1990

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series when it first graced our screens in the late 1970's. However, it seems that it is not well known, as many people I talk to who were around in those days, claim not to have heard of it. It's a pity it only lasted for 16 episodes - I would love to watch them all again, perhaps if and when they are put out on DVD.

Obviously now, with hindsight, the Great Britain of the future which we see portrayed in this series, has not (yet) eventuated. This 1990 depicts a distinct "ruling class" and an "under-class" consisting mostly of "non-citizens" as they are called. It is virtually impossible to do anything "anonymously", and society is, to all intents and purposes cashless, with currency (ie notes and coin) non-existent. Everything is paid for with "credits" (not pounds or dollars) from one's account. Transactional anonymity is only possible if one is able to pay with gold (assuming the seller is prepared to accept payment in gold). Not surprisingly, something of a black market and underground movement develops. This series is very much about "big brother", and whilst most of it has not come to fruition (yet), who knows what might happen in the future? It is for this reason that I highly recommend watching the series, if given the chance. Don't let its mere title deceive you by making you think that it lacks topicality - what it has to say may yet come to pass!

I was 16 when this was shown on the BBC,Woodward was a star after Callan but this series is not well known. I hardly saw it when it was on. So I was happy to buy the series 1 DVD. It is both very good and very obvious and clichéd. 1970s Britain was a rough place,the country was split politically,there was much talk of anti democratic behaviour from left and right. There were strikes yes but Britain was a fairer place in 1978 than 1968 but the reaction was the election of the Tories in 1979.

1990 is a sort of Daily Mail readers worst nightmare of what the Labour government was like. There are many mentions of civil servants with good pensions and government bully boys. But all governments contain a danger of oppression and the bureaucrats often do behave badly in real life,the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

This has some great writing and acting and the series hints at the truth that George Orwell revealed that bullies are bullies because they like doing it,not because of political commitment.

It is almost funny to recall that some people celebrated the victory of Mrs Thatcher in 1979 as a victory for freedom but soon miners were not allowed to drive from Kent to Yorkshire and the police were being well paid to restrict human rights during the sometimes violent miners strike.

This series scared the crap out of me at the time and was the most real portrayal of what could happen here in Britain under a despotic government.

And guess what? It's happening, the bureaucracy, surveillance, scapegoatig class war, trila by jury being reduced, disclosure of "previous" which will pejudice juries and others. CCTV, smart cards without which you will become a "non-citizen", State accomodation for "public sector workers" (oppose the state and lose your home), intrusive bureaucrats and officials monitoring our offspring. Get the books and see what I mean.

Hopefully. the entire series will be released on video or DVD or perhaps repeated on terrestrial TV..

In 1990 there was a control freak Home Secretary obsessed with regulating everything and with Blunkett and what he is doing to our justice system will realise Wilfred Greatorex's nightmare.

If the centres for asylum seekers don't pan out they could become the New Labour ARCs (Adult Rehabilitation Centres)

I really enjoyed this. So much that I found the book.

All the laws that were used to make a Police State were on the Statute Book.

Most probably still are! Things like printed matter having to have a Printed and Published by. Which allowed the authorities to suppress dissidents.

They even got the Car Licence Plates right. That was lucky as, as far as I know, the change had not been decided on at that time!

I saw it on TV at the time and would love to see it again.

I think of this as Edwood Woodwards best post-Callan part.

This series about an authoritarian Britain very much in the model of 1984 was timely in 1978 but even more so today.

With the overwhelming presence of CCTV, attempts to control the internet and the reluctance of the UK government to abide rulings that it destroy DNA samples of innocent persons picked up by the police but never charged or found not guilty in court cases and numerous reductions in civil rights because of "terrorism" etc. the scenario at the heart of "1990" is well and truly with us.

No wonder this series is not available on DVD ...the powers that be would be terrified of it!