56 UP (NR) In 1964, Canadian director Paul Almond and Britain's Granada Television presented Seven Up!, a documentary focusing on 14 English school children from different social/economic backgrounds. Every seven years, the filmmakers revisited the children as they aged into their teenage years and adulthood. It's a simple premise, but the emotional power of it is sometimes extraordinary. Director Michael Apted (who took over the series with the second installment, 7 Plus Seven) delivers another fascinating glimpse into the lives of his subjects with 56 Up, and the results further solidify why this long-running series is one of the greatest documentaries ever made. Even in an era of (un)reality television, 56 Up is able to lift the veil of illusion and give us a glimpse into the richness of everyday life and all the ups and downs that accompany it. All documentaries are deceptive and manipulative, but the great ones, the productions that attempt to attain something meaningful, are the ones that acknowledge the deception, subsequently bringing us closer to the subjects without pretending that a gulf doesn't exist.

All but one of the participants (Charlie) are back for 56 Up, including ex-teacher Peter, who dropped out of the series after 1984's 28 Up. Although his reason for returning to the series is thoroughly mercenary and cynical (he's promoting his new Americana/country band), Peter's negativity is nevertheless refreshing, since disguising or tempering it would have gone against the spirit of the documentary. Ambivalence toward the series isn't relegated to Peter, however. Many of the others likewise express deeply complex feelings about their involvement in this grand adventure, including the idiosyncratic Neil, who was homeless in earlier episodes and later became a politician in Cumbria; Suzy, who has long expressed frustrations about the series yet also feels loyalty toward it; and Nick, who admits frustration over how he's presented, though succinctly and brilliantly conveys why so many viewers find this series profound.

And 56 Up is magnificently, movingly poignant at times. Now middle-aged, the group has had plenty of heartbreak and joy permeate their lives. It's an intimate odyssey of aging—funny, touching, insightful, maddening and always fascinating. In this era of sensationalistic, morbidly narcissistic reality programming that rarely strays from the script, the Up series remains universal must-see viewing. The countdown to the next installment begins… now.