As you can imagine, I'm pretty gutted. Yes, it's just a TV show, but in a way it's so much more important to me. I'm not surprised it's getting cancelled - Global had to change its schedule to make way for the 11 billionth season of Survivor, and having to stay up until 11 p.m. on Mondays to watch a show is pretty tough even for a die-hard like me (note: Ian just made fun of me for this. Whatever, dude. I'm an old lady). I'm not saying that it's perfect, but I am really going to miss it. I was somewhat disappointed with the finale, so I really hope the movie does it justice. I suppose I should be happy that it's ending on a high note, like Twin Peaks, and won't get dragged out to death like The Simpsons.
But, in case the big-wigs at Global are reading my humble blog, here's why I hope Bomb Girls lives on to see another day. Or that they make a spin-off called "Shirtless Marco" where Marco just arm-wrestles random guests. I'd watch.
Addenum: I got a note from Claire at Save Bomb Girls, and I wanted to share it with you all. "We're raising money to send up to 1,000 Victory Bandanas to Global TV and in 24 hours we raised $2,000 towards this. Once we have enough for 1,000, all of the extra proceeds will be donated to the Ajax Bomb Girls memorial fund."
I should note that this post may contain some spoilers. I've done my best not to give anything away for my American and European readers, but my apologies if something slips through my spoiler filters!
All photos are from the Bomb Girls Facebook page.
It tells an important part of Canadian history
Bomb Girls is different - it tells about the fight going on at home while war rages on in Europe. It helps to remind us that women sacrificed a lot for the war effort, and that the war had repercussions that reached far beyond Europe and Asia.
Not only does Bomb Girls shed light on how Canadian woman jumped into the workforce, it also sheds light on the less-than-ideal viewpoints of the past, like discrimination due to ethnicity, gender, sexual identity and even social class.
Us Canadians like to pretend that we treated everyone with the respect they deserve, but it's not true. Bomb Girls might show the "good side" of the war effort, but it also shows the bad side, and choses not to gloss over the negative side of the 1940s or glamourize the war.
There are some flawed characters
If I had a dollar every time I called Gladys or Carol a cow (or something a little saltier) I'd be rich! Every character on this show has a flaw: Gladys tries a little to hard for people to like her, Vera tries to make up for her injury in 'other ways', Kate is turning into quite the liar, Lorna is prejudice, Betty is too independent and can't get over Kate, Marco get caught in with the "wrong crowd" etc etc. If they were all perfect I'd probably would have shut off the show a long time ago. Drama makes for great television.
The style
Ok, I admit that the main reason I watch Bomb Girls is because of the costuming and the hair. How can I resist? I think I shout "Great dress" or "I need those shoes" about 15 times every episode. It's given me great inspiration for styling, shopping and sewing. I wonder what they're going to do with the costumes after the series ends....
Did I miss anything? What do you love about Bomb Girls?
I skipped most of your post because I'm 2 episodes behind what it currently airing in the US. I just had to tell you that I'd support a "Shirtless Marco" spinoff. Hey, if they turn it into a reality/competition-type show, not only will it's chances be greater, but we can all arm wrestle shirtless Marco.
I'm with you on every point, Laurie. I wasn't overly surprised when they pulled the plug either (so many good Canadian shows only stick around for a little while, it seems), but by the same token was a little taken aback because it (Bomb Girls) really seems to have developed a big fan base around the world (I've swapped emails with gals in places as diverse as Brazil, the UK, and Romania who've all said they loved this Canadian show). I really commend the efforts being made to try and save BG and hope that they'll be able to change the minds of those with the power to reverse this decision.
Fingers crossed!
♥ Jessica
I agree with every point. It is an important part of history, especially the rolls women played. I am going to miss this show so bad! I adore the era, the clothes, the characters. *sigh*
I was so sad it was cancelled! I'll admit my favourite part of the show had to be the clothing and styling. I also loved the historical aspect. My grandmother actually worked at the Ajax factory, so it was really neat to get at least a loose idea of what life would have been like for her during the war.
thanks for sharing....
What a great idea!
I was so sad when I found out there would be no season 3. We are really left hanging on some of the story lines. This is a show about our mothers, grandmothers and male relatives too. It affects all of us even now. I didn't care about history when I was in school and have learned most of it thought these wonderful shows. Please, please, please continue to teach me!
We are finishing the Bomb Girls series on Netflix and are disappointed that the show will end. There are many loose ends that could fuel several seasons. We hope that the cordite hasn't clouded their business judgment. When does the movie air? Is it called "Bomb Girls"?