Tuesday, 4th May 2021 at 4:17 pm
From the producers of harrowing real-life drama Three Girls comes a new BBC One drama focussing on the issue of strict abortion laws in Northern Ireland.
Advertisement
Gwyneth Hughes (Doing Money) pens the compelling two-part series, and (as the title suggests) it follows three families whose lives are impacted by the Abortion Act of 1967, which legalised abortion in the UK but did not extend to Northern Ireland.
Based on real people, the characters include a mother and daughter whose lives are upended by an unwanted teenage pregnancy, and a married couple whose much-wanted first child will die of a fatal foetal abnormality.
A new BBC drama set in Northern Ireland is to explore the emotive issues around abortion through the real stories of three local women.
Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls the multi award-winning account of the Rochdale grooming scandal is set in 2013-2019, before the recent change to abortion legislation in Northern Ireland.
The drama will centre on the stories of three women and their families as they each fight to have their voices heard. Names and details have been changed to ensure the anonymity of the real-life contributors.
The cast includes Little Boy Blue actress Sinead Keenan, Lola Petticrew from Bloodlands, Amy James-Kelly (Gentleman Jack) and Genevieve O’Reilly (The Dry).
When Eoghan Quigg spoke to the Belfast Telegraph ahead of Mother s Day last year, the singer - like the rest of us - had no idea what was just around the corner. I remember things were looking a bit weird back then, but we had no clue we d still be in this situation a year later, he says.
Because just a day after Mother s Day 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK s first national lockdown as the true impact of the coronavirus made itself known. I managed to get up to see my mum Denise, for Mother s Day last year, says Eoghan (28). But I won t this time round. There are presents in the post, and she knows I love her, but it s going to be another strange day for everyone with just a phone call to say hello.
BBC News
By Joanne Macaulay
image captionKerry Quinn said it was terrifying how quickly the fire took hold
A mother has told how she rescued her teenage son after a lightning strike set fire to her home during a thundersnow storm.
Kerry Quinn, 51, said she heard a bang, all the lights went out and the smoke alarms went off at her house in the Craigentinny area of Edinburgh.
She felt her way upstairs in the dark to reach her son, who was sleeping in bed, before taking him out to safety.
The lightning caused a huge fire which has left their house uninhabitable.
Glen Wallace reveals the OTHER Coronation Street role he auditioned for
Coronation Street star Glen reveals he originally auditioned for a completely different role on the soap.
Coronation Street newcomer Glen Wallace has arrived in Weatherfield as Lucas Kempton, an old friend of Carla’s who is already causing trouble in her relationship with Peter Barlow.
But while Glen is thrilled to be part of the Coronation Street team as a face from Carla’s past, he has revealed that he actually auditioned for a totally different part.
Glen has joined Coronation Street as an old friend of Carla’s (Picture: ITV)