Mark Ratcliffe

The original UK series is an un-Hollywoodised and, in my opinion, more authentic version of the autobiographical account of a young man growing up in a very poor area of a very poor town in the Pennine hills of 1970's England. It is written by the brilliant Paul Abbott. His character in the series is called Lip, an abbreviation of the name Phillip. Whilst on the surface the story seems grim and somewhat depressing, if the viewer perseveres, the bond that is forged between the various family members becomes stronger than that of many wealthier families. It is a series that should be seen to the completion of at least the first series.

This show works on so many levels. Whilst the majority of television seeks to capture the physically beautiful, the athletic, the youthful, the (supposedly) clever; this show takes elderly and the childish and demonstrates how through mutual appreciation both edify one another. We see people who were once young being made to feel valued by those too young to be yet considered of any significant worth and the wonders this does for the self esteem of both groups is truly heartwarming. In my opinion, far and away the best thing on TV.