A Family at War (1970)

Drama · History · War

A Family at War is a British drama series created by John Finch and produced by Granada Television for ITV. It broadcast from 14 April 1970 to 16 February 1972. 52 episodes were made, all but eight in colour. Episodes numbers 25 to 32 were recorded in black and white because of the ITV Colour Strike (November 1970 — February 1971). The Ashton family struggles to deal with the harsh realities of the Second World War as their sons are sent away to fight. Those who remain at home in Liverpool live in constant fear of a knock on the door with a telegram from the War Office or the Luftwaffe bombs overhead as they sleep at night.

IMDb rating: 7.8 (512 votes)
Seasons: 3
Streaming (US): Amazon Prime Video · Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · The Roku Channel · Pluto TV · Tubi TV
Language: EN
Type: TV series

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Ratings refreshed Aug 19, 2026 · 3 seasons indexed

Seasons

Season 1 (1970)

7.33 avg 13 episodes 7.1 → 7.3 51 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Facts of Life	7.1	37
2	To Die for Spain	7.1	36
3	Lines of Battle	7.6	29
4	The Summer Before the War	7.6	30
5	The Gate of the Year	7.4	34
6	The Breach in the Dyke	7.1	31
7	The War Office Regrets	7.8	31
8	For Strategic Reasons	7.1	31
9	The Night They Hit No. 8	7.6	32
10	One of Ours	7.2	26
11	Brothers in War	7.2	25
12	If It's Got Your Number on It	7.2	25
13	The End of the Beginning	7.3	26

Season 2 (1970)

7.11 avg 19 episodes 6.9 → 7.1

Mid-peak

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Other Side of the Hill	6.9	22
2	I Can Be Happy, Can't I ?	7.4	22
3	A Lesson in War	7.2	26
4	Is Your Journey Really Necessary?	7.0	23
5	The Forty-Eight Hour Pass	7.1	23
6	Hope Against Hope	6.9	21
7	A Time to Be Born	6.7	20
8	A Hero's Welcome	6.9	24
9	We Could Be a Lot Worse Off	7.9	30
10	Lend Your Loving Arms	7.5	28
11	Hazard	7.3	28
12	Giving and Taking	7.8	28
13	Believed Killed	6.6	24
14	Into the Dark	6.8	24
15	The Straight and Narrow	7.0	22
16	Clash by Night	6.8	21
17	Salute the Happy Morn	7.0	26
18	I Wanted to Be with You	7.2	24
19	A Separate Peace	7.1	23

Season 3 (1971)

7.26 avg 20 episodes 7.7 → 8.0

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Lucky Ones	7.7	28
2	For the Duration	7.4	21
3	Happy Returns	7.0	26
4	The Things You Never Told Me	8.3	27
5	You Can Choose Your Friends	7.2	24
6	Flesh and Blood	7.2	23
7	Spread a Little Happiness	7.1	21
8	Take It on Trust	7.3	24
9	This Year, Next Year...	7.1	25
10	The Fundamental Things Apply	7.0	23
11	Thicker Than Water	7.2	24
12	Breaking Point	7.3	25
13	The Lost Ones	6.7	22
14	The Sensible Thing	7.3	22
15	Under New Management	7.0	23
16	Coming Home	7.0	24
17	A Faint Refrain	6.5	26
18	Two Fathers	7.8	30
19	The Old Order Changeth...	7.0	21
20	...Yielding Place to New	8.0	28