Welcome to JONN.CO.UK, the UK's best website for all things TV, Gaming and Music.

Social Media

Monday 17 September 2012

TV: Homefront on ITV



Claire Skinner (Outnumbered, Doctor Who), Clare Higgins (Parade’s Ends, The Syndicate, The Golden Compass), Nicola Stephenson (The Chase, Clocking Off, Brookside) and Antonia Thomas (Misfits, The Deep) will portray the remarkable wives and one mother of soldiers serving in war torn Afghanistan in ITV Studios new six part drama series Homefront. 

International and award-winning director Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, No Ordinary Family, The Street) and former Coronation Street producer Kim Crowther bring to life this compelling and emotional drama. 


Episode one: 

Tasha Raveley’s (Antonia Thomas) world comes crashing down when her husband, Matt, is killed in action in Afghanistan. His parents, Paula (Clare Higgins) and Howard (George Costigan) are with her to hear the tragic and ever dreaded news. 

Mother-in-law Paula, a veteran army wife goes into autopilot vowing to give her son a military send off to remember but Tasha struggles to accept her newfound status. Too young to be a widow, a single mum and alone; the only thing worth living for is beloved son Alfie. 

Officer’s wife-to-be Claire (Claire Skinner) is new to this world and all its formalities. Her fiancé, Major Pete Bartham’s (Greg Wise) senior rank immediately propels her to the top of the army wives chain of command, which brings with it a degree of responsibility. Claire does the right thing by offering her condolences, and a lasagne, to grief stricken Tasha and is ever present at Pete’s side at the funeral. Matt’s mother, Paula is moved by Pete’s eulogy; She thanks him for his kind words but Tom (Chris Reilly) is less than impressed. Paula scolds him but Howard tells her to give the kid a break, he’s just buried his baby brother. 

Back home Pete admits that Matt wasn’t a great soldier but he simply told the family what they wanted to hear. Before Pete returns to Afghanistan, he and Claire set a date for the wedding and the countdown begins. 

Ultra confident Louise (Nicola Stephenson) keeps the home-fires burning thanks to weekly Skype sex sessions beamed live to a tent in Afghanistan. Louise could have her pick of any man in Leysham but she has everything she wants in Joe (Warren Brown). Her marriage is rock solid, isn’t it? An anonymous grainy picture message of her husband semi-naked with another woman in Camp Bastion suggests otherwise… 

As the news of Matt’s death sinks in Paula starts to ask questions about how and why he died and believes that the answers lie much closer to home. She opens a letter from Matt addressed to Tasha. In the letter, Matt pours his heart out about a row he and Tasha had. Paula sees that Matt’s mind wasn’t on the job. In her grief she lashes out and blames shell-shocked Tasha. As far as Paula’s concerned Tasha as good as killed her son.