Realistically, words cannot describe just how superbly written and beautifully played this drama is. It grips so tight that it's almost hard to imagine that it is in fact a story and the characters become real people, almost giving the impression that their very existence influenced certain political factors throughout the 1970's and 1980's.
It begins in 1964 with the main character Dominic Hutchinson (Christopher Eccleston) arriving home in Newcastle after a trip to New Orleans, and follows his life and the lives of his three childhood friends. It begins so innocently in fact that it's hard to imagine where the story is heading when one first sits down to view.
It's soon apparent though that the main driving subject of the drama (and in fact the stake that's driven through the friendships of the characters) is the politically uneasy period in British history, and the story is exceptionally deftly woven with real life occurrences, from the electricity rationing and the resulting three day working week to the surge of pornography, strip clubs and Police corruption in Soho, from the uprise of Thatcherism to the destruction of the mining industry.
Everything that happened in this time period in Britain has a showing here, whether it be a main hinge-point of the story or a television programme in the background. And just as it affected our lives at the time (storm of 1987 for example), it affects the lives of the characters in turn. It also highlights the rags to riches to rags nature of life that luckily only taints a few of us, but one poor soul - Geordie - has the kind of life that would send most of us to tears, played beautifully by Daniel Craig in the role he was really made for.
Geordie is the epitome of 'floating down the stream', and literally goes from unemployed Newcastle escapee to Soho Porn King's number 2. His portrayal of the character is absolutely superb, with real attention paid to the nuances one would expect to see in life without noticing.
In fact all the cast play beautifully, the main four being Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee, Daniel Craig and Mark Strong supported by the acting superiority from the likes of Peter Vaughan, Alun Armstrong, Malcolm McDowell, Donald Sumpter and many others besides.
The one thing that really struck me was in the final episode. There is a momentary glance between all four of the characters when after all the years and all the problems and all the arguments, they've all ended up exactly where they started, it's just 21 years later.
It made me realise (bearing in mind I was only 19 when I first saw it), why people say 'I don't feel as old as I am', and why I now don't feel any older than I did fifteen years ago. It can't be quantified, you'll just have to watch it to understand.
I don't know of any other drama/film/series that could convey so much sense of focus and proportion and really show life for what it is (and what it was in the 70's and 80's), but if there's something out there that does, I'd love to see it.
Just sit down quietly with this drama, listen to every word, watch every scene and concentrate on the social commentary. I swear if this doesn't communicate, you can't be a human.
It begins in 1964 with the main character Dominic Hutchinson (Christopher Eccleston) arriving home in Newcastle after a trip to New Orleans, and follows his life and the lives of his three childhood friends. It begins so innocently in fact that it's hard to imagine where the story is heading when one first sits down to view.
It's soon apparent though that the main driving subject of the drama (and in fact the stake that's driven through the friendships of the characters) is the politically uneasy period in British history, and the story is exceptionally deftly woven with real life occurrences, from the electricity rationing and the resulting three day working week to the surge of pornography, strip clubs and Police corruption in Soho, from the uprise of Thatcherism to the destruction of the mining industry.
Everything that happened in this time period in Britain has a showing here, whether it be a main hinge-point of the story or a television programme in the background. And just as it affected our lives at the time (storm of 1987 for example), it affects the lives of the characters in turn. It also highlights the rags to riches to rags nature of life that luckily only taints a few of us, but one poor soul - Geordie - has the kind of life that would send most of us to tears, played beautifully by Daniel Craig in the role he was really made for.
Geordie is the epitome of 'floating down the stream', and literally goes from unemployed Newcastle escapee to Soho Porn King's number 2. His portrayal of the character is absolutely superb, with real attention paid to the nuances one would expect to see in life without noticing.
In fact all the cast play beautifully, the main four being Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee, Daniel Craig and Mark Strong supported by the acting superiority from the likes of Peter Vaughan, Alun Armstrong, Malcolm McDowell, Donald Sumpter and many others besides.
The one thing that really struck me was in the final episode. There is a momentary glance between all four of the characters when after all the years and all the problems and all the arguments, they've all ended up exactly where they started, it's just 21 years later.
It made me realise (bearing in mind I was only 19 when I first saw it), why people say 'I don't feel as old as I am', and why I now don't feel any older than I did fifteen years ago. It can't be quantified, you'll just have to watch it to understand.
I don't know of any other drama/film/series that could convey so much sense of focus and proportion and really show life for what it is (and what it was in the 70's and 80's), but if there's something out there that does, I'd love to see it.
Just sit down quietly with this drama, listen to every word, watch every scene and concentrate on the social commentary. I swear if this doesn't communicate, you can't be a human.