ITV has confirmed that 70 Up will be the final chapter of its acclaimed documentary series, which has followed the lives of the same group of people since they were children in the 1960s. The concluding instalment will consist of two 90-minute films directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia, due to air on ITV1 and ITVX later in 2026. An exact broadcast date has not yet been announced.
A landmark series concludes
Kapadia described the chance to direct the final instalment as an "incredible honour and privilege." He took over the project following the death of Michael Apted, who directed the majority of the series and was instrumental in its development over the years. Kapadia has previously described the Up series as his favourite documentary project of all time.
Viewers will also be able to watch two additional programmes alongside the finale. These special episodes will delve into archive footage and revisit people who were filmed at the age of 70 in earlier decades, including individuals born during the Victorian era.
Six decades of documenting lives
The Up series began in 1964 with 7 Up, which introduced 14 children from a range of social backgrounds. Cameras returned roughly every seven years, documenting participants as they grew older and revealing how their lives compared with the ambitions they had as children. Over more than six decades, the programme has become one of Britain's most recognisable documentary projects and an extraordinary record of changing lives and society.
By the time 70 Up reaches screens, two of the original 14 participants, Lynn Johnson and Nick Hitchon, will have died. Charles Furneaux is also expected to feature, having last appeared in the series in 21 Up. Other participants involved in the final instalment include Sue Davis, Bruce Balden, Tony Walker, Jackie Bassett, John Brisby, Andrew Brackfield, Suzy Lusk, Paul Kligerman, Symon Basterfield, Neil Hughes and Peter Davies.
The end of an era
Jo Clinton-Davis, ITV's Controller of Factual and Commissioner of 70 Up, said the series had become much more than a television programme. "The 7 Up story is much more than a TV documentary, it’s a document of our times," she said. "A truly distinctive landmark piece of film-making that has become part of our cultural fabric. In the evolving stories of our cast we see the universal themes of life play out."
She added: "It is the series that made me want to get into television. It is the series that I am beyond proud of having been involved in since 56 Up." The final instalment will bring an end to more than 60 years of filming, making 70 Up the last chapter in one of British television's longest-running documentary projects. 70 Up will be coming soon to ITV1 and ITVX.
