Jashandeep Singh
A series adaptation of Janice Okoh’s 2013 play ‘Three Birds’ has been ordered by BBC. The show is scheduled to begin production in Birmingham, England in February 2024. The series follows three siblings – Tiana, Tionne, and Tanika – who find themselves home alone. While Tiana takes responsibility for the housework, Tionne performs some experiments that keep getting weirder, and Tanika starts to act up. As the outside world starts to interfere, the trio will go to great lengths to safeguard their secret from the adults who come to call.
The script of the show is written by Okoh herself. The playwright and screenwriter is known for her work on Channel 4’s anthology series ‘On the Edge’ starring Wunmi Mosaku and Chanel Cresswell, BBC’s drama series ‘Doctors’ starring Adrian Lewis Morgan and Elisabeth Dermot Walsh, CBBS’s historical drama ‘Hetty Feather’ starring Isabel Clifton and Dasharn Anderson, and ITV’s romantic drama ‘Sanditon’ starring Rose Williams and Kate Ashfield.
Okoh has also written several plays including ‘Top Brass’ in 2010, ‘Egusi Soup’ in 2012, and ‘The Gift’ in 2020. Her radio play credits include BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Heart of a Woman,’ ‘Red Earth, Red Sky,’ ‘Half of a Yellow Sun,’ and ‘Noughts & Cross.’ For her work on ‘Three Birds,’ the play, Okoh won the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. The play was also shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award and the Alfred Fagon Award.
The cast of the series has not been announced as of now. Okoh also serves as a producer on the project along with George Faber, Jade Taylor, and Anna Price. Faber earlier worked on Channel 4/HBO’s ‘Elizabeth I’ which won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries. He is also known for executive producing the shows ‘Rules of the Game,’ ‘The Accident,’ ‘The Last Post,’ and ‘Shameless.’ Taylor previously produced the comedy-drama ‘Ackley Bridge.’
Birmingham, where the shoot is set to take place, has hosted the filming of several other shows as well, owing to its diverse settings and easy accessibility. The city served as a filming location for BBC shows like the period crime drama ‘Peaky Blinders,’ the musical drama ‘Champion,’ and the comedy-drama ‘Man Like Mobeen.’
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