Miniseries · BBC One
Years and Years
One family. A Lifetime of changes.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Emma Thompson
Vivienne Rook
6 eps
Anne Reid
Muriel Deacon
6 eps
Rory Kinnear
Stephen Lyons
6 eps
Jessica Hynes
Edith Lyons
6 eps
Russell Tovey
Daniel Lyons
6 eps
Ruth Madeley
Rosie Lyons
6 eps
T'Nia Miller
Celeste Bisme-Lyons
6 eps
Sharon Duncan-Brewster
Fran Baxter
6 eps
Lydia West
Bethany Bisme-Lyons
6 eps
Jade Alleyne
Ruby Bisme-Lyons
6 eps
Maxim Baldry
Viktor Goraya
6 eps
Jodie Prenger
Debbie Green
1 eps
Noel Sullivan
Tony Watts
1 eps
Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
1 eps
Paul Merton
Paul Merton
1 eps
Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Armstrong
2 eps
David Crellin
Stan Thomas
1 eps
Krissi Bohn
Lucie Denham
1 eps
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
1 eps
Sue Devaney
Barbara Hopkins
1 eps
Craig Gazey
Steven Lyons
1 eps
Lee Latchford-Evans
Lee Latchford-Evans
1 eps
Bhavik C. Pankhania
Alam Mohamed
1 eps
Steve Money
Arthur
1 eps
Shannon Hayes
Lizzie Mbeko
1 eps
Simon Naylor
Policeman
1 eps
Aqib Khan
Vijay Babu
2 eps
Sandeep Sharma
Mr. Jaysundera
1 eps
Callum Woolford
Lee Lyons
4 eps
Julie Peasgood
Julie Peasgood
4 eps
Reeta Chakrabarti
Reeta Chakrabarti
4 eps
Charlotte Asprey
Madeleine Barry
1 eps
Andrew Readman
Trevor Lyle
1 eps
Nila Aalia
Question Time Host
1 eps
Lara Amanda Guimaraes Norton
Younger Bethany Bisme-Lyons
1 eps
Kath Hughes
Woman in Blue
1 eps
Marilyn Lucas-Thorpe
Younger Ruby Bisme-Lyons
1 eps
Shaun McGowan
Archie Goolding
2 eps
Aaron Ansari
Lincoln Lyons
4 eps
Heather Dutton
Lesley
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Years and Years actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Years and Years reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
As Britain is rocked by unstable political, economic and technological advances, members of the Lyons family converge on one crucial night in 2019. Over the next 15 years, the twists and turns of their everyday lives are explored as we find out if this ordinary family could change the world.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Episode 6
Viv Rook tightens her grip, and the Lyons fight back. But can one ordinary family hope to change the world?
- Directed by Lisa Mulcahy
S01E05
Episode 5
Viv Rook becomes prime minister, and while Edith investigates mysterious rumours, Rosie finds herself trapped in the system.
- Directed by Lisa Mulcahy
S01E03
Episode 3
Daniel uses his birthday party to reveal a dangerous plan. And as Viv Rook rises to power, the Lyons gather for a funeral. But Celeste is left to fight alone as Bethany's obsession.
- Directed by Simon Cellan Jones
S01E04
Episode 4
Daniel embarks on a dangerous quest to bring Viktor home, while Celeste takes a terrible revenge on Stephen. Viv sets her sights on the ultimate prize: 10 Downing Street.
- Directed by Simon Cellan Jones
S01E02
Episode 2
As the world recovers, Stephen and Celeste face a very modern nightmare, Daniel fights to keep hold of Viktor, and Edith finally returns home, carrying a terrible secret with her.
- Directed by Simon Cellan Jones
S01E01
Episode 1
The Lyons family gather in 2019, unaware that their future holds many surprises. Absent sister Edith brings news from abroad that will change their lives forever.
- Directed by Simon Cellan Jones
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Russell T DaviesExecutive Producer
- Simon Cellan JonesExecutive Producer
- Nicola ShindlerExecutive Producer
- Lucy RicherExecutive Producer
- Karen LewisProducer
- Michaela FeredayExecutive Producer
Writing
- Russell T DaviesWriter
Direction
- Simon Cellan JonesDirector
- Lisa MulcahyDirector
Cinematography
- Tony Slater LingDirector of Photography
- Stephen MurrayDirector of Photography
Music
- Murray GoldOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- HBO Max Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- HBO MaxStreaming
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