63 Up (2019) *****

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