BBC Child of our Time

[Olympicfan]

Just in case anyone is interest, Child of our Time is back on BBC 2 at 9pm on Wednesday (2 episodes). The 'children' are now 20.

Sadly, Parys passed away last year.

[Pollyputthepizzaon]

Oh thanks I love this show

[Janek]

Thanks for posting, I'm very interested!!!

[Olympicfan]

Sorry about the typo: interested

[Thinkingaboutsummer2020]

Oh no what happened to him?

I love that show, my son’s name comes from it.

[exexpat]

Thinkingaboutsummer: this - very sad story. www.theguardian.com/society/2019/sep/01/artist-alison-lapper-says-late-son-parys-was-bullied-over-her-disability

[Bohomie]

Thanks for letting us know OP, I wouldn't have known otherwise!
I've followed this since it began.
I was really upset hearing the news about Parys last year.

[Thinkingaboutsummer2020]

That’s awful- I always imagined him travelling Europe with not much more that a guitar on his back, poor Alison 😢

[Thecazelets]

Thanks OP - had no idea it was back. I loved this from the beginning, especially as one of my own dc was a similar age. I really enjoyed the last catchup when they were 16.

It was so sad about Parys. There have been some other tragic stories along the way too - I remember that one of the mums died of cancer when the children were still very young.

[Leeds2]

I thought an hour long show wasn't really enough. And I am surprised that some of them agree to still take part. I found it very uncomfortable viewing.

[Xenia]

I love those programmes. It is 7Up, 14Up etc I am most attached to - my parents even watched the very first 7Up but the others are good too. I will watch Child of our Time later today.

I always feel very grateful for people who agree to be on the programmes as they are ineresting and help others too.

[Thecazelets]

The programme last night focused on a few of the children, but there are longer clips of all the ones who agreed to take part in the catch-up on the website. They all seem so thoughtful and well-balanced. I watched it with my youngest dd, who was astonished at some of the factoids on social change over the last 2 decades (such as attitudes to mental health and same-sex relationships.)

[Xenia]

Thanks for that. I will have a look on the website too once I have wathced it. the 7 Up children were 7 in the 1960s and just a bit olker than I am so their lives have followed the pattern of mine to some extent which makes that other series (which people can watch on youtube) the most interesting for me but they are always good series to see in this genre.

Things certainly change and also how we are now in 2020 is bound to appear disgustingly awful or wrong in many ways in 20years too. 2020 certainly does not have a monopoly on what is right - either objectively right or right in its time.

[Thecazelets]

Yes, I watch 7 Up too. Such important programmes, although undoubtedly tough at times for the participants.

[KaliforniaDreamz]

Oh i love these programmes. Loved 7UP as well. so moving.
Just watched a clip pf Charlie and am bawling!

www.open.edu/openlearn/tv-radio-events/child-our-time-charlie-0?in_menu=1038595

[Xenia]

I just watched child of Time. What amazing children and how good of them and their families to let us see them all. I forgot the Lapper son was on this series and hda died of an accidental overdose until they mentioned that at the end.

They said three of the 24 cihldren had had a child which is quite a lot considering they are only about 20, slightly youunger than my twins. The number at univesrity is a bit lower than average probably because they picked some slightly difficult families originally to add interest to the series and the number of divorces seems about average amongst the parents.

I must look at the website as it would be good to see more of the twins and the girl at the end who is reading physics whose parents came from abroad.

They are all like children that age are - think this time and age is right etc but in fact in 20 years we will look back at them in their turn and say how could people have possibly thought that was okay. It was ever thus. They are now on the brink of adult life. It will be interesting to see who they turn out in 10 years in terms of earnings and compared with earnings of their parents and who moves classes as it were and who does not.

The one who said it was much harder these days to get a job is not actually quite right - we have fuller employment than when I left university now in the UK.

[KaliforniaDreamz]

I've just watched it too Xenia and found it very moving.
Eve is a wonderful young person.
Rhiannon was such a gorgeous and fun little girl, it saddens me to think the tension in her parents' mariage left to fester for years has affected her so deeply. quite an advert for divorce!

They seem so much more aware than we did as teens. T'internet i guess....

i will go watch a few of the interviews/snippets to see what became of the others.

[Xenia]

Yes, it made me cry. Very well done. The young chef boy reminded me of the chi9rpy 7 year old in 7 Up how became a jockey then taxi driver - both very happy nice people.

I still have my writings and diaries from when I was a teen in the 1970s and I think was very self aware probably because of having a teacher mother and psychiatrist father! I would like to watch the others too and I hope they all let us continue to follow them in later life. They are about the age of my twins just as the 7Up series is roughly my age so both feel very close to home for me.

[Xenia]

This looks like the link to the extra clips www.open.edu/openlearn/tv-radio-events/tv/child-our-time-updates-the-participants?in_menu=1051869

[Xenia]

I just watched the triplet girls (all now in work aged 19 ) and the identical twin Scottish boys (now both at the same university (as are my twin boys at the same university)). So those 2 probably followed their class expectations in a sense in terms of jobs/further education.

[Xenia]

It is definitely worth watching all the clips that are not on the programme. Those children are all so interesting.

[ironicname]

I'm so shocked about Charlie. I always thought that Toni has provided a stable home. It was certainly portrayed as such imo.

[ironicname]

It's a different Charlie.

[RedHelenB]

Just watched it and wished I hadn't. Was very upsetting. Surely in the new millennium childhood should be a more joyous, less anxious time.

[RedHelenB]

You could feel the tension between Rhiannons parents though from the off. I felt she treated her more as a grown up than she treated the Dad.

[BackforGood]

Love these programmes, and I too am appreciative of the parents who agreed to take part and the young people who have stayed with it.

thanks for the heads up - off to watch them now.