The First World War series, which Hawkesworth thought "was certainly our best" - his father had been wounded three times, two uncles were killed; Shaughnessy's father was killed and he never knew him; he found a box of correspondence between his parents which was enormously helpful.
It's a testament to how good the show is that it can be still so affecting - here for example in the brilliant story of the nasty Belgian refugees - but once they are understood, it's a whole other story. And Georgina's episode on a railway station with a dying soldier, setting up her own nursing story.
Great episode 'The Glorious Dead' written by novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard (though Shaughnessy claims he rewrote most of it) has Rose's sudden fiancé dying, whilst Hazel has an affair with a pilot (his story about shooting down a plane, and seeing the German has a dog in the cockpit with him, such a great touch) and James is back shattered and disgusted at what's happening. He confides in Hazel that every letter he writes to a family of the deceased contains lies.. then he has to comfort Rose with the same bullshit. Then, opening a drawer, he realises Hazel has had an affair... though Hazel herself cannot publicly grieve for the man.
Then 'Another Year' by Shaughnessy in which shell shocked Edward returns and gives us his best work. The Silvertown munitions factory explosion was real. And James's story of not being shot by the German officer in the shell hole was lifted from Robert Graves' experiences at the Front in 'Goodbye to All That' (1929). In contrast, the humour evident in Prue's dreadful series of tableaux is welcome, as is Mrs Bridges 'Patriotic' but disgusting cooking.
New characters: Hannah Gordon, Gareth Hunt.
Hudson: "That telephone was not installed for the likes of us!"
'Chu Chin Chow' was a musical comedy popular from 1916, based on the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.
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