"A Family at War" (1970) TV series 1970-1972

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Creator:

John Finch
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

26 June 1972 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

How the events of WW 2 affected various members of a working class family in Liverpool, the emphasis being on life on the home front.

Cast

Colin Douglas	...	Edwin Ashton (44 episodes, 1970-1972)
Barbara Flynn	...	Freda Ashton / ... (40 episodes, 1970-1972)
Leslie Nunnerley	...	Margaret Ashton / ... (39 episodes, 1970-1972)
Coral Atkins	...	Sheila Ashton (34 episodes, 1970-1972)
John McKelvey	...	Sefton Briggs (32 episodes, 1970-1972)
Colin Campbell	...	David Ashton (30 episodes, 1970-1972)
Shelagh Fraser	...	Jean Ashton (27 episodes, 1970-1971)
T.R. Bowen	...	Tony Briggs (25 episodes, 1970-1972)
Ian Thompson	...	John Porter (24 episodes, 1970-1972)
Keith Drinkel	...	Philip Ashton (19 episodes, 1970-1971)

(more)

Series Directed by
Gerry Mill		(10 episodes, 1970-1972)
Baz Taylor		(8 episodes, 1970-1972)
Bob Hird		(7 episodes, 1970-1972)
Les Chatfield		(6 episodes, 1971)
Tim Jones		(5 episodes, 1970)
Michael Cox		(4 episodes, 1970)
Richard Doubleday		(3 episodes, 1970-1972)
June Howson		(3 episodes, 1970)
Richard Martin		(2 episodes, 1971)

Series Writing credits
John Finch		(44 episodes, 1970-1972)
Alexander Baron		(6 episodes, 1970-1972)
David Weir		(3 episodes, 1971)
Geoffrey Lancashire		(2 episodes, 1970-1971)
Roy Russell		(2 episodes, 1971-1972)
Jack Ronder		(2 episodes, 1971)
John Brabazon		(unknown episodes)
John Ellison		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Richard Doubleday	....	executive producer / producer (50 episodes, 1970-1972)
Michael Cox	....	producer / associate producer (43 episodes, 1970-1972)
Michael Dunlop	....	associate producer (11 episodes, 1971-1972)
James Brabazon	....	producer (2 episodes, 1971)

Series Film Editing by
Stan Challis		(10 episodes, 1970-1971)
John W. Carr		(6 episodes, 1971-1972)
James Langfield		(5 episodes, 1970)
Don Kelly		(3 episodes, 1970-1971)
Brian Tagg		(2 episodes, 1970-1971)
Fred Massey		(2 episodes, 1972)

Series Production Design by
Knowles Bentley		(18 episodes, 1970-1972)
Michael Grimes		(13 episodes, 1970-1972)
Denis Parkin		(4 episodes, 1970-1971)
Alan Price		(4 episodes, 1970)
Tim Farmer		(3 episodes, 1971)
Eric Deakins		(2 episodes, 1970)
Roy Graham		(2 episodes, 1971)

Series Sound Department
Phil Smith	....	sound recordist (14 episodes, 1970-1972)
John Muxworthy	....	sound recordist (10 episodes, 1970-1972)
Peter Woods	....	sound recordist / sound (5 episodes, 1970-1971)
Peter Walker	....	dubbing mixer / sound recordist (5 episodes, 1971-1972)
Alan Bale	....	sound recordist (3 episodes, 1971-1972)
Harry Brookes	....	sound recordist (2 episodes, 1970-1971)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
David Wood	....	film camera (17 episodes, 1970-1972)
Ray Goode	....	film camera (13 episodes, 1970-1972)
George Jesse Turner	....	film camera (4 episodes, 1971-1972)
Ron Bowey	....	film camera (3 episodes, 1970-1972)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cecelia Doidge	....	costume supervisor (7 episodes, 1972)

Series Other crew
John Finch	....	script editor (9 episodes, 1970)

Production Companies

• Granada Television

Runtime:

60 min (52 episodes)

Country:

UK

Color:

Color

Company:

Granada Television

Trivia:

Due to a union action by TV technicians, some season two shows were made in black and white as a protest over pay.

Great drama

A Family at War is this year's summer morning series of Finland's biggest TV channel. I had never even heard of the show until now, and thus became a fan by accident when I happened to turn on the TV at the right moment. There is something in the series that captures a viewer's interest in an instant - maybe it's the realistic touch, or the brilliant acting, or the interesting story, though probably all of them together.

I can only be amazed by the high standard of British drama, and especially by the intensity and impact of A Family at War. It is a masterpiece, a wonderful portrait of normal people during the Second World War.