Our Friends in the North

Created by Peter Flannery · 1996–1996 · English

With Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee, Daniel Craig

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What it is

Four friends from Newcastle upon Tyne, the idealistic Nicky, his girlfriend Mary, the restless Geordie and the would-be musician Tosker, are followed over nine episodes, each set in a different year from 1964 to 1995. Their careers, marriages and failures run through council-housing corruption, Soho's vice trade, a crooked Metropolitan Police and the miners' strike, as Britain changes around them.

Why it matters

Peter Flannery's state-of-the-nation serial, delayed for years by the BBC's fear of legal action, became one of its most admired 1990s dramas, winning three BAFTAs, placing 25th in the BFI's 2000 poll and making names of its four leads, Christopher Eccleston, Gina McKee, Daniel Craig and Mark Strong.

Watching it

Length: about 11 hours.

Where to watch

Streaming on

Britbox

In the US, as of 28 October 2026. Streaming data from JustWatch.

Your notes

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Influenced by1

Built on
Henry IV, Part 1 · William Shakespeare · c. 1596 (printed 1598)
In Fiction
Peter Flannery conceived the story, first staged by the RSC, while watching rehearsals of Henry IV, whose scale moved him to write his own historical epic.
Wikipedia, Our Friends in the North, Stage play

Influenced0

No later shows recorded yet.

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