Three Little Birds is praised by viewers for its ‘superb’ cast and Lenny Henry’s ‘eye opening’ script as fans thank the star ‘for telling this story and not holding back’

British Windrush drama Three Little Birds aired its first episode to great praise on Sunday evening.

Set in 1957, the six-part ITV1 drama follows three young women who leave Jamaica to set sail for a new life in Britain.

Written by Sir Lenny Henry, the plot is inspired by his mother’s stories of leaving the Caribbean island for Britain.

The series, which takes its name from the famous Bob Marley song, stars newcomer Rochelle Neil, former EastEnders actress Saffron Coomber, and Dr Who’s Arthur Darvill.

The first episode sparked an outpouring of praise on X, formerly known as Twitter, as viewers praised the ‘amazing’ cast and Sir Lenny’s ‘eye-opening’ script.

The series follows Rochelle and Saffron’s sociable sisters Leah and Chantrelle, who convince their Bible-loving acquaintance Hosanna (Yazmin Belo) to join them on their adventure around the world as a potential wife for their brother Aston Brahms (Javone Prince). .

One viewer tweeted that they “felt honored to watch the first episode with my grandma. She commented all the time and talked about her experiences coming from Jamaica. I’m so happy that she can see herself and her story represented. Thank you to everyone involved for telling this story and not holding back.”

Another declared that ‘this will be my new Sunday night watch!’

‘I really enjoyed watching #ThreeLittleBirds tonight. I am already glued to the stories of the characters in the drama. I can’t wait to see what happens next,” another added.

‘Brilliantly written by Lenny Henry and the cast is fantastic, looking forward to the other episodes’.

Sir Lenny Henry has revealed that his late mother Winifred was one of the inspirations that led him to write new ITV drama Three Little Birds.

The comedian, 65, has written the series which follows the story of two sisters and their girlfriend who emigrated to Britain from Jamaica, arriving in 1957 as part of the Windrush generation – which later became a scandal.

Pen to paper: the plot, written by Sir Lenny Henry, is inspired by his mother’s stories of leaving the Caribbean island for Britain

Praise: The first episode sparked an outpouring of praise on X, formerly known as Twitter, as viewers praised Sir Lenny’s ‘amazing’ cast and ‘eye-opening’ script

Those who made the journey, including Lenny’s mother who sadly died in 1998, in an attempt to help Britain rebuild after the Second World War, were arrested years later, denied their legal rights and threatened with deportation, despite having already left Britain had made it their home for decades. scandal which the star described as ‘terrible’.

Lenny told me The mirror: ‘We are in a situation where someone’s nationality and Caribbean character is being used as a weapon to send people back to their homes, even though they have lived here and become British.

Adding: ‘The Windrush scandal has been terrible and has hurt a lot of people.’

Lenny, who was mentored in writing the series by Dr Who writer Russell T Davies, said the show will still be relatable to everyone.

Saying, “Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you can identify with moving from one place to another to survive. It’s not just a story about five Jamaicans in a room in Dudley. They are all our stories because we were here, we have been here and we are still here.”

Real Life: Set in 1957, the six-part ITV1 drama follows three young women who leave Jamaica to set sail for a new life in Britain.