Clare Lewis is part of a new generation of women, military medical soldiers, with rank, pay, and the right to vote, fighting on the frontlines against prejudice, racism, and the horrific damage done by World War I: They are the Bluebirds.
CLARE LEWIS of Nova Scotia is often the last person a soldier will see before they die at the No.3 Canadian General Hospital (CGH), a partially bombed-out Jesuit College in Boulogne-Sur-Mer. But healing the boys damaged by The Great War is only part of Clare’s battle. For the first time in history, Clare and her fellow nurses are ranked on par with the officers. As Lieutenants and Majors, they are the only women in Canada to have military designations, pay, and the right to vote. But power politics between matrons, officers, nurses, and doctors threaten what little peace there is on the ward. And tensions rise as Soldiers and nurses from around the world --Canadian, British, Belgian, American, Punjabi, Japanese, German, and Indigenous – arrive at the hospital, bringing the battle against prejudice and privilege to the frontlines of World War I. This elite group of women fights to break the shackles of gender roles and claim the new identities they have found on the battlefield, ones that are as bright and hopeful as their namesake - The Bluebirds.
Based on the award-winning stage play Vimy, by Governor General’s Award-Winning playwright Vern Thiessen, the narrative of The Bluebirds comes with a strong existing IP and proven audience appeal. The Bluebirds is targeted at a female-skewing demographic aged 30-49, much like that seen with The Crown. With a secondary audience of 2LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities looking for binge-worthy period dramas. Women are taking center stage in genres across the board - from period dramas like The Knick, and The Great, to wartime stories like Their Finest, Bomb Girls, and A Call to Spy. Audiences are demanding female lead content and The Bluebirds delivers a gritty, dramatic, binge-worthy look at the women of WWI.
