Episode 1
Buxton 1913
52m8.0 / 10
In 1913, eighteen year old Vera Brittain tries to convince her stuffy, Conservative parents to allow her to attend Oxford, while war looms on the horizon.
Episode credits
Directed by Moira Armstrong
TV series
Testament of Youth
1979NR1 season7.8 / 10
A time when war overshadowed everything but hope
A dramatization of Vera Brittain's 1933 autobiography Testament of Youth—a memorial to a generation devastated by WWI—chronicles her experiences as a nurse in London and Malta and at the front lines in France. It opens with 18-year-old Vera, the genteel daughter of a paper-mill owner, nurturing "hopes of escaping from provincial young ladyhood." Her plan is to attend Oxford.
Availability
Not streaming in United States
Checked Sep 3, 2026
Testament of Youth premiered November 4, 1979. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.
Synopsis
A dramatization of Vera Brittain's 1933 autobiography Testament of Youth—a memorial to a generation devastated by WWI—chronicles her experiences as a nurse in London and Malta and at the front lines in France. It opens with 18-year-old Vera, the genteel daughter of a paper-mill owner, nurturing "hopes of escaping from provincial young ladyhood." Her plan is to attend Oxford.
Season 1 episodes
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Where to watch Testament of Youth
Episode 2
Buxton 1914
53m8.0 / 10
Working hard at Oxford, Vera decides to contribute to the war effort by becoming a nurse, while Roland heads abroad to fight for his country.
Episode credits
Directed by Moira Armstrong
Episode 3
1915
55m8.0 / 10
As the war continues to rage, Vera receives devastating news from all sides, which forces her to reconsider her future.
Episode credits
Directed by Moira Armstrong
Episode 4
1917
55m8.0 / 10
After another loss, Vera retreats into nursing, but the demands of her parents, and yet more tragedy, begin to overwhelm her.
Episode credits
Directed by Moira Armstrong
Episode 5
1918
55m8.0 / 10finale
Vera returns to Oxford, where she strikes up a friendship with a fellow student, before beginning to concentrate on writing.
Episode credits
Directed by Moira Armstrong
Episode information updated Sep 20, 2026
Available now in United States
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More about Testament of Youth
Cast
Cheryl CampbellVera Brittain
Emrys JamesMr. Brittain
Jane WenhamMrs Brittain
Peter WoodwardRoland Leighton
Rosalie CrutchleyMiss Penrose
Rupert FrazerEdward Brittain
Michael TroughtonVictor RichardsonJune Tobin
Credits
- Created by
- Jonathan Powell
Production details
- Status
- Ended
- Series type
- Miniseries
- Episodes
- 5
- Original language
- English
Networks & production
BBC OneUnited Kingdom
BBCUnited Kingdom
Themes
1910sbased on memoir or autobiographyminiseriesworld war i