In case you don't know what it is, Wikipedia describes it as...
a series of documentary films produced by Granada Television that have followed the lives of fourteen British children since 1964, when they were seven years old. So far the documentary has had eight episodes spanning 49 years (one episode every seven years) and the documentary has been broadcast on both ITV and BBC. In a 2005 Channel 4 programme, the series topped the list of The 50 Greatest Documentaries. The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that time, with the explicit assumption that each child's social class predetermines their future. Every seven years, the director, Michael Apted, films material from those of the fourteen who choose to participate. The aim of the series is stated at the beginning of 7 Up as: "Why do we bring these children together? Because we want to get a glimpse of England in the year 2000. The shop steward and the executive of the year 2000 are now seven years old."
Apted has said: "I hope to do 84 Up when I’ll be 99."
I just watched all of it. Seeing these children at 7, 14, 21, 38, 35, 42, 49, and 56 gives an amazing insight into their lives. How things change, progress, go right or go wrong. I really enjoyed it.
A very thought provoking viewing. Quite makes one think about oneself through those stages.
Recommended viewing.
Anybody else seen it?
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Here's 7 Up from 1964, followed by others in the series: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQZpiSfESE
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I think they went out of their way to source such disfunctional individuals
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I assume you haven't watched it?
Certainly one had significant issues, most of the rest seemed like normal people to me
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I have, or I did for a while, till it all became far too tedius. Have to say our visions of normal vary quite a bit
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We watched the early ones and enjoyed them a lot. Mrs C will still be moved by "when I grow up, I want to be an astronaut. And if I can't do that, I want to be a coach driver". Was that poor Michael?
But didn't they start to drop out and at the last count, half of them refused to be in it or something? Must be years since we saw it last. At least seven.
But yes, it was always something we enjoyed a lot.
As they were virtually our ages, it had a resonance. It's always astonishing to me to see film of the early sixties, usually black and white with kids still playing on bomb sites and men in hats and no cars and JFK and reporters calling politicians Sir and vicars on bicycles, and think "we were born into that world". It's like another planet now.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Sun 25 Jun 17 at 05:49
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I remember watching the first three or four series, also being around the same age. I haven't bothered for years though.
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One dropped out after 28 and stayed out. Nobody else did, though there was someone else missing from each show,, a different person each time.
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>> Have to say our visions of normal vary quite a bit
Really? I didn't find any of them particularly different or unusual. I've met loads similar. In fact it was that and then watching them change which I found so fascinating.
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The Up Series - Dog
