Encore Saturdays, Feb. 3 - 17, 2024 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!
A tale of hope and endurance On MASTERPIECE!
Tamara Lawrance (“King Charles III”) stars as an indomitable house slave in Jamaica during the era of emancipation, with Hayley Atwell (“The Avengers”) as her demanding, capricious mistress, in THE LONG SONG. Based on the award-winning novel by Andrea Levy, the miniseries airs in three parts on MASTERPIECE. Scripted by Sarah Williams (FLESH AND BLOOD), who previously adapted Levy’s International Emmy® Award–winning “Small Island” for MASTERPIECE, the series also stars Jack Lowden (“Mary Queen of Scots”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One”), Jordan Bolger (PEAKY BLINDERS), Ayesha Antoine (DOCTOR WHO), Gordon Brown (“Only God Forgives”), Leo Bill (THE LIVING AND THE DEAD), Madeleine Mantock (INTO THE BADLANDS), and the acclaimed comic, actor, and activist Sir Lenny Henry (BROADCHURCH).
What to Know Before You Watch:
Both a riveting look at the end of slavery in Jamaica, and a searing examination of issues relevant to today, THE LONG SONG, adapted from Andrea Levy’s bestselling novel, is a fictional tale of endurance, passion and hope. Find out about the plot and the fascinating personal history that inspired it, the talented cast, filming location, and more!
Andrea Levy, who died in 2019, was born in London to Jamaican parents and spent her writing career probing her heritage. Her numerous literary awards included the Walter Scott Prize for “The Long Song” (published in 2010), which was also a finalist for the English language’s most prestigious book award: the Man Booker Prize.
THE LONG SONG is framed by the reminiscences of July (played as a young woman by Lawrance), who grew up as a slave on a sugar plantation in Jamaica and is now looking back on her life. In extended flashbacks, she recounts her tumultuous story, which has been shaped by villains, heroes, and well-meaning people who are an unsettled mix of the two.
First there are July’s parents: Her mother, Kitty (Duncan-Brewster), is a stoic field slave. Her father is the brutal Scottish overseer of the plantation, Tam Dewar (Brown), who regularly rapes Kitty. As a young girl, July is callously taken from her mother at the whim of Caroline (Atwell), the sister of the plantation owner, John Howarth (Bill). Caroline wants July for a lady’s maid and bestows on her a more genteel name, Marguerite.
July grows up catering to Caroline’s impulses, surrounded by other slaves, including the canny Godfrey (Henry), the spiteful Molly (Antoine), and the haughty Clara (Mantock). There is also the debonaire Nimrod (Bolger), who has bought his freedom and fancies July, promising her a fairy-tale life with him.
A moment of truth arrives with the Christmas Rebellion of 1831, a slave uprising that heralds the end of official slavery in Jamaica and other English colonies — but at a great cost in lives, including some who are near and dear to July. In the aftermath, a handsome new overseer, Robert Goodwin (Lowden), rides into the story. He will set hearts aflutter, establish an enlightened tone with the emancipated slaves, and play a tragic role in the fates of all.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1 Encore Saturday, Feb. 3 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV - In early 1800s Jamaica, Caroline adopts the child slave July as her maid. July grows up to witness the Christmas Rebellion and the radical transformation of her world.
Episode 2 Encore Saturday, Feb. 10 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV - The handsome overseer arrives, sparking a bitter rivalry between July and her mistress. The field hands rebel against Robert’s work demands.
Episode 3 Encore Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV - Facing labor unrest and financial ruin for the plantation, Robert’s sanity starts to unravel, with devasting effects on July. Years later, she makes a remarkable discovery.
Listen: Tamara Lawrance Shines In Powerful ‘Long Song’ Lead Role
Reviews: The British press applauded the UK broadcast!
The Guardian calling it “a beautiful, moving, horrifying adaptation of Levy’s unsimple tale, that honors the source and its subject.”
The Radio Times judged it “so finely-tuned and carefully-balanced that it’ll break your heart — and make you laugh at the same time.”
The Times opined, “What can a period slavery drama tell us that we don’t already know? Quite a bit.”
Watch On Your Schedule:
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Credits: A Heyday Television Production for BBC. It is based on the novel by Andrea Levy. The Executive Producers are David Heyman, Rosie Alison, Andrea Levy, Sarah Williams, and Tom Coan. Ben Irving is the Executive Producer for the BBC. The Producer is Roopesh Parekh. The writer is Sarah Williams. The Director is Mahalia Belo.
