★★★★★ Raw and powerful Daily Mail | ★★★★★ Furious, devastating TV The Guardian
★★★★★ Superb iNews | ★★★★★ Visceral TV Times | ★★★★★ Unforgettable Mail on Sunday
★★★★★ Excellent The Times | Superlative DAILY TELEGRAPH |Will take your breath away THE SUN
Documentary of the Week | RADIO TIMES Critic’s Choice SUNDAY TIMES
Uprising is an urgent, emotional account of a national tragedy LITTLE WHITE LIES
Uprising is the extraordinary story of three intertwined events from 1981: the New Cross Fire, which killed 13 young black people; the Black People’s Day of Action; and the Brixton riots. With testimony from those who lived these traumatic and turbulent events, the series reveals how they intertwined and defined race relations for a generation.
Uprising was broadcast at 9pm on BBC One on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd July. All three episodes are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
Part 1: Fire
Amidst rising racial tensions, a fire kills thirteen young black people at a party.
Wayne Haynes and Denise Gooding recount the highs and lows of growing up in South London, as tensions with the police rise and the National Front brings racism to the forefront of local politics.
In the early hours of 18th January 1981, in a house in South London, a birthday party ended in a fire. Thirteen young black British people died. The fire and its aftermath would ignite an uprising by the black British community. Fire – part 1 of the Uprising series – tells the stories of the young people who were at the party and the events that led up to it.
The series begins by chronicling the build-up to the deadly fire in New Cross, South London. It introduces some of the young people who would go to the party as they share their experiences of growing up black and British amidst the escalating tensions and violent racism of the 1970s. Their lives bring them into contact with police harassment, the rise of the National Front and the dramatic confrontation of the ‘battle of Lewisham.’ Sound systems, Lover’s Rock and Reggae music offer an escape to these young people, but when 16year-old Yvonne Ruddock decides to have a birthday party, it ends in a tragedy with far-reaching consequences
Part 2: Blame
Blame – part 2 of the Uprising series – deals with the aftermath of the New Cross fire and the run up to the Black People’s Day of Action. It tracks the experiences of the victims and their families as the local community and the police seek answers as to how the fire started.
As news spreads about the fire at 439 New Cross Road, parents and relatives rush to find news of their loved ones. The scale of the tragedy overwhelms the local community. 13 young people die and dozens more are injured. Forensic experts search through the ashes and the police start their investigation. Witness testimony suggests the cause may be a fire bomb thrown through a window. Local activists fear a racist attack and form the New Cross Massacre Action Committee. But the forensic evidence does not support the firebomb theory and the police focus their attention on the young partygoers. The families of the victims receive racist hate mail and bomb threats. Anger mounts at the police investigation and the seeming indifference of the press and the government to the loss of so many black lives. The Black People’s Day of Action, a mass demonstration, is organised to bring the tragedy to the attention of the nation.
Part 3: The Front Line
In Brixton in 1981, with its sound-system scene and close-knit community, provides a welcome relief to the outside world of National Front racism. But young black people in Brixton feel the pressure of daily encounters with the police. The backdrop of the New Cross fire and the Black People’s Day of Action adds to an atmosphere of distrust and anger. When the police launch Operation Swamp to combat Brixton’s high levels of street crime, it brings tensions to a boiling point, as young black people find themselves stopped and searched several times a day. On 10th April, open conflict breaks out with the police. Over the weekend, it turns into one of the biggest riots in British history. Buildings are burned down and hundreds of police injured. Margaret Thatcher’s government asks Lord Scarman to lead an inquiry into what happened. But no sooner has he started, riots flare up all over the country from Southall to Toxteth. His report will form the first official reckoning of the breakdown of relations between the black community and the police. But, as 1981 draws to a close, following an inconclusive inquest, the families of the victims of the New Cross fire are no closer to knowing who started the fire or why.
Awards
WINNER
‘History’
RTS Awards
WINNER
‘Factual Series’
BAFTA Television Awards
WINNER
‘Original Score’
RTS Craft Awards
NOMINATED
‘Editing: Factual & Documentary’
RTS Craft Awards
NOMINATED
‘Best Documentary Series’
Broadcast Awards
NOMINATED
‘History & Biography’
Banff Rockie Awards
Credits
Directed by Steve McQueen and James Rogan
Executive Producers Steve McQueen, Nancy Bornat, James Rogan, Soleta Rogan, Tacey Scoffield
Commissioning Editors for the BBC Clare Sillery, Carl Callam
Film Editor Esther Giminez Series Editor Brett Irwin Series Producer Helen Bart
Details
This series was broadcast on 20th -22nd July 2021 on BBC One.
Distribution – This programme is being distributed by BBC Studios.
Articles about the film
Survivors of the New Cross fire tell their stories by Caroline Scott
The flames began in the ground floor sitting room of 439 New Cross Road and spread quickly to the top of the house… read more
New Cross Fire story should be taught in schools
by Lanre Bakare
The story of the New Cross fire should feature in the national curriculum, according to Steve McQueen. read more
