Backdrop fallback

Small Island

Small Island

Share

Small Island

"War, romance, infidelity and social unrest."

2009- 2009

1 Seasons

2 Episodes

6.1(17 votes)

Ended

Drama

Overview

Follow three intricately connected stories of Jamaicans and Londoners involved in World War Two. Hortense yearns for a new life away from rural Jamaica, Gilbert dreams of becoming a lawyer, and Queenie longs to escape her Lincolnshire roots. Hope and humanity meet stubborn reality as we trace the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK.

Links & Resources

Website IMDbView

Social & External

Production Companies

BBC

Episodes

No episodes found for this season.

The people behind it

Cast & crew

8 featured cast members

Starring

David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo

Gilbert

Ashley Walters

Ashley Walters

Michael

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch

Bernard

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris

Hortense

Ruth Wilson

Ruth Wilson

Queenie

Shaun Parkes

Shaun Parkes

Winston

Hugh Quarshie

Hugh Quarshie

Narrator

Roger Sloman

Roger Sloman

Mr. Todd

Creative team

Showrunner: Rebecca Eaton
Alison Owen
Written by: Sarah Williams
Paula Milne
Produced by: Vicky Licorish
Grainne Marmion

Similar TV Shows

Clouds Over the Hill

Clouds Over the Hill

Saka no Ue no Kumo is an NHK 21st Century special drama which was aired over three years starting from November 29, 2009. The series runs 13 episodes at 90 minutes each. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, were broadcast in late 2010 and 2011. While most episodes were shot in Japan, one of the episodes in series two was shot in Latvia. The TV series is based on the novel Saka no ue no kumo by Ryōtarō Shiba and adopted by Hisashi Nozawa. The theme song of the drama series is titled "Stand Alone". It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, written by Kundo Koyama and performed by British soprano singer Sarah Brightman.

The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth

A sweeping epic of good and evil, treachery and intrigue, violence and beauty, a sensuous, spirited story set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles in 12th Century England.

Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn

A story that follows a team of cops as they crack serial cases, fight the crusade against drugs and bring down an international crime syndicate. Special forces agent Guo Yang successfully lures the druglord of Anguo into the country's borders to expedite his capture. However, the shock from the death of Zhu Dui causes him to retire from service. Two years later, undercover cop Zhang Chen learns that a new druglord has entered the country. Zhang Chen approaches Guo Yang and they team up to in a fight against the syndicate.

The Charming Stepmom

The Charming Stepmom

A quirky fashion student becomes the nanny of a handsome widower’s three kids, experiencing a series of silly antics and schemes.

One and Only

One and Only

Zhou Sheng Chen was raised by his brother, the Emperor, until the age of thirteen, when he set out to defend the border and establish himself as a loyal and accomplished general. Cui Shi Yi, the well-read daughter of an esteemed family, has been betrothed to the Crown Prince since birth. However, political scheming and tragic events result in Cui Shi Yi falling mute, her former fiance becoming a child Emperor, and Zhou Sheng Chen returning to the capital amidst a cloud of political turmoil.

Luoyang

Luoyang

Set in the ancient capital Luoyang during the era of 13 dynasties, it revolves around three people who come together to investigate a series of mysterious incidents involving the conspiracy to overthrow Empress Wu Ze Tian. Adapted from the novel Luoyang by Ma Bo Yong.

Centennial

Centennial

The economic and cultural growth of town of Centennial, Colorado, through the intertwining lives of the brave men and women inhabiting it. Spanning two centuries from the settling of the area in the 1700s, to the late 1970s.

Goodnight Sweetheart

Goodnight Sweetheart

Gary Sparrow is an ordinary bloke in 1990s Britain, married to the ambitious Yvonne and working as a TV repairman. Then his whole world changes when he stumbles upon a portal to WWII-era London and begins a dual life as an accidental time traveler.

David Copperfield

David Copperfield

A young man journeys from a difficult childhood to maturity, exploring social injustice, personal development, and the complexities of human relationships. A co-production with Time-Life Television Productions, the miniseries was first broadcast on BBC 1 in weekly parts from 1 December 1974 to 5 January 1975. It is the earliest BBC adaptation to exist in its entirety; the 1956 adaptation is completely lost, whilst only four of the 1966 adaptation's eight episodes are known to exist.

The Silence

The Silence

A deaf girl witnesses the audacious murder of a policewoman.

Seoul 1945

Seoul 1945

Seoul 1945 is a 2006 South Korean television series starring Ryu Soo-young, Han Eun-jeong, So Yoo-jin, Kim Ho-jin, and Park Sang-myun. It aired on KBS1 from January 7 to September 10, 2006 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:30 for 71 episodes. Set around 1945 right after Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule when the nation was engulfed by ideological turmoil, the story revolves around the rivalry between Suk-kyoung, a renowned pianist and daughter of a rich pro-Japanese politician, and Hae-kyung, a headstrong servant; both women love Woon-hyuk, whose ambition to become a lawyer gets thwarted due to his political ideology.

Bangkok Hilton

Bangkok Hilton

This classic Australian mini series was originally broadcast in 1989 as three 90 minute episodes and tells the story of a young woman who goes in search of the father she has never known. Her search takes her from Australia to England and then on to Bangkok. There she meets up with a charming young man, Arkie Regan, who plants drugs in her luggage and leaves her to her fate when the authorities find them during a routine search at the airport. Following her imprisonment in the notorious Bangkok Hilton prison she awaits the decision of the authorities on whether she should face the death penalty.

2Wish

2Wish

The story of Two and Wish who live together after graduated. Wish is waiting for a job so he's responsible for housework. Two got an office work and meet a lot of people incluiding a net idol "Auy" who come to interfere their relationship.

Dual Love

Dual Love

Xie Mingyuan, the martial arts alliance leader, plans to marry his daughter, Xie Tianba, to Ningyuan Marquis, a notorious traitor. Outraged, Xie Tianba leaves home and ventures into the martial world, where she is saved by Mo Haoran, leader of the Storm Sect. As she helps relieve him from a rare poison, they gradually fall in love. Later, Xie Tianba uncovers dark secrets about her father and becomes entangled in a web of betrayal and conflict, testing her trust in Mo Haoran and forcing her to confront her own beliefs and loyalties.

Lost and Found

Lost and Found

Si Qingye, the president of the Si Group, and Ning Wuhui part ways due to a misunderstanding. Pregnant and alone, Ning loses all her memories after giving birth and becomes a single mother. Seven years later, they reunite and gradually rediscover their feelings, resolving past misunderstandings and embarking on a journey toward a joyful life as a family of four.

Unrequited Love

Unrequited Love

Luo Zhi has a crush on an outstanding boy named Sheng Huainan and follows up his steps to get into the same university. They have to get over problems between themselves and their families, and make progress in their relationship.

Inference Notes

Inference Notes

This is a mystery-solving adventure story about an idol girl Xiao Zao An (with a hidden personality named Ai Di Sheng) and genius detective Mi Ka Ka who experienced a series of revenge cases together and fight against a secret organization named Poker. Also get to find out what is the identity of this hidden personality Ai Di Sheng.

The I-Land

The I-Land

Wiped clean of memories and thrown together, a group of strangers fight to survive harsh realities -- and the island that traps them.

Our Dazzling Days

Our Dazzling Days

In the 1990s, orphan Zhang Xiaoman grows up in the industrial city of Tiexicheng, earning the title “Son of Tiexicheng” for his loyalty and integrity. Alongside the steady Xia Lei and the brave Yan Xiaodan, he experiences a passionate youth. As economic changes force them to leave their hometown to search for new opportunities, they eventually return, weaving a touching story of unwavering loyalty and finding their way back home.

My Stubborn

My Stubborn

Jun loves to annoy Sorn. Sorn can't stand Jun. But fate has plans—and maybe feelings—they didn’t see coming.

Recommended TV Shows

The Essex Serpent

The Essex Serpent

London widow Cora Seaborne moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms a surprising bond of science and skepticism with the local vicar—but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.

The Long Song

The Long Song

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.

Dancing on the Edge

Dancing on the Edge

An explosive 1930s drama following a jazz band in London at a time of huge change.

Daniel Deronda

Daniel Deronda

In 1870s England, idealist Daniel Deronda seeks his mysterious origins and becomes entangled in the lives of the self-centered Gwendolen Harleth, who is trapped in a loveless marriage, and Jewish singer Mirah Lapidoth.

World Without End

World Without End

Two hundred years after the construction of the great cathedral, the medieval town of Kingsbridge is taken under siege by Queen Isabella. Caris, a visionary young woman, inspires her people to stand up for their rights and revolt against to the most powerful forces of her time, the Church and the Crown.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

Set in England in the early 19th century, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet's five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr Darcy, have moved into their neighbourhood. While Bingley takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, Darcy has difficulty adapting to local society and repeatedly clashes with the second-eldest Bennet daughter, Elizabeth.

All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See

A blind French girl and a young German soldier's paths collide during WWII.

Poldark

Poldark

Britain is in the grip of a chilling recession... falling wages, rising prices, civil unrest - only the bankers are smiling. It's 1783 and Ross Poldark returns from the American War of Independence to his beloved Cornwall to find his world in ruins: his father dead, the family mine long since closed, his house wrecked and his sweetheart pledged to marry his cousin. But Ross finds that hope and love can be found when you are least expecting it in the wild but beautiful Cornish landscape.

War and Remembrance

War and Remembrance

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the extended Henry and Jastrow families navigate the personal, social and political impacts of World War II, including the Holocaust, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Pacific theater.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is a 2008 British television drama, based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Andrew Davies, who said that the aim of the series was to make viewers forget Ang Lee's 1995 film version. As such, this series was more overtly sexual than previous Austen adaptations, and Davies included scenes featuring a seduction and a duel that are suggested in Austen's novel but absent from the feature film. A story of two sisters attempting to find happiness in the tightly structured society of 18th century England. Elinor, disciplined, restrained and very conscious of the manners of the day, represents sense. Outspoken, impetuous, emotional Marianne represents sensibility.

Strike

Strike

A war veteran turned private detective operates out of a tiny office in London’s Denmark Street. Although wounded both physically and psychologically, his unique insight and background as a military police investigator prove crucial in solving complex crimes that have baffled the police. Based on the bestselling novels written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

A Thousand Blows

A Thousand Blows

Hezekiah and Alec, two friends from Jamaica, finds themselves thrust into the criminal underbelly of London's East End. Here they meet Mary Carr, Queen of an all-female criminal gang known as the Forty Elephants, and run afoul of Sugar Goodson, criminal kingpin and notorious boxer.

Little Dorrit

Little Dorrit

Amy Dorrit spends her days earning money for the family and looking after her proud father who is a long term inmate of Marshalsea debtors' prison in London. Amy and her family's world is transformed when her employer's son, Arthur Clennam, returns from overseas to solve his family's mysterious legacy and discovers that their lives are interlinked.

Expats

Expats

Set against the complex tapestry of Hong Kong residents, a multifaceted group of women sets off a chain of life-altering events that leaves everyone navigating the intricate balance between blame and accountability.

The Winds of War

The Winds of War

Against the backdrop of world events that led to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Victor 'Pug' Henry is a career naval officer who, along with his family, learns to navigate the waters of his dangerous times in the late 1930s.

Masters of the Air

Masters of the Air

During World War II, airmen risk their lives with the 100th Bomb Group, a brotherhood forged by courage, loss, and triumph.

The Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy

The citizens of the small British town of Pagford fight for the spot on the parish council after Barry Fairbrother dies.

Dickensian

Dickensian

Dickensian intertwines the realm of fictional characters in Charles Dickens’ novels—including Scrooge, Fagin and Miss Havisham—in half-hour episodes, as their lives intertwine in 19th century London. The Old Curiosity Shop sits next door to The Three Cripples Pub, while Fagin’s Den is hidden down a murky alley off a bustling Victorian street.

The Way We Live Now

The Way We Live Now

Anthony Trollope’s epic tale of Victorian power and corruption, set in the 1870s. Within weeks of his arrival in London, financier Augustus Melmotte announces a railway is to be built from Salt Lake City to the Gulf of Mexico and entices distinguished members of England's land-rich, cash-poor aristocracy into his web. Many are eager to sell their ailing land parcels to afford moving to London proper and naïve speculators are all lured in with promises of an instant fortune.

Foyle's War

Foyle's War

As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.