Asif Kapadia to Conclude ITV's Up Series
Asif Kapadia has been appointed to direct the final installment of the influential and long-running ITV documentary series Up, which will air later this year. The series, which began in 1964, has followed a group of children from infancy through their teenage years and adulthood, revisiting them every seven years as they age.
The original series was voted the most influential UK television show of the last 50 years in 2024. It has chronicled the lives of its participants as they approach old age, providing a unique longitudinal portrait of human development and social change.
Legacy and Direction
The participants were revisited every seven years by the show's creator Michael Apted, who passed away in 2021, with Claire Lewis also contributing as a director. Kapadia, known for his acclaimed documentaries on Amy Winehouse, Ayrton Senna, and Diego Maradona, has taken over the directorial role and described the appointment as an
“incredible honour and privilege”.
Kapadia has expressed that the Up documentary is his favourite of all time and regards the original series as
“the ultimate portrait of human life”.
Tribute to Michael Apted and Series Impact
Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual programming and commissioner of 70 Up, described the series as a truly distinctive landmark piece of filmmaking that has become part of the cultural fabric. She emphasized that the final installment will serve as a tribute to Michael Apted.
Clinton-Davis added,
“In Asif Kapadia we have an outstanding director who will bring his passion, creativity and incredible flair whilst safeguarding the very precious Up legacy. Ultimately, this is a tribute to the courage of all the cast who continue to share their lives with us so we can see our lives in them.”
Origins and Concept
The series was initially intended as a one-off documentary, designed as a snapshot of the British class system and an examination of how it shaped people’s lives. The concept was created by Tim Hewat, the founding editor of Granada’s World in Action, inspired by the Jesuit saying,
“Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man”.
For the original 40-minute film, Michael Apted served as a researcher responsible for selecting British children from across the social class spectrum. Fourteen seven-year-olds were chosen, including Neil Hughes from Liverpool, who immediately captured viewers’ imaginations by declaring,
“I want to be an astronaut.”
Viewers have since observed the varied trajectories of these children’s lives. Neil Hughes’s life, for example, oscillated between depression, squatting, homelessness, and destitution before he became a lay preacher and Liberal Democrat councillor.
Participant Experiences and Continuity
Speaking to in 2019, Hughes described the Up series as Apted’s
“interpretation” of his life.Remarkably, only one participant requested to end their involvement early, although some have chosen not to appear in every installment. Nick Hitchon, the son of a Yorkshire farmer who became a respected scientist, was a participant and passed away in 2023.
Recognition and Future
In 2024, Up topped a list of the most influential shows from the last five decades compiled by the Broadcasting Press Guild, based on a poll of the country’s leading TV writers.
When asked in 2012 about the series’ longevity, Apted stated to ,
“As long as I’m above ground, I’ll carry on,”adding,
“maybe if I wasn’t above ground, someone else would take it over.”
His prediction has been fulfilled with Asif Kapadia now directing the final chapter of this landmark documentary series.
