One Summer

I totally agree with the other user comments about One Summer. It made a huge impact to all my peers growing up as we did - in Liverpool - hours of discussion followed the next day at school.

What was even more unusual at the time, was a drama on TV that had young scousers in it!(TV was a very different place in the early 80's you see - dominated by 'proper' accents and everything).

I found it very powerful - and you just knew that David Morrisey was going to go far. A memorable performance by both the main leads, and I was interested to find out that Ian Hart was in it too! Brilliant stuff by Willy Russell.

If only UK TV produced this quality now instead of reality TV rubbish...

Just wish I could see it again...

Very interesting to look back at 1983. I was 21 at that time but I never watched this Our Summer. I only have watched one episode but I can see this series was made in a very modern way. It is filmed in action, raw, and shaky. The story is set in a working class environment. The two protagonist are emotionally neglected by their parents and grow up in bitter poverty. They desperately seek a way out, but sadly they regard education as useless. As young as they are, they carry deep psychological scars which makes them nihilistic, like the young generations did in those days. England is 'famous' for its motion pictures about the working class. Our Summer belongs to the same genre as for instance Ken Loach's socially critical directing style and socialist ideals movies. I can totally relate to the men who experienced England in those days as a young man and wrote their revies here.

I look very much towards the story progress. The two boys are going to meet a gay older person. What will be his influence? I might write about it later.

I watched this series when it was first broadcast back in the 80s. I was a similar age to the main protagonists at the time so the themes struck a real chord with me. Although I am not from the Merseyside area I felt an affinity with the boy's characters with their desire to escape normality to seek adventure and excitement, I also recognised their angst with British society. I still reminisce about this series 40 odd years later and have very fond memories of the outstanding performances by the young actors. This series in my opinion was the early landmark series for British television in the 80s.

I'll never forget when I watched the first episode in August 1983. I was captivated by it then and I still am.

Maybe its because it captures both the innocence of ignorance of youth we all have and we all inevitably loose.

Maybe I love it because I still learn for those anarchic days when we think we're immune to absolutely everything and the outside world is a mere illusion.

One summer captures the essence and desires of youth.

I've followed David Morrissys career ever since and think he's one of our very finest actors.

I originally recorded the series on my betemax recorder. We watched it until it almost snapped.

And now I have the series on bluray I haven't worn it out yet.

But that's only because there are more durable.

This 5 part coming-of-age drama had a profound affect on me as a teenager. It was the first screen appearance of David Morrissey, who has since gone on to a fair level of screen success both in the UK and US. Also appearing as the troubled Icky was the brilliant Spencer Leigh, who unfortunately has not had the same success and appears to have appeared in very little since, and nothing in the last 10 years... I can still hum the haunting harmonica theme by Alan Parker.