I don't want it to end.

With the original film and these TV sequels spanning seven years in the lives of Lol, Woody, Milky, Shaun, Kelly, Gadget, Trev and Harvey etc Shane Meadows has produced the finest, most important television cultural document since Our Friends In The North.

It goes without saying of course that the moments of high drama, the release of Combo and the drastic downward spiral of Kelly, were utterly spellbinding and that once again Stephen Graham blows you away with his unique talent. Who would have thought that anyone would be in tears over the monster he so horrifically brought to life in the original film? Yet through the subsequent instalments, Meadows, co-writer Jack Thorne and…

A certain thirty-something Lancashire lad on LB will have a different opinion as to which British director delivers the most realistic slice of modern Britain. Ken Loach has done it for years, Mike Leigh has done likewise with a slightly less political stance in most of his films, and I know it will sound like sacrilege to some, but sometimes these two guys don't quite do it for me. Sometimes it depends on your political views or how you view your place in society that will lean you one way or the other, but over the space of one film and three television specials featuring a cast of extraordinary young actors, Shane Meadows' This Is England threatens to steal their…

This is England ‘90 is the final chapter in the series, taking place at the turn of the decade as Thatcher leaves office. ‘90 sees a return to the political influences that took a backseat for ‘88 and explores yet another change in culture, specifically through the younger cast like Shaun, Harvey, Gadget etc. Lol and Woody return and somehow surpass their previous performances. Revelations and resolutions ensue as the characters’ pasts catch up with them. 

As expected, ‘90 offers more bleak scenarios and sad truths that are handled with the series’ signature realism. However, it’s also got its comedic moments and even they feel genuine. The ending isn’t as well-rounded as I’d hoped, but it’s still great and the…

Saturday night, nothing much on so a rewatch of this stunning instalment to the This Is England story (see previous review here)

I watched the DVD release this time around (having picked it up recently) and really enjoyed the deleted scenes. There's over 20 minutes of Combo's life inside, featuring a really impressive cameo from Paddy Considine, that is really great but I can see why Meadows left it on the cutting room floor, as it threatens to tip the balance of the tale over. It's a real shame though that Considine, a talented actor who hasn't really been up the mark of late (not even in his turn as a wicked priest in the recent, impressive third series of…

87/100

Every time I watch any of This is England's spin-off series I'm blown away by how this world created by Shane Meadows can be so side-splittingly funny and distressingly bleak, often in the space of a single episode. After the 2006 film - one of the greatest British films of all-time, for my money - Meadows, his writing team and this incredibly talented cast of actors have gone on to provide some of the best kitchen-sink drama the country has seen since the turn of the century. It's been a wonderful experience seeing these characters develop over the past decade and it's incredible how even in '90, the show's third and likely final season, Meadows is able to pick…

I don’t know what to do with myself man. I honestly feel like I’ve said goodbye to a group of mates. I never grow this emotionally attached to a form of media but for some reason, I feel a very strong bond with these characters and their stories and don’t want to be without them.

The final saga of the This Is England story tries to close up as many loose ends as possible without tying everything in a bow to maintain the shows naturalistic style. This leads to some very satisfying and almost tear-jerking highs and devastating lows, but as Meadows knows how to do best, he never dwells on misery nor melodrama, he shows us real life. The…

Woody y Lol han retomado su relación y están viviendo juntos. Shaun y el resto de la pandilla experimentan con las drogas. Kelly se enfrenta a una cruda realidad y Combo sale de prisión.

Definitivamente, esta es la mejor entrega de todas. No le falta nada. Roza la perfección. ¿Qué más podemos pedir?
En esta ¿última? parte, los protagonistas se introducen en el mundo de las drogas. Unos para pasárselo bien y otros para evadirse de la realidad y de sus problemas. Ser libres. Una gran escena que refleja esto es cuando la pandilla decide ir a una fiesta y perdidos se encuentran en el campo una "fiesta" con caravanas.
Otro tema sobre el que gira la serie es la…