From ITV Studios

56UP
Monday May 14th on ITV 1

Archive Picture Shows: Neil and Peter playing chess at 14yrs 1971

The latest instalment of ITV’s landmark documentary series returns to the channel this year to visit the group of people whose lives have been documented since they were seven, to see where they are now, in 56 Up.

The original 7 Up was broadcast in 1964 as a one-off World in Action Special featuring children who were selected from different backgrounds and social spheres to talk about their hopes and dreams for the future.

As members of the generation who would be running the country by the year 2000, what did they think they would become?

Inspired by then World in Action editor Tim Hewat’s passionate interest in both the Jesuit saying: “Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man,” and the rigid class system of 1960s Britain, 7 Up set out to discover whether or not the children’s lives were pre-determined by their background.

The result was ground-breaking television – the very first example of a programme recording real people living real lives – and the follow-up films have won an array of awards.

Director Michael Apted, has returned every seven years to chart the children’s progress through life.

Over the past five decades, the series has documented the group as they have become adults and entered middle-age, dealing with everything life has thrown at them in between.

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For further information please contact Peter Gray
0207 157 3046 peter.gray@itv.com

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