Land Girls

Discover how the Women's Land Army stood guard as a largely unheralded part of British war history. Those who served risked their lives while sharing hardships and working alongside captured POWs. The BBC commissioned this vivid, award-winning five-part series to remember the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II. Share the brave, moving and dramatic stories of Annie, Bea, Joyce and Nancy, four young women stationed in rural England who toil in the fields to grow food for the war effort. Look for medal-winning performances by Nathaniel Parker (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries) and Sophie Ward (Young Sherlock Holmes).

Season 1, Episode 1: Childhood's End
Original Air Date-7 September 2009
Halfway through World War Two sensible Joyce, a war orphan with a husband in the R.A.F. and vain Nancy, a reluctant conscript, arrive at the village of Helmstead to work as land girls at Pasture Farm with Frederick Finch and his son Billy. Along with married Annie and her teenaged sister Bea - whom Annie has brought along following an incident back home - they are billeted at Hoxley Hall.Lady Ellen Hoxley, a haughty aristocrat, runs local war charities but her husband Lawrence, a wounded Great War hero, is kind and approachable, inviting everyone to his wife's charity dance. Bea befriends some black G.I.s and asks them along in contravention of a colour bar and is upset when they are refused entry. She gets drunk and allows herself to be used for sex by sneaky American corporal Cal Gillespie and then gets thrown out after trying to punch him. Nancy sets her sights at his Lordship and Lady Ellen is not amused.

Season 1, Episode 2: Secrets
Original Air Date-8 September 2009
Bea is pregnant by G.I. Cal, and tells a shocked Annie - who cannot have children herself - that she wants an abortion. Annie dissuades her and, with Billy, confronts Cal in the pub where a fight breaks out. Bullying Home Guard Sergeant Tucker is convinced there is a collaborator on the farm and settles on Nancy, who can speak Italian. He gets Ellen, the Land Girls leader, to spy for him. She is reluctant but searches Nancy's room whereupon Nancy accuses Bea of going through her clothes. Billy tips Nancy off as to Tucker's suspicions.Joyce wins Lord Hoxley's respect when she helps him with his sick horse, though it is ultimately shot, causing a further rift between him and his wife. He ends up kissing Nancy. Annie meanwhile learns that her husband has been killed in action.

Season 1, Episode 3: Codes of Honour
Original Air Date-9 September 2009
As Lawrence and Nancy continue their affair Esther, the Land Girls' supervisor, reluctantly hands Nancy's letters to Tucker, who arrests her as a spy because her father is Italian and her real surname is Morrelli but Lawrence steps in and has her released. Esther finds out that Bea is pregnant but, for the time being, decides to keep her secret. Farmer Finch has a narrow escape when a Rations Officer comes close to arresting him as a black marketeer. Joyce's husband John is less fortunate.He temporarily deserts to see her as he is scared his first bombing mission will be his last. Nancy unintentionally puts Tucker onto him but he escapes when Tucker has a car crash.

Season 1, Episode 4: Trekkers
Original Air Date-10 September 2009
John returns to his base and is posted on active service. Nancy is going to drive Joyce to see him but cries off when Lawrence tells her that his wife will be away for the weekend and they can spend the time together. Joyce catches them kissing and tells Lady Ellen, who makes Lawrence take Joyce instead. 'Trekkers' - bombed out families - arrive at the farm, looking for work and Annie befriends Adam Blackfield and his sick, shell-shocked mother who get left behind when the other trekkers are forced to leave,following a burglary at Hoxley Hall. She fetches a doctor for the old lady but she dies. Billy proposes to Bea, just before she goes into labour and gives birth to a son. Annie is told that her husband has been found - alive,

Season 1, Episode 5: Destinies
Original Air Date-11 September 2009
Billy marries Bea, having convinced himself that she is not using him and they love each other. John Fisher attends the wedding, as does Adam, with whom Annie is now in love and prepared to ask her husband Harry for a divorce. Bea is disapproving, given that her sister's marriage to Harry got them away from an abusive father. Lawrence tells his wife he is leaving her for Nancy. She tries to bribe Nancy with a hundred pounds and tells her Lawrence was not a war hero. However, when an increasingly deranged Tucker accuses Adam of sabotage after a faulty grenade explodes and points a gun at him, Lawrence intervenes and is killed. Nancy leaves the farm,having made it up with Joyce. Annie is shocked to find that Harry is disfigured and an invalid but nevertheless tells him that she wants to move on.

Directed by Paul Gibson, Stephen Hughes
Written by Roland Moore
Produced by Erika Hossington
Executive Produced by Will Trotter
Original Music by Debbie Wiseman
Cinematography by Andy Payne, Chris Preston
Film Editing by James Hey, Simon Prentice
Costume Design by Lyn Harvey