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Upload 10 December 2021
Nicky and Mary have been married for two years, and Mary has just become a grandmother. Nicky has become a successful photographer. As Council Leader, Mary is faced with hard decisions about service cuts. Felix has become senile from Alzheimer's disease and Florrie, realising she cannot cope, puts him into a home. Collins is involved in a siege on his estate and is shot and injured by a police marksman. Whilst on a book-signing trip to London, Nicky meets student Alice McDonald who is writing a dissertation on his work, and begins an affair with her. However, Alice suddenly ends the relationship. Tosker is still married to Elaine and has become a slum landlord. Elaine dislikes this and is worried by the influence that Roe has over him. So Tosker sells his properties, planning to set up a mortgage lending scheme for council tenants wanting to buy their homes. Mary tells Elaine that this is little more than a scam, and Elaine physically attacks Tosker, after which the two sit down and talk. Elaine tells him to put their money into shares, whilst sort out their relationship. Whilst taking photographs of down and outs in London, Nicky discovers Geordie amongst them; he has become an unstable alcoholic who does not recognise Nicky. Nicky is later unable to find him again and feels guilty. Wells, still a Labour MP, is frustrated at how the country has changed, and is a heavy drinker. He begins investigating the role of PR firms' illegal "payments for questions", particularly the firm run by Butler. Nicky discovers that Wells's researcher Francine is a plant by Butler, who has leaked her false information. Nicky manages to inform Wells, and he has to give up his planned exposé. Wells decides to retire and tries to persuade Mary to stand in his place, but she refuses. She also suspects that Nicky has been seeing someone else, and Nicky walks out on her. He tries to go out with Alice again, but she is not interested. Mary tries to save their marriage. Geordie ends up in a hostel and, after seeing Wells on television, becomes confused and sets fire to his bed. He is tried for arson and unexpectedly given life imprisonment. "Black Monday" occurs, wiping out the value of Tosker and Elaine's investments. They decide to sell their house and buy a couple of karaoke pubs to get back on their feet. Mary makes it clear to Nicky that their relationship has failed. The 1987 Storm hits, during which Wells suffers a heart attack and dies.
About The Series
Our Friends in the North is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC. It was originally broadcast in nine episodes on BBC2 in early 1996. Written by Peter Flannery, it tells the story of four friends from Newcastle upon Tyne over a period of 31 years, from 1964 to 1995. The story makes reference to certain political and social events which occurred during the era portrayed, some specific to Newcastle and others which affected Britain as a whole. These include general elections, police and local government corruption, the UK miners' strike (1984–85), and the Great Storm of 1987.
The serial is commonly regarded as one of the most successful BBC television dramas of the 1990s, described by The Daily Telegraph as "a production where all ... worked to serve a writer's vision. We are not likely to look upon its like again".[1] It has been named by the British Film Institute as one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, by The Guardian as the third greatest television drama of all time and by Radio Times as one of the 40 greatest television programmes.[2][3][4] It was awarded three British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), two Royal Television Society Awards, four Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, and a Certificate of Merit from the San Francisco International Film Festival.[5]
Our Friends in the North helped to establish the careers of its four lead actors, Daniel Craig, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee and Mark Strong. Daniel Craig's part in particular has been referred to as his breakthrough role.[6][7] It was also a controversial production, as its stories were partly based on real people and events. Several years passed before it was adapted from a play, performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, to a television drama, due in part to the BBC's fear of legal action.
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