Land Girl drama for BBC One
BBC One has commissioned a new five-part drama for its daytime schedules revolving around four women who work in the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War.
BBC One is stepping up its commitment to daytime drama in its schedules by commissioning a new five-part drama about four women who work in the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War. The five-part drama is likely to be stripped across a week as was Missing and Moving On. The drama has been commissioned by Liam Keelan, controller of daytime, and will tie in with a season of programmes on the BBC marking the 70th anniversary of the war.
The BBC has stepped up its commitment to drama in its daytime schedules since the departure of 
Aussie soap Neighbours, which moved to Five. The corporation has put the money saved from Neighbours into several dramas for its daytime schedules such as Jimmy McGovern’s series of plays, Moving On which aired just a few weeks ago. The BBC also ran five-part drama Missing earlier this year that starred Pauline Quirke and Mark Wingett as Police Officers who investigate missing people. The ratings for the five-part drama weren’t bad and the BBC are said to be considering commissioning a second series – although no final decision has been taken yet.
The new drama, Land Girls, has been created by Ronald Moore and is being produced by the team behind Doctors – with John Yorke and Will Trotter as Executive Producers. It will star West End and Hollyoaks actress Summer Strallen, Hope Springs actress Christine Bottomley, All the Small Things actress Jo Woodwock and stage actress Becci Gemmell. It’s expected to air this September on BBC One and BBC HD.