PBS’ Home Fires is red hot with entertaining cattiness

What is it? Home Fires, Season 1, six episodes on two discs from PBS When? Now How much? $39.99 So is this about firemen? Not literal fires. It’s just an old saying. You know, “Keep the home fires burning.”

It’s August 1939, and the English town of Great Paxford is preparing itself for war. The men, young and not so young, are debating whether to enlist or worrying that medical problems will keep them out of a battle they desperately want to join. But the real story here is the women. With war coming, Joyce Cameron (Francesca Annis), the imperious, upper-crust president of the local chapter of the Women’s Institute, decides it would be best to close the institute for the duration, and she uses her considerable influence to try to make that happen. She finds stiff opposition from Frances Barden (Samantha Bond), who is also upper-class and headstrong but far more egalitarian and amiable.

Frances sees the institute as a weapon that can be used in the forthcoming war to help combat food shortages and other homefront worries. Besides, the institute is a major source of support for the women of the village, who all have battles to fight.

Miriam Brindsley (Claire Price), the butcher’s wife, is positively terrified that her son will be accepted into the Navy, despite his childhood history of asthma. Meanwhile, Erica Campbell (Frances Grey) is relieved when her husband, Dr. Will Campbell (Ed Stoppard), is turned down, but devastated when she learns why.

Then there’s Pat Simms (Claire Rushbrook), who would be secretly thrilled if her sadistic husband (Mark Bazeley) would go as far away as possible. Or Alison Scotlock (Fenella Woolgar), whose husband was killed in World War I and now finds her loneliness and grief surging again.

For these women, along with Frances’ more level-headed sister Sarah Collingborne (Ruth Gemmell), illiterate farmer’s wife Steph Farrow (Clare Calbraith) and young servant Claire Hillman (Daisy Badger), there is support and relief in the local Women’s Institute. With Frances at the head, they forge on, meeting, making jam, raising money for ambulances and doing whatever they can to help the war effort, despite Joyce’s constant attempts to derail them.

How is it? Very entertaining. It’s rather soapy, really, with the war acting as more of a hook. There are typical affairs, secrets and equal doses of cattiness and sisterhood mingling with war-specific issues like profiteering, air raids, conscientious objectors and food shortages.

It’s all very well acted, funny and moving, and the setting gives it a little extra kick.

New this week: Ancient Aliens, Season 8; Archer, Season 6; Broad City, Season 2; Father Brown, Season 3, Part 1; Flesh & Bone, mini-series; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Season 10; Legend, Complete Series; Luther, Season 4; Partners in Crime, mini-series; Party of Five, Complete Series; True Detective, Season 2.

Next week: The Americans, Season 3; Hill Street Blues, Season 7; Maison Close, Season 2; Mr. Robot, Season 1; The Wonder Years, Season 4.