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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Hello, All.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">I have been so intrigued by Scott Filderman's discussions of the Dutch box of A FAMILY AT WAR that I purchased a set of my own and am now binge-watching it. I just saw Episode 34 ("For the Duration"), which
tells of John's return to accountancy work and another tumultuous visit by Gwyn Roberts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">This time through, one thing that strikes me is how consistent the 52 episodes are, in terms of story line and character, despite the fact that 18 writers were involved in creation of the various scripts.
For instance, "For the Duration" was written by David Weir, but Gwyn's personality is retained perfectly from his appearance in Episode 3 ("Lines of Battle"), which was written by Stan Barstow.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">How to explain this remarkable consistency? Each episode in the series ends with the words "Series devised and edited by JOHN FINCH," and I suspect that his editing is responsible for the seamless connections
from one to the other. If a character strayed too far from John's conception, no doubt he would have the final say on whether to let it stand. This is yet another element that makes A FAMILY AT WAR such a fundamentally strong series, from beginning to end.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">By the way, here is a list of the series writers:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">John Finch - 29<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Alexander Baron - 6<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">David Weir - 3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Geoffrey Lancashire - 2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Jack Ronder - 2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Roy Russell - 2<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Stan Barstow - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">James Brabazon - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">John Foster - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Robert Furnival - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Harry V. Kershaw - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Elaine Morgan - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Susan Pleat - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Jonathan Powell - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Philip Purser - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Leslie Sands - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">John Stevenson - 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">John Wiles – 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">(This totals 56 because 4 of the 52 episodes were co-authored by John Finch and someone else.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Richard Veit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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