Years and Years (TV series)

Years and Years

Company type	Television miniseries
Industry	Television drama
Founded	May 14, 2019 (2019-05-14)
Founder	Russell T Davies
Headquarters	Manchester , United Kingdom
Products	Television series

Years and Years is a dystopian sci-fi drama miniseries created by Russell T Davies. Spanning the years from 2019 to 2034, this six-episode narrative centers on the Lyons family as they confront worldwide turmoil alongside the ascent of Vivienne Rook, a British business magnate turned populist politician whose polarizing ideology influences the country. Jointly produced by the BBC and HBO, the show debuted on BBC One on 14 May 2019, followed by its HBO premiere on 24 June 2019. The ensemble features Emma Thompson as Rook, with Russell Tovey, Rory Kinnear, T'Nia Miller, Ruth Madeley, Anne Reid, and Jessica Hynes portraying members of the Lyons family.

The direction was split between Simon Cellan Jones (episodes 1–4) and Lisa Mulcahy (episodes 5–6), with executive producers including Davies, Cellan Jones, Michaela Fereday, Lucy Richer, and Nicola Shindler. The series received acclaim for its script, character development, and its insightful depiction of political unease within a dystopian context. It garnered three nominations at the 10th Critics' Choice Television Awards in categories such as Best Limited Series, Best Supporting Actor (Tovey), and Best Supporting Actress (Thompson).

Synopsis

This six-episode drama chronicles the lives of the Lyons family from Manchester: Daniel, a housing officer married to Ralph; Stephen and Celeste, parents concerned about their children; Rosie, a single mother seeking companionship; and Edith, who is actively involved in humanitarian work. Their grandmother, Muriel, serves as the family matriarch. The plot begins on a pivotal evening in 2019 and unfolds over fifteen years amid Britain's political unrest, economic challenges, and technological advancements.

Main

• The Lyons siblings:
  • Rory Kinnear plays Stephen Lyons, the eldest brother who works as a financial advisor in London alongside his wife Celeste and their two daughters.
  • Jessica Hynes portrays Edith Lyons, an engaged political campaigner.
  • Russell Tovey appears as Daniel Lyons, a housing officer based in Manchester.
  • Ruth Madeley takes on the role of Rosie Lyons, the youngest sibling; a single mother with spina bifida employed in a school cafeteria.
• T'Nia Miller acts as Celeste Bisme-Lyons, an accountant married to Stephen.
• Anne Reid embodies Muriel Deacon, grandmother to the Lyons siblings.
• Emma Thompson features as The Rt Hon Vivienne Rook MP, an influential businesswoman turned politician.

Recurring

• Dino Fetscher plays Ralph Cousins, Daniel’s former husband and a primary school educator.
• Maxim Baldry portrays Viktor Goraya, a Ukrainian refugee involved romantically with Daniel.
• Lydia West appears as Bethany Bisme-Lyons, Stephen and Celeste’s elder daughter who identifies as transhuman.
• Jade Alleyne acts as Ruby Bisme-Lyons, their younger daughter.
• Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Fran Baxter, an activist friend of Daniel who later becomes Edith’s partner.

Production

In June 2018, the BBC revealed that Russell T Davies would be the creator and writer of Years and Years, a sweeping drama covering 15 years of transformations in politics, economics, and technology. Davies had envisioned developing this project for almost twenty years.

By October 2018, Emma Thompson was confirmed to portray Vivienne Rook, joining a cast that included Rory Kinnear, T'Nia Miller, Russell Tovey, Jessica Hynes, Lydia West, Ruth Madeley, and Anne Reid. Casting responsibilities were overseen by Andy Pryor. Direction of the series was handled by Simon Cellan Jones.

Principal photography commenced in Manchester on 22 October 2018 and wrapped up on 17 March 2019. Key filming sites featured Trafford Park for scenes depicting a refugee camp and Altcar Training Camp near Liverpool for the location known as "Erstwhile."

Broadcast

The show premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom, BBC First in the Netherlands and Belgium, HBO across the United States, Mexico, Latin America, Poland, and Spain, SBS in Australia, Soho in New Zealand, Canal+ in France, and ZDFneo in Germany. In 2020, it was also aired on M-Net throughout South Africa.

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Years and Years holds an approval rating of 89% derived from 66 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.3 out of 10. The critical consensus praises its incisive commentary on contemporary issues delivered through a satirical yet compelling storyline. On Metacritic, it has achieved a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on evaluations from 24 critics, reflecting "generally favorable reviews."

US ratings

No.	Title	Air date	Rating (A18–49)	US viewers
1	Episode 1	24 June 2019	0.05	193,000
2	Episode 2	1 July 2019	0.06	229,000
3	Episode 3	8 July 2019	0.03	171,000
4	Episode 4	15 July 2019	0.03	181,000
5	Episode 5	22 July 2019	0.04	189,000
6	Episode 6	29 July 2019	0.04	265,000

Censorship in China

Shortly after its debut episode aired, the series was prohibited in China. Initially achieving a high score of 9.5/10 on Douban, China's leading film review platform, it was subsequently removed from Chinese search engines and social media outlets. Mentions of the program were censored or deleted from platforms such as Baidu and Weibo, while files bearing the show's name were deleted from the cloud storage service Baidu Wangpan. The ban is widely believed to stem from the show's portrayal of Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the depiction of military tensions between China and the US in the South China Sea, subjects deemed sensitive under China's stringent censorship regulations.