Has it really been seven years since
the last "Up Series" documentary, “53 Up”? As Tony, one of
the real people followed by the series puts it, “The time has just
flown by.” For those not familiar with the series, the BBC made
the first film in 1964 by interviewing a diverse group of 7-year-old
children in England. They included children from wealthy, poor, and
middle-class backgrounds. Seven years later, Michael Apted, a member
of the original “Seven Up” team, followed up with the kids to see
what they were like at 14, then again at 21, and so on, every 7
years. He interviews them to find out what is going on with them in
terms of jobs, marriage, kids, and so on, and about how they feel
about their lives, current events, and politics.
The project has bloomed into one of
the most monumental TV series ever, really a sociological and
artistic achievement. I will try to avoid gushing too much over it,
but it has meant a great deal over the years to a great many people
simply to look non-judgmentally at these subjects as they move
through the seasons of their lives.
“63 Up” finds us, for the first
time, missing one of the subjects because they have died. Apted
interviews their family to honor them. Another subject is seriously
ill. Many of the subjects are grandparents, and we get some glimpses
of the next generation. I don't want to say any more and spoil any
of the surprises.
I have mentioned in a previous review
how getting into the “Up Series” makes you a part of the project.
Once you are caught up on the series, you will have to wait 7 years
for the next installment. The next time you meet these
characters,you will be 7 years older yourself, and your view of them
and their lives may be totally different. Watching “63 Up,” I
considered for the first time how much a part of the experiment
Michael Apted is. He asks one of the characters a question about
aging, and they respond, “Well, you tell me, Michael.” It
reminded me that if these people are 63, Apted must be at least in
his late 70s or his 80s. Will there be a “70 Up,” and if so,
will Apted be around to make it? If he isn't, how many of these
characters would feel comfortable trusting their story to someone
else? That's the power of this series. The decades-long format
makes you care about the lives and mortality of people you have never
met, on a much deeper level than a traditional program, fiction or
nonfiction, ever could.
5 stars out of 5
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