Warning: Spoilers ahead for This Is England from the film through to the finale of ’90.
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| 'This Is England '90' |
When This Is England was released in 2006 many regarded it as Shane Meadows magnum opus; in terms of style, theme and dramatic heft it represented the culmination of Meadows' foray into British working class life and effortlessly blended humour, tragedy and romance into something that felt quintessentially British and easily recognisable as a Shane Meadows film.
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| 'This Is England' (2006) |
Fast forward nine years and for many (myself included) This Is England is still Meadows' definitive work, only now the small budget indie feature is part of a sprawling drama series comprised of the original film and three television ‘spin-offs’, This Is England ’86, ’88 and ’90.
As a Meadows’ fan and with This Is England topping my list of indie films at the time, I was dubious when ’86 was announced. Meadows' had never done television before, and though This Is England didn’t wrap everything up in a nice little bow, it did end with such force and poignancy that a spin-off could have easily cheapened the film and ruined its uniqueness and charm.
Thankfully though, ’86 was a brilliant miniseries and Meadows' handled the transition from film to television masterfully, creating a show that felt as distinctive as the film and yet whole-heartedly a story that belonged on the small screen.
With the release of ’88 Meadows’ again proved his worth and showed that the story of Shaun, Woody, Lol and the gang was far from over. With a clear passion and focused sense of direction ’88 felt as fresh as This Is England did in 2006 but with a sense of welcome familiarity.
And so, three years after its planned release in 2012, This Is England ’90 comes to our screens as the fourth and final chapter in the series. After so many years and with previous series reaching critical acclaim going back for one last time was both a smart and dangerous decision. Still, with Meadows' previous track record was there really any need to worry?
No. No there wasn’t.
This Is England '90 is a triumph of British television drama. Not only was it a satisfactorily meaty drama to delve into, but following on from previous Channel 4 dramas such as Utopia and Humans, it also served as a reminder that there's just as much excitement to be found in the lives of a group of working class friends as there is in international conspiracies and foreboding visions of our future.
This Is England ’90 focuses on three main stories: Woody, Lol and Milky have to deal with the trials of parenthood whilst also preparing for Combo’s release from jail; Kelly’s world is thrown into disarray as past truths about her father’s death come to light; and Shaun has to deal with moving on from Smell whilst trying to find where his future lies after dropping out of college.
Meadows' handles these separate strands well with each story weaving together and splitting apart naturally. The same is true for his handling of the main group, they come together and apart as friends do, with most characters fitting nicely into their roles. Shaun’s change from main to side character is done well and he still feels very much a key part of this world. Joe Gilgun and Vicky McClure are brilliant as ever in the shoes of Woody and Lol, handling the brunt of the stories main drama and creating a key couple for the series to revolve around. Chanel Cresswell is also very strong as Kelly, a character who takes centre stage towards the end of the series as her life spirals out of control.
Perhaps most impressively though, is how Meadows' manages to handle such a sprawling story in such a focused and detailed way. This is due in part to his knack for keen characterisation and strong visual storytelling, but is also aided by the format, with each of the four episodes taking place during a season of the year. Through this mechanic Meadows’ is able to let the characters and drama breathe, which lets us absorb both the action and lingering consequences whilst keeping the pace fast and the story on edge.
There are some elements to ’90 however that don’t quite work. The comic relief duo of Flip and Higgy seem a little too much like caricatures, as do Woody’s parents and their live-in surrogate daughter Jennifer, making scenes with them feel out of place against the rest of the series. Still, it’s understandable that Meadows’ would want to put some comedy into the mix, and these segments are usually short and well spaced out.
Those slight complaints aside, nearly everything within This Is England ’90 is on point and both dramatically and emotionally satisfying. As the finale draws to a close and Kelly is welcomed back into the group we see the gang smile, hug and dance the night away. After nine years of watching these characters grow up and take more than their fair share of trouble, it’s a satisfying send off.
Well, for all except Milky, now saddled with the guilt and trauma of having played a part in the death of Combo. As the rest of the gang enjoy themselves Milky is left to drink away his guilt and we’re left knowing that he’ll never be able to overcome what he did.
In those original final scenes of This Is England Milky is the victim of a violent and unstable Combo’s attack, and here he’s once again the victim in a completely different yet equally painful way. As the series draws to a close, and it seems the right decision for ’90 to end the saga, Meadows' gives us that tragic, poetic, ironic end which, considering the subject matter and topics covered here, is completely fitting of the series and undoubtedly an emotional one for any fan.
As a Meadows’ fan and with This Is England topping my list of indie films at the time, I was dubious when ’86 was announced. Meadows' had never done television before, and though This Is England didn’t wrap everything up in a nice little bow, it did end with such force and poignancy that a spin-off could have easily cheapened the film and ruined its uniqueness and charm.
Thankfully though, ’86 was a brilliant miniseries and Meadows' handled the transition from film to television masterfully, creating a show that felt as distinctive as the film and yet whole-heartedly a story that belonged on the small screen.
With the release of ’88 Meadows’ again proved his worth and showed that the story of Shaun, Woody, Lol and the gang was far from over. With a clear passion and focused sense of direction ’88 felt as fresh as This Is England did in 2006 but with a sense of welcome familiarity.
And so, three years after its planned release in 2012, This Is England ’90 comes to our screens as the fourth and final chapter in the series. After so many years and with previous series reaching critical acclaim going back for one last time was both a smart and dangerous decision. Still, with Meadows' previous track record was there really any need to worry?
No. No there wasn’t.
This Is England '90 is a triumph of British television drama. Not only was it a satisfactorily meaty drama to delve into, but following on from previous Channel 4 dramas such as Utopia and Humans, it also served as a reminder that there's just as much excitement to be found in the lives of a group of working class friends as there is in international conspiracies and foreboding visions of our future.
This Is England ’90 focuses on three main stories: Woody, Lol and Milky have to deal with the trials of parenthood whilst also preparing for Combo’s release from jail; Kelly’s world is thrown into disarray as past truths about her father’s death come to light; and Shaun has to deal with moving on from Smell whilst trying to find where his future lies after dropping out of college.
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| The gang are pushed to their limits yet again as the drama unfolds in 'This Is England '90' |
Meadows' handles these separate strands well with each story weaving together and splitting apart naturally. The same is true for his handling of the main group, they come together and apart as friends do, with most characters fitting nicely into their roles. Shaun’s change from main to side character is done well and he still feels very much a key part of this world. Joe Gilgun and Vicky McClure are brilliant as ever in the shoes of Woody and Lol, handling the brunt of the stories main drama and creating a key couple for the series to revolve around. Chanel Cresswell is also very strong as Kelly, a character who takes centre stage towards the end of the series as her life spirals out of control.
Perhaps most impressively though, is how Meadows' manages to handle such a sprawling story in such a focused and detailed way. This is due in part to his knack for keen characterisation and strong visual storytelling, but is also aided by the format, with each of the four episodes taking place during a season of the year. Through this mechanic Meadows’ is able to let the characters and drama breathe, which lets us absorb both the action and lingering consequences whilst keeping the pace fast and the story on edge.
There are some elements to ’90 however that don’t quite work. The comic relief duo of Flip and Higgy seem a little too much like caricatures, as do Woody’s parents and their live-in surrogate daughter Jennifer, making scenes with them feel out of place against the rest of the series. Still, it’s understandable that Meadows’ would want to put some comedy into the mix, and these segments are usually short and well spaced out.
 |
| Both Flip & Higgy and the Woodford household feel at odds with the rest of the series |
Those slight complaints aside, nearly everything within This Is England ’90 is on point and both dramatically and emotionally satisfying. As the finale draws to a close and Kelly is welcomed back into the group we see the gang smile, hug and dance the night away. After nine years of watching these characters grow up and take more than their fair share of trouble, it’s a satisfying send off.
Well, for all except Milky, now saddled with the guilt and trauma of having played a part in the death of Combo. As the rest of the gang enjoy themselves Milky is left to drink away his guilt and we’re left knowing that he’ll never be able to overcome what he did.
In those original final scenes of This Is England Milky is the victim of a violent and unstable Combo’s attack, and here he’s once again the victim in a completely different yet equally painful way. As the series draws to a close, and it seems the right decision for ’90 to end the saga, Meadows' gives us that tragic, poetic, ironic end which, considering the subject matter and topics covered here, is completely fitting of the series and undoubtedly an emotional one for any fan.
