Did You Know ‘70 Up’ Is Coming Out?!
Have you seen the Up series? The groundbreaking British documentary series, directed by Michael Apted, has followed the lives of 10 boys and four girls from different socio-economic backgrounds, starting when they were all age seven. Each film begins with the slightly ominous saying “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man.”
The series comprises nine films so far, released every seven years. The first one shows bright-eyed, wriggly seven-year-olds; the second, lanky teens; by the third, a few have become smoking, jaded 21-year-olds; and so on.
Suzy at ages 7 and 21.
“I left school when I was 16 and went to Paris,” says Suzanne Dewey at age 21. “And I’m very very cynical about [marriage].”
Over the years, you watch the group grow up, go to college, get married, launch careers, have kids, take vacations, move countries, get divorced, lose loved ones; a few participants have died. Above is the trailer for 63 Up.
Last night, I saw that the final film — 70 Up — will be released tomorrow. (Since Michael Apted died in 2021, this installment was directed by Asif Kapadia.) Watching the series can be really emotional — you see sweet little boys grow up to suffer from mental illness; or giggly girls end up in stifling marriages. But you also see them come out the other side, and if there is a connecting thread among the group, it’s that everyone grows more fully into themselves with age. Most seem much happier at 56 and 63 than any of the years before, and I found that so bolstering.
Will you be watching? I’m so excited to see the new one this week.
P.S. A great new TV show, and do TV jobs seem real? We asked a doctor, chef, priest, and therapist.
Comments
46 commentsHow do we watch in the US? Everything is see is that we can’t yet. Any tech savvy person, please advise.
The series is available via a BritBox subscription.
Just kidding – it switched ownership to ITVX. Not sure if that is accessible from the US.
Your closing line “Most seem much happier at 56 and 63 than any of the years before, and I found that so bolstering.” made me smile. I am a very happy 66 year old. In my 50’s I realized I was the happiest I had ever been. I was no longer concerned with what people thought of me. Getting older ROCKS!
After they’d come across the series through 49 Up, my parents shipped DVDs to me overseas. Each week, a teacher friend and I watched an episode, leading to deep conversations about our own childhoods, our parents, and the questions we were grappling with in our own lives. Those afternoons felt sacred, sharing the series’ participants’ vulnerabilities and meaning-making. I only watched each update once through 54 Up, and have married and become a parent since then. How will I watch and relate differently now? Such a profound touchpoint!
Masih, I’ve been thinking so much about this also!! My mom introduced my sister and I to the series, but we would have been watching them around the same time, and I’ve also gotten married and had kids in the last seven years. It has definitely changed how I experience favourite books when I re-read them (in beautiful and profound ways!) and I’m so curious how it might change my experience watching Up
Having never watched any, and really only hearing about this now here, do you recommend starting from the original?
Yes! But maybe wait a bit between each one because they repeat earlier ones throughout. It’s so good, you’re in for a treat.
Thank you for this! When I taught undergrad lifespan development courses I used to show some of the Age 7 in America (and Age 14 and 21) Series, and was always hoping they would come out with another follow up (I think they stopped at 21). There is also a South Africa series (maybe also stopping at 21?) for those interested.
We have a go-to slogan in my house from two of the impossibly posh little boys in the original , 7Up. “I read the financial times!” “I read the times… AND the observer.”
I can’t tell you how very pleased I was to see this news! Off to find out where I can watch…such a fabulous series…I am now 75, so the passage of time for the participants rings bittersweet for me.
Could not be more excited for this!! The entire UP series is such a gift, I’m so grateful to the participants and film makers for keeping it going all these years.
The Guardian has a great article about 70 Up. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/07/seminal-series-ends-six-decades-70-up
I was a college student studying Human Development in the late 90s-early aughts. One of my Human Development professors showed us the first few installments of the series in class. I was so taken with it! I still have quotes from it in my head! Anyone remember the little boy who says, “I don’t like greens!” And he says he’ll never get married because his wife will make him eat greens! When I was dating my husband a few years later, 49 UP was going to be released at our local theater. I made him watch all the previous years with me got him hooked too. It’s a brilliant project and I’m grateful it is continuing.
I didn’t expect to cry when I opened CupofJo a few minutes ago, but here we are. I wasn’t sure if they’d release 70 Up, since Michael Apted died. I remember the participants saying they weren’t sure they could manage to give it another go without Michael. I can’t think of another piece of art that has impacted me the way this series has. Just knowing the next and final installment is ready to watch has moved me to tears. Before I read your post, I quickly zoomed in on the photos to see who has passed since the last installment, and who’s still with us. The bravery it has taken these people to continue showing up for this documentary and expose so much of themselves is astounding. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, inspiring, gutting, and so moving. I’m so ready to watch and yet I might never be ready!
I was going to post my own comment but so much of yours resonated with me, I could almost have written it word-for-word. When I heard that Michael Apted passed I thought for sure that it was the end of the ‘Up’ series, and when I heard the news of ’70 Up’ last week I was almost in tears. This is the most remarkable project!
I could not be more thrilled about this! I devoured this series over maternity leave 13 years ago and thought it was over after the director had died. I’m grateful we get one more!
Eeewwww. I’m seeing lots of Susan Collins ads on here. This Mainer now has the heebeegeebees.
we are trying to blacklist these! if you see one again, please email hello@cupofjo.com with a screenshot, if you don’t mind, thank you!! xoxo
I have been obsessed with this series for the last twenty years… when 63 up came out, I saw the premier at IFC center and Tony came and did a Q & A! He was charming and hilarious :)
I’ve been absolutely obsessed with this series for years. I cannot shut up about it when docu-series come up. It’s such a ground-breaking and emotional work of social anthropology. I read through this gingerly, afraid of spoilers! Glad to see there weren’t any and will be so grateful to see this final installment. On a lighter note, for years now, my husband will sometimes just walk into the kitchen in and exclaim for no reason, “I wanna be a jockey! I wanna be a jockey!”
“Up” series is new to me. Makes me think of “Boyhood” (2014) – although Boyhood is scripted..
Yes I thought of Boyhood too reading this. I never heard of UP either.
I’m so excited to hear this! I watched the series in my very early twenties and lessons from their lives impacted the choices I made. Several of them said in their 30s/ 40s, I wish I’d taken more risks, I wish I’d tried to follow my dream. That motivated me to follow mine. My husband and I watched the entire series together during the pandemic and it was such an amazing thing to do together. A real education.
I think I missed 63 — now I’ve got some catching up to do!
I am beyond excited for this. I was 18 when I was first introduced to this series and very overwhelmed with finding my place in the world and trying to decide who I wanted to be. Because of these films I tend not to celebrate big milestone birthdays but do pay attention to the sevens. I like to think back and to carry forward with me the curious 7 year old, the enamoured 14 year old, the overwhelmed 21 year old, the adventurous 28 year old and the now 35 year old who is finally starting to get comfortable with herself. I am bolstered as well for 42 and beyond.
Oh, I’m not a streamer 🙁 but hope I’ll somehow be able to see it eventually. Wow… “70” Such a good series.
not sure where you are located, but I’ve been lucky enough to track down theaters to see this entire series on the big screen. I will admit to weeping openly to see these familiar faces – and to take stock of my own self along with them. Very meditative. Certainly introspective and revealing.
I watched them at a summer program in 1993! But it only was 5 films then — and 35 seemed so old to me.– And of course, I’m well past 35 now. It’s a beautiful series.
Eeeep! Yay! I had no idea a new one was coming! September is getting better- now we have that plus the new Sharon Horgan show to look forward to!
I love this series so much. It kind of breaks my heart that it’s already time for a new installment! Thanks for the heads up!
My heart was in my throat when I read this post. I love this series so much! But I don’t see that it’ll be avilable in the US yet. Is there a way to watch if you don’t live in the UK?
I think you can watch (with or without ads, depending on if you have a membership) on ITV-X. https://www.itv.com/watch/70-up/10a7089/upcoming
Oh amazing! Thank you so much for the info! This made my day!
I tried with ITV-X and no dice!
Yes I signed up but it said I couldn’t watch if I was watching outside the UK. :(
I’m on the case!!
Amy, same! It’s so hard to find the more recent ones outside the UK. If anyone has any intel on where to see or stream 70 Up in Canada, please let me know!!
You can watch 7-56 on Youtube! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3w1vuNIqRAWFQ_PsifiJK3d8z2cl2Uvi
Lauren – thank you!!
you will need a VPN to spoof you’re in the UK. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are good.
This is so exciting — my husband and I have watched all of them and it’s just so good. But I also can’t believe it’s 70 Up.
Oh! I love this series!
“You see sweet little boys grow up to suffer from mental illness.” Yes. This is what really breaks my heart about this series. I haven’t seen the more recent films, and I’m glad to hear many of them are happier now. It must be so strange to have your life documented and viewed like that, without any kind of real consent. I can’t imagine how it’s affected each of them.
fwiw, they’re able to leave the project anytime — a few have left over the years; or taken a break and then returned. xoxo
Oh I will absolutely be watching!! I watched bunch of them while I was pregnant with my now 20 year old son. This series’s is what I wish reality tv had become.