What to watch after Home Fires for a similar period drama feel?

[Yourangduckie]

I found Home Fires on U and watched both series over the weekend. Had a Google and was disappointed to see they cancelled it after two seasons. What could I watch that's along the same lines?

https://m.soundcloud.com/samuel77/home-fires-main-theme?in=flossyj/sets/twq. A small treat for you all this morning 😊😍

Also just remembered Island at War for any Philip Glenister fans out there - set in the Channel Islands

The House of Elliott, set in 1920s London is on U.

That was part but not the whole reason. The production values on this one were extremely high and the viewing figures were good but not quite good enough to justify the cost of making it. There was some debate internally at the time about whether a third season could be made more economically (one of the big costs for example was that it used a very high amount of music which wasn’t part of the collective licensing agreement and the production team was asked whether they might use library music or cheaper music but felt that would artistically compromise the show)

So ultimately the production team refused to make the show for the budget which the viewing figures for seasons 1 and 2 could sustain, and the new commissioner refused to pay over the odds for it, and to the disappointment of many (including me as I loved it too) it got cancelled.

@Yourangduckie try The Halcyon. That has a very similar feel too but unfortunately there was only one series of that one.

That’s enlightening, thank you!

No worries. It was all about operating margins in the end which was a bit of a new concept at ITV at the time!

Well done for being part of making something so clever and nice to watch. You should rightfully be very proud of that.

Another Home Fires fan here - loved it! I would recommend:
Belgravia (written by same writer as Downton)
Call the Midwife
Downton Abbey
Films like 'The Duchess'
Enjoying 'The Other Bennett Sister'
One Life (Story of Nicholas Winton) on BBC

There was some debate internally at the time about whether a third season could be made more economically (one of the big costs for example was that it used a very high amount of music which wasn’t part of the collective licensing agreement and the production team was asked whether they might use library music or cheaper music but felt that would artistically compromise the show)

Ironically I don't remember the music being a memorable part of the show. More the script and acting.

I know! If was a real shame because what felt really important to the production company wasn’t necessarily what would have been important to the viewer. But at the time, music was a real political hot potato at ITV because the powers that be wanted production teams to use a high proportion of library music (which was music where ITV owned the rights so every time the programme was shown on another channel, we’d have got money) rather than commercial music. This was just for background/incidental music so only going to have been picked up by the very discerning viewer. But the opposition to this was HUGE!

From recollection there were some other elements of HF which were expensive too and it just ended up in a stalemate

Agreed.

There is lots of music in every drama, you just don’t notice it. It’s called background or incidental music and it can be quite an expensive part of the total cost

I remember that. Really enjoyed it.
Definitely going to look it up. 😁😁

I'm so glad to find other Home Fires fans. I loved it from the second I heard the theme tune. Fantastic TV. I would second The House of Eliott, another great programme cut down in its prime! Although, every time I see on a streaming service it seems to have been oddly edited.

If you fancy listening to, rather than watching, something, I thoroughly recommend Home Front. This was a Radio 4 drama broadcast to commemorate 100 years since the outbreak of WW1. Each episode is 15 mins long and there are many, many episodes to enjoy. It's set in Folkestone and Newcastle-upon-Tyne and you follow the lives of families through their wartime experiences at home.

It's all available on Audible or BBC Sounds.

The wonderful Claire Rushbrook stars in it, too.

If you want (need) to find out What Happens Next with the Home Fires story (which I very definitely did) then there are a series of books which take up the story, narrated by various cast members. I listened to them all on Audible and can highly recommend. Such a shame they didn’t continue with it.

Lesson to production companies - consult the viewers.
There are programmes which are transformed from good to fantastic by music. Thinking of Big Little Lies and SAS Rogue Heroes.
Just not HF.

I always avoid programmes where the background music is intrusive.

So it all came down to music, that's utterly bizarre. I can understand costs etc but still seems unfair. Maybe we should start a new thread... Mumsnet Home Fires and continue the story ourselves
@EdnaMole most definitely will listen to those if I can find them.

Well it all came down to the operating margin not being at a level ITV could wear but an easy fix for that could have involved using cheaper music yes

PC 56 is very good if it's still available. 3 seasons. Shows how misogynistic the police force was for WPCs in the late 50s.
Home fires was a cracker. Very poor decision to cancel.

Documentary rather than drama but The 1940s house is on DVD, Netflix or YouTube

Here we are

Thanks @EdnaMole unfortunately I don't have any credits available. I've had a look on places like YouTube but can't find them anywhere else.

World on fire
cazalets
goodnight sweetheart