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Turning 20

Twenty years on, the children from the groundbreaking series Child of Our Time reflect on growing up during a time of extraordinary social change.

In 1999, the groundbreaking Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú series Child of Our Time began filming a group of babies from the moment they were born, to explore what would shape their lives in the new millennium. Twenty years on, these children are fully grown and can reflect in their own words on growing up during a time of extraordinary social change. Drawing on thousands of hours of archive footage, this special focuses on three of the children - Eve, Jamie and Rhianna - exploring childhood as the first generation of 21st-century UK.

Eve, Jamie and Rhianna share their feelings on starting school, finding friends and their turbulent teenage years. Alongside the fun of childhood, all have faced challenges - they can now reflect on how rebellion, family tension and bereavement have played a part in making them the adults they are today.

Throughout this special, a number of other children from Child of Our Time share their own reflections and experiences on some of the issues that have touched their generation, including mental health, sexual identity and the pressure to achieve.

58 minutes

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:02

    Regina Spektor

    Us

  • 00:09

    Snow Patrol

    The Finish Line

  • 00:11

    The Wombats

    Let's Dance to Joy Division

  • 00:12

    Razorlight

    Fall To Pieces

  • 00:13

    The Wombats

    Let's Dance to Joy Division

  • 00:13

    Sigur Rós

    Fjögur píanó

  • 00:13

    The Magic Numbers

    Forever Lost

  • 00:15

    Keane

    A Bad Dream

  • 00:17

    Kaiser Chiefs

    I Predict A Riot

  • 00:20

    Belle and Sebastian

    I'm Not Living in the Real World

  • 00:22

    Morning Runner

    Burning Benches

  • 00:27

    Keane

    Untitled 1

  • 00:28

    Vampire Weekend

    A-Punk

  • 00:30

    Vampire Weekend

    A-Punk

  • 00:36

    Ben Folds

    In Between Days

  • 00:40

    Starsailor

    Silence is Easy

  • 00:47

    Franz Ferdinand

    Come On Home

  • 00:50

    Bloc Party

    So Here We Are

  • 00:52

    The Hoosiers

    Worried About Ray

  • 00:52

    The Wurzels

    Chelsea Dagger

  • 00:56

    Ellie Goulding

    Your Song

  • 00:59

    The Vaccines, Freddie Cowan

    Norgaard

Broadcasts

Watch video updates on the children who took part in the Child of Our Time series

The children take a look back at growing up in the UK in the 21st Century

Stories from Child of our Time

Stories from Child of our Time

Catch up with the now young adults from the ground-breaking project.

Teens and mobiles – helpful or harmful?

Measuring the phone use, social media activity and sleep patterns of our teens