I don't normally watch reality TV programmes but one I have followed for many years is 7 Up. It started 49 years ago and filmed a diverse group of 7 year olds. It was then repeated every 7 years to see how they progressed through life. This week 56 Up went to air in the UK so I must look out for it to be shown in NZ. If anyone sees it scheduled please let me know.

Us too Dally. It's been really interesting. Great public service broadcasting. (Im assuming - correct me if I'm wrong).

MMNN will be looking out for it too Our local Lib has all of them till 49up.

Better see if they have it on the To Buy List.

Really enjoyed it as well.

Aus has one as well quite similar,,,the name of it escapes me at the minute


Cheers Kai

Arandar
Not sure if it is public broadcasting as it was originaly produced by Granada TV but series 6 was shown by the BBC.

The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain in 1964, with the explicit assumption that each child's social class predetermines their future.

Good brackground reading here including all the other similar series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_Series

Michael Apted, the director, said this year that he doubted it would be made today because of the changes in broadcasting.

I also enjoy the on going documentary they are making on the health and physical and mental development of a number children in the UK that started about 2000.

Cheers

I'm glad to know that a 56Up programme has been made. I look forward to seeing it. We've watched and enjoyed them all, but the last couple of times it looked as if the series might be petering out. Some of the participants seemed reluctant to participate.
(Hopefully they were paid!)
It's been very interesting to see where life led these people. One of the least likely to succeed, except in personality (the poor cockney boy) ended up quite well off, living with his family in Spain. Another of the boys, quite privileged, developed mental-health problems and for a while was living a hermit-like existence in Scotland. Their stories also mirrored the breaking-down of the class system in England.

I enjoyed this too,a fascinating glimpse of UK society. Hope we see it here on free to air TV.

Kari ,,

Just refreshed my memory of it, with the link from Hero in post 4!!!

The cockney one ??/was he a taxi driver in one of them ??

He had a neat personality if I remember rightly, and often that helps to overcome sometimes early on in life,,, difficulties ..

I wish I could remember the Austrailan one we saw about 3 or 4 years ago,,,, along similar lines ..

Must take a bit to keep up with them all mustn't It??? cos so many changes happen to all , over a 7 year period in life...

have a gr8 day..


Cheers Kai

Kari - Keith was the one with mental problems and is my favourite character. After he left his hermit like existence in Scotland he became a Local Counsel member in London and I think he is now on the Councel in Carlisle. He stood for Parliament in Carlisle as a Liberal Democrat. He was a bright kid as a 7 year old but then his Bi-Polar problem knocked him back.