7 Up

Type	Lemon-lime soda
Manufacturer	Dr Pepper Snapple Group (U.S.), PepsiCo (elsewhere)
Country of origin	United States
Introduced	1929 (as Lithiated Lemon)
Variants	dnL, 7 Up Plus
Related products	Dr Pepper, Sprite, Sierra Mist
Website	http://www.7up.com/

7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo (or its licensees) in the rest of the world, including Puerto Rico, where the concentrate is manufactured at the Pepsi facility in Cidra. The 7 Up logo includes a red spot between the '7' and 'Up'; this red spot has been animated and used as a mascot for the brand as Cool Spot.

History[link]

7 Up was created by Charles Leiper Grigg, who launched his St. Louis-based company The Howdy Corporation in 1920.^[1] Grigg came up with the formula for a lemon-lime soft drink in 1929. The product, originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda", was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929.^[2] It contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug, until 1950.^[3] It was one of a number of patent medicine products popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

Philip Morris bought 7 Up in 1978, and sold it in 1986, to a group led by the investment firm Hicks & Haas. 7 Up merged with Dr Pepper in 1988; Cadbury Schweppes bought the combined company in 1995. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group was spun off from Cadbury Schweppes in 2008.

Formula[link]

7 Up has been reformulated several times since its launch in 1929. In 2006, the version of the product sold in the U.S. was re-formulated so that it could be marketed as being "100% Natural". This was achieved by eliminating the chelating-agent calcium disodium EDTA, and replacing sodium citrate with potassium citrate in order to reduce the beverage's sodium content.^[4] This re-formulation contains no fruit juice and [in the USA] is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). The manufacturing process used in the production of HFCS has led some public health and advocacy groups to challenge the ad campaign's "natural" claims.^[5] In 2007, after the Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue 7 Up, it was announced that 7 Up would stop being marketed as "100% natural". Instead, It is now promoted as having "100% Natural Flavors". The controversy does not extend to other countries, such as the United Kingdom, where the high fructose corn syrup is not generally used in foods, including 7 Up. 7 Up is a common folk remedy, for example relieving stomach aches. In 2011, 7 Up began test-marketing a formula, called 7 Up Retro, using sugar rather than HFCS. Container labels sport the caption, "Made With Real Sugar".

There exists a myth that the 7 Up name comes from the "fact" of the drink having a pH over 7. That would make it neutral or alkaline on the scale; however, this is not the case, as the 7 Up pH is close to 3.79, similar to other drinks of the type.^[6] The real origin of the name is unclear,^[7] though Britvic claims that the name comes from the seven main ingredients in the drink.^[8]

Variations[link]

7 Up Retro 

This 2011 formulation uses sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup as its sweetener. Introduced on the 2011 season finale of The Apprentice, packaging in 12 oz. cans features either the 1970s disco mirrorball themed logo or the 1980s logo. It is also available in 12 oz. glass bottles with a label inspired by 7 Up's original logo^[9] which was featured on the TV series Survivor. Product currently being test marketed.

Diet 7 Up 

This diet soda was originally introduced in 1963 as Like^[10][11] (not to be confused with 7 Up's Like Cola from the 1980s), it was discontinued in 1969 due to the US government ban of cyclamate sweetener. After reformulation, it was reintroduced as Diet 7 Up in 1970.^[12] It was renamed Sugar Free 7 Up in 1973 then back to Diet 7 Up in 1979.^[13] Diet 7 Up was reformulated and advertised as being sweetened with Splenda (sucralose); the formula has been re-tooled and listed the following ingredients: filtered carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, calcium disodium EDTA.^[14] The ingredients for Diet 7 Up with Splenda are: filtered carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate, calcium disodium EDTA, acesulfame potassium, sucralose.^[15] The 7 Up Company claims they switched back to aspartame because they conducted a nationwide study showing that people preferred the taste with aspartame instead of with Splenda.

Cherry 7 Up 

Cherry 7 Up flavor, with these ingredients listed: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, potassium benzoate, red 40. One known ingredient among the "natural and artificial flavors" is apple juice. It was renamed and reformulated as Cherry 7 Up Antioxidant in January 2009. Contains 10% of US daily recommended Vitamin E dosage per 8 US fl oz serving (4.2% per 100 ml).^[16]

Diet Cherry 7 Up 

Diet Cherry 7 Up has recently been re-introduced due to popular demand after having been missing due to the existence of 7 Up Plus Cherry flavor.^[17] Ingredients are: filtered carbonated water and contains 2% or less of each of the following: citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, potassium benzoate (protects flavor), aspartame, potassium citrate, acesulfame potassium, red 40. Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine.^[18]

Orange 7 Up 

This flavor was available for a short time in Norway during the mid-1990s. It was released at the same time as Raspberry 7 Up. It was a clear colored lemon, lime and orange flavoured soft-drink. It was pulled off the market after 2–3 years.^{[citation needed]} Today 7 Up Orange can still be bought in Austria.^[19]

Raspberry 7 Up 

This flavor was available for a short time in Norway, Denmark (and possibly other European countries) during the late 80s. It was released at the same time as Orange 7 Up. It was a clear colored lemon, lime and raspberry flavoured soft-drink. It was pulled off the European market after 2–3 years, but can still be found several Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore.

7 Up Free 

7 Up Free is sold in the UK, Ireland, Norway, Argentina, Iceland , Finland, UAE, Uruguay and Pakistan.^[20] It contains no caffeine, sugar, colorings or preservatives and is marketed as "Natural Lemon and Lime flavour" similar to the "100% natural" American version. It contains a combination of artificial sugars, and for eight years was the only variety on the Norwegian market. The lack of the usual light or zero-label is confusing to Norwegian consumers, who often buy it not knowing they are buying a product with artificial sugars.^{[citation needed]}. In the UK, 7 Up Free has been sold in a 600ml, rather than 500ml bottle since early 2010. This is part of 7-Up's UK manufacturer Britvic's heathly living push whereby sugar free product versions are sold in a larger bottle.

7 Up Lime 

7 Up Lime is sold in the US and in Argentina. In America it is not as strong and is less carbonated. In Argentina it is much more carbonated and is 5% lime juice.

7 Up Plus 

7 Up Plus is a family of fruit-flavored soft drinks, produced by Cadbury-Schweppes. Touted as a healthy alternative, it contains no caffeine and has 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving, as well as 5% apple juice, which is uncommon among American market carbonated beverages.^[21] It is sweetened with Splenda, and the original flavor, Mixed Berry, was released in summer 2004. Two additional flavors have been added to the line: Cherry and Island Fruit. In Ireland in 2007, 7 Up launched a range of flavored water.

Barbecue sauces and marinades[link]

In 2007, Cadbury Schweppes entered into a licensing partnership with Vita Food Products to produce a line of barbecue sauces and marinades flavored with Dr Pepper, 7 Up and A&W Root Beer.^[22]

Discontinued[link]

7 Up Gold 

7 Up Gold was marketed for a short time in 1988 as a spice-flavored beverage, similar to Vernor's Ginger Ale. Even though 7 Up's marketing slogan at that time was Never Had It, Never Will (referring to caffeine), 7 Up Gold did list caffeine as one of its ingredients. It was introduced by 7 Up in the hopes of capturing 1% of the cola market. However, it only captured one-tenth of one percent of the cola market apparently because people were confused by 7 Up marketing a soft drink with caffeine, and therefore it was discontinued. The 7 Up Gold recipe was actually an unused Dr Pepper invention.^[23]

7 Up Ice Cola 

Introduced in 1995 by Pepsi for the International market. It was a clear cola. It was not as popular as hoped and was discontinued.^{[citation needed]}

dnL / 7 Upside Down 

dnL was the name of a soft drink produced by Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages in the United States. It was part of the 7 Up family of soft drinks, and was introduced in September 2002. It was launched in the same year as other attempts to extend soft drink brand names with new iterations, including Pepsi Blue, Dr Pepper Red Fusion and Vanilla Coke. It had arguably been poorly marketed, and, while it remained listed as an official product of the company in late 2005, it was scheduled to be discontinued for 2006 in favor of the "7 Up Plus" brand.^[24]

The product's name came from the fact that the "dnL" logo is the "7 Up" logo turned upside-down. The product itself was also, in many ways, the polar opposite of 7 Up: while 7 Up is caffeine-free, colorless, and comes in a green bottle, dnL contained caffeine and was an unusual shade of green (vaguely similar to the green of 7 Up's bottle) in a clear bottle. And while 7 Up has a fairly standard lemon-lime flavor, the "citrus" flavor of dnL is that of lime-lemon, (primarily lime flavored with a hint of lemon).^[25]

7 Up Tropical Splash 

Available in Canada in the early 2000s.

Slogans and advertising campaigns[link]

7 Up sponsored the Jordan Formula One team in their first year during the 1991 season.

• You Like It, It Likes You (1936)^[10]
• The Fresh Up Family Drink (1952)
• Fresh up with 7 Up (1957)
• Nothing does it like 7 Up! (1957–1958)
• Get real action, 7 Up your thirst away (1963–1964)
• Wet 'n' Wild (1965, 1966)
• The (Diet) Uncola. (1967-1990s) (some with charismatic actor Geoffrey Holder)
• Crisp refreshing 7 Up (1960s-1970s)
• It's 7 Up, it's Uncola (1975)
• UNdo it with 7 Up (1977–78)
• America is turning 7 Up (1978–79)
• Feelin' 7 Up (1980)
• Crisp and Clean, and No Caffeine.
• Canada's turning 7 Up (1980) Canada
• 7 Up, The Difference is Clear (1982)
• Never Had It, Never Will (1980s, reference to 7 Up not containing caffeine)
• The feeling of Christmas. (December 1980s)
• Put some Un in your life (diet). (early 1990s)
• When you want the taste of UN, there's only one (early 1990s, used concurrently with previous slogan)
• On the spot. (late 1980s - early 1990s)
• Now that's refreshing. (1990s)
• It's cool to be clear - 7 Up (early 1990s)
• 6 Up was not enough. We went one louder. (1994)
• It's an up thing. (1995)
• Happy 1997 Up! (1997 New Year's campaign)
• Make 7 Up Yours. (1999–2005)
• Are you an Un? (Late 1990s-Early 2000s)
• Seven flavors in one drink. (2008)
• "Bheja fry .. 7 Up try" (2008)
• "It's way more better than cola, it's 7 Up (Secondary Slogan used with Richard Karn to promote summer 7 Up commercials)
• Ridiculously Bubbly. (2010, in spots with Brad Garrett and David Spade)
• Be yourself. Be refreshing. Be 7 Up. (2011 in a spot featuring Cee Lo Green)

In conjunction with the 1999 marketing slogan "Make 7 Up Yours", 7 Up distributed shirts that said "Make 7" on the front and "Up Yours" on the back. Television and radio advertisements featured Orlando Jones walking down a street talking about 7 Up with people seemingly angry or shocked by the risqué phrase "up yours". The ads and slogan quickly became popular, and the campaign lasted until 2005.^{[citation needed]}

The television cartoon character Fido Dido was used as a mascot from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, and was re-introduced in international markets in the early 2000s.^[26]

Fresh-Up Freddie was the rooster mascot for 7 Up in 1950s. He gave viewers lessons about how to plan successful parties and picnics by having a plenty of 7 Up on hand. The commercials were produced by Disney, giving the character that specific Disney look of the time.^[27] Freddie was a crossover between Panchito rooster from The Three Caballeros and zany Aracuan Bird from the same film. Fresh-Up Freddie often was dressed in human clothes. Freddie also appeared in Zorro 1957 series commercial intermissions. Here, he was put against Pete the Cat. Fresh-Up Freddie also had a minor merchandise of his own. He was voiced by Paul Frees.

See also[link]

• Cool Spot
• Fido Dido
• Vess

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 7 Up

• Official U.S. web site
• 7Up page on PepsiCo International UK & Ireland
• 7 Up (undetermined source of product name from Snopes.com)
• 7 Up Numbers Puzzle

The Up Series is a series of documentary films produced by Granada Television that have followed the lives of fourteen British children since 1964, when they were seven years old. The documentary has had eight episodes spanning 49 years (one episode every seven years) and the documentary has been broadcast on both ITV and BBC. In a 2005 Channel 4 programme, the series topped the list of The 50 Greatest Documentaries.

The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that time, with the explicit assumption that each child's social class predetermines their future. Every seven years, the director, Michael Apted, films new material from as many of the fourteen as he can get to participate. The purpose is also stated at the beginning of "7 Up," as, "Why do we bring these children together? Because we want to get a glimpse of England in the year 2000. The union leader and the business executive of the year 2000 are now 7 years old."

56 Up consisted of 3 x 1 hour parts, the first of which premiered on 14 May 2012.

Creation[link]

The first film in the series, Seven Up!, was directed by Paul Almond, and commissioned by Granada Television as a programme in the World in Action series broadcast in 1964. From 7 Plus Seven onward the films have been directed by Michael Apted, who had been a researcher on Seven Up! and chose the original children with Gordon McDougall. The premise of the film was taken from the Jesuit motto "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man", which is based on a quotation by Ignatius Loyola. The 1998 programme was commissioned by BBC One, although still produced for them by Granada Television.

Participants[link]

We are first introduced to the subjects on a group visit to London Zoo, where the narrator announces "We brought these 20 children together for the very first time." The series, however, only follows fourteen: Bruce Balden, Jackie Bassett, Symon Basterfield, Andrew Brackfield, John Brisby, Peter Davies, Susan Davis, Charles Furneaux, Nicholas Hitchon, Neil Hughes, Lynn Johnson, Paul Kligerman, Suzanne Lusk and Tony Walker.

The participants were chosen in an attempt to represent different social classes in Britain in the 1960s. Apted admits in the commentary track of the 42 Up DVD that he was asked to find children at the extremes. Because the show was not originally intended to become a repeating series, no long-term contract was signed with the participants. The interviews since Seven Up! have been voluntary, although the participants have been paid an unknown sum for their appearance in each film, as well as equal parts of any prize the film may win, says Apted. Each subject is filmed in about two days, and the interview itself takes more than six hours. In an interview with the BBC's Will Gompertz shortly before the broadcast of 56 Up, Michael Apted admitted that it had been a poor decision to include only four female participants.^[1]

Andrew[link]

Andrew was one of three boys chosen from the same pre-preparatory school in the wealthy London suburb of Kensington (the other two being Charles and John). The three are introduced in Seven Up! singing "Waltzing Matilda" in Latin. At the age of seven, when asked what newspaper he reads, if any, Andrew stated that he reads The Financial Times (although he later revealed he was in fact just repeating what his father had told him when asked the same question), and all three could say which prep schools, public schools and universities they planned to attend (Oxford/Cambridge in all cases); two named the specific Oxbridge college they intended to join.

Andrew Brackfield's academic career culminated in his studying at Trinity College, Cambridge. Andrew subsequently became a solicitor, married, and raised a family. He is the only one out of the three to have been in all the Up films.

Charles[link]

Charles Furneaux did not make it into Oxford, although at 21 he said he was glad to have avoided the "prep school-Marlborough-Oxbridge conveyor belt" by going to Durham University instead, later attending Oxford as a post-graduate student. Charles has worked in journalism in varying capacities over the years, including as a producer for the BBC, and in the making of documentary films, including Touching the Void. He chose not to appear in the series after 21 Up, other than the contribution of an occasional photograph. During an on-stage interview at London's National Film Theatre in December 2005, Apted revealed that Charles had attempted to sue him when he refused to remove Charles's likeness from the archive sequences in 49 Up. Apted also commented on the irony that as a documentary maker himself, Charles was the only one who refused to continue.^[2]

By the time of 56 Up, all references to Charles had been removed, other than in fleeting glimpses of joint shots with Andrew and John, suggesting that his threat to sue Apted was taken seriously. It is not clear why and when Charles's reluctance to appear turned into active action to be removed.

John[link]

John Brisby, who was vocal on politics by 14, attended Oxford and became a barrister.^[3] He married the daughter of an ambassador to Bulgaria and devotes himself to charities related to Bulgaria, and hopes to reclaim family land there that had been nationalized. He said in 35 Up that he only does the films to give more publicity to his chosen charities. In 56 Up, John criticized Apted's decision to originally portray him as part of the "privileged upper class". He related that his father had died when he was 9, and his mother had to work to put him through private school. He attended Oxford University on scholarship.

Suzy[link]

Suzanne (Suzy) Lusk comes from a wealthy background, and was first filmed at a boarding school. Her parents divorced around the time of 7 Plus Seven. She then dropped out of school at the age of 16, deciding to travel to Paris. By 21, she had formed a strong negative opinion about marriage. Her husband Rupert Dewey is a successful solicitor in Bath and they have three children; two boys and a girl. She became a bereavement counsellor.

Jackie, Lynn and Sue[link]

These three girls were chosen from the same primary school in a working class neighbourhood of London. Jackie Bassett and Susan (Sue) Davis eventually went to a comprehensive school, while Lynn Johnson attended a grammar school. Jackie and Lynn both married at 19, Sue at 24. Lynn became a children's (and later, school) librarian at 21 and has remained in that career since then. Jackie went through several different jobs, got divorced, and raised children as single parents. Sue had two children, divorced, and has now been engaged for 14 years. She works as a university administrator for Queen Mary's university, despite not having gone to university herself.

Tony[link]

Tony Walker was chosen from a primary school in the East End of London who is introduced along with his girlfriend Michelle. He wanted to be a jockey at 7, and was at a stable training as one by 14. By 21 his chance had come and gone, after riding in three races before giving it up, and he was proud to have competed against Lester Piggott. He then "did 'The Knowledge'" and made a comfortable life for himself and his family as a London taxi driver. His later dream of becoming an actor has met with modest success; he has had small parts as an extra (almost always playing a cabbie) in several TV programmes since 1986, including Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years, The Bill, and twice in EastEnders, most recently in 2003. In 35 Up Tony admitted that being in a monogamous relationship was becoming a strain, and by 42 Up he had actually committed adultery, though he and his wife have got past it and are still together. By 42 Up, he had moved to Essex and by 49 Up, owned two homes, including a holiday home in Spain.

Paul[link]

Paul Kligerman was at a charity-based boarding school at 7, his parents having divorced and he having been left with his father. Soon after Seven Up! his father and stepmother moved the family to Australia, where he has remained in the Melbourne area ever since. By 21, he had more presence, long hair, and a girlfriend whom he later married and remains with today. After leaving school he was employed as a bricklayer and later set up his own business. In 49 Up he is working for a sign-making company. In both 21 Up and 49 Up, Paul was reunited with Symon, who had attended the same boarding school; portions of their time together are included in both films.

Symon[link]

The only participant with a non-white background is mixed-race. Symon Basterfield was chosen from the same charity home as Paul. He was an illegitimate child, who apparently never got to know his black father, and had left the charity home to live with his white mother by the time of the 7 Plus Seven filming; her depression is alluded to as the cause for him being in the home. As the filming for 35 Up was taking place, he was going through a divorce from his first wife and mother of his five children, and he elected not to take part in that film. Symon returned for 42 Up and 49 Up, remarried with one son and one stepdaughter. In 49 Up, he and his wife had become foster parents.

Nick[link]

William Nicholas (Nick) Hitchon was raised on a small farm in Arncliffe, a tiny village in the Yorkshire Dales. He was educated in a one-room school four miles walk from his home, and later at a boarding school. He went to Oxford University and then moved to the United States to work as a nuclear physicist. He married another British ex-pat, who participated in 28 Up but was displeased with how her comments were received by viewers, many of whom apparently concluded that the marriage was doomed. She declined to appear in 35 Up and 42 Up. By 49 Up the couple had divorced and Nick had remarried, this time to Cryss Brunner, who is ten years his senior and teaches in Minneapolis. Nick is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.^[4]

Peter[link]

Peter Davies went to the same middle-class Liverpool suburban school as Neil, who like Peter wanted to be an astronaut. Peter drifted through university, and by age 28 he was an underpaid and seemingly uninspired school teacher. Peter dropped out of the series after 28 Up, when he lost his job as a teacher following a tabloid press campaign against him after he criticised the government of Margaret Thatcher in his interview. In the director's commentary for 42 Up it is stated that he later divorced, took up study of the law, has become a lawyer, re-married, had children and moved back to Liverpool. He made a surprise return to the series in 56 Up to promote his band, the Liverpool-based country-influenced The Good Intentions.^[5]

Neil[link]

From a 'Liverpool suburb' Neil Hughes turned out to be the most unpredictable of the entire group. At seven he was funny, full of life and hope. By the time of 21 Up he was homeless in London, having dropped out of Aberdeen University after one term, and was living in a squat and finding work as he could on building sites. During the interview he is clearly in an agitated state, and it becomes apparent that he has mental health issues and is struggling to cope with life. At 28 he was still homeless, although now in Scotland; by 35 he was living in a council house on the Shetland Islands, off the north coast of Scotland, writing and appearing in the local pantomime. By the time of 42 Up he had finally found some stability in his life (with some help from Bruce — he was living in Bruce's apartment in London and Bruce had become a source of emotional support) and was involved in local council politics, as a Liberal Democrat in the London Borough of Hackney. By the time of 49 Up, he is a District Councillor in the Eden district of Cumbria, in North West England.^[6] Neil stood in the 2010 general election as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Carlisle where he finished third, receiving 6,567 votes.^[7]

Bruce[link]

Bruce Balden was an idealist who was concerned with poverty and racial discrimination and wanted to become a missionary. He was attending a prestigious boarding school. At the age of seven, he said that his greatest desire was to see his father, who was a soldier in Rhodesia, and he seemed a little abandoned. Bruce studied mathematics at Oxford University and used his education to teach children in the East End of London and Sylhet, Bangladesh. Before 42 Up, he married, and Apted broke the seven-year structure of the films to film Bruce's wedding, which was also attended by Neil. Eventually becoming burned out with teaching in the East End, Bruce currently teaches at St Albans School, Hertfordshire, a prestigious public school. Between 42 Up and 49 Up, he had two sons, and is happily married to a fellow teacher.

Participation record[link]

		7 Up (1964)	14 Up (1970)	21 Up (1977)	28 Up (1984)	35 Up (1991)	42 Up (1998)	49 Up (2005)	56 Up (2012)
1	Andrew	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
2	Charles	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
3	John	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	Y
4	Suzy	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
5	Jackie	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
6	Lynn	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
7	Sue	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
8	Tony	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
9	Paul	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
10	Symon	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y
11	Nick	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
12	Peter	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
13	Neil	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
14	Bruce	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y

Influence[link]

The series has received extraordinary praise over the years, the epitome of which may be Roger Ebert's comments that it is "an inspired, even noble, use of the film medium", that the films "penetrate to the central mystery of life",^[8] and that the series is among his top ten films of all time. Attempts have been made to repeat the series with subjects in the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan, and South Africa. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, 28 Up was placed 26th. The series has also been satirised; The Simpsons' 2007 episode "Springfield Up" is narrated by an Apted-like filmmaker who depicts the past and current lives of a group of Springfield residents he has revisited every eight years.

The original hypothesis of Seven Up! was that class structure is so strong in the UK that a person's life path would be set at birth. The producer of the original programme had at one point thought to line the children up on the street, have three of them step forward and narrate "of these twenty children, only three will be successful" (an idea which was not used). The idea of class immobility held up in most, but not all, cases as the series has progressed. The children from the working classes have by and large remained in those circles, though Tony seems to have become more middle class. Apted has said that one of his regrets is that they did not take feminism in to account, and consequently had fewer girls in their study and did not select them on the basis of any possible careers they might choose.

Although it began as a political documentary, the series has become a film of human nature and existentialism. In the director's commentary for 42 Up, Apted comments that he did not realise the series had changed tone from political to personal until 21 Up, when he showed the film to American friends who encouraged him to submit it (successfully) to American film festivals. Apted also comments that this realisation was a relief to him and allowed the films to breathe a little more.

Criticism[link]

The Up series has been criticised by both ethnographers and the subjects themselves for its editing style. Mitchell Duneier has pointed out that Apted has the ability to create causal relationships between a character's past and present that might not actually exist.^[9] Apted has acknowledged this fact, pointing out that in 21 Up he believed Tony would soon be in prison so he filmed him around dangerous areas for use in later films.^[10]

Influence on participants[link]

Over the course of the project the programme has in varying degrees had a direct effect on the lives of its participants. The series became popular enough that the participants often speak of being recognised in public. Their opinions of being involved in the series are often mentioned, and vary greatly among the participants. John refers to the programme as a poison pill that he is subjected to every seven years, while Paul's wife credits the series for keeping their marriage together. Michael Apted has commented that one of the big surprises between filming 42 Up and 49 Up was the impact of reality television. The subjects really wanted to talk about how they saw their contribution to the series in the light of reality TV.

Paul and Nick were flown back to England at Granada's expense for the filming of 35 Up and 42 Up respectively. Paul was flown back again for 49 Up and visited Symon. Bruce was affected by Neil's plight and offered him temporary shelter in his home shortly before 42 Up, allowing Neil time to get settled in London. Despite Neil's eccentricities during his two-month stay, they clearly remained friends, with Neil later giving a reading at Bruce's wedding.

List of films and premiere dates[link]

Similar documentaries[link]

• A new version was started in 2000, 7Up 2000 (2000, Julian Farino), continuing with 14 Up 2000 in 2007.
• Australia – by Gillian Armstrong
  • Smokes and Lollies (1975)
  • 14's Good, 18's Better (1980)
  • Bingo, Bridesmaids & Braces (1988)
  • Not Fourteen Again (1996)
  • Love, Lust & Lies (2009)
• Belgium
  • Jambers, 1980–1990. Two part documentary by TV journalist Paul Jambers on Flemish public TV channel about secondary school students in Kapellen, near Antwerp.
• Canada
  • Talk 16 (1991) and Talk 19 (1993), directed and written by Janis Lundman and Adrienne Mitchell of Back Alley Film Productions.
• Czech Republic – by Helena Třeštíková.
  • René, a single episode portrait of a man over 20 years, starting in the late 1980s. René at the Internet Movie Database
• France
  • Que deviendront-ils ? from Michel Fresnel (1984 to 1996).
• Germany
  • Die Kinder von Golzow by Winfried Junge, set in former East Germany as well as in unified Germany after 1990 (1961 to 2006).
  • Berlin - Ecke Bundesplatz by Detlef Gumm and Hans-Georg Ullrich. The documentary follows individuals, families or groups of related people in separate episodes each around one hour. Broadcast in four seasons on 3sat.
    • 1999: Der Prominenten-Anwalt, Bäckermeister im Kiez, Wilmersdorfer Witwen, Die nächste Generation, Die Alleinerziehende, Der Aussteiger
    • 2001: Grenzgänger, Solisten
    • 2004: Kinder! Kinder!, Alte Freunde, Vereinigungen, Recht und Ordnung
    • 2009: Mütter und Töchter, Die Aussteiger, Schön ist die Jugend..., Die Köpcke-Bande, Der Yilmaz-Clan
• Denmark
  • Årgang 0 by TV2 (2000) – The show follows the children, born in the year 2000, from birth.
• Japan – follows thirteen children living in different parts of Japan.
  • 7 Up Japan (1992)
  • 14 Up Japan (1999)
  • 21 Up Japan (2006)
• The Netherlands
  • Bijna volwassen (1982) – follows a group of 17–18-year-olds.
  • Bijna 30 (1994)
  • Bijna 40 (2005)
• South Africa – by Angus Gibson
  • 7 Up in South Africa (1992)
  • 14 Up in South Africa (1999)
  • 21 Up South Africa (2007)
• Sweden by Rainer Hartleb. About a group of children from Jordbro, a suburb of Stockholm.^[11]
  • Från en barndomsvärld (1973)
  • Barnen från Jordbro (1982)
  • Tillbaka till Jordbro (1988)
  • Det var en gång... en liten flicka (1992)
  • En pizza i Jordbro (1994)
  • Nya barn i Jordbro (2001)
  • Alla mår bra (2006)
• USSR/Former Soviet republics – by Sergei Miroshnichenko and Jemma Jupp.
  • Age 7 in the USSR (1990)
  • 14 Up Born in the USSR (1998) (this won an International Emmy)
  • Born in the USSR: 21 Up (2005)
  • Born in the USSR: 28 Up (2012)
• United States
  • Age 7 in America (1991) directed by Phil Joanou
  • 14 Up in America (1998)
  • 21 Up in America (2006) directed by Christopher Dillon Quinn
• Married in America (2002) also by Michael Apted

Bibliography[link]

• Stella Bruzzi (2007), Seven Up. London: British Film Institute.

See also[link]

• Boyhood, a film that will follow a boy from the age of six through to eighteen in real time over twelve years.
• Child of Our Time is a BBC/The Open University documentary which follows the lives of 25 children who were born around the turn of the millennium.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Seven Up! at the Internet Movie Database
• 7 Plus Seven at the Internet Movie Database
• 21 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 28 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 35 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 42 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 49 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• 56 Up at the Internet Movie Database
• Transcript of a British Film Institute appearance and interview with Apted
• P.O.V. 49 Up - PBS's site dedicated to the film

Geoffrey Richard Holder
Holder at the Big Apple Con November 15, 2008.
Born	(1930-08-01) 1 August 1930 (age 81) Port of Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
Occupation	Actor, choreographer, director, costume designer, dancer, painter, vocalist, voice artist
Years active	1957–2005
Spouse	Carmen De Lavallade (1955–present)

Geoffrey Richard Holder (born 1 August 1930) is a Trinidadian actor, choreographer, director, dancer, painter, costume designer, singer and voice-over artist.

Early life[link]

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad of African descent, Holder is a Tony-award winning stage director and costume designer. He is known for his height (6'6"), heavily-accented deep basso voice and "hearty laugh."^[1]

One of four children, Holder attended The Tranquillity School and secondary school at Queens Royal College in Port-of-Spain. At age seven, he began dancing in the company of his brother, Boscoe Holder.^[2]

Career[link]

In 1952, the choreographer Agnes de Mille saw Holder dance on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.^[3] She invited him to New York; he would teach at the Katherine Dunham School of Dance for two years.^[4] He was a principal dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in New York from 1955-1956.^[5]

In 1955, Holder married dancer Carmen De Lavallade, whom he met when both were in the cast of House of Flowers, a musical by Harold Arlen (music and lyrics) and Truman Capote (lyrics and book).^[1] They were the subject of a 2004 film, Carmen & Geoffrey.^[3] They live in New York City and have one son, Leo Anthony Lamont. Holder's brother was the London-based artist Boscoe Holder.

Holder began his movie career in the 1962 British film All Night Long, a modern remake of Shakespeare’s Othello. He followed that with Doctor Doolittle (1967) as Willie Shakespeare. In the 1972, he was cast as the Sorcerer in Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask). The following year he was a henchman - Baron Samedi - in the Bond movie Live and Let Die; Holder also contributed to the film's choreography. In addition to his movie appearances, Holder became a spokesman for the 1970s 7 Up soft drink "uncola" advertising campaign.^[6]

In 1975 Holder won two Tony Awards for direction and costume design of The Wiz, the all-black musical version of The Wizard of Oz. Holder was the first black man to be nominated in either category.^[1] He also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design. The show ran for 1672 performances over a four-year period; it was revived in 1984.

As a choreographer, Holder has created dance pieces for many companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, for which he provided choreography, music and costumes for "Prodigal Prince" (1967), and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, for which he provided choreography, music and costumes for Dougla (1974) and designed costumes for Firebird (1982). In 1978, Holder directed and choreographed the Broadway musical "Timbuktu!".^[2][7][8][9] Holder's 1957 piece "Bele" is also part of the Dance Theater of Harlem repertory.^[2]

In the 1982 movie version of the musical Annie, Holder played the role of Punjab. He was also the voice of Ray in Bear in the Big Blue House and also provided narration for Tim Burton's version of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.^[10] He reprised his role as the 7 Up Spokesman in the 2011 season finale of "The Celebrity Apprentice," where he appeared as himself in a commercial for "7 Up Retro" for Marlee Matlin's team.

He is also a prolific painter, ardent art collector, book author and music composer. As a painter, he won a Guggenheim Fellowship.^[11] A book of his photography, Adam, was published by Viking in 1986.^[12]

Productions[link]

Holder with wife Carmen De Lavallade. photo by Carl Van Vechten, 1955

Broadway[link]

• Waiting for Godot - Revival (all black cast), 1957 - Performer
• House of Flowers, Original Musical, 1954 - Banda dance choreography, performer
• Josephine Baker - Musical Review, 1954 - Performer
• The Wiz - Original Musical, 1975 - Direction, Costume Design (Tony Award for Best Costume Design and Best Direction of a Musical, 1975)
• Timbuktu! - Original Musical, 1978 - Direction, Choreography, Costume Design, Playbill Cover Illustration
• The Wiz, 1984 Revival - Direction, Costume Design
• The Boys' Choir of Harlem and Friends, Staged Concert, 1993 - Staging

Radio[link]

• KYOT-FM in Phoenix, Arizona, 1994–2011 - Voiceover

Filmography[link]