70 Up

I am definitely going to watch it. I wasn’t able to watch the broadcasts after 78 until 2008 ( before the new technology kicked in). I have found it fascinating.

Seems to have changed the programming, not on tonight now?

Sorry, it is tomorrow, not today, blame AI for misinformation! 😀

I look forward to this think it will be very poignant.

They interviewed 2 of the participants on BBC Breakfast today. It was imterested hearing why the one who dropped out returned later. He dropped out as he received a lot of criticism for some of his views in - I think - 28 Up.He returned as his wife suggested he use the opportunity to promote his music.

I did my teacher training in 1977/78 and we were shown the early documentaries as part of our course. I've watched with interest ever since, especially interesting as I'm a similar age. I'll have to watch on iplayer as I'll be out at the time it's on. I guess they are all available on there so I may rewatch a few.

It was only in the run up to this last episode that I've noticed it pointed out the imbalance of boy and girl participants. That never occurred to me. That wouldn't happen today I'm sure or there would be an outcry!

I am looking forward to this too. They are a year older than me and I have watched every series.

I skimmed my way through all the previous episodes in order to remind myself who was who for the purpose of watching 70 Up tonight.

To be honest I found it deeply depressing - a condensed version of people ageing ...... 63 years squeezed into a few hours.

To see these innocent children going on to battle their way through life's challenges just made me wonder what the heck it is all for .....

The underlying message of a class/opportunity divide continued as a theme, but I found it hard to say who were happiest. I guess it depends how you define happiness.

Were their different educational experiences reflected in their happiness throughout life? The jury is out for me.

I am rewatching from the beginning on ITVX.
A lovely moment when Neil said he wanted to be an astronaut and if he couldn't do that then he would be a coach driver. Priceless.

Indeed .... but look what actually happened. Mental health problems and a lifetime on benefits ... very sad.

V3ra

This is one to check out on ITVX
www.itv.com/watch/the-7-up-collection/3a0317?utm_source=Android&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_campaign=product_social-sharing-programme-page&utm_marketing_tactic=acquisition

All the previous episodes are available here.

I started a new knitting project last week to give me an excuse to sit and binge-watch them all 😁

I'd missed a few episodes over the years.
I was at school in America in 1964 for 7UP when it first started.

It's been fascinating to see how the different people's lives have evolved, with some real surprises along the way.

Really looking forward to 70UP, there are two episodes with the first one on Tuesday.

Thanks for tht V3ra,

I have watched them all as broadcast, but over the space of 60 + years memory may have dimmed :-)

Just watched the preview interviews and and was struck by the sheer physical contrast in health/vitality at age 70.

It would be a bit of a nightmare having to publicly expose your life every 7 years. Interesting to onlookers and great if you had a happy life but if not, no.

Luckygirl3

Indeed .... but look what actually happened. Mental health problems and a lifetime on benefits ... very sad.

I thought he became involved in politics and then became a pastor or similar. I may be wrong.

Well, I've just watched the first of the two 70 Up programmes, and I have to say, I'm so disappointed! Hardly any footage of interviews at age 70 - maybe 2 minutes or less per person. Hardly any of the partners interviewed - we don't know if they are still married, what has happened to their children, if they have grandchildren. Considering this is to be the last episode, I do think they could have done a lot more with it. It just goes to show how much Michael Apted influenced the programme - not the same without him.

GrandmaKT I thought I was going to be the only one who was disappointed with tonight’s airing I found it a bit boring and as you say not very informative

*Luckygirl3

Indeed .... but look what actually happened. Mental health problems and a lifetime on benefits ... very sad.

I thought he became involved in politics and then became a pastor or similar. I may be wrong.*

He did both but it was clear that his mental health problems dogged him throughout life and he was never really able to hold down a job and earn a living.

Bruce struck a chord with me when he said, aged 7 and living in a boarding school, that his heartfelt desire was to see his Daddy.
I have reached 42 Up and Bruce has turned into a very caring man. He is a teacher, who with his Maths degree from Oxford and his upper class background could have walked into a grammar or public school but instead has chosen to work with underprivileged children in the East End and briefly in Bangladesh. Bruce befriends Neil after 28 Up and allows him to stay with him while Bruce helps him settle in London. I thought that was a lovely gesture. Bruce has just got married in this episode. Can't wait to see what happens to him next.

Thank you. Fascinating series.

I thought it was very poignant particularly as to some of the character developments, most notably those with such a difficult start, Simon and Paul were so stoic and accepting of that. It was heartening to see how they'd both ended up in a good place in life. It was also very sad to see Nick's last appearance, and the flashbacks to Lynn who is no longer with us. Most of all, I think there must have been more of a back story to Neil, this incredible bright eyed lovely little boy whose life veered off track into an itinerant existence. Although happy to see it picked up. Definitely hidden depths there, I did wonder if his home life which we knew very little about triggered his descent into depression.

I meant to add Bruce came across as a thoroughly nice and decent person.

I thought it was wonderful just seeing those kids at 7 with their bright, inquisitive, wide eyed faces. We also commented on how there were so few cars on the roads in 1964. Kids walking or cycling down almost empty streets.

Life seemed so much simpler in the 60s.

TerriBull

I meant to add Bruce came across as a thoroughly nice and decent person.

Yes. I watched some of the earlier programmes a couple of weeks ago and thought that, too. I haven’t watched last nights programme yet but am hoping that his life is continuing to be a happy one. Lovely man.

Yes - a decent person.

It may be me but Jackie, the East End girl, in 7Up, reminds me of a child version of Irene Handl.

Slightly underwhelming I feel.
I too would have liked a more in depth interview with the 70 year olds, how they felt life had panned out from the first interviews and also how being on the programme had affected their lives, if at all.

I was somewhat disappointed to be honest in 70Up. Too much rehashing of previous years, over and over. I was hoping the last ever episode would have given more time to the protagonists with more explanation about certain aspects of their lives.

As an example, Tony had told us one of his daughters was struggling so he and his wife had brought up their granddaughter. No further reference was made. And had they settled well into their retirement village after selling their beloved villa in Spain.

Poor Neil - using his share of inheritance and encouraged by his wife of four years (such a surprise to hear he’d married - but now split up) to buy a house in a hamlet in France tgat had too many rooms for his needs (some unused) that he couldn’t afford to heat. What on earth was she thinking in suggesting such a house for him in the first place? And then she left him anyway. Sad.

John (QC) seemed the most pragmatic and thoughtful.

Oh well one more programme to go but I feel a bit cheated somehow. I mean, another surprise was finding out that Paul from the children’s home (and put in one in Australia too because of an acrimonious divorce of his parents) had met his mother and some of her extended family and that had never been disclosed in previous interviews.