A Family At War is the tale of the Ashton family, a lower middle class clan from Liverpool. The war of the title refers both to the Second World War, during which the drama is set, and also the war within the family itself. This is no rosy-coloured view of family life – the Ashtons struggle with secrets, forbidden desires, jealousies and resentment.

Edwin Ashton (Colin Douglas) is the head of the family, although he frequently questions whether this is really the case, living in the shadow of his wealthy brother-in-law Sefton Briggs (John McKelvey), to whom he owes both his job and home. Money and social status are at the centre of the many misunderstandings with wife Jean (Shelagh Fraser), and Edwin can not stop himself from feeling that by choosing him, she married beneath herself.

The lives of their children are no less complicated and the five siblings are as different in temperament and character as are their parents. David (Colin Campbell) is the black sheep of the family, living in a squalid slum with his wife Sheila (Coral Atkins); they were forced to marry when she became pregnant with the first of their two children. In contrast, Philip is studying at university and has lofty ideals, even taking off to Spain to fight in the civil war. Robert is still seen as the baby of the family, but the war soon leads the family to accept he is no longer a child. School teacher Margaret is regarded as both sensible and strong, but her image of herself is tested to the limit through passion and tragedy. Meanwhile, Freda is young and carefree as the war starts, but love and more than one loss introduce her to the harsh realities of life.

The lives of the other characters in this classic drama are no less interesting – over time we witness the often uncomfortable relationship between Sefton and his son Tony (Trevor Bowen), as well as the disturbingly unhealthy obsession Margaret's mother-in-law from hell, Celia Porter (Margery Mason), has with her son John (Ian Thompson).

A Family At War certainly proves the old saying that “they don’t make them like that any more.” At over thirty five years old it holds up as an absorbing and thought provoking series, with shades and subtleties that have been lost in modern television drama. The standard of the acting and writing is superb, and even if the occasional boom can be seen overhead, the production standards overall are excellent. This is television as theatre, with carefully constructed characters and believable dialogue. Viewed today, when a typical soap opera scene may last for only ninety seconds, it is a delight to sink into these people’s world as scenes are allowed to unfold at a slow pace. Characters have long and realistic conversations that deliver information about them and their feelings, rather than snappy lines that are shot out merely to further the storyline.

There are a host of very familiar actors in the series, some of them appearing in supporting roles long before they became household names. These include Coronation Street stars John Savident (Fred Elliot), Julie Goodyear (Bet Lynch) and Bill Waddington (Percy Sugden), as well as Diana Davis, who for many years was Mrs Bates in Emmerdale Farm. And an extremely young John Nettles (Bergerac, Midsommer Murders) turns up in later episodes as a love interest for Freda.

Some of the principal cast also went on to greater fame – David Dixon was Ford Prefect in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Keith Drinkel was recently Maurice Gregory in Coronation Street and Barbara Flynn has not been off our screens since her portrayal of Freda. Shelagh Fraser is perhaps best known among sci-fi fans as the unfortunate Aunt Beru in the first Star Wars film, although her voice was dubbed by another actress in post-production. Not forgetting Patrick Troughton, better known as the second Dr Who, who is very moving as the hen pecked Harry Porter.

The series was a smash hit when it was first broadcast in the 1970s and it is easy to see why. Watch this to see the sort of grown-up, intelligent drama that audiences back then were treated to.

Robin Byron

A Family At War
Acorn Media UK Ltd release
Released: 7th August 2006
Total running time: 2563 minutes
Region: All regions