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 premièred on 3 April 2016 and gained 5.2 million views with a 23.7% share. In May 2016 ITV announced it would not be renewing the show.
Contents
Cast and characters
Francesca Annis as Joyce Cameron. Joyce is a pillar of the community, and the historical leader of the Great Paxford Women's Institute. Joyce is sophisticated and serene, and even her ex-nemesis Frances observes that she is a natural leader. Even though she can appear stern, pompous and vindictive, she is actually quite sympathetic to other people and proves herself to be a substantially good person.
Daisy Badger as Claire Wilson (née Hillman). The former maid of Joyce Cameron and current maid of Frances Barden.
Mark Bazeley as Bob Simms. An aspiring author following the minor success of his first book. He was a journalist in the First World War and suffered injuries to his arm and leg from shrapnel, though he admits it was nowhere near combat. Volatile, self-centred and pathetic, Bob is physically and emotionally abusive to his wife Pat.
Leanne Best as Teresa Fenchurch. Great Paxford's new local teacher. She becomes a tenant in Alison Scotlock's home.
Samantha Bond as Frances Barden. Leader of the WI.
Clare Calbraith as Steph Farrow. A farming wife who comes to enthusiastically support the WI after some initial reluctance to join. Steph is very happy with her husband and only wants what is best for him; when he decides to enlist, she supports him through love rather than reason.
Chris Coghill as Stanley Farrow. The local farmer and Steph's husband. He is brave and wants to enlist in the war, despite having unpleasant memories of the last conflict in which he served. Stanley loves his wife and son (also named Stanley) and works hard to provide for them.
Ruth Gemmell as Sarah Collingborne. Frances Barden's sister and a member of the WI. She is married to the local vicar.
Frances Grey as Erica Campbell. Wife of Dr. Will Campbell and the local pharmacist.
Episodes
Summary
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.
However, such is Miriam's fear of losing her son to war that when the National Registry form comes from the government, she deliberately leaves David's name off with the intention of keeping him out of the draft. When David discovers what she has done, he enlists in the Navy anyway. Shortly thereafter the Navy delivers an official letter which Miriam hides in a panic, assuming it is a notice of his death. She cannot face opening the letter and having her fears turn into immutable reality. However, when Bryn finds the hidden and unopened letter, it turns out they are reporting that he is only missing in action. Grasping at straws, Miriam sees this as actually hopeful as it means the Navy is not sure of his death and that he may still be alive, though lost.
Dr Campbell finds he has lung cancer, preventing him from enlisting. His wife, who had been wishing for something to keep him out of the armed services, is horrified.
Spencer is drafted but registers as a conscientious objector. His friends and neighbours almost unilaterally begin to vilify and torment him. A mob gathers and coats his bicycle, which he uses to deliver the post, with blood and chicken feathers. With the villagers shunning him, Claire worries for him. She gently persuades him that she is not afraid of the reactions of the other villagers and convinces him to let her stand at his side.
Series 1 (2015)
(1939-1940)
Series 2 (2016)
(1940)
Reception
The first series had a consolidated average rating of 6.2 million viewers to date and a 24 per-cent share. June 2015, ITV announced that it had ordered a second series of the programme. Samantha Bond was nominated for an award from the Satellite Awards. Series 2 met with similar success compared with Series 1 as the première episode gained 5.2 million overnight views, with the second episode reaching 4.7 million views.
Just days after the broadcast of the final episode of series 2, ITV announced it was cancelling the show and there would be no third series. A network spokesman said that despite the show's success, "the ITV commissioning team continues to refresh the channel's drama portfolio, hence the decision not to commission a further new series."
Fans gathered to protest against the cancellation, and a Change.org petition to bring the show back was signed by over 50,000 viewers, but the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.
Novelisation
After the series' cancellation, the writer continued the story as a novelisation, with the first of four audiobooks published in 2017.
Broadcast
Home Fires first aired on 3 May 2015 on ITV. Internationally, the series premièred in Australia on 10 October 2015 on BBC First. The series premièred in the United States on 4 October 2015 on PBS.