Russell T Davies has built his career on watching the world break. In Years and Years, the British writer returns to his native ground with a family drama that spans 15 years of political collapse, technological upheaval, and the slow decay of ordinary life. The show is a co-production between the BBC and HBO, and it premiered on BBC One on 14 May 2019 and on HBO on 24 June 2019. It runs six episodes, and its central premise is simple: the Lyons family converges on one crucial night in 2019, and the story accelerates into the future, following their lives over the next fifteen years as Britain is rocked by political upheavals, economic instability and technological advances.
The result is a dense, often bleak portrait of a nation falling apart. It is also, in its quieter moments, a deeply human story about people trying to hold their families together even as the world around them fragments.
Trailer, via BBC.
The Lyons Family
The show focuses on a Manchester-based family. Daniel, played by Russell Tovey, is a housing officer married to Ralph. Stephen, played by Rory Kinnear, and Celeste, played by T’Nia Miller, worry about their two children. Single mother Rosie, played by Ruth Madeley, is looking for a new partner. Her sister Edith, played by Jessica Hynes, is engaged in one humanitarian cause after another. Presiding over them all is their grandmother, the imperious Muriel, played by Anne Reid. Their lives converge on one crucial night in 2019, and the story accelerates into the future, following their lives and loves over the next fifteen years as Britain is rocked by political upheavals, economic instability and technological advances.
The family dynamic is the engine of the show. Davies gives each character a distinct voice and a specific arc, and the ensemble cast delivers across the board. Emma Thompson plays Vivienne Rook, an outspoken British celebrity businesswoman turned populist politician whose controversial opinions divide the nation. Rory Kinnear plays Stephen Lyons, the family patriarch who struggles to protect his wife and children from the chaos around them. T’Nia Miller plays Celeste Bisme-Lyons, the wife of Stephen and mother of their two children, who becomes a central figure in the family’s survival. Ruth Madeley plays Rosie Lyons, the single mother still searching for a partner, while Lydia West plays her daughter Bethany Bisme-Lyons and Jade Alleyne plays her granddaughter Ruby Bisme-Lyons. The show also features Maxim Baldry as Viktor Goraya.
The Night That Changes Everything
The story opens with a single night in 2019. The Lyons family gathers for a dinner that sets in motion a chain of events that will reshape their lives over the next 15 years. The show then jumps forward, compressing years into episodes that track the family’s response to a crumbling society. This structure is the show’s most ambitious move, and it works because Davies grounds the political upheaval in the specific experiences of these characters.
The family’s everyday struggles are the heart of the show. Daniel’s work as a housing officer puts him at the front lines of the city’s decay. Stephen and Celeste worry about their children’s future in a world growing more unstable by the day. Rosie’s search for a partner becomes a search for stability in a world that offers none. Edith’s humanitarian work brings her into contact with the worst effects of the crisis. Muriel’s imperious presence anchors the family’s response to every threat.
Vivienne Rook and the Politics of Fear
The show’s antagonist is Vivienne Rook, played by Emma Thompson. Rook is a populist politician whose controversial opinions divide the nation. She is a figure of both fear and fascination, and her rise to power is the central political thread of the series. Davies uses Rook to explore the dynamics of modern political anxiety in a dystopian future.
The show’s political commentary is sharp but never heavy-handed. It shows how fear and division can be weaponized by the powerful, and it follows the Lyons family as they navigate the fallout. The family’s response to Rook’s rise is varied. Some are drawn to her message, while others resist her. The show does not offer easy answers, but it makes the stakes feel real.
The Directors and the Writing
The series was directed by Simon Cellan Jones for the first four episodes and by Lisa Mulcahy for the final two. Davies, Cellan Jones, Michaela Fereday, Lucy Richer, and Nicola Shindler served as executive producers. The show’s writing was praised for its characterisation and its exploration of modern political anxieties in a dystopian future. It received three nominations at the 10th Critics’ Choice Television Awards, in the categories of Best Limited Series, Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries (for Tovey), and Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries (for Thompson).
The writing draws on Davies’ long history of exploring the personal costs of political change. His earlier work, including Queer As Folk, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Doctor Who, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Queer As Folk, and Doctor Who, all dealt with social and political upheaval. Years and Years continues that tradition, but on a larger scale. It is a family drama with global stakes, and it works because the family feels real.
The Difficult Middle Episodes
The middle of the series is where the show falters. The episodes that focus on the political turmoil lose some of the intimacy that makes the early episodes so effective. The show’s structure, which compresses years into episodes, means that some arcs feel rushed. The show also faces the challenge of sustaining tension over its six episodes, and not every plot thread lands with the same weight.
The show’s political commentary is its most debated element. Some viewers found the depiction of populism too simplistic, while others praised its clarity. The show’s exploration of modern political anxieties is its strongest point, and it is handled with the care expected of Davies. The show’s tone is always careful to keep the humanity of its characters in focus, even as the world around them falls apart.
The Final Stretch
The show’s final two episodes, directed by Lisa Mulcahy, pick the pace back up. The show’s explorations of political and societal transformations come to a head as the family’s lives are tested by the very forces that have shaped them. The show’s themes of family, unity, and the enduring strength of personal bonds rise to the forefront in its closing chapters.
The show’s conclusion is quiet and earned. It does not offer a grand finale, but it does offer a sense of resolution for the characters. The show’s focus on the family’s response to the world’s collapse makes its ending feel right.
The Verdict
Years and Years is a flawed but powerful piece of television. Davies’ writing is sharp, and his cast delivers performances that anchor the show’s emotional weight. The show’s political commentary is its strongest point, but its middle episodes are weaker than its opening and closing stretches. It is a show that demands attention, and it rewards that attention with some of the best character work of Davies’ career.
The show’s ambition is its greatest strength. It attempts to tell a story about a family over 15 years, and it does so with a clear vision of where it wants to go. The show’s themes of family, unity, and the enduring strength of personal bonds rise to the forefront in its closing chapters, carrying the show to a conclusion that feels both inevitable and earned.
The show’s weaknesses are real, but they do not outweigh its strengths. The show is a worthwhile addition to Davies’ body of work, and it stands as a reminder of his ability to tell stories about ordinary people in extraordinary times.
Key Facts
- Premiere: BBC One, 14 May 2019; HBO, 24 June 2019
- Season: 1 season, 6 episodes
- Setting: 2019–2034
- Network: BBC One
- Writer: Russell T Davies
- Directors: Simon Cellan Jones (episodes 1–4), Lisa Mulcahy (episodes 5–6)
- Davies’ other credits: Queer As Folk, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Doctor Who
Cast Comparison
| Character | Actor | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel | Russell Tovey | Housing officer, husband of Ralph |
| Stephen | Rory Kinnear | Family patriarch, husband of Celeste |
| Rosie | Ruth Madeley | Single mother |
| Edith | Jessica Hynes | Sibling, engaged in humanitarian causes |
| Celeste | T’Nia Miller | Wife of Stephen |
| Muriel | Anne Reid | Grandmother, the family’s anchor |
| Viktor Goraya | Maxim Baldry | Character |
The show is a dense, often bleak portrait of a nation falling apart. It is also, in its quieter moments, a deeply human story about people trying to hold their families together even as the world around them fragments.
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