Three Families real life history: The true story behind the BBC One drama

However, they all live in Northern Ireland, where abortion laws have historically been among the most restrictive in Europe.

The series is set in the years running up to the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland two years ago, and the families we follow form part of the "emotional background" to that change in law, according to the BBC synopsis.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Lola Petticrew (who plays a teenager who takes abortion pills) describes her hospital scenes in episode one as "incredibly challenging" to film.

"Overall, of course, it was incredibly challenging. I felt like we had a massive duty of care to the [real life] contributors, who remained anonymous, even to us," she says, adding, "[The series is] incredibly important. And, you know, this was a massive moment in the history here."

Read on for the true stories and real-life history behind Three Families.

What is the true story behind Three Families?

Based on real-life experiences, BBC drama Three Families is set in Northern Ireland and follows three families whose lives are impacted by the Abortion Act of 1967. This act legalised abortion in the UK but did not extend to Northern Ireland.

The emotional two-parter explores the complex background to a controversial campaign, which culminated in the UK government forcing a liberalisation of the law in Northern Ireland two years ago, in 2019.

This change in law meant that abortion (terminating a pregnancy) was decriminalised, and neither healthcare workers nor the women and girls who seek abortions could be prosecuted.

Screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes says, "When executive producer Sue Hogg first asked me to write Three Families, I was amazed to discover that thousands of women from Northern Ireland still had to get on planes and ferries, and go to England in search of terminations they could not access at home. I’d simply never understood that the 1967 Act excluded Northern Ireland.

"I arrived in Belfast to begin my research at the height of a ferocious campaign, which culminated in the Westminster government controversially imposing legal change when the Assembly was suspended. But I did not want to write a political film, or a campaigning one. I wanted to be fair to both sides – to all sides, in fact, as in the world of real life there are always more than two!

She continues, "Classically the abortion debate is presented as two opposing and immoveable camps – “pro Life”, and “pro Choice”. But as I discovered, it’s not as simple as that. What about people like our character Theresa, who thought she was against abortion until her own 15-year old daughter fell pregnant?"

Who are the real-life Three Families and where are they now?

The three families are all based on real people (whose names have been changed), who spoke confidentially to screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes for the BBC One drama Three Families.

The majority of events in the series take place before abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland.

Theresa, played by Sinéad Keenan, is based on an unnamed woman who was embroiled in a real life court case, during which she was eventually found not guilty of buying abortion pills for her teenage daughter, Orla. This ruling, in October 2019 at Belfast's Crown Court, followed the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland.

Theresa's comments for the press in episode two are taken from the anonymous woman's real statement, released by her solicitor. "My emotions are all over the place and I find it hard to put into words how I am feeling," she said at the time.

"For the first time in six years, I can go back to being the mother I was, without the weight of this hanging over me every minute of every day and I can finally move on with my life."

Genevieve O’Reilly plays pregnant 40-year old Rosie, who appears in Three Families episode two.

"The real “Rosie” is a warm, beautiful, elegant older woman, who thought the chance of a baby had passed her by, and whose mental and physical suffering was extreme," Hughes says.

Rosie's unborn child is diagnosed with Edward's Syndrome: a chromosomal abnormality that often results in the baby dying before or soon after birth.

In the series, Rosie is shown to have a history of serious mental illness (coupled with "crippling" migraines brought on by stress), on which grounds she should be allowed to have an abortion. However, she's denied access by her doctor.

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Genevieve O’Reilly explains the research she did in preparation for playing Rosie.

"I don't suffer from migraines. And I certainly really had to... talk to different people who had [migraines] to understand the genuine debilitation of migraines and how that affects people. Also, obviously, in regard to the specifics of Edward's Syndrome, which Rosie's baby suffered from, and the realities of carrying a baby with Edward's and how you can look so much more pregnant than you are because of the excess fluid," she says.

"Also looking at the realities of how to access abortion, when you're that pregnant. The idea of getting on a plane, the complications around abortion when the baby is wanted, when the baby is so desired, then to be able to get on a plane and manage that alongside mental and emotional complications as well.

'From my reading of her, she's a full woman who I genuinely appreciate and respect. I feel like there was nothing two-dimensional about that character. I felt her history. I felt the weight of her history coming into that room with that psychiatrist. I could feel her her life as a woman."

Speaking via Zoom, O'Reilly is emotional when recalling a later scene in episode two, in which Rosie's baby has died in the womb and, prior to the induced birth, she must go shopping for baby clothes in which to bury her child.

She says, "I think many women have to go through a complicated pregnancy. What was difficult to stomach in regard to Rosie was that she had no access to her own choice around her own body. The thought of - and I still get emotional - the thought of having to be in a shop, buying clothes for a baby that is dead inside you, is heartbreaking. It still breaks my heart to this day. And I really wanted to be a part of this story, to be a part of sharing those stories."

Three Families started on BBC One last night and concludes tonight at 9pm. Both episodes will be available on the BBC iPlayer. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Drama hub for more TV news.