Reflecting on '70 Up' and the 'Up' series

The cover of the Up series DVD released in 2019
when the series reached the 63Up milestone

I've been thinking about the 70 Up documentary series that concluded on television this month. 

It followed the lives of 14 children when they were seven, and reconnects with them every seven years. It started in 1963/4, and finally reached what is said to be the final installment with the remaining participants now 70. 

Before the final episode was shown, I decided to re-watch the entire series over the space of two weeks. It was a life-affirming experience delving into the lives of these ordinary people, and catching up with them at regular intervals (every seven years) to see how their life was unfolding, learn about their dreams and desires, the reality of life, the problems they faced, the loves and losses as they aged. 

And along the way most started families, and by the end of the series had children and grandchildren. 

It was striking to see personalities evolve and unfold as they grew older. It was a salient thing to see how short a human life is when encapsulated in bite-sized pieces, spread out in seven-year sections. Catching up on the whole series made it even more so, as in the space of two weeks entire lifetimes unfolded. 

The people themselves were wonderfully genuine, and most of them were committed - even if not totally happily - to see the project through. It did seem that as they grew older they were more relaxed and happier to share their thoughts. Perhaps that is something that comes with age; you no longer feel afraid to say what you think and you have greater perspective on many things. 

It was one of the participants who is no longer with us, Nick Hitchon, who perhaps said it best when he compared the series to a time-lapse film of a flower growing and blossoming, and then withering and dying. We watched him grow from a country boy to be a professor at a university in America involved in nuclear fusion research, and becoming a father before cancer caused him to become ill. 

Notably, he contacted the producers of the series and invited them to come and interview him one last time, which was three years before the 70 Up programme was due to be made. He reflected on his life and died three days after that interview.

Another who did not reach the end of the series was Lynn Johnson. She died in 2013 after a minor accident caused complications when she was in her 50s. 

The show can be viewed on many levels, but for me it is the stories of ordinary lives being played out, giving a chance to reflect, not only on the lives of the participants, but on my own. And seeing in some of them similar traits and ideals that I have had. 

Having now seen the series to its conclusion, I'm tempted to re-watch from the start with the added insight of knowing where life leads each one, and hopefully taking even deeper appreciation of their lives and of willingness to be part of such a unique project. Indeed, being reminded of just how short 70 years can be. One minute you're a schoolchild without the cares of the world, and the next you're a grown-up and then a senior looking at retirement and the years you have left. 

So thank you to everyone involved in the Seven Up series that became 70 Up. What a wonderful thing we have to look back on.

Petersens take on Caledonia classic

New version: The Petersens performing Caledonia in a YouTube video. From left are Katie Petersen, Emmett Franz, Julieanne Petersen, Ellen Haygood and Matt Petersen. Obscured is Karen Peterson

A refreshing version of the classic folk ballad Caledonia has been delivered by The Petersens, a bluegrass family band from the United States who I previously wrote about in this 2020 post.

While it's near impossible to better the original sung by the song's composer Dougie MacLean, this cover has an elegance of its own thanks to the waifish quality of Julianne Petersen's vocals.

The youngest member of the band combines singing duties with mandolin playing, wrapping the song in her signature delicate and fragile voice, hinting at the ethereal and bringing her own dimensions to the track.

A gem within the The Petersens, she often delivers strikingly beautiful interpretations of well-known tracks such as Coldplay's The Scientist, Sting's Fields of Gold, and The Cranberries' Dreams - the latter a wonderful tilt of the hat to the late Doleres O'Riordan. The natural vocal inflections of O'Riordan and Julianne Petersen are closely aligned.

Caledonia, which dates from 1977, is MacLean's much-loved ode to his native country, Scotland. It has found favour not only in Scotland but amongst the other Celtic nations, notably Ireland. The Petersens have an affinity for Irish and Scottish tunes and chose to record the song to celebrate St Patrick's Day. They'd originally encountered it being played at gatherings while touring in Ireland.

As a unit The Petersens have delightful chemistry and formidable musicianship, combining the sound of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, double bass and dobro, with five prominent, confident and distinctive vocal styles.

Backing vocals on Caledonia come from Julianne Petersen's sister Ellen Haygood and Emmett Franz. All the core singing members could have brought the track alive in different ways. Matt Petersen has a ranging voice, while the aforementioned Franz continues to emerge as a solid, thoughtful singing talent.

Banjo player Haygood, the middle Petersen sister, once appeared on the TV contest show American Idol, and has a melodic and a wide-ranging vocal style.

The Petersens' musical leader is Katie Petersen, who gifts an adorably grounded presence to the band. A versatile fiddle player, she possesses the most faultless and agile singing of all. However, on Caledonia she concentrates fully on her fiddle.

I would be remiss not to mention final core playing member Karen Petersen, who provides a solid beat on the double bass.

Caledonia showcases the lilting joy of Julianne Petersen's voice and leaves one wondering how perfect it would be if The Petersens one day end up as special guests at Dougie MacLean's own Shades of Perthshire Amber festival.

Here is the official YouTube video of The Petersens performing Caledonia:

Buck Rogers actor's cosmic final message

Three months have passed since I first intended to make this post but never got round to writing it. Well, here it is, delayed but still relevant and poignant.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a TV serial that ran from 1979 to 1981.

Its main star was Gil Gerard, who played the role of a cocky astronaut who'd been frozen in suspended animation since the year 1987 until he thawed out and returned to a very changed planet Earth. 

Anyone who grew up watching this television series, which came during the Star Wars-led science fiction renaissance of the late 1970s and early 1980s, will know how delightful the show was in terms of special effects not previously seen on TV, and its mostly playful story lines. 

Gerard was a perfect fit for the lead role, although he had his own reservations about the consistently non-serious side of his character's personality.

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was a reflection of its time; providing light-hearted escapism that easily slotted into the weekly TV schedule. Fresh-faced Gerard became an instantly recognisable hero bringing some of the glamour of cinema's blockbuster science fiction genre to the small screen. Indeed, the extended pilot episode was released initially on the big screen, and I recall seeing it first at the cinema.

The aesthetic of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was pleasing to the eye - from the clean sets to the futuristic uniforms and non-stereotypical robots and computers, which made the show feel fresh.

I remember watching Buck Rogers as a youngster when I'd seek out any science fiction in the vein of Star Wars and the earlier TV show Space:1999. In formative years, while growing up, certain shows and actors feel as though they are part of our lives, and remain so even when the memory of them is far in the past. Often it is only when we hear of the passing of one of the main stars that we stop and reflect on what they meant to our younger selves.

And so it was for me when I heard the news of Gil Gerard's passing a week or so before Christmas last year. 

But I was also cheered to read his final message to his fans, which was posted on his Facebook account by his wife Janet. In it Gerard gave a heartfelt thanks for opportunities he'd had in life, for the people he'd met and for the love he'd given and received. He encouraged others not to waste time on anything that does not thrill them or bring love. And, in his final parting words, in true Buck Rogers style, said he'd one day meet us out somewhere in the cosmos.
It leaves a picture in my mind of the youthful Gerard, invariably as Buck Rogers circa 1979-1981, in space and untouched by the march of time, waiting to continue that connection first felt watching his exploits on TV.

Gil Gerard died on December 16, 2025 from a rare and aggressive cancer. He was 82.

Here is Gil Gerard's Facebook message, posted by his wife Janet the day after he died:

If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to.

My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities I’ve had, the people I’ve met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying.

My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has.

Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.