Here we look at the reaction to last month’s big Our Girl announcement and what this means for the show’s future…
For: Ben Aldridge’s return
Tony Grounds has hinted heavily that Ben Aldridge will be back.
The return of Aldridge’s Captain James would act as a familiar link and consistency to bridge the gap for the returning audience, without alienating new viewers. As long as his return is done with respect to his development in Season 1 this will be a welcome return, although I do worry about the ‘have you got a girl back home?’ conversation and a quick mention of how things ‘didn’t work out with Molly’ in order to move the story forward.
Against: Our Girl 2.0
Many seem to think that with Turner’s departure, Keegan’s casting and only rumours of any returning cast, the show will not really be the same or have the elements that made it so successful – at best it will be a diluted version of what the show was at its peak.
Taking an idea and creating a whole new show within its structure is a strong gamble. Skins didn’t necessarily gain everything from changing the cast every two years whilst keeping the same format. Even American television show True Detective, so brilliant in its first season, has seen a mixed reception for its second year, given its entirely new cast and setting.
Perhaps it’s time to bring back other cast from the original Our Girl TV movie or last year’s first season to retain some of the original elements, given that so many of them have now moved on.
With so much change happening within the show its unlikely we won’t see or feel some of those changes on screen. That said, change is often good and could widen the format for Our Girl to expand beyond one girl’s story and explore many aspects of being a female in the modern Army.
This could make for captivating viewing whilst different lead protagonists can influence the storytelling in different ways. It’ll be a challenge for the writers, but only time will tell if it’s a smart move.
> Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy 2013’s feature-length Our Girl special on DVD on Amazon.
Are you looking forward to the return of Our Girl? Let us know below…