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We've followed their lives for six decades; now the stars of 7 Up are bowing out

2026-09-12 | original

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Why This Matters

The Up series, the longest-running documentary ever made and voted the most influential TV show of the past 50 years, concludes with 70 Up on ITV. It's a reminder of the power of longitudinal, long-form storytelling in an era of short-form, algorithm-driven video, and closes a six-decade chapter in British broadcasting.

Key Takeaways

7 Up began in 1964 as a one-off look at Britain's class system, following 14 seven-year-olds from different backgrounds.
It became the longest-running documentary series ever and was voted the most influential TV show of the past 50 years in 2024.
The final instalment, 70 Up, airs on ITV, ending the project after six decades.

Worth a Look

The Up Series DVD Collection (7 Up to 56 Up) — With 70 Up closing out the story, this box set lets you watch the whole extraordinary arc from those chatty seven-year-olds in 1964 onward. It's the perfect way to catch up on decades of British social history before the finale — or to revisit the participants you've grown up alongside.

See The Up Series DVD Collection (7 Up to 56 Up) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.

Six decades have passed since Jackie Bassett first appeared on TV aged seven, skipping down the road with her little sister.

It was 1964 and she had been selected by teachers at her east London primary school to appear in a documentary called 7 Up.

The show interviewed 14 seven-year-olds from vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds. Inspired by the Jesuit saying: "Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man", it was intended as a one-off - a snapshot of Britain's class system and how it shapes us from a young age.

"They only picked me because I never stopped talking," Jackie told the BBC, with an infectious giggle that hasn't changed since childhood.

Little did she know then, but Jackie was being filmed for a show that would go on to be the longest-running documentary series ever made. In 2024, it was voted the most influential TV show of the past 50 years.

Now the curtain is falling, with the final instalment - 70 Up - airing on ITV this Tuesday.

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