How a British television drama captured the domestic reality of the Second World War

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Aired between 1970 and 1972, A Family at War offered a granular look at the Ashton family in Liverpool. Spanning from 1938 through the conflict, the series explored how global upheaval reshaped the lives, ambitions, and fragile relationships of a lower middle-class household facing an uncertain, encroaching future.

Created by John Finch and produced by Granada Television, the series followed the Ashton family as they navigated the socio-economic pressures of late 1930s Britain. Edwin Ashton, a man who ascended from a mineworker's background to a printing company role, finds his professional aspirations stifled by his brother-in-law, Sefton Briggs. Briggs, a stern businessman, prioritizes his own son, Tony, for management, leaving the experienced Edwin sidelined. This domestic tension serves as the foundation for the family's broader struggles as the political climate of the late 1930s begins to fracture their lives.

The narrative follows the five Ashton children—Philip, David, Robert, Margaret, and Freda—each dealing with the war's demands in distinct ways. Philip, a committed leftist, had already experienced combat as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. David, unable to secure civilian employment, enlists in the RAF, while his personal life becomes complicated by an affair with Peggy despite his marriage to Sheila. Meanwhile, the eldest daughter, Margaret, faces the challenges of a difficult relationship with her mother-in-law, Celia, after marrying John Porter. These personal dramas are set against the backdrop of a nation facing the existential threat of the Second World War.

Production of the 52-episode series was marked by technical challenges, most notably the ITV Colour Strike, which forced episodes 25 through 32 to be recorded in black and white. The show's opening sequence, featuring a sandcastle being reclaimed by the tide under a Union Flag, served as a potent symbol of Britain's isolation during 1940 and 1941. Today, the series remains accessible, though viewers should note that the UK DVD release by Acorn Media contains edited footage. Interestingly, a 2015 release in the Netherlands includes scenes that were cut from the UK set, offering a more complete version of the original broadcast.

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