The Long Song

Original version

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

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Drama: Classic & Period

The trials, tribulations and survival of plantation slave July and her mistress Caroline.

Born a slave, torn from her family, July must survive the final days of slavery on a plantation in 19th Century Jamaica. Based on Andrea Levy's bestseller, with Tamara Lawrance.

Series 1

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Tamara Lawrance

Hayley Atwell

Jack Lowden

Leo Bill

Doña Croll

Lenny Henry

Jo Martin

Ayesha Antoine

Ethan Hazzard

Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Gordon Brown

Richard Pepple

Joy Richardson

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Jordan Bolger

David Verrey

Lizzie Hopley

Harry Gostelow

Madeleine Mantock

Luis Bryan Mesa

Christian Alvarez

Marie Michelle Brazile

Elizabeth Turra

David Heyman

Rosie Alison

Andrea Levy

Sarah Williams

Tom Coan

Roopesh Parekh

Mahalia Belo

The Long Song: Series 1: Episode 1

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Episode 1

BBC One - The Long Song, Series 1, Episode 1

Born a slave, July is taken to a plantation to live in the Great House and serve Caroline.

Born a slave, July is taken from her mother to a plantation house and forced to work for the odious Caroline. But as she matures she starts to learn how to handle her new mistress.

July is born to a field slave Kitty (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) at the Amity sugar cane plantation, run by John Howarth (Leo Bill) and his younger sister Caroline. On a spoilt whim, Caroline decides she wants to train the adorable July as her personal maid. So, as a young girl, July is taken from her mother and forced to live in the great house. As July grows up and becomes a teenager, she learns how to ‘handle’ her mistress with her own small victories along the way. 
 
The Christmas riots and the abolition of slavery turn the world of Amity upside down and throw July’s destiny into question. But when order is restored and a new overseer Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden) arrives at Amity, July and Caroline are both intrigued by his seemingly revolutionary plans to improve the plantation. Could his ideals change everything?
Cast includes Tamara Lawrance as July, Hayley Atwell as Caroline Mortimer, Jack Lowden as Robert Goodwin, Sir Lenny Henry as Godfrey, Doña Croll as Old July, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Kitty, Ayesha Antoine as Molly, Arinzé Kene as Thomas, Ansu Kabia as James Richards, Jordan Bolger as Nimrod, Joy Richardson as Miss Rose, Madeleine Mantock as Miss Clara and Leo Bill as John Howarth.

The Long Song: Series 1

BBC One

Set during the final days of slavery in 19th century Jamaica, we follow the trials, tribulations and survival of plantation slave July and her odious mistress Caroline.

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