AS atrocities unfold in Ukraine, it’s hard not to feel a sense of guilt as we look on from our protective bubble in the West. To dare to think about anything other than the hardship of millions of destitute families seems selfish.
But at the risk of sounding glib, I find I’m coming down with a serious case of nostalgia. The pull of the past during these times is stronger than ever, and where better to find it than in drama.
So when I read the BBC’s Our Friends in the North by Peter Flannery is returning this week with a new chapter for radio it instantly caught my attention.
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The saga first aired in 1996, long before mediocre box sets and insipid mini-series dominated our TV landscape. It cost £8 million to make, a huge amount at the time – indeed half of BBC2’s annual drama serials budget, but it was money well spent. Having watched it fairly recently it has dated in parts, but as a piece of social commentary it has barely aged.
For the uninitiated, the story follows four friends from Newcastle – played by Gina McKee (Mary), Daniel Craig (Geordie), Christopher Eccleston (Nicky) and Mark Strong (Tosker) – over four decades as their lives are buffeted between personal upheaval and forces of corruption.
Politics is the overriding theme, with each episode set in an election year. But throw in dodgy town planners, Cockney gangsters, striking miners and the rise of New Labour and you have, in my opinion, the greatest drama the BBC has ever made. The new tenth episode, written by Adam Usden, takes the story up to the year 2020.
Flannery’s drama was a watershed moment in TV history. Not only did he hold up a mirror to the moral failings of the political classes, he skilfully depicted its impact on ordinary lives. But far from brow-beating viewers with a pseudo political sermon, the intertwining stories were simply thrilling.
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Indeed, so brilliantly crafted were the characters that I developed a real affection for them. It was emotionally exhausting to watch as their chaotic lives took one bad turn after another – Geordie’s descent into alcoholism and destitution; Tosker’s yearning for wealth and status; Nicky’s quest to find meaning and purpose; or Mary’s struggle to overcome the burdens placed on her by men.
And I still regard the closing scenes in Tyneside accompanied by the Oasis song Don’t Look Back In Anger one of the most powerful I’ve ever watched.
For me, it was more than just a run-of-the-mill drama, it served as a political awakening. I also have a personal connection, with fond memories of regularly discussing it with my late father for weeks after.
While I can only assume Flannery was being tongue in cheek when he described it as “a very posh soap opera”, he now admits he has concerns about its legacy, fearing it contributed to our current cynicism towards politics.
Whether that is true or not is hard to say, but by transforming the everyday triumphs and tragedies of four normal lives into something heroic, without losing a sense of realism, Our Friends in the North was a masterpiece.
Of course, a trip down memory lane won’t banish the horrors of war. But what it does offer is a short pause for those of us lucky enough to be able do just that. A chance to travel in a time capsule to meet some old friends who just happen to come from up north.
Our Friends in the North begins at 2.15pm on Thursday, March 17 on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.
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