S1 • E1
It's 1939 and the threat of war is very real for Britain. But for some families, everyday life is complicated enough already. Such as Harry Slater, who has signed up for the army and whose girlfriend Kaye Bentley is eager for him to marry her in case war is declared. But Harry has a surprise for both her and his family and it comes in the shape of Mary Hamilton, whose upper class family is none too pleased when she announces that she is engaged to be married to Harry - not that she knows about Harry's girlfriend Kaye, however. And it is not the only surprise that the working class Slater family face when black sheep of the family Tommy returns home after time in prison. His father Tom is none too pleased to see him, but when Tommy slips back into his old ways he risks getting his younger brother Clifford involved too.
S1 • E2
Britain has declared war on Germany, but Clifford Slater has his own worries after he is arrested on suspicion of robbery after the dockyard is robbed. His brother Harry is more fortunate, freed from custody after spending his honeymoon in jail, but both he and his father take exception to his wife Mary's offer for her father to pay for legal representative for Clifford. Meanwhile Tommy is in hiding and looking for a place to stay and seeks out Moira Barnes, a young girl with a baby to lodge with. And with children being evacuated for their safety, the Hamilton family end up taking in a couple of evacuees in Janet and Phillip, but things do not go well when Dorothea accuses them of stealing.
S1 • E3
Police come calling on the Slater household after Clifford skips bail and disappears, leading to Arthur Hamilton facing court costs and informing his wife that they may need to tighten their belts in order to manage it. Tommy has discovered incriminating evidence during a house robbery on Edward Grant and decides to try a spot of blackmail on his wife Dorothea. But he has unwittingly made things worse for Moira Barnes, the young girl he was staying with, after she is thrown out of her flat for the police raid and ends up having to lodge at a chemist shop with the Hardings. Meanwhile, the women throw themselves into the war effort, but while Rose enjoys training to be an ambulance driver, Kaye is frustrated at being made to work in the camp kitchens and seeks to better her position.
S1 • E4
It's Christmas now and Mary is upset that Harry has been denied leave to come home. Pregnant and feeling miserable, she accepts Rose's offer to go to a local dance, but her decision has grave consequences. Rose faints on picking up her first patient, a Polish soldier who has been wounded in fighting, but she seems to make an impression on him. Janet and Philip's parents turn up unexpectedly at the Hamilton's home to see them, but Dorothea ends up insulting them at dinner. She still faces being blackmailed by Tommy over letters he has on her husband Edward, who is convinced he is being followed. And Moira finds herself living on the streets after being raped by Mr Harding, while Frank Slater has a stunning revelation for his family.
S1 • E5
Mary moves away to work as a teacher, still reeling from losing her baby and Harry going back to fight. The Slaters are stunned by Frank's revelation as Moira ends up staying at their home, while Ellen looks for work to try and bring in extra money without telling her husband. The Hamilton family are also struggling and it gets worse when an incident sees the Doveys quit their job. As the war effort intensifies, Tommy receives a shock when the authorities turn up at his black market lock up shop and requisition it for air munitions. Meanwhile Rose brings her new love, Polish patient Witold Wesolowski, to show her family, but encounters hostility from her father Edward, who issues her an ultimation. She is due to travel with the ATS to France, but little realizes how much that is under threat due to her father's activities.
S1 • E6
Winston Churchill replaces Chamberlain as Prime Minister, while the Slater family are in similar upheaval after devastating news in the newspapers. Harry is still fighting in Belgium, while Gran moves out to stay with Frank's estranged wife Phyllis in Ramsgate after she catches shingles from Moira's baby, who has chicken pox. Harry is still fighting in Belgium, but Tommy has news of his own for his mother Ellen, leading to his father to warn him off from the family. Kaye discovers herself the centre of romantic interest. With Harry still carrying a torch for her and having now acquired Una's boyfriend Toby Andrews, she also receives a romantic proposal from his RAF buddy Dixie. Meanwhile police raid Edward Grant's home, but when the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk begins it sees many step up to help with the relief. Mary travels down to see if Harry is among the survivors, while Frank decides to take his 14 year old son Jeffrey in his boat to Dunkirk - an action that could have fatal consequences.
S1 • E7
A body is found on the beach as Frank and Jeffrey are still missing in their boat. Harry is in hospital wounded, but when Mary arrives at the hospital she finds Kaye already there. Harry is affected by Dunkirk and when he tells his account of events, Mary tries to get her journalist father Arthur to print it in his newspaper. Meanwhile Edward Grant finds himself in custody being questioned by police over his Fascist connections, leading to Dorothea to seek Sir Cecil Mortimer for help. But her attempts at blackmail put her at a disadvantage as Sir Cecil makes a indecent proposal of his own. And she isn't the only one as Moira finds herself working as a photographer's model. She has told the Slaters she is working in a tea room, but they are suspicious about the amount of money she brings home, and Victor the photographer has a proposal for her to make some extra money.
S1 • E8
Edward Grant is released from prison on bail under house arrest. Harry receives a letter recalling him for duty, but angers his father as he reveals his intention not to fight. He also upsets Mary by refusing to have sex with her, as he still loves Kaye. She is still dating RAF colleague Toby, but refuses his proposal of marriage when things look bleak in the war. Frank warns off Tommy from his son Jeffrey for being a bad influence, but Jeffrey later spots his dad comforting Ivy Collins after her husband Reg leaves her to join the Navy. Moira tries to get money from her dad Tommy as she faces further pressure from Victor to pose for nude photographs for the war effort. And William Hamilton organizes a charity cricket match for the war, but the match ends with devastating news for one person there.
S1 • E9
Kaye is bereft when Toby dies from his injuries in hospital. When William Hamilton is injured by a German plane, his mother considers sending him to Canada for safety, leading to William to try and enlist into the RAF to avoid going. Edward confesses to Evelyn that he suspects his wife is having an affair, while Rose surprises her family by dating her superior, Colonel David Renfrew-Wallis. She later accepts his proposal of marriage, but not everyone is happy about it and things don't get much better when they go to celebrate at the Dorchester with her parents and things come to a head. Meanwhile Moira has a double shock when she learns that her husband is coming home on leave to see her, which is unfortunate as she discovers she is also pregnant. And Gran Slater has a new friend in retired actor Perce, but his appearance is an unwelcome one for Tommy when he finds that Perce knows his secret.
S1 • E10
Another bombing raid sees Frank injured when rescuing people from bombed buildings. Perce is among the dead, but Tommy's hopes of avoiding scrutiny are dashed when the police begin to close the net around him. Moira attempts to get Victor to pay for an abortion as she tries buying up her nude photos. But when Jeffrey sees one of the photos bandied among his friends he tells his grandfather, leading to a confrontation on the day of Perce's funeral. Meanwhile, Edward's confrontation with Sir Cecil Mortimer at the Dorchester have dire consequences for Rose and for himself as Sir Cecil warns Dorothea that he could be rearrested. But it all pales into insignificance when a bombing raid hits the RAF base where Kaye and Una are based, leading to the residents needing all their resources to deal with the crisis.
Evelyn Hamilton
Arthur Hamilton
Mary Slater
William Hamilton
Dorothea Grant
Edward Grant
Rose Grant
Thomas Slater
Grandma Slater
Ellen Slater