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Here Comes The Summer

THE UNDERTONES STORY

Broadcaster

BBC Four, BBC One Northern Ireland, BBC iPlayer

Episode Count

1 x 60'

Specialist Factual

Credits

Series Producer, Director & Editor: Chris Wilson

Producers: Laura Mullan, William Skidmore, Dermot Desmond

Executive Producers: Ed Stobart, Suzanne Lavery

Production Manager: Sophie Mautner

Camera: Des Henderson

Description

Here Comes The Summer tells the story of the Northern Irish band behind hits like “Teenage Kicks,” showcasing how they brought their pop-punk sound to a global stage, narrated by Jimmy Nesbitt.

In 1978 The Undertones released Teenage Kicks, one of the most perfect and enduring pop records of all time – an adolescent anthem that spoke to teenagers all over the globe. It was the first in a string of hits that created a timeless soundtrack to growing up, making the Undertones one of punk rock’s most prolific and popular bands.

Unlike the anarchic ragings of The Sex Pistols or the overt politics of The Clash, The Undertones sang of mummy’s boys, girls – or the lack of them – and their irritating cousin Kevin. But their gems of pop music were revolutionary nonetheless – startlingly positive protest songs that demanded a life more ordinary. Because The Undertones came from Derry, epicentre of the violent troubles that tore Northern Ireland apart during the 1970s.

Featuring interviews with band members, their friends, family, colleagues and contemporaries, alongside archive and music, this documentary is the remarkable, funny and moving story of one of Britain’s favourite bands – the most improbable pop stars who emerged from one of the darkest, most violent places on the planet.

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