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 [1]
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 (2015-05-03) – 8 May 2016 (2016-05-08)

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. ^[2] 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. ^[3] ITV announced it would not renew the show in May 2016.

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. The first series examines a conflict between Joyce, the "old school," and Frances Barden, the new leadership, all in the shadow of the beginning of World War II. 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. When Joyce sacks her following her supporting the Vote of No Confidence, Frances Barden and her husband hire Claire out of kindness. She is married to postmaster Spencer Wilson.
• 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-centered and pathetic, Bob is physically and emotionally abusive to his wife Pat; he bans her from attending WI meetings and demands she wait on him hand and foot, never once showing gratitude. In season 2 Bob is called to London to serve as a correspondent and leaves Pat behind; however, he makes occasional visits back to the village.
• Leanne Best as Teresa Fenchurch
  Great Paxford's new local teacher. She becomes a tenant in Alison Scotlock's home, eventually becoming friends and falling in love with Alison. It is revealed during the run of the series that Teresa has had relationships with women. The woman she was most recently involved with, Connie, arrives in the village and tries to convince Teresa to go to America with her, but Teresa turns her down. Teresa is devastated when she later learns that the ship Connie was on sank.
• Samantha Bond as Frances Barden
  Leader of the WI. Frances becomes head of the reformed WI following her urging for a vote of No Confidence in Joyce Cameron. Frances believes in a bright future for the WI and is overjoyed whenever anything good happens to the WI or in the lives of one of her friends. While Joyce's efforts to bring down the newly reformed WI are a constant source of frustration, Frances remains civil and calm. She is very supportive of Pat, and orchestrates her husband's transfer to London after realizing how abusive he is. She soon becomes a mentor to Claire Hillman and advises her not to wait on Spencer Wilson. Frances constantly supports and advises her sister, Sarah; when Sarah's husband goes off to war, Frances encourages Sarah and gives her a shoulder to cry on. When the evacuees from London come, Frances meets them expecting a child but instead gets a blind young woman from Liverpool, Isobel. 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.
• 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. Steph also offers many ideas to the WI and becomes good friends with Frances and later Teresa, who gradually realises that Steph is illiterate and offers to teach her to read and write.
• 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 offers advice to her sister frequently, hoping for the WI to move on from the corrupt ways of Joyce Cameron. When Frances remakes the Institute, she becomes a prominent member with wits and ability. When her husband, the local pastor, shows a desire 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. At one point they almost kiss but she 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
  Wife of Dr. Will Campbell and the local pharmacist. She is a member of the WI. Erica loves Dr. Campbell with her whole heart and always seeks support and advice from him. Her initial surprise at Jack's sudden engagement to her daughter Kate gives way to full support. After noticing the abusive relationship between Bob and Pat Simms (her neighbours), she concocts a mixture of Lithium and lies to Pat that it is for Bob's stomach ailments. Pat surreptitiously puts the elixir into Bob's tea, causing him to be calmer and less cruel. However, Dr. Campbell learns of this when Pat accidentally gives Bob an overdose and confiscates the drug. Outraged that she would risk their profession and reputation, Dr. Campbell forces Erica to admit the truth to Pat, who is similarly angry; however, Erica maintains her belief that she did the right thing.
• Rachel Hurd-Wood as Kate Campbell
  First daughter of Erica and Will Campbell. Vivacious and outgoing, she is more extroverted than her sister Laura. She and her husband Jack, who is in training to be a pilot, are caught up in a whirlwind romance. She is the first of the daughters to marry, wearing her mother's dress. They are about to move into their own home when Jack is killed in a training accident. Kate is devastated and goes into mourning; however, with the encouragement of her father and Joyce Cameron, she gradually learns to open up again.
• Leila Mimmack as Laura Campbell
  The second daughter of Will and Erica Campbell. She is considered the more selfish of the two, constantly concerned about her looks, but when Kate asks for help she always pulls through. Laura is part of the WAAF, but is dishonourably discharged after her affair with Richard, a married superior officer, is exposed.
• Mike Noble as Spencer Wilson
  The local postman. Spencer takes a fancy to Claire after coming to her rescue in a bicycling accident. He is cheery and supports the WI's new form. Upon receiving his notice to enlist, however, he abruptly ends things with Claire, leaving her confused and upset. When she learns he did this in an attempt not to burden her, she is annoyed but continues to pursue him. When he refuses to enlist on grounds of being a conscientious objector and is so outed by Joyce Cameron, Spencer is shunned and harassed by the people of Great Paxford, particularly Miriam Brindsley, until Joyce comes to his defense. Nevertheless, his relationship with Claire continues and they are married in the series 2 premiere.
• Claire Price as Miriam Brindsley
  The wife of local butcher Bryn, and a member of the WI. The thought of war terrifies her, as she knows it will eventually take away her son David. He, however, is determined to enlist, which she vigorously resists, going so far as to falsify their ration card so the government does not know they have a son and asking Dr. Campbell to lie that David's childhood asthma is more serious than it really is. When David sneaks out in the middle of the night to enlist, Miriam is heartbroken and takes her anguish out on both her husband and Spencer Wilson, a conscientious objector. She also goes several days without sleep, writing letters to soldiers on the front and preparing care packages whilst shutting out her husband. Frances Barden, upon reading the letters - which are not at all encouraging or even positive - takes Miriam to task for her behavior, and they reconcile, though Miriam's antagonizing of Spencer continues. When a telegram comes to the house, Miriam fears for the worst and hides it in a sudden fit of panic. Bryn finds the telegram and advises her to open it. Miriam is very happy to learn that David is only reported missing and not officially dead. In the Series 1 finale, Miriam finds she is pregnant and is utterly thrilled at the thought that David will get a brother or sister.
• Claire Rushbrook as Pat Simms
  A member of the WI. A battered wife, she has been a victim of her husband Bob's physical and verbal abuse for many years. She makes every effort to keep him happy, but remains with him out of fear, lying about and making apologies for his behavior. Erica Campbell's elixir, meant to treat Bob's supposed "stomach troubles," is in fact a mild dose of Lithium that causes his cruelty to abate; Pat, however, is so pleased with the result that she uses it too often and accidentally gives Bob an overdose, nearly killing him. When Erica admits the truth, Pat furiously refuses to admit that Bob is abusive. However, the notion that the village can see this for themselves causes her to realize how much she hates her husband and his daily acts of cruelty, including banning her from remaining with the WI (out of jealousy at her successful speech giving) and forcing her to give up her job as a switchboard operator. However, when she attempts to leave him he successfully cows her with threats that she cannot hope to survive on her own. When Bob leaves for London, Pat is immensely relieved and rushes to tell Frances Barden she can rejoin the WI. Frances admits that she used her connections in the Home Office to have Bob posted to London, and the two share an emotional hug. When refugee soldiers are brought to Great Paxford, Pat becomes close to a Czech soldier named Marek; however, this draws suspicion and ire from Bob, who continues to make occasional visits to the village.
• Daniel Ryan as Bryn Brindsley
  The local butcher and husband to Miriam. Bryn fought in the First World War and survived. However, he was scarred by the events and Miriam forbids him from enlisting again. He cares greatly for his family and offers advice to his son David, who is determined to enlist. He at first supports his son's ideas but later decides it's best for the family if he does not fight. However, when David sneaks out in the middle of the night, Bryn chooses to let him leave with his blessing. This leads to considerable friction with a distraught Miriam, although Bryn does his best to comfort her. Bryn is supportive of the WI due to his love for his wife. When a telegram comes after David goes off to fight, Bryn and Miriam agonize for a while before deciding to finally open it; it only says that their son is missing. While Miriam is hopeful, Bryn suspects that, as their son is missing at sea, it is very unlikely he will return home.
• Ed Stoppard as Will Campbell
  The local physician. He lives to help people through medicine. His relationship with Miriam Brindsley is strained when he refuses to lie that her son is asthmatic and therefore unfit to serve in the army. He then discovers he has lung cancer, much to his wife's horror, making him ineligible to enlist. However, he chooses to keep this a secret from everyone except Erica, reasoning that it would be better for his family to live happy and unknowing than fearful with the knowledge.
• Fenella Woolgar as Alison Scotlock
  Alison is a member of the WI. She lost her husband George during WWI, and his name can be seen on the memorial wall. Frances tells her husband that the WI is essential in Alison's case, because 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 takes in a tenant, Teresa Fenchurch, but later discovers that she is a lesbian, which leaves her utterly shocked and worried for her reputation. However, she takes to heart her late husband's belief that "it can never be a sin to love another human being", accepts Teresa and revealing that she and George were never legally married, due to his first wife refusing to grant a divorce. Alison is soon blackmailed into falsifying the accounts of war profiteers and attempts suicide when they use the threat of exposure to make her continue her illegal work. She is arrested in the Series 1 finale on suspicion of fraudulent activity and aiding and abetting tax evasion. She later falls in love with Teresa.
• Jodie Hamblet as Jenny Marshall
  Jenny is the switchboard operator for Great Paxford and works alongside Pat. For the first half of Series One she is Spencer's girlfriend. Jenny is often well-meaning, but can be rude and nosy, having a tendency to spread rumours and stick her nose into other people's business. She and Claire share a mutual dislike of one another.
• 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, which prompts Joyce to defend the mourning Kate.
• 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. When Frances puts herself down, Peter is always the first to pick her back up. He is the catalyst for Frances's jam-making campaign early in Series 1.

Series 1 (2015)

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 neighbors 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.

Alison takes as a tenant the new schoolteacher, Teresa Fenchurch. Later Teresa reveals herself to Alison as a lesbian. Initially Alison is shocked but she overcomes her initial shock and reassures Teresa that she wants her to stay as Teresa has become her best (and nearly only) friend.

Steph worries for her husband when she realizes he feels he must join and fight. Eventually she confronts him and tells him to go, as he is gradually tearing himself apart over this decision.

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. In order to intercept Joyce's interference with this plan, Frances enlists Claire in a plot to misdirect Joyce by making her think they are planning to use the church as the town's air raid shelter. Thus Joyce's efforts at stymieing Frances and the "new" WI, of which she strongly disapproves, are totally misdirected and the plan for the actual shelter proceeds without interference.

Teresa realizes that neither Steph nor her son can read and is in danger of losing the farm because, since she can't read them, she is not complying with government regulations about wartime farming. She teaches Steph to read in order to save the family farm from confiscation due to noncompliance with government farming regulations.

In the final episode of the first series, 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

(1939-1940)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
1	1	"Episode One"	Bruce Goodison	Simon Block,	3 May 2015 (2015-05-03)	6.16
August 1939. When Joyce resigns from the WI, Frances decides to revive it and make it more welcoming to the women in the village. Meanwhile she works to help the army's food scramble. Dr Campbell learns the deadly truth of why he cannot enlist. Steph reluctantly signs up for the WI but soon enjoys her first meeting.
2	2	"Episode Two"	Bruce Goodison	Simon Block	10 May 2015 (2015-05-10)	5.56
September 1939. As the threat of war looms closer to the village, its residents must adjust to unwelcome changes. News of the war prompts discussion of who shall enlist. Frances works to help the war effort, while Pat's marriage begins to crumble. Meanwhile Joyce is on the march to regain control over the WI. David must make a decision on whether to fight or not. Frances has high hopes for the available land in the village to help the war effort.
3	3	"Episode Three"	Bruce Goodison	Simon Block	17 May 2015 (2015-05-17)	5.31
November 1939. As the war progresses the people of Great Paxford are each affected. Alison is forced to work for traitors. Sarah worries when her husband wants to enlist, meanwhile Kate wants to get married but to the anger of her family. Miriam decides she must do something to stop David from enlisting; she takes action, but the consequences begin to pressure her.
4	4	"Episode Four"	Bruce Goodison	Simon Block	24 May 2015 (2015-05-24)	5.34
February 1940. Secrets and lies are rife in the village. Miriam knows her deception can’t be kept from David forever, but she’s terrified of the consequences of him finding out. Teresa meets an old friend again, with a life changing offer and the knowledge of a secret. Frances tries to help Sarah.
5	5	"Episode Five"	Robert Quinn	Simon Block	7 June 2015 (2015-06-07)	5.50
March 1940. Steph wins a personal victory. Frances gets more than she bargained for when an evacuee shows up at Great Paxford. Theresa receives tragic news and Alison learns her secret. Erica and Pat have a close call. Laura faces a difficult decision. The WI try to make a social shelter, led by Frances. Kate tries to move on. The war begins to take its toll on Great Paxford, with consequences and danger. David enlists behind the back of his mother. Alison wants to learn the truth about Teresa.
6	6	"Episode Six"	Robert Quinn	Simon Block	14 June 2015 (2015-06-14)	5.36
May 1940. France's expected defeat makes the possibility of Nazi invasion more real than ever before. Frances is determined to help Pat, and Sarah learns to shoot. Alison is plagued by her decision to work with the traitors, with terrible consequences. The WI sets its sights high for fund raising, while Miriam receives a telegram concerning her son. Teresa steps in to help Alison but her actions cannot stop the course of justice. Charlotte files for divorce, with Laura as correspondent. Laura faces a scandal; can she handle the pressure?

Series 2 (2016)

(1940)

No. overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (millions)
7	1	"Episode One"	Robert Quinn	Simon Block	3 April 2016 (2016-04-03)	6.59
11 June 1940. As war begins to take its toll on Great Paxford and the Battle of Britain looms, Teresa must step in to protect an Italian resident from the other people of the village. Sarah begins to feel alone after she gets some tragic news about her husband on the front lines, yet she must rise up to address the village over the silencing of the church bells. Alison gets the verdict on whether the charges will be upheld or dropped, however she must then make a difficult choice after the result. Claire and Spencer marry in secret; Jenny learns of this and tells Frances. Pat befriends a kindly Czech soldier and enjoys her new life with no husband. Frances has a heart stopping encounter.
8	2	"Episode Two"	Robert Quinn	Glen Laker	10 April 2016 (2016-04-10)	6.09
July 1940. Frances decides she will not come into the shelter during an air raid, leaving Sarah with a difficult decision. Pat's abusive husband is back in town, but she feels torn as she grows closer to the soldier Marek. Laura faces scandal after the divorce becomes public and her reputation begins to crumble. Alison begins her work with police. Meanwhile, Will begins radiation treatment for his cancer, supported by his daughter, Kate. Frances must come to terms with the death of her husband, while Alison uncovers a shocking revelation about Peter upon analysing his will. Laura's friendship with Tom is tested due to intervention from Mrs Talbot, whilst Jenny comes to blows with Laura and makes plans for her future. Joyce returns and offers some unexpected comfort to Frances, saying that her husband was a gentlemen. Frances discovers a terrible secret hidden by her husband: Pete was having an affair with the company accountant, Helen.
9	3	"Episode Three"	Robert Quinn	Simon Block	17 April 2016 (2016-04-17)	6.05
16 July 1940. Frances uncovers a horrific secret about her husband's secret life; he has a son with the company accountant, who also died in the car crash. Alison is approached by the police once more to work for them and must choose between her loyalties to Frances and her country. At a public dance hosted by the Czech soldiers Joyce notices the level of intimacy between Sarah and the Wing Commander; Joyce convinces her that she must remain loyal to her husband for her sake rather than for the scandal. Jenny listens into a call between Joyce and her husband where it seems that Joyce is a Nazi sympathiser and she alerts the village, causing trouble for Joyce with shocking consequences. However Joyce soon reclaims control and Jenny takes a blow. Pat is in danger when Bob returns and someone sees her with Marek. Meanwhile, Teresa is attracted to an unlikely source - a female pilot who is praised by the other soldiers.
10	4	"Episode Four"	John Hayes	Simon Block	24 April 2016 (2016-04-24)	5.65
24 July 1940. Frances has big plans for the factory now being in charge of the factory and decides that she can upgrade the working life, yet Frances also reveals to Sarah she has plans to rid herself of the 20% shareholder's threat. Can Teresa change? This is what she asks of herself when she is asked on a date. Alison worries that her involvement with the Lyons could have dangerous consequences beyond just damaging her relationship with Frances. Marek and Pat meet and are clearly inseparable, but they are seen. David Brindsley is now home, but they discover that his injuries are more than on the surface. The Campbells receive good news for a change, which prompts Laura to volunteer for the ROC. Also a first aid training meeting is held in the village. Frances makes the decision to attempt to buy out Mr Lakin, and accidentally sees Noah while at the house. This causes friction between Frances and Sarah as while talking she blames Noah for all that has happened. Will Frances be able to sway Mr Lakin?
11	5	"Episode Five"	John Hayes	Simon Block	1 May 2016 (2016-05-01)	5.44
30 August 1940. Bombing brings unnatural light to the horizon. The harvest becomes an almost impossible challenge as Steph's workers leave for better wages elsewhere. A woman in search of David Brindsley’s parents thanks them for saving her son, believing David died saving him. Meanwhile the Czech soldiers are given warning of their reassignment, and Marek asks Pat again to leave Bob. Joyce's estranged son returns with news that she now has a granddaughter. Frances struggles to understand her husband's double life while her parachute factory is under a threat of which only Alison seems aware. Eventually the whole WI comes to Steph and Stan's aid with the maize harvest after she collapses with extreme exhaustion. Realising how quick and brutal the war has become, Nick and Teresa's relationship takes an unexpected twist. Sarah finds herself in danger.
12	6	"Episode Six"	John Hayes	Simon Block	8 May 2016 (2016-05-08)	5.44
3 September 1940. Frances's factory is closed by the authorities dues to producing faulty parachutes, and Alison blames herself. Nick and Teresa get married even after a couple of people who know something deeper about her ask probing questions regarding its wisdom. Frances begins to thaw towards Noah, partly with a piece of gentle assistance from Joyce. Halfway through the wedding ceremony, Miriam goes into labour. Bob eventually confronts Pat about her relationship with Marek after increasing his micro-management of her life and continued psychological abuse. She storms out of the wedding reception only to be stopped in her tracks by the crash of a crippled RAF fighter aircraft into the front of a house.

Reception

The first season had a consolidated average rating of 6.2 million viewers to date and a 24 percent share. ^[4] June 2015, ITV announced that it had ordered a second season of the programme. ^[5] At the time of the end of the second season (8 May 2016), the first season had a rating of 8.0 out of 10 on IMDB. Alongside the positive attention from IMDB, the drama has been received favourably by critics. Samantha Bond was nominated for an award from the Satellite Awards. Season 2 met with similar success compared with Season 1 as the premiere episode gained 5.2 million overnight views, with the second episode reaching 4.7 million views. ^[6]

Just days after the broadcast of the final episode of season 2, ITV announced it was cancelling the show and there would be no third season. 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 season." ^[7] A campaign to resurrect the show was launched after the cancellation was announced. ^[8] Although the petition had over 30,000 signatures, ITV did not reverse its decision.

Novelisation

After the series' cancellation, the writer continued the story as a novelisation. Published initially in July 2017 as an ebook (in 4 parts) from Amazon, the complete novel in book-format (originally planned for release in October 2017 ^[9] ) was published in May 2018.

Broadcast

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

References

1. Wylie, Ian (1 May 2015). "Home Fires: Interviews". Life of Wylie. London: Blogger . Retrieved 23 August 2017.
2. Batey, Neil (2 May 2015). "Home Fires 'is an astonishing story about women as war breaks out'". Daily Mirror . London: Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 28 June 2015.
3. @Overnightstv (4 April 2016). "Drama #homefires returned for 2nd series with 5.2m/23.7% from 9pm on ITV @itvstudios www.overnights.tv" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 April 2016– via Twitter.
4. Tartaglione, Nancy (3 June 2015). "ITV Stokes Home Fires". Deadline Hollywood . United States: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved 28 June 2015.
5. Doran, Sarah (14 June 2015). "ITV drama Home Fires will return for a second season". Radio Times . London: Immediate Media Company . Retrieved 13 July 2015.
6. Sweney, Mark (2016-04-11). "BBC's Undercover loses 1m viewers as ITV keeps Home Fires burning". The Guardian . Kings Place, London: Guardian Media Group. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2016-04-15.
7. Lazarus, Susanna (11 May 2016). "Home Fires is axed after two series and a massive cliffhanger". Radio Times . London: Immediate Media Company . Retrieved 12 May 2016.
8. Walker, Danny (12 May 2016). "Home Fires Axed by ITV and Fans are Furious". Daily Mirror . London: Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 12 May 2016.
9. Block, Simon (2017). Keep the Home Fires Burning - Part One: Spitfire Down! (Kindle ed.). London: Zaffre Publishing. ASIN   B06XV2CBZT.
10. Purcell, Charles (3 October 2015). "NEW THIS WEEK (5 Oct): The Flash, Arrow, The Affair, The Leftovers, Vampire Diaries, A-League & more". Foxtel . Australia: News Corp (50%) (through News Corp Australia) and Telstra (50%). Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015– via The Green Room.

External links

• Home Fires on IMDb