70 Up - ITV teaser for "later this year"

[Rostio]

This looks fabulous!

My favourites Neil, Symon and Bruce are mentioned, Suzy and Charles return to the programme and tributes to the lovely Nick, Lynn and of course Michael Apted.

Placemark here for sharing the latest news?

I felt the same and then there was the impact of childhood trauma on the two boys who had been in the children’s home. Among the wealthier children there were two that had similarly upsetting experiences but did their other resources (money and education etc) help carry them through?
A fascinating programme and my thanks go out to the participants for seeing it through when it can’t have been easy.

It's hard to believe it's even the same child as 7 Up tbh, there must have been so much more going on in his home life because he'd already changed significantly by 14, much more than the others. By 21 and 28 he clearly harboured a lot of resentment for his parents.

I had read a bit of his story before starting the programme (hadn't seen any of them), and I was really interested to see him develop, but he was a frustrating watch. He seems to hold some very hard boundaries about what he will/won't do and what he considers intolerable. He drifted around the country, picking up casual jobs here and there and kept his head above water on benefits. But he seemed to believe that he should reject society, and he actually said that staying too long in one place and having a normal life would make him want to cut his own throat.

When asked about benefits and his lack of job (more of a stigma at the time), he said well it's benefits or crime, rather than benefits or stay in a job or stay in one place. He slept in sheds when he didn't have the money to find a bed, and at no point did he seem to think, 'I nearly went to bloody Oxford, I'm worth more than this.'

When he stayed with Bruce, he would just turn the fridge off when the noise was annoying him. And he'd have to leave the house and go for a walk when Bruce tried to hoover as he couldn't stand the noise. I can imagine him being a very difficult character to be around and he admitted to having a volatile and explosive temper. I think he always felt that he never fitted anywhere but so much of that was his own doing and refusal to adapt; he'd rather just move on and continue his insular life which then continued a cycle of depression.

I also noticed that his motivations didn't seem to really be about helping people, despite the eventual paths he took. In 21 he said he wanted to be in a position of importance, almost with an air of feeling like he deserved recognition. The stage work, the politics and perhaps even the lay preaching (I'm only up to 56 so haven't seen the later ones yet), all seem to be about having a captive audience, rather than truly giving back to society and changing the world around him - a world that he of all people knows can be so difficult to navigate and survive in.

I found it really difficult to see him struggle as a result of his own choices, and possibly even more frustrating to see dramatic changes in his life between 28 and 42, which shows it was possible all along. He seems to be in a constant state of conflict in his own head.

I felt they put more effort into the adverts that have been shown over the past few weeks than they did into the programme this time.
And for the first time I was irritated by the interviewer and the questions he asked them as teens/youngsters- it felt like he was trying to make them feel bad about themselves, when some of them were already clearly struggling.

I agree that it was confusing showing people who had died without saying (I had forgotten the lady had died).

I'm their age and that definitely wasn't my experience in state school. I've no doubt it happened but it was not the norm.

But he had previously talked about his parents being distant with expectations he couldn't live up to. That must have had an effect. He also turned down medication for his depression which could have helped if it was more of a chemical imbalance. There could be a variety of reasons. It is very sad because there was so much potential there.

Just gone back to the beginning and watched the very first episode. It’s so poignant watching them all in their 7 year old world. It really is such a fantastic series.

Just watched it and it was as moving as I expected. I wonder if Apted devised the questions or did he have a team to do that for him? I felt angry for 21 year old Symon being asked two really snotty questions.

So I coughed up the money to be free of watching shit adverts and note the duration of the programme ws 73 minutes - much, much too short and of course next week's episode will be the same. Can anyone remember how long the other instalments were? First thing that leapt out was 'budget cuts' but this documentary can't have been expensive to make compared to drama's they put on.

It is such a shame that they’re not spending more time on them at 70. Two episodes isn’t nearly enough. Perhaps it would’ve been different if Michael was still alive to complete the project

I have been following this since the beginning as the people are a couple of years younger than me. I think it is good that the last episode had a new director because it allowed a review of the series and to be critical of it and the previous director.
Bruce taught my child A level maths. He was a lovely person and a good maths teacher.

I think Bruce at 7 was very similar to the man of 70 a dear little boy. Seems a very gentle man wants to give to society. Maybe it’s his strong faith. He could have turned out very troubled. Parents splitting sent to boarding school at 5. Possibly lots of bullying as well.

Review from Lucy Mangan

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/15/70-up-review-itv1-itvx

Am I the only one who heard all this and thought ‘he’s autistic?’

I remember Nick talking about being a scientist and whether he’s autistic (slightly joking). I wonder if the thought was ever raised with Neil?

The subject of neurodivergence was brought up in a recent interview with Neil:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/07/seminal-series-ends-six-decades-70-up

In that article the producer says she wants to make hour long documentaries on each participant and implies ITV won’t or can’t fund the project.

Yes actually that’s exactly what crossed my mind reading this post.

I think a lot of loose ends will be tied up in the second episode, I didn't realise there was another until late into this one and was thinking 'hang on, is this it?' It doesn't surprise me at all to learn there's no money to fund the in-depth programming this requires to really satisfy us.

70 Up includes a lot of unreleased footage from previous shows hence the bunny murder, it hadn't been aired before, nor had quite a few other bits (I've been a big time nerd since 28 Up).

There were fascinating US and USSR version of this, although both stopped at 28 I think, or even 21. You can watch them on YouTube. Really, really good.

The message I take from it all is life goes in a flash, we're all pretty inconsequential and spend as much time as you can with your family. Plus how debilitating childhood trauma is. Something pretty awful must have happened to Neil between 7 and 14, it's tragic.

Looking at Tony as a child, he would be considered ADHD now, I think.

I do think, for the participants, it's hard to get the balance right about how much to reveal. It's satisfying to see the social experiment project to its conclusion but some people didn't exist when it started. Now, especially, exposing them to your life and past must feel quite uncomfortable. How far can you go?

I re-read the article I posted and the producer says indirectly there is a huge amount that was filmed for this series, and it’s the editing ITV won’t or can’t pay for of the hour long documentaries taken from the footage (she implies). I guess there would be marketing and royalties costs as well.

Perhaps Netflix is lurking to pick it up depending on viewership and reaction to this one. I've read of ITV bemoaning costs of successful shows before (afaik Mr Bates v the Post Office is still counted as a financial loss despite its success and the good it did for public awareness). But Netflix loves pumping out documentaries with tonnes of footage...

I agree with something happened to Neil between 7 and 14. Could be something such as death of a very close grandparent or accumulation of bad things that happened one after another. Or something we (perhaps Neil himself) don’t know about.

His MH has been frail esp at 28 when he was rocking forwards and back.

My former colleagues used to have a colleague who acted like Neil. When more digital technology was brought in, he would go somewhere in back as he hated the noises (see the post when Neil stayed with Bruce). Eventually the colleague left.

This is such a special series and a real portrait of post-war British society. You can clearly see the effect that the expectations of and opportunities afforded to the participants based on their class had a strong impact on the trajectory of their lives. I think these class divisions have meandered greatly in the last seventy years, but wealth divisions have not.

I love Jackie, she’s my favourite in every episode and has such a strong character.
I also really like Sue, Bruce and Symon and am pleased to see that they’ve achieved contentment in life
Neil makes me so sad, he’s so thoughtful but comes across as likely autistic and having suffered some trauma which has caused his terrible mental health issues. His resilience is heart-rending.

Knowing that lives of two of them, Lynn and Nick, are already over is really very eerie. It reminded me how short a human life really is.

I would love to see a longer ‘final interview’ or ‘final film’ with each participant!

No he wouldn’t be considered ADHD. He didnt and doesnt display traits of someone who has ADHD.
Neil on the other hand presents as neurodiverse.
His struggles maintaining relationships and feels lonely. He suffers with depression. He didnt make it to Oxford even though he is very intelligent. He struggled maintaining a home, finances and a job.
He can’t be round noise.

Did anyone else feel uncomfortable with the questioning of Symon about working in a factory and becoming a fork lift truck driver? This certainly highlighted a class divide, looking down on manual work as 'you could do better'. We should value manual workers. Everyone has their part to play in society. I have just read Bear Grylls on facebook say

"I have met enough unhappy millionaires to know that money alone does not make you happy.

Money, like success, tends to magnify your life. If you are living with the wrong values, money will only make things much worse.

John Paul Getty, one of the richest men in history, famously said: "I would give everything I own for one happy marriage."

That quote has always stayed with me.

The ultimate success in the game of life can never come from money amassed, power attained, or fame gained. It comes from the quiet moments. It comes from knowing you have loved well, and been loved in return.

Chase the goal. Chase the dream. But never trade your family for a summit."

Sometimes success is personal success not always professional success. As Andrew said...I wish I had seen more of my children and gone to their plays and assemblies.

Those questions he asked Symon were appalling, as was the “Do you feel you’re a scrounger?” question to Neil in either 28 or 35 Up.

The rabbit was in the original 14 Up.

You see the rabbit I think on every catch up 😂