Michael Portillo programme on friends suicide last night

[Mumfun]

Anyone catch it BBC2? Yes so sad but a rare programme which seemed to have positive effects on the poor boy's family who died. Very personal and sensitive. I was thinking that it should be shown in schools to show kids to try to ward off the so tragic suicides which do take place.

I missed this but am hoping to catch it on iplayer later so will let you know what I think!

Yes, I watched it. Agree it should be shown in schools - although my DS found it a bit too deep and didn't want to watch it.

I found out also that Geoffrey Perkins, one of the contributors in this programme and an old schoolfriend of Gary Findon, died in a car accident in August this year. He and his wife also suffered a cot death with their first child. Too much sadness in one programme, but still quite an uplifting outcome.

I thought it was amazing, especially the bits where it showed his parents listening to the music that the dead son had written, it was incredibly moving to watch. It was a great piece of television and I agree it could be shown to teenagers to try to show the devastating effects of a suicide. It struck a chord with me as we had a similar thing happen with a girl in my year at school and it was like this huge hole opened up and no one ever talked about it. The days before counselling.

I only saw the second half of this and want to watch it again on iPlayer, but I thought what I saw was excellent. I don't really like MP but thought he handled it very sensitively. Examining the impact of the death after 39 years was very moving, but talking about it was clearly so helpful to the family. I didn't know about Geoffrey Perkins either, so sad.

Yes, an incredibly poignant programme. As Michael Portillo said when visiting the site where his school friend went to die, the 39 years that had passed only intensified the sense of loss. Seeing three of his friends sitting round the table as adults discussing him and what they had all achieved; political power, creative and influential media careers it just made you wonder how he might have influenced or touched our lives as an adult. So, so sad in the light of Geoffrey Perkins' death which I only heard about when reading the preview for this programme.

This was the best thing I've seen for ages - just dreadful. I've never (luckily) had to deal with anything like this, and can only imagine how painful it is. I had no idea that the effects could last so long and affect such a wide circle. I agree that it should be shown in schools - if it saved one person from killing themselves then it would be worthwhile. Such pain so many years on was tragic.

thanks for this thread - I did not hear about this programme but will definitely watch it on iplayer now.

One of my old schoolfriends took her own life when we had all just left school and gone on to jobs or university. This was more than 20 years ago but I am in tears just now thinking about her and the life she could have had. Her parents never got over it. How could they?

anyway, thanks fro the thread.