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The Great War: The People's Story

Through original diaries, letters, and memoirs, this unforgettable documentary tells how the lives of regular British men and women were transformed by the Great War. Along with historical footage, an outstanding cast of actors reenact first-hand accounts uncovered from attics, archives, and libraries across Britain.

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Cast & Crew See All

Olivia Colman
Self - Narrator
Rosalind March
Frances Evans
Alison Steadman
Hallie Miles

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

Reg, Alan, James and Dorothy

Mon, Feb 2, 201546 mins

1914:-Newly married lieutenant Alan Lloyd writes to his wife Dorothy from the trenches whilst Oxford undergraduate James Butlin, having obtained a commission also as a lieutenant, sends letters to fellow student Basil Burnett-Hall. Cockney Reg Evans, an early volunteer, writes to his religious mother, including an account of how he heroically undertook a dangerous mission though two years later a shell will explode in his face. All three men initially write in positive tones which turn to disillusion as the war progresses. Emancipated would-be journalist Dorothy Lawrence dresses as a man and cycles to the Front, from where she sends back reports until she is arrested as a spy and sent to a psychiatric unit. She will survive another fifty years and die in 1964.

Where to Watch

Awards

  • 2015 - BAFTA TV Award - Best Specialist Factual - nominated
  • 2015 - Banff Rockie Award - Best History & Biography Program - winner

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