A 62-year journey ends

ITV aired the first episode of 70 Up on Tuesday, the final instalment of the world's longest-running documentary series that began in 1964. The series was meant to end with 63 Up in 2019 after director Michael Apted's death.

Nick's cancer brought them back

Participant Nick Hitchon's devastating cancer diagnosis prompted filmmakers to return for one more series. Academy Award-winning director Asif Kapadia took over from Michael Apted to helm the final episodes.

A coded email changed everything

In 2023, Hitchon sent producer Claire Lewis an email hinting he wanted to be in 70 Up. Reading between the lines, Lewis realised how seriously ill he was and persuaded ITV to film his final interview.

Three days before he died

A camera crew flew to Wisconsin to film 65-year-old Hitchon's final interview in 2023. He died just three days after filming wrapped, making it his last recorded appearance.

From moon dreams to reality

At age seven in 1964, Hitchon told filmmakers his dream was to 'find out all about the moon and all that'. Viewers wept seeing footage of his childhood ambition before his final interview.

“to find out all about the moon and all that”

Yorkshire farmer's son

Hitchon was born to a Yorkshire farming family and went on to study at Oxford University. He later moved to the US in the early 1980s to work as a nuclear fusion expert and university professor in Wisconsin.

Love and family

Hitchon married his Oxford girlfriend Jacqui and had a son before divorcing at age 42. He later remarried his second wife, Cryss Brunner, and called his son's birth 'the moment of pure, unadulterated joy' in his life.

“the moment of pure, unadultered joy in my life was when my son was handed to me when he was born”

Cancer revealed on camera

In 2019 for 63 Up, Hitchon disclosed his throat cancer diagnosis on film. He had lost 60 pounds in a year and said he was focused on short-term futures rather than long-term plans.

“Well as you can see I have lost 60Ib in the last year, I am seriously ill. I have a cancer in my throat”

A stroke added to his burden

In his final interview, Hitchon revealed he had suffered a stroke in 2022. He told doctors it was a surprise he was still alive, and they admitted they hadn't expected him to survive.

“It's a surprise to my doctors that I'm still around. Curious really.”

Barely able to walk

Hitchon admitted in his final interview that he was so weak he could barely walk more than a few steps. His illness had taken a toll on his family, including his second wife, and he felt guilty about the burden.

“Everybody has had to pick up the slack and I feel awful about it”

Filming meant everything

Hitchon told the crew that filming the show was 'tremendously important' to him. He said that when they left, he would feel there was a hole in his life since he was six years old.

“When you guys pack up and leave, and I'm fairly sure we're not going to do this again, I will feel there is a hole in things that I've not experienced since I was six.”

His brother's perspective

Hitchon's brother Andrew wrote in the Telegraph that Nick was determined to have one final on-camera interview. He believed his brother wanted to finish what he had started 62 years earlier.

Closure for the cast

Andrew Hitchon hoped that 70 Up would bring proper closure to all the cast members and allow them to let go of a phenomenon they had lived with for more than six decades.

Viewers in tears

Social media filled with emotional responses from viewers who knew Hitchon had passed away. One wrote: 'This section with Nick is hard, and I think we all know that he's no longer with us. God bless him.'

“This section with Nick is hard, and I think we all know that he's no longer with us. God bless him.”

Life passes too quickly

Viewers reflected on how Hitchon's story showed the swift passage of time. One wrote: 'In the blink of an eye, hopes and aspirations are just distant memories and time has run out. Life is over so very quickly.'

“In the blink of an eye, hopes and aspirations are just distant memories and time has run out. Life is over so very quickly. Too quickly.”

Final episode airs September 22

The concluding episode of 70 Up featuring Hitchon's final appearance will air on ITV on September 22. It will be the last instalment of the groundbreaking documentary series that spanned six decades.

A legacy of persistence

Hitchon's determination to complete his final interview despite his illness became a testament to his character. His brother believed Nick wanted to finish the story he started as a curious seven-year-old dreaming about the moon.