This is England '90

[Dogg Thang]

Finally! A trailer for This is England '90: http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...-shane-meadows

Looking great as always. I was late to the This is England party and, even then, feel like I've been waiting ages for this one.

[Dogg Thang]

Started tonight. Quite a lot of time given to obvious reminders about what happened last time, which I guess was probably a good idea given how long it has been since the last one. Everyone is back on form and it was more of the same. In a good way. Anyone else catch it?

[Colin]

Yes, loved having it back, I love the characters so much! Will add more comment tomorrow, have a 4am drive.

[ShadowDancer]

Watching it with a friend tomorrow...I was half expecting spoilers, more fool me for risking it!

[QualityChimp]

So is this any good then? I've not seen any of the This is England series. I think the whole skinhead and racism thing put me off.

I really enjoyed Dead Man's Shoes, so I'm willing to give this a go...

[Dogg Thang]

If you're going to give it a shot, start from the beginning. What you should know is that the only one that really goes into skinheads and racism is the movie and it doesn't glorify it. It shows it as being the type of thing kids get into for exactly the reason kids used to get into subcultures like that - a sense of belonging. And then it gets into those racist elements of the culture and especially the time. It doesn't ever glorify anything actually and that's one of the brilliant things about the show.

It is about the lives of the characters and it feels generally very real, even with quite a few comedy situations. The TV series grows from the movie in the same way kids grow into young adults and stop having stupid haircuts and have to make a living. It works brilliantly in my opinion. Watch the movie and go straight into the TV shows and see what you think.

[kellog7]

Didn't feel like 1990. The original film was spot on at capturing the era, but this just seemed off. Mind you, I was there, but suspect a large portion of the audience weren't, so for them it'll be accurate enough.

[QualityChimp]

So does the film go first in chronological order?

[Dogg Thang]

I was there. It felt right for me (with one exception*) but I suspect that it is so specific to not just a time but a group within a time that it will either look familiar to you or not. I wasn't part of a group like that (I was more like the people in that group seen at the end of the ep - probably shouldn't admit to that) but I knew people who were and it felt familiar to me.

*

->Open Spoiler<-

I have never ever in my entire life met blokes like the two sniff-bangers.

[Dogg Thang]

So does the film go first in chronological order?

Yep. The film is first.

[beecee]

seen the film, had no idea there was a TV show!

[Dogg Thang]

If you liked the film, you're in for a treat. The two series are This is England '86 and This is England '88. And now '90 has just started. Slower moving than the film and yet more focussed in ways and, given that it is so character driven, I feel the series is all the better for it. And they have one of the creepiest characters ever put on telly.

[beecee]

going to give it go, really enjoyed the film. might actually re watch it first.

[gunrock]

Love the characters and the story arcs. First film was my era in many ways, Tommo could have been me (my situation not that grim), but I grew around those kind of people and those kind of estates.

I'm on a blackout until tomorrow, as I'm trying to finish my degree project thesis and struggling!

[Colin]

See, I thought it really caught '90 well. That could have something to do with how much what was happening had in common with me and my friends at that time, it was scary how much I could link the characters to real life people in that episode. To be fair I think Meadows has got it bang on for every era, I have a real attachment to the characters now.

Not sure if it was who DT was alluding to, but for those about to dive in and watch it all fresh, be prepared for a scene so harrowing that I actually physically threw up, absolutely brutal.