A Family at War was first transmitted by Granada Television in early 1970
when it reached an immediate audience of 7.9 million homes (23.7 million viewers).
This figure later rose to 8.6 million (25.8 million viewers).
Created and edited by John Finch, who
also wrote the majority of the scripts, it was
the story of a middle class family, the Ashtons, living in Liverpool. It started in 1938
and continued through to the end of the Second World War.
The Ashton family included school teacher
Margaret (Leslie Nunnerly), younger
sister Freda (Barbara Flynn), University student Philip (Keith Drinkell), problem son
David (Colin Campbell) and daughter-in-law Sheila (Coral Atkins). The father,
Edwin, was played by Colin Douglas, and the mother, Jean, by Shelagh Fraser.
There was a younger son called Robert.
Edwin was employed in the printing works
owned by Jean's brother, Sefton (John
McKelvie), a not very attractive personality who was a widower with a likeable son,
Tony (Trevor Bowen).
The series lasted for 52 one-hour episodes
and followed the fortunes of the family
through the war, with equal emphasis on the war time conflict, and the conflicts
within the family.
It sold throughout the world, being repeated
several times in some countries, and
has recently been transmitted in India, Pakistan, and Middle East countries.
In the UK it knocked both Coronation Street
and Morecambe and Wise off the top
of the ratings, received a number of awards and many plaudits from the critics.
The series was produced by Richard Doubleday
and Michael Cox.
|
NEW YORK TIMES
on A FAMILY AT
WAR
" A lesson in quality for the US…..intelligent,
informative and thoroughly engrossing."
FINANCIAL TIMES,
T.C.WORSLEY
(Pronouncing FAMILY AT WAR the series
of the year)
"It broke all the Lew Grade rules for success
yet managed to be both good and popular".
AUGUST MAURITZEN,
NRK OSLO
Twenty years on, at its third repeat, A Family
at War was still voted best series ever on
Norwegian television."
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
"Family at War has taken over from
Coronation Street as the top television
programme of the year. Last year it held
second place with Morecambe and Wise".
SIR DENIS FORMAN
"A Family at War was the most cost
effective television series ever made."
|
|
1. Sam
