Tom Grattan's War

During World War I, 16 year old Londoner Tom Grattan is evacuated to the countryside. Over about thirty 25 minute episodes he has a series of adventures. Mostly the plots relate to home front impacts due to the distant war in France, set around the Yorkshire farm of a family he is sent to stay with. The series is generally well written and directed (and improves as you go along). The sets have the look of what I imagine Yorkshire would have been like 100 years ago. The only thing I can remember to fault with the series is the mock armored tank, and I expect the production did not have the budget to re-create a more authentic looking replica of a WWI vintage tank. Several of the episodes were directed by Stephen Frears (who 10 or 15 years later directed Dangerous Liaisons).

Seeing the series again, 40 years later, after first seeing it when I about 15 years of age, my high opinion of it and enjoyment of it is undiminished. It is one of my three favorite TV series.

The series is intended for children's entertainment, so the wartime setting jars somewhat, but in some cases this is counterbalanced by a sympathetic treatment of several of the German characters.