Overview
- The final episode of the Up series has aired and the definitive two-part film 70 Up is now available to watch on ITVX.
- Asif Kapadia directed the finale after Michael Apted’s death in 2021 and said the job was a “dream project” he hoped would do the series justice.
- The film incorporates remastered and previously unseen archive material plus a 2023 interview with participant Nicholas Hitchon to shape the closing narrative.
- Participants gather in the final instalment for a farewell that examines how opportunity, social class and being filmed affected their lives.
- Broad reaction has been emotional and appreciative while producers and commentators note the series’ mixed legacy, its influence on documentary practice, and the stronger duty-of-care and diversity expectations that make a similar six-decade project unlikely today.