Set against the turbulent backdrop of forties london, this is the story of four young people inextricably linked by their wartime experiences. Stunning bbc adaptation of sarah waters novel, starring anna maxwell martin, claire foy and jodie whittaker. As air raid sirens wail, four young people find an invisible arena in which to explore their sexuality. Social conventions have been broken down and kay, helen, viv and duncan enjoy a freedom never experienced before as they engage in secret liaisons and passionate trysts. The night watch opens in 1947 as britain is trying to rebuild itself after the war. Kay is roaming the streets, haunted by a traumatic personal loss. Meanwhile, helen and viv run a marriage bureau, helping people rebuild their shattered lives by finding love. But their own complicated love lives are less easy to solve. Helen obsessively clings to her tumultuous and volatile relationship with julia while viv is continuing an affair with a married man whom she seems unable to break free from. Viv’s vulnerable young brother duncan harbours a terrible secret, when a face from his past re appears which threatens his fragile existence. Moving back in time through the forties into the middle of the blitz, the lives, loves and losses of these four central characters are unravelled. For them, the post war victory is bitter sweet, for it returns them to the margins of society from which they hoped they had been liberated. In order to build their future they must each make peace with their past. What the press said an absorbing adaptation of sarah waters' intricately plotted 2006 novel – daily telegraph gorgeous adaptation – guardian sometimes harrowing, sometimes poignant but always mesmerising, this is stunning drama – mirror release date  2nd sept 2019