One Summer

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.

All my friends are of the same opinion. It affected us all as 14 year olds and at a desperate time in Thatcherite England I think this play gave us all hope and taught us simple but important lessons. I recall John Sim saying something similar in an interview when promoting State od Play. He also said that it made him want to be an actor and David Morrisey (his co-star in SofP) inspired him to go do it. I remember that the clothes were cool for the time and we all wanted Icky's Tacchini tracksuit top.

It is difficult to tell youngsters how bad things were int he early 80's in this country. We all thought we were going to get blown up any minute and nobody had any money.

I can't begin to describe the effect this series had on me when it first aired in the mid-80's and has continued to have on me since.

Having recently purchased on DVD and re-watched a whole wave of thoughts and feelings (old and new) raced through my mind. Many things in this world don't age well but I feel 'One Summer' (With the obvious exception of the 80's clothing) is certainly not one of them. Is just as realistic, funny, sad, touching and ultimately rewarding as I remember it. Only this time watching through the eyes of a 35 year old it seems even more poignant.

The Story of Billy and Icky, 2 Liverpool lads from the wrong side of the tracks who escape to Wales one summer, seemed almost embedded into my life over the last twenty or so years. It seemed to be one of those series that the kids who saw it got to grips with very easily and often chatted about at school and yet it seemed to address some very adult and serious subjects possibly for the first time for many of us.

Reading the other comments on this site, its interesting to see how much of an impact it had on everyone of a certain era. TV dramas like these come along once in a blue moon and its bizarre how certain things (Jumping off the train when they reach Wales, Icky's plate-skimming antics, or the lads shear horror at being taking to the village country dance) were stuck in my memory. But there were many very touching and genuinely sad moments I had forgotten, like when they fed the mars bar to the baby birds, or when Kidder gave the boys the books he has written for them.

Now re-watching this series through the eyes of an adult I can see the various subjects and themes that were important but perhaps I didn't fully understand when I was 11....that now make more sense. For example I simply thought the character of Kidda wanted a life of solitude but in light of the pain he has been through in his past life you can practically see the anguish on his face that he doesn't want the boys to live there when Billy begs him to stay, because he knows the implications it will bring. Or the way Icky hangs on everything Billy says and does, as if he were his guardian angel, we all knew kids a bit like Icky growing up.

I had seen David Morrissey (Billy) in a number of things over the years and knew he had gone on to big things in Hollywood etc. but I had often wondered what happened to Spencer Leigh (Icky). It was a real pleasure watching the interview with them both on the special features. I actually found I was smiling to myself when I got to see Icky in the flesh - as he did finally get to grow up.

I am sure I am not alone in the tremendous feeling of sadness with what happens to Icky half way through the final episode. That had a profound shock then and still does now.

So in a way I felt comforted to see Spencer Leigh well again and laughing with his old pal. This might sound 'soft' as the boys would say but it indicates the lasting effect this series had on my psyche and growing up in general.

As one other reviewer on this site comments, they don't often make TV as good as this anymore - and indeed they hardly don't. See it again.

This was a fantastic mini series everyone could relate to. The story of 2 'Scouse' lads on the run, trying desperately to go straight, by hiding out in rural Wales. This was a heart warming tale that showed that no matter where you go and what you do you can never escape your past. The roles were played so convincingly and with such heart that it bought a lump to your throat, a tear to your eye and kept you on the edge of your seat till the next installment, a classic piece of British drama at its best. I wish this was released on DVD as it would be a huge hit the world over. If you liked Lock Stock or Billy Bathgate then try and see this it is without doubt one of the most under exposed mini's of the last 20 years, Unmisable! !

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.