Three Wives, One Husband

Three Wives, One Husband is an enthralling and eye-opening new documentary series, filmed in a polygamous community of Fundamentalist Mormons in the extraordinary setting of Rockland Ranch (“The Rock”) deep in the Utah desert.

Rockland Ranch is a community unlike any other. In the middle of the Utah desert, 14 Fundamentalist Mormon families have made a unique home for themselves, a safe haven where they are free to practice a way of life that’s met with both fascination and suspicion. Living in contemporary ‘cave’ houses that have been carved into the side of an enormous sandstone rock, half of the men here are polygamists – they are married to multiple wives.

With unprecedented access to this extraordinary and normally closed community, this new 4 part series offers an intimate and revealing insight into the everyday lives of modern polygamous families. From the dos and don’ts of courtship and appropriate ways to behave around your “sister wife”, to the management of sleeping arrangements and the protocols of special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, the series explores how the families navigate the practical and emotional challenges of plural marriage and examines the values and beliefs that lie behind it.

Filmed over a year, life at the Ranch plays out with narratives as rich as any drama. From the home birth of a 17th child and the courting of a new wife, to a father’s decision on whether his teenage daughter is ready to embark on the road to marriage. And when a dying man asks his brother to marry his two widows, both families are faced with life changing decisions.

Framing all this is the political battle for the community’s right to live in peace.  The mainstream Mormon Church has been keen to distance itself from polygamy since it officially renounced the practice almost 130 years ago. Those who continue to enter into multiple marriages are shunned by conventional congregations. Now, as lawmakers debate whether polygamy should be considered a crime, the families are faced with the daunting prospect of taking a stand to defend their lifestyle at the risk of being prosecuted.

At a time when the entire concept of a traditional, nuclear family is being redefined, the series asks if something can be learnt from plural marriage and aims to encourage reflection on our attitudes towards love, relationships, family and faith.

Episode 1 – broadcast on Thursday 23rd March 2017 on Channel 4 @ 9pm

Dad of 16 Enoch is happily married to Catrina and Lillian and is courting 25-year-old nanny Lydia Rose. Enoch’s neighbour Abel knows the challenges and jealousies that a third marriage can bring.

Episode 2 – broadcast on Thursday 30th March 2017 on Channel 4 @ 9pm

Abel Morrison has three wives and eleven children. His newest wife, 22-year-old Marina, is heavily pregnant, and his second wife, Beth, is struggling with Marina’s demands on Abel’s attention.

Episode 3 – broadcast on Thursday 6th April 2017 on Channel 4 @ 9pm

Abel’s brother Jim has passed away, with a dying wish for Abel to marry his widows, Melinda and Anazella. Abel wants to abide by Jim’s wish, but it’s a daunting prospect for his first three wives.

Episode 4 –broadcast on Thursday 13th April 2017 on Channel 4 @ 9pm

Chris dreams of having four wives and 50 children, but his wife Sasha has reservations. Meanwhile, the Utah State Senate is attempting to make polygamy a felony again.