This is England 90 Update from star Vicky McClure

What is the status with Shane Meadow's long awaited TV sequel and final entry in the This is England saga? This is England 90 is still going ahead and should start swinging into action soon now that Shane Meadows has completed and released his documentary on the reunion of The Stone Roses, Made of Stone.

This is England 88 offered the best bit of British TV for years in 2011 with Woody, Lol, Shaun, Milky and the rest of the gang returning for the first time since the harrowing This Is England 86 aired in 2010. Following on from the events of Shane Meadow's 2006 film This is England, fans of the film have been treated to a heartbreaking and depressing series about the trials and tribulations of the Midlands youths as they have grown up in Thatcher's Britain.

Dealing with racism and the rise of the National Front, sexual abuse and incest, depression, motherhood and growing up facing the prospects of unemployment and misery, it has never been an easy watch from the film to the most recent This is England 88. But the strength of the characters and the performances has been nothing short of astounding and fans would happily welcome back the gang to our TV screens.

The question is, when will we see This is England 90 and what will it tackle?

BAFTA winning Vicky McClure has said about her character “Lol is definitely the role of a lifetime”. She will no doubt jump at the chance of returning to the series, saying “I know how lucky I am to work with Shane, play Lol, have that sort of part. As an actress, if I was to watch that show and that character, I’d be desperate for that kind of work.”Her role has grown and grown since the film with Lol taking centre stage in This is England 88 and McClure giving the performance of her career. She recognises the importance of the character to her whole career adding, “Lol is what created me, I suppose. I worked on that character in very different ways to how I’ve worked on other characters. It is Method on This is England, it is. But it can’t be Method on every job because it just doesn’t work for everything.”

This is England 90 is set to emerge next year with shooting no doubt beginning sometime in the near future. Set (obviously) in 1990, the rave scene and prominence of recreational drugs are likely to be significant with perhaps the now grown up Shaun falling prey to addiction and despair. Whatever happens, Meadows is unlikely to make it easy for fans so brace yourself for what This is England has in store. I will be keeping an eye out for more news of the progress of this one so stay tuned!