Backs to the Land
Backs to the Land is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 15 April 1977 to 1 September 1978. Starring Philippa Howell, Terese Stevens and Marilyn Galsworthy, Backs to the Land is set during World War II. It was written by David Climie and the theme song was sung by World War II sweetheart Anne Shelton. It was made for the ITV network by Anglia Television.
Cast
- Philippa Howell - Shirley Bloom
- Terese Stevens - Jenny Dabb
- Marilyn Galsworthy - Daphne Finch-Beauchamp '
- John Stratton - Tom Whitlow
- Della Paton - Ethel Whitlow
- David Troughton - Roy Whitlow '
- Michael Troughton - Eric Whitlow '
- Alison Leggatt - Lady Bramston '
- Arthur Lovegrove - Tilford '
- Jeremy Child - Captain Truscott '
- Pippa Page - Bunny Burroughs ''''
- Stephanie Fayerman - Aggie
- Charles Lamb - Wally
- Geraldine Newman - Miss Rainbow
- Peter Tuddenham - ''Landlord''
Plot
Backs to the Land starts in 1940 with three young women who are in the Women's Land Army, going to work in a farm to replace the men who have gone to war. The three women are Daphne, Cockney Jenny, and Jewish, down-to-earth Shirley. They end up at Crabtree Farm in Clayfield, Norfolk. The owner is Tom Whitlow, and his sons are Roy and Eric.Episodes
Series One (1977)
- "A Miss Is As Good As A Male"
- "Nymphs & Shepherds Come Expensive"
- "Alarms, Excursions and Day Trips"
- "Sons and Lovers, God Forbid"
- "We Shall Fight Them In The Breeches"
- "All Is Somehow Gathered In"
Series Two (1977–78)
- "Enter Flirting"
- "All Mod. Con-Tricks"
- "Nickers In The Woodpile"
- "The Warsaw Overture"
- "The Magnetic Pole"
- "New Broomsticks"
Series Three (1978)
- "Rainbow Around My Neck"
- "Remains to be Seen"
- "Let's Talk Turkey"
- "Waits and Desperate Measures"
- "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You"
- "A Day Dog and Doris"
- "Right Royal"
DVD release
All three series of Backs to the Land have been released on 28 June 2010 and on 6 February and 9 April 2012. A 3-disc set of the complete series is scheduled to follow at some point.| DVD | Release date |
| The Complete Series 1 | 28 June 2010 |
| The Complete Series 2 | 6 February 2012 |
| The Complete Series 3 | 9 April 2012 |
| The Complete Series 1 to 3 Box Set | TBA |