TELLY TREAT Emmerdale star’s true crime drama has perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and is ripe for bingeing on BBC iPlayer
When the series first aired, fans praised both Lisa Riley and Maxine Peake for their incredible performance in the dramatisation
AN Emmerdale icon stars in a heartbreaking true story series with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score – which is still proving to be a hit on BBC iPlayer.
Mandy Dingle actress Lisa Riley featured alongside massive UK stars in the gritty three-part series, which is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Shameless star Maxine Peake and Waterloo Road’s Jill Halfpenny also make an appearance in the heart-wrenching drama based on the Rochdale child sex grooming gang.
BBC’s Three Girls has earned higher ratings than shows like Succession and Game Of Thrones due to its intense and realistic recreation that resonated with many viewers.
The show, which has a breathtaking 100% on the Tomatometer and an impressive 86% average viewership score overall, saw 8.24 million people tune in to watch the first episode when it aired back in May 2017.
Emmerdale icon Lisa plays the role of Lisa Bowen, the mother of teen abuse victims 16-year-old Amber Bowen, played by Ria Zmitrowicz, and her young sister Ruby, played by Liv Hill.
The story is told from the viewpoint of the two girls and their friend, 14-year-old Holly Winshaw, played by Molly Windsor, as they get caught up in the infamous Rochdale child sex abuse ring.
However, the last and final episode was seen from the viewpoint of sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham, played by Maxine.
In the real investigation, she tried to draw attention to “patterns of sexual abuse” more than 180 times between 2003 and 2014 to the police and social services, but it was brushed aside.
When the series aired, fans praised both Lisa and Maxine for their incredible acting in the dramatisation.
Taking to social media, one viewer wrote: “Amazing acting on #ThreeGirls Special kudos to #maxinepeake and #lisariley.”
Another described Maxine’s performance as “magnificent”, while a third tweeted: “Maxine Peake is making this true-life drama as the enlightened one.”
The actual case saw 47 victims identified during the police investigation, but there setbacks due to police fears about being labelled institutionally racist.
Ultimately, nine men were convicted of sex trafficking, while other charges included rape, trafficking girls for sex and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.
Line of Duty Star Ace Bhatti, also stars in the compelling watch as Nazir Afzal a first-generation British-Pakistani man, appointed as chief prosecutor in the region for the CPS at the time of the case.
Three Girls is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
