Our Girl fans finally had confirmed last month that BBC One’s army drama would be returning in 2016 for a second season.

However, the announcement was bittersweet, as it was also revealed that lead actress Lacey Turner (Eastenders) has stepped down from her role as medic Molly Dawes and would not be returning for the five new episodes. She is to be replaced by ex-Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan.

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> Buy 2013’s feature-length Our Girl special on DVD on Amazon.

Here we look at the reaction to the announcement and what this means for the show’s future…

 

For: Tony Grounds’ return 

Having loved the original run, it was great to hear that creator Tony Grounds is returning to Our Girl given how masterfully he helmed the first season as both a writer and executive producer, alongside Caroline Skinner (Doctor Who).

He has a very strong vision for Our Girl and he has championed that the show could run on as the Army background of the show is ripe with storytelling potential. The change in location, from Afghanistan to a Kenyan refugee camp, will also provide some interesting storylines.

Lacey Turner commented that despite her departure she knows “that Tony will write a fantastic series full of action and drama with great characters” and she is very much correct. The man who contributed to such varied dramas as The Canterbury Tales, The Bill and Cracker can really be trusted to steer Our Girl in the right direction.

 

Against: No more Lacey Turner 

Fans are most devastated by Turner’s choice to leave the role.

Turner explained “I had an amazing time making Our Girl and taking Molly on her journey. Unfortunately I won’t be able to take her through this series as I’m currently busy working on EastEnders.”

While her loyalty to the soap is admirable, there is surely a creative reason they could have come up with to write Lacey out for a few months and then have her return, similar to her last Our Girl filming stint. (After all, the writers stuck Ronnie in a coma for five months just so Samantha Womack could film the new season of Sky1’s Mount Pleasant.) This would surely also renew interest in the character and her plot lines on Eastenders, while raising the profile of both shows through her starring role.

When questioned about the chances of a second season of Our Girl in a Twitter Q&A last October, Tony Grounds responded that he “would love to see more Molly Dawes.”

Reading between the lines you can see he wanted Lacey to return, as opposed to carrying the show on with a different cast in its new direction. As he explained, he can “understand people’s sadness at no Molly, I’m sad too but [it] was Lacey’s choice to stay at EE.” How that decision will affect Turner remains to be seen, as Molly Dawes is definitely her most iconic role after Stacey Slater.

 

For and against: Michelle Keegan’s casting 

Many are unhappy, not just with Lacey Turner’s decision not to return to the role of Molly, but also that Michelle Keegan is seen as a suitable replacement.

The general consensus is that Keegan is not a strong enough actress to carry the weight of the show on her shoulders. This may be a tad unfair.

Michelle Keegan, like her predecessor Lacey Turner, had her start in a continuing drama and was very popular as Tina McIntyre in Coronation Street. She also had a well-received role in BBC One’s recent drama Ordinary Lies, which no doubt put her into the eye of casting directors looking for a suitable and similar replacement. However, it does remain to be seen whether Michelle Keegan’s  will prove as popular as medic Corporal Georgie Lane.

The actress is a fan, however: “I’m a massive fan of the series so I can’t wait to be a part of it. It’s going to be a big but exciting challenge for me so I can’t wait to get started.”

 

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