This Is England '86
Created by Shane Meadows
On Channel 4
A dark, intimate portrait of working-class youth in 1980s Nottingham, where coming-of-age collides with gang violence and social decay.
It's 1986 - the year Maradona ends England's World Cup dreams in Mexico; the year Top Gun is the highest grossing film; the year over 3.4 million Brits are unemployed and the year Shaun is leaving school.
Genres
Where to watch
- StreamPrime Video, Shout! Factory
- FreeFawesome
- AdsPrime Video, Plex, Pluto TV, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon MX Player
Questions people ask
Is This Is England '86 violent? Yes. More violent than 85% of series.
Is This Is England '86 sad? Yes. More sad than 84% of series.
Does This Is England '86 leave you hopeful? Barely. Less hopeful than 81% of series.
Is This Is England '86 scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 73% of series.
Is This Is England '86 easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 70% of series.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Written about
- The Shows That Know They EndFinding
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Everything like This Is England '86, and what each one shares →
Like This Is England '86
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as This Is England '86
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like This Is England '86, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like This Is England '86, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like This Is England '86, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
