Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Hulkeasexo it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Iseerphia All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

ferdinand1932 When this was broadcast in 1996 it was really important. Britain was tired of the Tories and they were incompetent but also the soul of what drives political ideals was gone. A year after this series was shown the Labour party swept to power. Not that there is a correlation there but the mood of the country had changed.Fourteen years later - in 2010 - there is so much to admire here, even if the political urgency has past: the writing, production, casting, and threads to the long story, but there also parts that don't work anymore: the sex and corruption theme stands out here. As this is a single writer's work it has great features in character and in the human play that covers 40+ years. It also tends to fall into dirge over the miner's strike - as important as that was but like some other elements it is a bit close to agitprop-theater of the 1970s.The biggest impression made now is that we have lost this type of story on TV. We are too involved with reality TV rubbish and contest shows of dubious merit and consuming more junk than stories about how people live. And finally, in an era of spin politics it reminds us that politics starts from simple things like housing and respect.It's over 9 hours to watch the whole series and it's worth the time.

theinvestigator No offence Burrobaggy but the review is stereotypical of people with historical chips on their shoulder the size of Knots Landing. WAKE UP. The north east has changed / is changing/ will keep changing. It is not the outpost of England so "fondly" reconciled by anyone living south of the Midlands.OK, so it's gritty, grim and depressing at times and the one thing I completely agree with is that the smug McKee is truly vile. But put the history of the program in context - it portrayed things "at the time". And that's exactly what it was - yes - even with the heavy dialogue and accent. Take it for what it was, a portrayal of life when it happened throughout the decades.I happen to think it was a tremendous series brilliantly created for TV depicting credible characters which you warm to, relate to and sympathise with. Heck you even want to be on the frontline with them battling against the Police for the rights of the Miners (and I never agreed with that dispute!) Having recently rented the series after watching it originally on TV I retained the same feeling on conclusion. It left me feeling sad, fulfilled and wanting more even though that was never going to happen. This is truly an excellent drama. Put aside a weekend, rent it and lock out the world. And whatever you do, don't believe the north east is grim.....

didi-5 When this drama first hit our screens in '96, there was a certain cynicism about lengthy serials set in contemporary times, and whether it could hold a nation's attention. Casting was wide and varied - the four leads, who grow up together, grow apart, and grow together again - were played with class by Gina MacKee, Chris Eccleston, Daniel Craig and Mark Strong. Others in support included David Bradley, Peter Vaughan, Malcolm McDowell, David Schofield, Daniel Casey, and many more. Each episode moved the story along through its thirty-year span, while we watched each character reach their highs and lows until the last episode which left them all reunited.Two things in particular stand out - the episode about the miners' strike, which was brilliantly done; and the closing credits over which Oasis' 'Don't Look Back in Anger' was played. I can't think of a better tune to close this excellent serial. One of the BBC's best.

ilaurie Possibly one of the greatest Drama of the Last 10 years.This story of Characters and events of post war britain is fantastic. A must see. The Cast are all excellent and a times this will amaze you to see the changes that have happened in Britain.