The Crimson Field series 1 finale aired on May 11 and some reviews slammed the episode.
For instance, the Independent said that tension was “artificially hyped by Edith Cavell’s execution but it’s hard to believe.”
“If you like your wartime dramas fluffy and comforting you will have enjoyed this series. If you saw this as a great opportunity for the BBC to explore a different side to WWI then it’s unlikely you’ve kept watching,” it said.
“Saying ‘I am a nurse’ is meaningless if there’s no nursing to be seen, and little dialogue between characters about anything other than the men in their lives. For a series celebrating the women of WWI it’s a sad indictment it probably would not pass the Bechel test. Especially one which chose to finish remembering Edith Cavell.”
The show got fairly strong viewer figures but BBC hasn’t yet renewed it for a series 2.
A report on CarterMatt posits that BBC, though, isn’t super confident about the ratings right now.
“Another issue may be figuring out what the future for the show is going to be, given that Oona Chaplin has some other potential TV gigs out there in the US and they want to learn whether or not they’ll have her still around. Even if she is unable to continue with the show, though, it is hardly like this is a new situation for the BBC. They did something similar earlier this year with Peter Capaldi leaving ‘The Musketeers’ in order to focus on ’Doctor Who.’
“If we had to guess, we would wager that the show would get one more six-episode season and have that be it. 12 episodes is a suitable length for a British series, and this isn’t going to be like ‘M*A*S*H’ and go on for many years despite it only taking place over a shorter period of time.”
