One of the best British dramas of all time, that’s a must-watch, just got an exciting return update

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Since 2015, fans have been hoping for a new series of This Is England, widely considered one of the UK’s best dramas. The show began as a 2006 film and expanded into three mini-series for Channel 4, all featuring a memorable group of characters – including the iconic Andrew ‘Combo’ Gascoigne, played by Stephen Graham.

Jack Thorne, the Emmy-winning writer behind shows like the acclaimed 2025 series Adolescence and the upcoming BBC adaptation of Lord of the Flies, recently spoke with This Is England creator Shane Meadows. Their conversation offered encouraging news that discussions are ongoing about potentially continuing the limited series, which originally followed the characters in 1986, 1988, and 1990.

Thorne addressed the ongoing speculation about a potential This Is England ’00 storyline centered around the year 2000, telling Radio Times that everyone follows Shane’s lead – but only if he actually suggests it.

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He’s occasionally hinted at the possibility, but I believe he’ll share more when he’s ready to tell the full story. That could happen at any time – it could have been years ago, like 2000 or 2004, or even more recently, like 2020.

Shane Meadows has consistently delivered compelling stories to television, and one recent highlight is The Virtues, featuring Stephen Graham, which premiered on Channel 4 in 2019.

We can only hope that his attention will turn back to This Is England soon.

The series featured a fantastic cast alongside Graham’s Combo. Thomas Turgoose starred as Shaun Fields in this coming-of-age story, and the ensemble also included Vicky McClure as Lol, Chanel Cresswell as Lol’s sister Kelly, Joe Gilgun as Woody, Andrew Shim as Milky, and Jo Hartley as Shaun’s mother, Cynthia.

Set in the East Midlands in the early 1980s, This Is England follows 12-year-old Shaun, who is struggling with school and the recent loss of his father in the Falklands War. He finds acceptance with a group of skinheads, but things become dangerous when he falls under the influence of Combo, a recently released prisoner with far-right beliefs.

Graham once called the role “life-changing” while discussing the Channel 4 release of This Is England ’90.

Stephen Graham had a remarkable year, winning three Emmy Awards for his acclaimed work on the Netflix series Adolescence. He not only starred in and helped create the show, but also won awards for both Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Writing (shared with Jack Thorne) in a limited or anthology series or movie.

Earlier this year, Graham won his first Golden Globe award for his performance in a television mini-series.

This Is England ’86, ’88 and ’90 are currently available on Channel 4.

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2026-02-04 19:49