Where was Three Families filmed? Filming locations of BBC’s new drama on Northern Ireland abortion laws

BBC’s new two-part drama, Three Families, tells the true story of three women who were impacted by the Abortion Act of 1967.

Based on real-life events, ‘Three Families’ explores how abortion laws led to catastrophic implications for the families and unborn children of three families.

Here’s all you need to know about where Three Families was filmed - and where you can watch it.

Where was Three Families filmed?

Filming for the series took place in Northern Ireland last year.

Locations used include Belfast, Antrim and the surrounding areas of Whitehead, Ballyhornan and Ballymena.

The Northern Irish capital has become a filming hub for TV shows in the last five years, with hit crime show Line of Duty primarily filmed there. HBO’s smash hit Game of Thrones and Channel 4’s Derry Girls were also filmed in Belfast.

What is Three Families about?

Three Families, produced by the award-winning team behind Three Girls covering the Rochdale grooming scandal, is set between 2013 and 2019, before the change to abortion legislation in Northern Ireland.

The story focuses on three women and their families who each fight for their voices to be heard. The stories are based on real life events, although birth names and details have been changed to ensure the anonymity of the real-life contributors.

The women who feature are Rosie, Theresa and Hannah.

Theresa (Sinéad Keenan) is the mother of 15-year-old girl, Orla (Lola Petticrew), who falls pregnant with an unwanted child. She must go against her own “pro-choice” beliefs to support her daughter. Theresa narrowly avoids jail after helping Orla to terminate her pregnancy.

Hannah (Amy James-Kelly) is a young newly-wed who falls pregnant with her first child, she is overjoyed to be expecting, but soon realises the child has a fatal fetal abnormality.

She and her husband, Jonathan, played by Colin Morgan, will reveal the heartache and trauma caused by the ordeal.

Rosie (Genevieve O’Reilly) is an older, wealthier woman whose unborn baby has a genetic condition, Edward’s Syndrome. Her child has no chance of survival.

Who is in the Three Families cast?

Sinéad Keenan stars as Theresa. Fans may recognise Keenan from her role in the ITV mini-series Little Boy Blue, as well as Being Human, Doctor Who and the BBC drama Care.

Theresa’s teenage daughter Orla is played by Lola Petticrew who recently played Izzy Brannick in BBC's Bloodlands.

Rosie is played by Genevieve O’Reilly, known for her work in the Star Wars franchise as Mon Mothma. She has also appeared in the role of Tarzan's Mother in The Legend of Tarzan.

Amy James-Kelly plays Hannah. Amy is best known for her role as Maddie Heath in ITV’s Coronation Street.

Colin Morgan plays Hannah’s new husband Jonathan. Morgan is most notable for his roles in Merlin and Humans.

The show also features Owen McDonnell as Mark, Prasana Puwanarajah as David, Venessa Emme as Rachel, and Kerri Quinn as Louise.

When is Three Families on TV?

Episode 1 of Three Families was shown on BBC One on Monday 10 May, at 9pm.

Episode 2 airs on Tuesday 11 May, at 9pm.

You can also watch both episodes on BBC iPlayer, on demand after they’ve been on TV.