User:FishLoveHam/Our Girl series 1

The first series of the British military drama television series Our Girl began broadcasting on 21 September 2014 on BBC One, and ended on 19 October 2014. The series continues the story of the show's pilot episode, as protagonist Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner) navigates becoming a soldier at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. It consists of five sixty-minute episodes.

Production
In March 2013, the writer of the show's pilot episode teased that he would enjoy working on the show if the BBC commissioned it. When the pilot, which aired in March 2013, proved successful, the team were given the green light and the first series was put into production. It was announced in December 2013, with Lacey Turner set to reprise her role from the pilot and was due to follow her character "during her first deployment as an army medic while the British Army withdraw from Afghanistan". BBC One controller Charlotte Moore teased the new series: "Our Girl is a rite-of-passage story about a young soldier beautifully captured by Lacey Turner. In the same year when our British troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the series will follow the extreme life-changing experiences she is forced to face both on tour and when she returns back home".

When writing the series, Grounds wanted to write it from the perspective of foot soldiers in Afghanistan, involving looking at things from their point-of-view. His decision to keep Molly as the focus was justified as he found it interesting to write from the perspective of a newer recruit. He added that the series "opens up much more potential" to explore the issues of soldiers and veterans in the British Army. When asked his hopes on what viewers would take from the series, Grounds responded: "You just want them to understand what it must be like going out there as a young person, to feel what Molly must feel like to be suddenly thrown into this bewildering new world. It's more than just joining the army. You want the audience to sympathise with the soldiers but also love Afghanistan as well with a bit of hope and a way forward". The series was commissioned by Moore and Ben Stephenson. Caroline Skinner and Grounds were brought in as executive producers and Ken Horn returned from the pilot as producer. The series was directed by Anthony Philipson and Richard Senior.

Despite being set in Afghanistan, the series was filmed in the Bontebok National Park in South Africa over a 49-day period. Three sets were built for the series; a forward operating base, an Afghan village, and Camp Bastion, but the weather conditions caused multiple problems on set. Horn noted that the winds were very strong on some days, to the point that set buildings were blown over, with "specialist teams" being brought in to attach steel hawsers that would act as guy ropes to keep the sets from getting damages further. He mentioned that the British Army don't face such problems as real life as they make walls out of rock and gravel, while those on set were constructed using straw. Caroline Skinner later explained: "for the first series we used the mountains of the wine region, which are very similar to Helmand Province for Afghanistan".

Actors underwent boot camp training for preperation to play their characters, the first phase went on for fourteen weeks, plus an additional six months of specialist training in their character's area. The second phase of boot camp was in South Africa and involved getting used to the climate, particularly due to the heavy uniforms and long hours. Grounds appreciated the off-screen chemistry between the cast members, explaining: "They honestly became like a real section. They were thrown together for six months, not having met before, and, as with the army, what happens in that six months could change their lives. They went through a short but intense period of training to get their heads into army life, and had to retain that focus throughout the shoot. They had to get on, bond and work together so that they became like a real platoon. We tried to utilise their youthful energy and it definitely worked to our advantage".

Grounds teased that the series would showcase "how the deployment really makes [Molly] grow up", as despite being awestruck by Afghanistan's beauty, she would be changed forever by the experience. Turner added that her character "changed quite a lot really from the beginning", having grown up, finished her training and emotionally matured, while retaining traits of "disobedience", "feistiness", "fight", and "passion". Ben Aldridge was cast as Captain Charles James, Two Section's commanding officer. Aldridge described his character as "an interesting mix of authority and fun" with a "laissez-faire attitude" and is "happy in the presence of his lads", but takes his role "very seriously". Grounds added that Molly would fall "madly in love" with him, seeing him as "a whole different level to the boyfriends she's had before". Iwan Rheon was cast as 'Smurf', a character "at the heart of the platoon" and the "conflicted" "golden boy of the section". He described the platoon as being "close-knit" and teased that Smurf would become "smitten" with Molly throughout the series. After filming concluded, Turner left Our Girl to return to her role on EastEnders.

Cast
Main • Lacey Turner as Molly Dawes

• Arinze Kene as Corporal Kinders

• Iwan Rheon as Dylan 'Smurf' Smith

• Lawrence Walker as Dangleberries

• Simon Lennon as Brains

• Nick Preston as Mansfield Mike

• Sean Ward as Fingers

• Ade Oyefeso as Nude-Nut

• Charley Palmer Merkell as Baz Vegas

• Ben Aldridge as Captain James

• Kirsty Averton as Jackie

• Becky Eggersglusz as Bashira

• Tamer Burjaq as Sohail

• Zaubin Varla as Qaseem

Recurring • Kerry Godliman as Belinda Dawes

• Flossy Grounds as Bella Dawes

• Sean Gallagher as Dave Dawes

• Adam Astill as Major Beck

• Jonas Khan as Captain Azizi

• Aubrey Shelton as Badrai

• Shu'Aib Ally as Rolex Boy

• Keenan Arrison as Taj

• Siwan Morris as Candy

• Ruth Sheen as Nan

Guest • Molly Logan as Corporal Drake

• Steven Elder as Major Brice

• Richard Sutton as Corporal Jackman

• Craig Hawks as Corporal Jenkins

• Laura Hopper as Sara

• Nigel Partington as Bastion doctor

• Kira Wilkinson as Bashira's mother

• Abdi Hussein as singer

• Tilly Vosburgh as Shazza

• Connor Allen as Jason

• Faye Winter as Coffee Shop Assistant

• Dineo Moeketsi as American Surgeon

• Farshid Rokey as Zemaray

• Paul Du Toit as Major Morley

• Nathan Fredericks as Ramazan Ali

• Lyle Davis as Goat farmer

• Khalil Kathrada as Driver

• George Turner as Sam

• Lorna Anderson as Nurse

• Alice Patten as Rebecca