Documentary series 7 Up to return for final instalment 70 Up
It will air later this year
Last updated 19 hours ago
Way back in 1964, World in Action aired the first film 7 Up following the lives of 14 children. Every seven years their lives were documented, and now, in 2026 the final instalment of the landmark documentary has been announced.
Set to air later this year, 70 Up will catch up with John, Bruce, Symon, Andrew, Suzy, Jackie, Tony, Sue, Peter, Paul, Neil, as they reach 'three score years and 10', and fondly remember those who are sadly no longer with us.
What is the Up series?
The first ever programme 7 Up (Seven Up!) was aired in 1964, and followed 10 boys and four girls, all aged seven at the time. In 1970, 7 Plus Seven aired, following the children when they were 14. Subsequent documentary programmes were named after their age such as 21 Up and 28 Up.
What is the 2026 programme called?
This programme is called 70 Up, after their age.
What is the programme about?
A description from ITV reads: 'The emotionally-charged finale will include Tony, the ‘cheeky chap’ who wanted to be a jockey before becoming a London cabbie. He appears alongside Neil, who dreamed of being an astronaut and experienced homelessness.
'Plus Bruce, the public schoolboy who wanted to be a missionary, Symon who has fostered more than 120 children and has 12 (and counting) grandchildren, shy Paul who is now a grandparent and Jackie who left Scotland with a new partner.
'Sue will talk about marrying Glenn and decades working at Queen Mary University of London, while Peter has more music news. KC John who wanted a powerful career and lawyer Andrew, the prep school boy who famously read the FT, return. Alongside them is Suzy, the young ballerina who hated her private school.
'The series will remember fondly the late Lynn, part of the trio of friends. Meanwhile, we hear from Charles who left the programme at 21. And the series will also include a poignant and moving interview with the late Nick, the farmer’s son who fulfilled his dream to become a nuclear physicist.'
How many episodes?
There will be two 90-minute episodes.
When will it air?
The air date for 70 Up has not been announced, but it will be in 2026.
Who will direct the series?
Academy Award-winning film-maker Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna, Diego Maradona, Kenny Dalglish, 2073) will join the series as director, he said: "In 2014 I named the Up Series as my favourite documentary of all time.
"Who knew that two decades later I would have the incredible honour and privilege to be asked to direct 70 Up, the legendary documentary series. I love the show! I have watched it all my life, first as a child with my parents and siblings, growing up in East London and then as an adult. I was lucky to meet Michael Apted a few times.
"I first came in contact with Apted when he interviewed me after he saw SENNA and he liked the fact I directed drama and documentaries, like him. Directing 70 Up has been a dream project for me, the ultimate portrait of human life, working with my amazing editors Andrew Hulme and Patrick Saxer, we had the challenge of cutting hours of archive material shot over decades, while also looking at the nature of documentary filmmaking itself. I hope the audience feel my team and I have done the epic series justice with the closing chapter."
The late Michael Apted directed the series from 1970 until 2019, two years before he sadly passed away in 2021.
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