Long-running ITV docuseries Seven Up’s final chapter to show participants at 70

70 Up ends a series of docs that began 1964

ITV has commissioned 70 Up, the conclusion to its acclaimed long-running documentary series Seven Up, which follows the lives of the same group of ordinary people at intervals of seven years.

Produced by ITV Studios label MultiStory Media in association with Lafcadia Productions, the 2×90′ show will meet participants for the last time as they reflect on the trials, tribulations, triumphs and tragedies of their lives.

Debuting in 1964, Seven Up was originally commissioned by ITV regional broadcaster Granada Television as part of the investigative current affairs series World in Action, with the late Michael Apted directing many subsequent instalments.

Based on the saying ‘Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man,’ the series caught up with the participants every seven years, tracking their lives from children to senior citizens.

Filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Senna) will direct the final episode, with ITV Studios handling international distribution outside of the US.

Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual, ITV and commissioner of 70 Up, said: “The Seven Up story is much more than a TV documentary, it’s a document of our times – a truly distinctive landmark piece of filmmaking that has become part of our cultural fabric.

“In Asif Kapadia we have an outstanding director who will bring his passion, creativity and incredible flair whilst safeguarding the very precious Up legacy. Ultimately, this is a tribute to the courage of all the cast who continue to share their lives with us so we can see our lives in them.”