Back in 2006 up and coming Uttoxeter-born director Shane Meadows (Dead Mans Shoes) began working on a low-budget British movie centring around the skinhead subculture in the aftermath of the Falklands War in the early 80’s. Based on his own childhood experiences during the time, the movie struck a delicate and poignant chord in the UK and helped launch the careers of young British actors including Vicky McClure (Line Of Duty, Broadchurch), Thomas Turgoose (Eden Lake), Joe Gilgun (Pride) and Jack O’Connell (Starred Up). It was hailed by many critics as one of the best British movies of the decade and in 2008 it won the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film at the BAFTAs. It spawned two very successful TV miniseries – This Is England ’86 and This Is England ’88 – with a third instalment on the horizon.
After almost three years of waiting it now looks like This Is England ’90 finally has it’s shooting date. Last week ShaneMeadows.co.uk announced via Twitter that the show would begin filming “in September in and around Sheffield”. This was then confirmed by Thomas Turgoose yesterday, who clarified that he will begin shooting this Saturday…
TIE ’90 was originally due to air on Channel 4 in late 2012 but after months and months of silence Shane Meadows announced that production had been put on hold so he could work on his documentary Made Of Stone about the reunion of The Stone Roses. Further delays occurred when actors had already been tied in to other projects.
In March 2014 Meadows said “The stories that we’ve got lined up for this one I think could top it all.” Speaking to DigitalSpy a few months prior Meadows and producer Mark Herbert all but confirmed that this series would be the last, “It’s really hard to put down when you have so much fun doing something, so I hope I don’t push it too far and I hope ’90 is maybe a full stop, but I daren’t say forever.”
As well as Turgoose, regulars Vicky McClure and Joe Gilgun – who play loved-up favourites Lol and Woody – are both set to return. Speaking to Empire back in February 2014 following his rumoured role as Mr. Fantastic in Josh Trank’s reboot of Fantastic Four, Jack O’Connell also hinted at a return, “I’m not speaking in definite terms but I’ve got a slight inkling. I’m led to believe that Pukey still exists, and the storylines that I’ve been discussing, they seem quite… chunky enough, anyway.”
Boardwalk Empire star Stephen Graham – who plays troubled Combo – also confirmed he will return, “That character has been such a huge and important part of my life. That character, that film basically changed my life…So I will be very sad to see him go, but at the end of the day, it’s been so great to be able to play a character for such a long time and to grow with it…we’re just all really looking forward to doing it.”
No air date has been announced yet but judging on previous instalments, filming normally takes a few weeks with post-production taking another month or so, so it’s likely TIE ’90 won’t hit our screens until Christmas or the turn of the year.
Gavin Logan – Follow me on Twitter
Originally published September 5, 2014. Updated November 7, 2019.
