General Chat

Small Island Episode 1
Watch:Next on:
Sunday, 21:00 on BBC One (except Scotland) (see below)

Lives and loves entwine in Andrea Levy's award-winning story of Jamaicans and Londoners involved in World War Two.

London 1948: Hortense joins Gilbert her new husband in England where he is lodging with Queenie Bligh. The women have both married in unpromising circumstances as love is a luxury neither can afford. As Hortense remembers her life in Jamaica and the profound love she had for Michael and his betrayal of her, Queenie also remembers her night of passion with the same Michael when her husband was away at war. Initially suspicious of each other, will they uncover the secret they share?



Sun 6 Dec 2009 21:00BBC One (except Scotland)
Sun 6 Dec 2009 21:00BBC HD
Sun 6 Dec 2009 22:25BBC One (Scotland only)


I read this book a few months ago and altho it was a bit hard to get into I ended up loving the story and the outcome.

Lizx

n

Me too Liz
I shall try to watch but visiting friend so doubt we will be back

Hi Linda,

Maybe you could record it to watch later, I shall probably do that so I can watch it in peace. O.h. a bit funny about anything to do with immigrants etc so prefer watching on my own.

LIzx

n

Think I heard this as a Radio Play a few years ago, when we were going on a journey, and we enjoyed it so much, we listened the next day at home

If it is the same Play, is very good, and we shall be watching this.

Mo

The music they keep playing while advertising it , is starting to stay with me, and keeps coming into my head. Anyone recognise it?

Lizx

n

I enjoyed the first part and even o.h. sort of watched it and got the hang of some of the people in it, altho I had to keep explaining who was who, but I have recorded it to watch again in peace lol
Looking forward to the second part next week.

I am sure the man who played the old father in law with shellshock was the same person played the old chap, Twister, in Lark Rise to Candleford - update, it is, his name is Karl Johnson and he is a year younger than I lol

Lizx

Just found this and see that the filming was done in Ireland!


Producer Vicky Licorish (Goodbye, Mr. Steadman) has recently completed a labour of love in the shape of ‘Small Island’, a drama from Ruby Television in association with AL Films for BBC, which chronicles the intertwining lives and loves of Jamaicans and Londoners in the 1940s where English landlords’ signs reading ‘No Irish, No Coloureds, No Dogs' appeared to be the message of almost an entire country.

‘Small Island’ was filmed in Belfast and Jamaica during February / March 2009, with a few days also spent shooting in Dublin. The crew shot for six weeks in Belfast having transformed parts of the city into post war London.

The drama feature, which is expected to broadcast as two 90 minute pieces, is adapted from Andrea Levy’s novel of the same name, directed by John Alexander (The Shadow in the North) and adapted by Paula Milne (I Dreamed of Africa). Produced by Licorish alongside Joanna Anderson (Primeval) and Grainne Marmion (The Damned United), the drama’s co-producer is Abi Bach (Consuming Passion).

The cast of ‘Small Island’ includes Naomie Harris (Miami Vice), Davis Oyelowo (The Last King of Scotland), Benedict Cumberbatch (Creation) and Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre).

Speaking to IFTN, Vicky explains her drive to produce the project: “From the minute I read ‘Small Island’ I knew that it was a very special book indeed – a wonderful portrait of a little known period of British history combined with a beautiful love story featuring characters with humanity and warmth.” The story resonated powerfully with Licorish as she is of Caribbean heritage.

With varied locations, shooting facilities and crew, the Northern Ireland shoot was a pleasure for the producer: “We were amazed at how fortunate we were in that we found pretty much all the locations we needed in Belfast. One of my favourite locations was a street at the back of the main shopping centre which we turned into an old-London street. It looked amazing in the fog, very atmospheric.

The only problem encountered was in recreating Georgian London houses as the red brick used in Belfast didn’t really suit the brief. Therefore, the crew moved shop to Dublin for three days to capture the look of elegant Georgian London. “It was tricky to find a street that would look like war-torn Georgian London,” says Vicky, “but then we found Great Queen Street in Dublin.” The interiors needed were created in Belfast’s studio the Paint Hall.

The producer continues her praise for the NI shoot by saying: “What was so brilliant about this project is that I have been passionate about it for years but everyone who joined us in Belfast brought their own enthusiasm and energy. They really went that extra mile for it. And I think that definitely shows on screen.”

The BBC is expected to broadcast ‘Small Island’ in December.

The director of photography on ‘Small Island’ was Tony Miller (Murphy’s Law). Executive producers are Alison Owen (The Men Who Stare at Goats), Paula Milne, Paul Trijbits (Fish Tank), Lucy Richer (Blood and Oil) for the BBC and Rebecca Eaton (Little Dorrit) for WGBH.

Wasn't it good?

I have found my book and will re read it after Christmas to see how close the tv drama was to the story.

Lizx

I have not been watching it, although I am sure I have read it, although I don't think that was the title of the book.
The story is so familiar to me, so I am sure I have read it.
Unless, someone can tell me I'm wrong????
Deanna X

Deanna, the title of the book is the same as the drama on tv, Small Island. I too thought it was well acted and interpreted.
I hated all the racism and bigotry tho, there is still the same attitude around from some people, which is something I loathe, the colour of a person's skin has never bothered me, it's the way they treat others that is the important thing.

I keep hearing on the news about the Alliance of Small Island States, covering many of the islands who are threatened by flooding etc and who will be stronger banding together than asking for help on their own.


Lizx

Brrr, it's perishing here today lol as Hortense would say!

Wish I was on a warm small island!

Lizx

Just heard the music again, and it reminds me of Somewhere over the Rainbow?

Lizx

Yes Liz, me too.
I just knew I had read it...
so I was 'half' right. ;-0)
I don't know why I imagined the title was different although to fair to an eedjit like me they usually do change the titles.
Schindlers List, was written as Schindlers Arc... loved it too.
Deanna X

watched last half of it sunday night
wish id seen it all
it was lovely story,
and i sat crying at the ending of how his mam had to give him away

was it a true story,
it said in magazine it was based on a novel

The copyright on the book is 2004, and it won the Whitbread Novel Award, and Orange Prize for Fiction Best of the Best 2005. It's available from Amazon for only £5.18 post free and the reviews on there are very interesting saying the story sort of echoes what parents of those writing the reviews told them about first coming to Britain.
Well worth buying, it's a book I will keep for always and re read. Have the drama on disc now too as I recorded it and o.h. transferred it to disc.

It says in the book that 'all characters in the book are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental' so whilst it may be based on some hearsay it isn't based on a true story as far as I can tell.

LIzx