Margaret Ashton marries John Porter, who subsequently
joins the Territorial Army, but
not
before learning that his wife is pregnant. The Ashtons' other children
also do their bit for the war effort, with the
inevitable
hardships and tragedies that touched so many families during this period
of history.
The
episode: 'The War Office Regrets' is the
seventh episode of the first series, and was broadcast on 26 May 1970.
It
is now June 1940. David Ashton returns to the family home after receiving
two days' leave from the RAF, but all is not
happy
on the home front, as his wife suspects that he is having an affair. Meanwhile,
the Ashtons and the Porters are
awaiting
news from John, whose army division has been sent to France. However, his
father Harry (Patrick Troughton),
has
received a telegram from the War Office, stating that John is missing and
is believed to be dead (in the previous
episode
he was shown to have been hit by a truck). Harry cannot bring himself to
tell his wife Celia and the Ashtons
about
the letter, and instead takes to drinking. He also considers using his
service revolver to kill himself, as he had
encouraged
John to enlist and had promised his wife that their son would be safe.
(John eventually proves to be alive,
resurfacing
in the second series).
The
verdict: 'A Family at War' does a very
good job of recreating life during the dark days of World War 2, and is
highly
recommended for people who
enjoy British period drama. The acting is generally excellent, and although
the story tends
toward soap at times, it
provides a realistic insight into the era that it portrays. As with all
British shows of the 1970s,
part of the fun is spotting
actors who went on bigger things - the cast includes a young John Nettles,
Barbara Flynn (who
starred with Peter Davison
in 'A Very Peculiar Practice'), and Wanda Ventham (who was in several Doctor
Who stories).
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