Asif Kapadia is ready to finish the ultimate chapter in what has long been considered a landmark and groundbreaking British TV docuseries.
The “Up” series of movies launched in 1964 with “7 Up,” capturing the lives of 10 boys and 4 girls in England all aged of seven on the time. Cameras then revisited the group every seven years to chart their journey from childhood to teenagers, to maturity, through careers, marriage, divorce, parenting, bereavement and more.
Nine episodes have been made to date, with noted director Michael Apted having directed all however the very first. Following Apted’s passing in 2021, Oscar-winning documentarian Kapadia — best known for “Amy,” “Senna” and “Diego Maradona” — is taking on the reins for the ultimate two-part instalment, “70 Up” for ITV (which has aired all but one episode in 1988). As per the outline, the movies will meet up with the participants as pensioners and retirees as they “reflect on their triumphs, their trials and tribulations, and what happened to their hopes and dreams.”
“In 2014 I named the ‘Up’ series as my favourite documentary of all time. Who knew that twenty years later I’d have the incredible honour and privilege to be asked to direct ’70 Up,’ the legendary documentary series,” said Kapadia. “I like the show! I actually have watched all of it my life, first as a toddler with my parents and siblings, growing up in East London after which as an adult.”
Kapadia noted that he had been lucky enough to fulfill Apted on several occasions, first when he was interviewed about “Senna.”
“He liked the very fact I directed drama and documentaries, like him,” he said. “Directing ’70 Up’ has been a dream project for me, the final word portrait of human life, working with my amazing editors Andrew Hulme and Patrick Saxer, we had the challenge of cutting hours of archive material shot over many years, while also taking a look at the character of documentary filmmaking itself. I hope the audience feel my team and I actually have done the epic series justice with the closing chapter.”
Alongside Kapadia and his producer George Chignell might be production executive Helen Houston and Claire Lewis, the careful custodian and producer of the casts’ stories since “28 Up.” The series is because of air later in 2026.
“70 Up” has been commissioned by Sue Murphy, head of factual entertainment commissioning ITV and Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of Factual ITV. It should be produced by MultiStory Media, a part of ITV Studios, in association with Lafcadia Productions. ITV Studios can even handle distribution globally, excluding North America.