Days of Hope

Days of Hope is a BBC television drama serial produced in 1975. The series dealt with the lives of a working-class family from the turmoil of the First World War in 1916 to the General Strike in 1926. It was written by Jim Allen, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach.

The story opens in 1916 with Ben Matthews joining the British Army for service in World War I. He is transferred to Ireland in order to face local rebels during the Irish revolutionary period (1912-1923). In 1921, Ben's army unit is relocated to County Durham and ordered to face striking miners. Ben decides to desert his army duties, allying himself with the miners during a revolt. Offered hospitality by one of the miners, Ben starts a romantic relationship with his host's eldest daughter. In 1924, Ben is an ex-convict and he joins the ranks of the Communist Party of Great Britain. The action then shifts to the General Strike in 1926, with union leaders betraying the miners and acting against them.

The series was controversial for depicting the British Army using conscientious objectors as bound targets for enemy fire during World War One, but an army veteran published war-era illustrations of this practice in newspapers to establish that this was a real-life event and not fiction. The series was also controversial for its negative portrayal of the former prime minister Winston Churchill, highlighting his actions against the coal miners during the strikes of 1921 and 1926 while comparing him to a vulture. In contrast, the series offered a positive portrayal of the Russian leader Vladimir Lenin and compared him to an eagle.