Richards, Jeffrey (13 March 1996). "The BBC's voice of two nations". The Independent. p.15. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 . Retrieved 2 September 2013. I wasn't born or raised in the north, and until recently didn't have any friends who lived there. As a young socialist growing up in the south, this sometimes felt like a credibility millstone, in part because this is where Margaret Thatcher's greed bomb exploded, tarring everyone born in the southern counties with the same wretched pinstripe or barrow-boy brush. It's also fair to say that the north has repeatedly born the brunt of regressive Tory legislation, being far enough from the capital and the common concept of 'Middle England' – whatever the hell that really is – to be of seemingly little concern to those passing the legislation. What the Left of the north always had, something that was too often in short supply down our way, was a strong sense of solidarity and communal unity, in part because of the damage done to those very communities by legislation they were instrumental in opposing. And even today, the song remains the same. Although I live in the southern region that has been calculated to take the biggest hammering from David Cameron's ideologically motivated spending cuts, * it's once again the North East and the Midlands that are set to come off worst, with Middlesborough predicted to suffer the heaviest blow. The first director approached to helm the production by Michael Wearing was Danny Boyle. [34] Boyle was keen to direct all nine episodes, but Pattinson believed that one director taking charge of the entire serial would be too punishing a schedule for whoever was chosen. [35] Boyle had recently completed work on the feature film Shallow Grave and wanted to see how that film was received before committing to Our Friends in the North. [34] When Shallow Grave proved to be a critical success, Boyle was able to enter pre-production on Trainspotting. He withdrew from Our Friends in the North. [36] Sir Peter Hall was also briefly considered, but he too had other production commitments. [36] It may be many years since this was first shown on the BBC - it was well worth watching again - excellent story lines and superb acting. It may be many years since this was first shown on the BBC - it was well worth watching again - excellent story lines and superb acting. a b c "The top 50 TV dramas of all time: 2–10". The Guardian. 12 January 2010 . Retrieved 2 September 2013.

Our Friends in the North: Complete Series [Region 2] by Our Friends in the North: Complete Series [Region 2] by

A critically acclaimed and award-winning television drama series about politics, corruption and class in the north-east of England has been given a new modern-day ending in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation. a b Slarek (6 October 2010). "Our Friends in the North DVD review". Cine Outsider . Retrieved 2 September 2013. The first episode of Our Friends in the North gained 5.1 million viewers on its original transmission. [51] In terms of viewing figures, the series was BBC2's most successful weekly drama until 2001. [52] Reception [ edit ] Critical response [ edit ] The floating nightclub Tuxedo Princess beneath the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle, pictured in 2005. Both of these locations feature prominently in Our Friends in the North. The real-life public figures drawn on here include Labour council leader T. Dan Smith, architect and freemason John Poulson, Home Secretary Reginald Maudling, Newcastle businessman Sir John Hall, and ex-Chief Constable Frank Williamson.

Walker, Lynne (27 September 2007). "Tyne and again". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 . Retrieved 2 September 2013. These are rich, beautifully drawn characters. Almost without exception, they can tug on your heartstrings and then repulse you within the space of a couple of scenes. Compare this with The Crown – which, in its less inspired moments, feels like a whistle-stop tour of old headlines – and the quality of the writing is immediately apparent. Our Friends in the North was given a repeat run on BBC2 the year following its original broadcast, running on Saturday evenings from 19 July to 13 September 1997. [66] [67] It received a second repeat run on the BBC ten years after its original broadcast, running on BBC Four from 8 February to 29 March 2006. [66] [67] In the early 2000s, the serial was also repeated on the UK Drama channel. [68] A few weeks ago, I found myself comparing BBC Two’s Industry to a show that came before it. Not Succession. Or This Life (actually, I compared it to that, too). Instead, I compared it to Our Friends in the North.

Our Friends in the North - Complete Series - 3-DVD Box Set Our Friends in the North - Complete Series - 3-DVD Box Set

Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. Loved it just as I had when it had been broadcast. My husband, who had never seen it also loved it Loved it just as I had when it had been broadcast. My husband, who had never seen it also loved it Both during and after its original transmission on BBC2, the serial was generally praised by the critics. Reviewing the first episode in The Observer newspaper, Ian Bell wrote: "Flannery's script is faultless; funny, chilling, evocative, spare, linguistically precise. The four young friends about to share 31 hellish years in the life of modern Britain are excellently played." [53] Daniel Craig was auditioned late for the role of Geordie. At the audition he performed the Geordie accent very poorly but won the part, which came to be regarded as his breakthrough role. [7] [6] Mark Strong worked on the Geordie accent by studying episodes of the 1980s comedy series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, which featured lead characters from Newcastle. [40] Strong later claimed that Christopher Eccleston took a dislike to him and outside of their scenes together the pair did not speak while the series was filming. [40] The serial is commonly regarded as one of the most successful BBC television dramas of the 1990s, described by The Daily Telegraph as "a production where all... worked to serve a writer's vision. We are not likely to look upon its like again". [1] It has been named by the British Film Institute as one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, by The Guardian as the third greatest television drama of all time and by Radio Times as one of the 40 greatest television programmes. [2] [3] [4] It was awarded three British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), two Royal Television Society Awards, four Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, and a Certificate of Merit from the San Francisco International Film Festival. [5]Saw it when it was first released but had forgotten most of it. Really enjoying it. Based on T Dan Smith and John Poulson but names have been changed. Saw it when it was first released but had forgotten most of it. Really enjoying it. Based on T Dan Smith and John Poulson but names have been changed. Alison Hindell, Radio 4 commissioning editor for drama and fiction, said the themes of Our Friends in the North “illuminated the continuing north-south divide today”. She hoped the adaptation would find a new audience as well as being welcomed by fans of the original show. Following the success of Our Friends in the North, Flannery proposed a "kind of prequel" to the serial under the title of Our Friends in the South. [64] This would have told the story of the Jarrow March. [65] Although the BBC initially took up the project, it did not progress to script stage and was eventually abandoned. [64] [65] a b "Peter Flannery on..." Broadcast. 3 November 2008 . Retrieved 2 September 2013. I wanted to do Our Friends in the South [about the Jarrow march], which the BBC took up. Its commitment was so lukewarm, there was really no point in continuing. Our Friends in the North, broadcast on BBC2 in 1996, was hailed as a landmark show that combined gritty politics with personal relationships. “I’ve always said it’s just a posh soap opera – but it’s a posh soap opera with something to say,” Flannery, who was born in Jarrow, south Tyneside, once said.