'Incredible' World War 2 period drama branded 'best of the best'

A much-loved period drama portrays the lives of four women who were a part of the Women's Land Army during World War Two, and has been hailed "the best of the best". The organisation was responsible for having women work in agriculture to replace male farm workers who had joined the armed forces.

Initially a voluntary organization, it was later established as a form of conscription, with women from all walks of life contributing to food production. At its peak, the WLA had around 80,000 members, and its participants were known as "land girls". The TV show of the same name gives an insight into what life would have been like for women who took part in the programme.

Land Girls was on the air for the BBC from 2009 until 2011 and chronicled the loves, highs, and lows of four members of the Women's Land Army who work at the Hoxley Estate during World War Two. The show featured actors including Beci Gemmell, Summer Strallen, and Mark Benton.

The 15-episode period drama series was commissioned to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II and was BBC Daytime's first commission of a period drama.

The show centred around four characters. Joyce Fisher (played by Becci Gemmell): A sensible war orphan with a husband in the RAF. Nancy Morrell (played by Summer Strallen) was a reluctant conscript forced into joining the Land Army and initially presented as vain and seeking a husband. Annie Barratt (played by Christine Bottomley) was a cautious woman who joined the Land Army with her younger sister to escape an abusive father. Lastly, Bea Holloway (played by Jo Woodcock) is Annie's naive younger sister, who is swept off her feet by an American G.I. and faces challenges related to early pregnancy.

In the show, the women arrive at the fictional Hoxley Estate to begin their new working lives at the Pasture Farm-owned by Frederick Finch (Mark Benton). The opulent manor is occupied by Lord and Lady Hoxley (played by Nathaniel Parker and Sophie Ward). The show featured locations in and around the city of Birmingham and across the county of Warwickshire

In the plot of Land Girls, the women have joined the Women's Land Army for various reasons, but they all share the same goal, which is to help their nation win the war.

The series won "Best Daytime Programme" at the 2010 Broadcast Awards. It was later named "Best Drama" at the Royal Television Society Awards. Gemmell won the "Best Newcomer" award, while Ward and Web secured "Best Actress" and "Best Actor" awards respectively.

Land Girls has achieved 7/10 on IDMB and generally received positive reviews on the site.

One reviewer wrote: "I am not sure why some people here gave it such a low rating. People have forgotten that it's television. I found the stories very memorable and touching. It did end abruptly, but shows get canceled all the time and never finish their story lines. I would watch any further stories about the land girls."

Another said: "The series is well acted. The complaint here about cliches is itself one. Look up the history and look it up from first-person, eye-witness research. The events are based on real-life experiences, and the protagonists being women should not frighten away legitimate historians who understand the time period and the sacrifices British women had to endure."

For one reviewer, the accents were a point of contention as they wrote: "I tried, I wanted to love this, but the script is just awful. I don't know if the Yanks are really American, but the accents are horrible. The real Land Girls deserve a lot better than this."