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First look at Lenny Henry's post-Windrush drama Three Little Birds

We have an exclusive first-look clip from Henry's upcoming ITV show.

Yazmin Belo as Hosanna in Three Little Birds wearing a flowery dress and beige coat and hat, with RT Exclusive in the bottom right of the frame

ITV

Published: Wednesday, 11 October 2023 at 5:53 pm

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With the release date for Lenny Henry's new drama Three Little Birds now confirmed, we now also have our first look at the series in a brand new exclusive clip for RadioTimes.com.

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The drama, which has been written by Henry and inspired by stories his mother told him, is set in 1957, and follows three women, Leah, Chantrelle and Hosanna, who make the long journey from Jamaica to the UK in search of a new life.

In the clip, Leah and Chantrelle convince Hosanna to travel to England with them, so she can marry a man named Aston.

However, when she arrives, she soon realises that the picture she's been shown isn't exactly of Aston after all...

You can watch the full exclusive clip right here now.

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We also have three new images, including one of Hosanna (above), one of Leah at the cinema and another of Chantrelle attending an audition.

Leah at the cinema in Three Little Birds sitting next to a man eating popcorn

Leah at the cinema in Three Little Birds. ITV

The series stars Rochelle Neil as Leah, Saffron Coomber as Chantrelle and Yazmin Belo as Hosanna, while Javone Prince plays Aston and other major roles are played by Bobby Gordon, Arthur Darvill and Amy Beth Hayes.

Read more:

Henry previously spoke with RadioTimes.com about his inspiration for the series, saying that "it's based on stories my mum and my aunty told me about coming to Britain in the '50s".

Chantrelle at an audition in Three Little Birds wearing a black, orange and green dress and black gloves, with a hand under her chin

Chantrelle at an audition in Three Little Birds. ITV

He continued: "It's about overcoming, it's about women and feminism. They literally came to this country and they worked hard, got their kids and men over here, and the show is about that. It's happy, it's moving, it's sad at times, and it looks beautiful."

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The synopsis teases that the three central characters are "an effervescent mix of strong personalities", while noting that "they all have very different reasons for leaving their family and friends behind in Clarendon, Jamaica".

The synopsis continues: "While we learn shocking truths about the lives they left behind, the voyage of discovery is not smooth sailing for our trio, but they are determined to succeed and overcome the many obstacles of integration and build a new life in Britain."

Three Little Birds will air on ITV1 from Sunday 22nd October at 8pm. Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, or visit our Drama hub.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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