Three Girls is a three-part British television drama series, written by screenwriter Nicole Taylor, and directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, broadcast on three consecutive nights between 16 and 18 May 2017 on BBC One.[1] A co-production between BBC Studios and Studio Lambert, the series is a dramatised version of the events surrounding the Rochdale child sex abuse ring, and describes how the authorities failed to investigate allegations of rape because the victims were perceived as unreliable witnesses.[2]
Three Girls | |
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Genre | True crime |
Written by | Nicole Taylor |
Directed by | Philippa Lowthorpe |
Starring | Maxine Peake Lesley Sharp Molly Windsor Ria Zmitrowicz Liv Hill Ace Bhatti Paul Kaye Jill Halfpenny Bo Bragason Lisa Riley |
Composer | Natalie Holt |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 3 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Lucy Richer Hilary Salmon Susan Hogg |
Producer | Simon Lewis |
Cinematography | Matt Gray BSC |
Editor | Úna Ní Dhonghaíle |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production companies | BBC Studios and Studio Lambert |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One |
Picture format | 16:9 (1080i) |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 16 May (2017-05-16) – 18 May 2017 (2017-05-18) |
Three Girls drew a strong viewing audience upon its first broadcast, with 8.24 million viewers for episode one, 7.88 million for episode two and 8.19 million for episode three.[3] The series was released on DVD in Region 2 on 8 January 2018.[4]
A BBC documentary on the case, The Betrayed Girls, was broadcast on 3 July 2017 as a follow-up to the drama.[5]
The story is told from the viewpoint of three of the victims: fourteen-year-old Holly Winshaw (Molly Windsor), sixteen-year-old Amber Bowen (Ria Zmitrowicz) and her younger sister Ruby (Liv Hill); although the focus later shifts to sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham (Maxine Peake), the main whistleblower who drew attention to the case after repeated pleas for help from social services and the police fell on deaf ears.
DC Margaret Oliver (Lesley Sharp), the lead investigator on the case, manages to gain the support of her superior officer, Sandy Guthrie (Jason Hughes) to instigate a full-blown investigation. However, despite significant evidence, the CPS decided to drop the case because of an “unrealistic prospect of conviction”. After Margaret convinces Amber Bowen to testify against her former boyfriend, Tariq (Wasim Zakir), the case is re-opened by recently appointed public prosecutor Nazir Afzal (Ace Bhatti), who with the assistance of the police and the victims involved, manages to secure convictions against ten men involved in the ring.[6]
Rowbotham, Oliver, and Afzal all acted as consultants on the series.[7]
Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[8] |
Original airdate |
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1 | "Episode 1" | Nicole Taylor | Philippa Lowthorpe | 8.24 | 16 May 2017 (2017-05-16) |
2 | "Episode 2" | Nicole Taylor | Philippa Lowthorpe | 7.88 | 17 May 2017 (2017-05-17) |
3 | "Episode 3" | Nicole Taylor | Philippa Lowthorpe | 8.19 | 18 May 2017 (2017-05-18) |
In June 2017, a terrorist attack was launched against mosque-goers in Finsbury Park. The attacker, Darren Osborne, used a van to run over Muslim pedestrians, killing one man and injuring several others. In the course of the trial, it was remarked that Osborne developed an obsession with Muslims after watching Three Girls.[9]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2017 | WFTV Awards | The Deluxe Director Award | Philippa Lowthorpe | Won | [10] |
2017 | Festival de la Fiction TV Awards [fr] | Jury Special Prize for European Fiction [fr] | Three Girls | Won | |
2018 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Mini-Series | Three Girls | Won | [11] |
Best Actress | Molly Windsor | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actress | Liv Hill | Nominated | |||
British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Director in Fiction | Philippa Lowthorpe | Won | [12] | |
Best Writer in Fiction | Nicole Tyler | Won | |||
Best Editing in Fiction | Úna Ní Dhonghaíle | Won | |||
Irish Film & Television Awards | Editing | Úna Ní Dhonghaíle | Won | [13] | |
RTS Programme Awards - West of England | Best Television Drama | Three Girls | Won | [14] | |
Best Director Drama | Philippa Lowthorpe | Won | |||
RTS Programme Awards | Mini-Series | Three Girls | Won | [15] | |
Writer Award - Drama | Nicole Taylor | Won | |||
Breakthrough Award - On Screen | Molly Windsor | Nominated | |||
Broadcasting Press Guild | Best Single Drama/Mini-series | Three Girls | Won | [16] | |
UK Broadcast Awards | Best Drama Series or Serial | Three Girls | Won | [17] | |
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Localised grooming |
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Works directed by Philippa Lowthorpe | |
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Films |
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Miniseries |
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BAFTA TV Award for Best Mini-Series | |
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