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3 Episodes 2016 - 2016
Episode 1
Looks at how the early 80s saw the powerful new forces of choice and consumerism radically reshape British life, tearing down existing ways of doing things and ripping up the rule book of British politics. This new culture of consumer-driven populism propelled Margaret Thatcher to victory. For the first time, 'who we were' became a question less about the fixed identities of region and class, and much more about the choices we made, from where we shopped to how we cooked, to what we wore. Margaret Thatcher may have embodied this change - but she didn't drive it. This takes in everything from the popularity of Delia Smith to affordable fashions on the high street, from the subcultures of Britain's youth to the crisis of identity that rocked and splintered the political left. But it also shows how the mood of aspiration that swept the nation left certain sections of society adrift and alienated, from the hollowed out industrial heartlands of the Midlands to the inner city communities of south London and Liverpool.
Episode 2
This film lifts the lid on Dominic Sandbrook's unique take on the mid-80s. With a theme of conflict, this authored programme takes the long view on some of the big stories of the decade: the Falklands, the miners' strike, the Brighton bomb and the moral panic over video nasties.
Episode 3
Charts the final years of the decade, looking at a society transformed by an accelerated change. Dominic argues that this change brought opportunities and anxieties that we continue to wrestle with to this day, from significant technological advances and the privatization of national companies, to the deregulation of the stock market and the growing polarization of rich and poor. The late 80s saw Britain transformed beyond measure, from the economic Big Bang in the City of London and the rise of the yuppie to more tangible, everyday signs of household change, such as the impact of Europe on British shopping habits - from German cars to French wine, Italian fashion and Scandinavian interior design. But alongside this transformation was a growing disconnection from the political elite, signified by the rise of rave culture and the poll tax riots. Margaret Thatcher - widely seen as the architect of so much of this change - would ultimately become its biggest victim.