News: This is England ’86

Focusing on the lives of non-racist and nationalist northern English skinheads in 1983, the 2006 film This is England by Shane Meadows opened to wide critical acclaim, making many ‘Best of’ lists for the year. Now four years later, Meadows is revisiting the characters he made famous in a four part TV sequel entitled This Is England ’86. The sequel finds the characters three years after the film ended, in the midst of the World Cup and on the precipice of many life changes: “As Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) sits his last school exam, the realisation dawns that adulthood beckons and in mid-80s England he’s going to have to find his own way in the world. Luckily life has dealt a surprise hand to his friends too and no one is quite where they thought they would be. Woody, Lol, Smell, Gadget, Milky – they are all looking for love, a laugh, a job and something that resembles a future.”
 
The first episode of the brand new four-part serial will be previewed at the Showroom, Sheffield on Thursday 2 September, attended by cast including Thomas Turgoose, Vicky McClure, Andrew Shim and Joe Gilgun with a special introduction by director Shane Meadows. Much of the film was made in the Gleadless Valley area of Sheffield and will premiere on BBC4 next month.