56 Up

I'm looking forward to seeing the new 56-Up in the Up Series of documentary films produced by Granada TV that have followed the lives of 14 British children since 1964, when they were all seven years old. It's absurd but I feel as though I know these people. The documentary has an episode every seven years. The idea for the program was inspired by the Jesuit saying: 'Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man' based on a quotation by Ignatius Loyola...and for at least some of the children involved, their lives have panned out pretty much as one would have expected. 

According to Wikipedia: "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 new material from as many of the fourteen as he can get to participate. The purpose is also 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 union leader and the business executive of the year 2000 are now 7 years old."


I've always felt that Neil Hughes (photo below) from Liverpool was the "emotional heart" of the series.  In the first episode he was a sweet little Liverpudlian boy who subsequently struggled with adult life and mental illness, including a period of homelessness in Scotland and Shetland. He was last seen getting his life together as a Lib Dem councillor in Cumbria. Vulnerable and a bit lost, it is impossible to watch this series and not want him to find some happiness. Sadly, in 56 Up he seems more despairing, revealing that he has aspirations as a writer but that nobody seems interested. Another of my favorites is Bruce, the kind and likable maths teacher who has taken time out to help Neil over the years. I'm also fond of Nick, the shy physicist from Yorkshire, now living and teaching in the US, on his second marriage, seemingly happy but finding the making of the films emotionally draining. His background - growing up on a farm in the north of England and then moving to the United States - is similar to my own.

Photo of Neil Hughes: ITV

Director, Michael Apted, feels that 56 Up is different to the rest.  "Somewhere between 49 and 56 they've become more empowered. They took charge this time and that's good.  It's partly because they're in their 50s now but it's also about them being a bit more savvy."

Telegraph review: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9265682/56-Up-episode-1-ITV1-review.html