Our Friends in the North

Our Friends in the North
Opening title sequence of the television programme. Fragments of scenes from the series and the changing faces of the four lead characters are displayed in jagged vertical strips, with the title caption written beneath, against a black background.
Opening title sequence of Our Friends in the North
GenreDrama serial
Written byPeter Flannery
Directed by
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes9 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerCharles Pattinson
Camera setupSingle camera
Running time63–75 minutes (each)
Original release
NetworkBBC Two
Release15 January (1996-01-15) –
11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Our Friends in the North is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC. It was originally broadcast in nine episodes on BBC2 in early 1996. Written by Peter Flannery, it tells the story of four friends from Newcastle upon Tyne over a period of 31 years, from 1964 to 1995. The story makes reference to certain political and social events which occurred during the era portrayed, some specific to Newcastle and others which affected Britain as a whole. These include general elections, police and local government corruption, the UK miners' strike of 1984–1985, and the Great Storm of 1987.

The serial is commonly regarded as one of the most successful BBC television dramas of the 1990s, described by The Daily Telegraph as "a production where all ... worked to serve a writer's vision. We are not likely to look upon its like again".[1] It has been named by the British Film Institute as one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, by The Guardian as the third greatest television drama of all time and by Radio Times as one of the 40 greatest television programmes.[2][3][4] It was awarded three British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), two Royal Television Society Awards, four Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, and a Certificate of Merit from the San Francisco International Film Festival.[5]

Our Friends in the North helped to establish the careers of its four lead actors, Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Mark Strong. Daniel Craig's part in particular has been referred to as his breakthrough role.[6][7] It was also a controversial production, as its stories were partly based on real people and events. Several years passed before it was adapted from a play, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, to a television drama, owing in part to the BBC's fear of legal action.

In February 2022, it was announced that Flannery had rewritten Our Friends in the North for BBC Radio 4 and that it would feature a new, tenth episode written by Adam Usden that was set in Newcastle in 2020. It features James Baxter, Norah Lopez Holden, Philip Correia and Luke MacGregor in the respective roles of Nicky, Mary, Tosker and Geordie, and began 17 March 2022.[8]

  1. ^ Unknown. The Daily Telegraph. Quoted on the DVD release cover. (BMG DVD 74321 941149)
  2. ^ Wickham, Phil (2000). "BFI TV 100 – 25: Our Friends in the North". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
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  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference friend was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference guard2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Peter Flannery revives Our Friends in the North for Radio 4". BBC Media Centre. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.