Our Girl

Overview

The one-off 2013 special sees 18-year-old Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner) from the East End of London decide to join the army, deciding her life has no purpose on discovering that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. She initially keeps this decision a secret from her family, which comprised her controlling father Dave (Sean Gallagher) and doting mother Belinda (Kerry Godliman), encouraged only by the manager of the recruitment office, Sergeant Lamont (Paul Fox). When the truth is exposed, Dave demands she changes her mind, threatening to disown her from the family if she does not; leaving Molly to make the heartbreaking decision to step away as she heads off to training camp. Here, Corporal Geddings (Matthew McNulty) initially doubts Molly's strength as a potential soldier, but she strives to prove herself and eventually earns the respect of her peers, even reuniting with her mother Belinda when she visits her to apologise for Dave's actions.

The 2014 TV series picks up over a year after the end of the special, after Molly has completed training as a Combat Medical Technician. She is told she is to fly out to Camp Bastion in Afghanistan alongside her new team, 2 Section, who are all males. She is uncomfortable to discover that an ex-flame, Dylan "Smurf" Smith (Iwan Rheon) is amongst her new section, and sets off on the wrong foot with haughty team leader Captain Charles James (Ben Aldridge) a hailed war hero. On arrival in Afghanistan, Molly fights to prove herself to the men around her while also offering compassion to the locals, including eleven-year-old Afghan girl Bashira (Becky Eggersglusz), giving herself an understanding of what it is like to be a civilian caught up in the Taliban's war.

Main cast

Series 1

Lacey Turner as Molly Dawes (2013–2014)

Kerry Godliman as Belinda Dawes

Sean Gallagher as Dave Dawes

Ben Aldridge as Captain Charles James (2014–)

Iwan Rheon as Dylan Smith "Smurf" (2014)

Matthew McNulty as Corporal Geddings (2013)

Fiona Skinner as Corporal Richards (2013)

Mimi Keene as Jade Dawes

Sean Ward as "Fingers" Stille (2014–)

Series 2

Michelle Keegan as Lance Corporal Georgie Lane (2016–)

Luke Pasqualino as Special Forces Officer Elvis Harte (2016)

Ben Aldridge as Captain Charles James

Anthony Oseyemi as Captain Osman

Royce Pierreson as Dr Jamie Cole, Georgie's fiance

Sean Gilder as Max Lane, Georgie's father

Angela Lonsdale as Grace Lane, Georgie's mother

Linzey Cocker as Marie Lane, Georgie's younger sister

Molly Wright as Lulu Lane, Georgie's youngest sister

Sizwesandile Mnisi as Gaani

Michael James as Abu Jaseer né Jason Raynott

Anna Tenta as Kicki

Yusra Warsama as Nafula

Jed O'Hagan as Spunky

Mark Armstrong as Spanner

Jack Parry Jones as Jackson

Vincenzo Nicou as Elvis's Dad

Flaminia Cinque as Elvis's Mum

Caroline O'Neill as Stella

Members of "2 Section" (series 1)

Captain Charles James (Head of Platoon) played by Ben Aldridge

An inspiration to 2 Section, and their charismatic leader, Captain James is a brilliant officer and an army man to the core. So much so that he has volunteered for a fourth tour of service in Afghanistan; indeed, he’s happiest when he’s in the field of duty leading his men. He firmly believes in army rules and regulations and lives his life by them.At first, Molly’s outspoken attitude challenges everything he believes, and he worries whether she’ll make the grade. But her bravery and sparkiness soon mark her out as someone special. It’s against all protocol for Captain James to have any feelings for those under his command. But is love stronger than army regulations?

Medic Private Molly Dawes played by Lacey Turner

Feisty and unstoppable, we watched as she transformed her life from a dead end job in a nail bar in the East End of London to training up as a serving soldier in the British Army Medical Corps.As the series begins, Molly’s dreams come true when she is given a place on one of the last Herrick missions to Afghanistan. This will be the most unforgettable six months of her life – and it will either make or break her. Fearless and outspoken, Molly is a true original and struggles at first with the discipline of army regulations. This mission will be a huge rites of passage story for her, as she faces unimaginable challenges in a far flung land. Molly’s experiences in Afghanistan will see her grow as an individual and feel empowered as a woman for the first time in her life.

Private Dylan "Smurf" Smith played by Iwan Rheon

Smurf is a much loved member of 2 Section, one of the lads and the life and soul of the party. He’s bright, witty and a lot of fun to be around. He and Molly soon become firm allies and best friends, although this may turn into something more than friendship one day. Or so he hopes. But underneath Smurf’s outgoing exterior lies a darker side.He has his own mission to play out: his twin brother was killed on an earlier Herrick deployment and he feels he has a point of honour to prove on this tour. Will this cloud his judgment in the theatre of war, or will Smurf learn to let go of his demons and grow as a soldier over his time in Afghanistan?He loves Molly and he is her best friend until he dies in the final of series 1.

Corporal "Eggy" Kinders played by Arinze Kene

Private "Baz Vegas" played by Charley Palmer Rothwell

Private "Nude-Nut" played by Ade Oyefeso

Members of "2 Section" (series 2)

Platoon Sergeant King played by Rolan Bell

Private "Brains" played by Simon Lennon

Private "Dangleberries" played by Lawrence Walker

Private "Fingers" Stille played by Sean Ward

Private "Mansfield Mike" played by Nick Preston

Private “Monk” played by Sean Sagar

Special Forces

Spunky played by Jed O’Hagen

Spanner played by Mark Armstrong

Jackson played by Jack Parry Jones

Broadcast and reception

Our Girl was first broadcast on BBC One on 24 March 2013 at 9pm. Based on official overnight figures it gained an audience of 5.34 million viewers. Later figures were 6.31 million viewers.

The film has received mixed to positive reviews with Dan Owen of MSN praising Turner's acting and the moving storyline while criticising some of the characterisation and "weird shortcuts in the storyline". Sarah Crompton of The Telegraph found the film "compelling" but argued that "the depiction of the army – which became too obviously her surrogate family – would be better suited to a glossy advertising campaign than a television drama, glamorising both its methods and its personnel." Audience reaction on social media website Twitter was overall positive.

International broadcast

The series premiered in Australia on the ABC on 16 April 2015.

In New Zealand the series premiered on TVNZ on 3 May 2015.

In Sweden the series premiered on SVT on 15 June 2015.

In Germany under the title Eine Frau an der Front (A woman on the front line) and in France and Belgium under the title Molly, une femme au combat (Molly, a woman in battle) the series premiered on ARTE on 7 April 2016.