Guardian Editorial: Final 'Seven Up!' Installment Raises Questions About Growing Up on Camera

A Guardian editorial reflected on the conclusion of the Seven Up! documentary series, which began in 1963 when a television crew filmed 14 British children, an idea originated by researcher Michael Apted to explore the country's class system by juxtaposing children from different backgrounds.

According to the editorial, Apted returned every seven years to update the series, and what emerged over the decades proved more piercing than initially envisaged, touching on life broadly rather than class alone. The final installment, 70 Up, is currently being shown in two parts on ITV; the Guardian noted that two of the original participants and Apted himself have died, and that participant Nick Hitchon gave a final interview days before his death.

The editorial said the closing episodes, directed by Asif Kapadia, capture both hardships and joys experienced by the participants over their lives, without offering simple narratives of redemption or tragedy.