The show focuses on a largely female cast, including notable actresses Francesca Annis, Samantha Bond, Claire Rushbrook, Fenella Woolgar and Leanne Best.

When the WI is reformed by Frances Barden (Samantha Bond), she makes the committee less exclusive and more egalitarian; she is later voted as the official President.

Meanwhile, Pat (Claire Rushbrook), a member of the committee, is being abused by her husband Bob, upon whom she is forced to wait hand and foot.

However, after a talk with his father, who fought in WWI, he accepts the idea that in order to soothe his mother's fears and give her as much time as possible to overcome them he should wait to be "called up" or drafted.

However, such is Miriam's fear of losing her son to war that when the National Registry form comes from the government, she deliberately leaves David's name off with the intention of keeping him out of the draft.

Shortly thereafter the Navy delivers an official letter which Miriam hides in a panic, assuming it is a notice of his death.

Grasping at straws, Miriam sees this as actually hopeful as it means the Navy is not sure of his death and that he may still be alive, though lost.

When war becomes even more certain, Frances and the WI decide it is time for a community air raid shelter to be installed in case of an attack.

Thus Joyce's efforts at stymieing Frances and the "new" WI, of which she strongly disapproves, are totally misdirected and the plan for the actual shelter proceeds without interference.

Fans gathered to protest against the cancellation, and a Change.org petition to bring the show back was signed by over 50,000 viewers, but the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful.