Last modified on Wed 12 May 2021 08.28 EDT
It was only a couple of years ago, Iâd warrant, that the majority of people in Great Britain became aware of the fact that, although the 1967 Abortion Act has permitted the termination of unwanted pregnancies for the past 50-odd years, its remit never extended to Northern Ireland. An extraordinary grassroots campaign to give the countryâs women the same rights that exist in England culminated in Westminster forcing the decriminalisation of the procedure in 2019.
Gwyneth Hughesâs drama Three Families (BBC One) began in 2013 and took in the situation at the time, and the fight for liberalisation of the law, through a series of personal rather than political lenses. The trio of narratives were based on Hughesâs interviews with three women whose lives were altered by the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.
Hannah and Jonathan
Later this week, BBC Two will broadcast Danny Boy, which tells the story of soldier Brian Wood, whose actions during the Iraq war were controversially called into question.
But BBC One gets in on the act early with a new two-part series (it concludes on Tuesday) originally entitled When It Happens To You, which was first announced back in 2019, just as Northern Ireland was about to make a momentous alteration to one of its laws.
In 1967, the Abortion Act was passed in the UK, making terminations legal. However, the province wasn’t included, and didn’t make the change to its own legislation for another 52 years.
Three Families cast: Who stars in the BBC drama?
Updated: 7 May 2021, 13:50
TELLY fans are getting excited for Three Families - a new two-part BBC drama based on the lifting of Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion law.
The series will be shown on consecutive evenings on the BBC - but which famous faces will make an appearance?
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Who’s in the cast of Three Families?
The three main characters are played by Being Human star Sinead Keenan, former Coronation Street regular Amy James-Kelly and Sci-Fi favourite Genevieve O’Reilly.
There are also supporting roles for Bloodlands actress Lola Petticrew and Merlin star Colin Morgan.
Colin Morgan
For decades, women growing up in Northern Ireland didn’t have the same abortion rights as the rest of the UK.
Three Families is a two-part drama series from the BBC about the women and families who were placed in heart-breaking positions by the legal system.
Inspired by true stories, the series brings together three different families with their own unique experiences and trauma.
“Since I was a teenager living in Northern Ireland in the 1970s I’ve been aware of the trauma which blights so many families, torn apart by the shame of an unwanted pregnancy,” said Three Families executive producer Susan Hogg.
Thursday, 6th May 2021 at 6:02 pm
Gwyneth Hughes (Doing Money) has penned a brand new series, Three Families, based on the testimonies of real-life people previously impacted by the strict abortion laws in Northern Ireland.
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The BBC One drama follows three very different families, and the show’s central characters are based on women whom Hughes interviewed (all names have been changed to protect their anonymity and privacy).
The series synopsis reads, “A mother faces prison for trying to help her pregnant teenage daughter. Two young newlyweds learn that their much-wanted first child will die of a fatal foetal abnormality. If they lived in England, Wales or Scotland, both families could seek a legal termination. But this is Northern Ireland, where abortion laws have been among the most restrictive in Europe.”