1986

A dramatic comedy told from the point of view of high school students, and their parents and teachers, about one of the most striking moments of Portuguese democracy: the presidential elections and the dispute between Freitas do Amaral and Mário Soares.

1986 (2018) is a Portuguese dramatic comedy series created by Nuno Markl for RTP1. Told from the point of view of high school students, their parents and their teachers, the single-season run of thirteen roughly forty-minute episodes follows ordinary lives caught up in one of the most striking moments of Portuguese democracy, the presidential elections and the bitter dispute between Freitas do Amaral and Mário Soares. Miguel Moura e Silva plays Tiago, a teenager whose world is shaped by the campaign, while Laura Dutra plays Marta and Eva Fisahn plays Patrícia, classmates and friends whose hopes and rivalries play out in school corridors and family kitchens. Henrique Gil, Mafalda Santos and Simon Frankel fill out the households and classrooms, with Frankel's Professor Zé as a teacher drawn into the debate. The engine of the series is the friction between youthful idealism and adult compromise, as each episode moves between the schoolyard and the living room. Its tone is warm, wry and nostalgic, with political stakes handled through humor and tenderness. Fans of The Wonder Years and Years and Years will find resonance in its blend of coming of age memory and national history.

• The Wonder Yearscoming of age high school perspective intercut with political history, dramatic comedy tone
• Years and Yearsnational political moment seen through ordinary lives, dramedy tone with period nostalgia
• Sex Educationyouth perspective on a turbulent political era, period comedy-drama blend

Created by

Nuno Markl

Release Date

2018-03-13

Episode runtime

40 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (10)

What is 1986 about?

A Portuguese dramatic comedy that follows high school students, parents and teachers through the 1986 presidential election dispute between Freitas do Amaral and Mário Soares.

What is 1986 like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 1986 as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is 1986 violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in 1986.

Which shows are like 1986?

Shows with a similar feel include The Wonder Years, Years and Years, and Sex Education.

How long is 1986?

1986: 1 season, 13 episodes.

Is 1986 still running?

No, 1986 has ended.