But why was Grange Hill so popular? The hit teen show, which ran between 1978 and 2008, focused on life in . Freddie nearly succumbs to the escaping gas, only to be saved by Ant, who in turn is forced to reveal his presence. Issues included death, racism, heroin addiction, teenage pregnancy, AIDS, knife crime, epilepsy, rape, Aspergers Syndrome, young carers and internet danger. In . Mr Robson himself did not appear on screen during Series 27, even though he was still headmaster for the early part of the series. Set in a London comprehensive, the show entertained generations of kids, running from 1978 to 2008. Lee MacDonald, 52, was the star of one of Grange Hill's most hard-hitting storylines when his character Zammo became addicted to heroin. Headmistress Mrs. Bridget the Midget McClusky (1980-1984, 1986-1991, Gwyneth Powell) was strict but fair and approachable, for example, and games teacher Mr. Bullet Baxter (1979-1986, Michael Cronin) was a real hard-case with bad guys but a bit of a lamb with everybody else. A few days later a trip is arranged by Mr Hopwood to walk across some farm land. From aliens cruising Glasgow to punks rocking Belfast, most regions of the UK have had their big-screen moment. In hiding, Doyle frightens the girls by making animal noises. Beginning on 4 April 1993, in celebration of the programme's 15th anniversary, the first fifteen series of Grange Hill were repeated during Children's BBC's Sunday (and later, Saturday) morning slots on BBC1 and BBC2. Seven months later, Ashes to Ashes paid homage to the series in its episode 2.1 (airing 20 April 2009). Well remind you she was a former brothel keeper. Search, get listed, or request production services. (Hydraulic Brake Assist), Hill hold assist, Traction control. Series 5-6 were added in July, series 7 in August, Series 8 in November 2021, Series 9 in January 2022 & Series 10 & 11 in July. Fondly remembered children's show Grange Hill is to return in 2023. as a film. We've managed to break plenty of viral news stories in the past, from the release of the new Lion King live-action movie to the announcement that Holly Willoughby would be replacing Ant McPartlin on I'm A Celebrity. Things must be looking up a little now, though, as Gwyneth has recently been playing pub landlady Ivy Trehearne in Echo Beach. The earliest field trip in the series and one of the best. Then there were Luke Gonch Gardner (1985-1989, John McMahon), always up to some (usually doomed) money-making scam, and Eric Ziggy Greaves (1986-1989, George Christopher), a bit of a Tucker lookalike. How about Roland Roly Browning (1982-1987, Erkan Mustafa)? In 1981, Grange Hill moved to Holborn College (now Fulham Preparatory School) in Greyhound Road, Hammersmith. Listing for: AdventHealth. Creator Sir Phil Redmond announced in 2022 that the popular children's drama will be rebooted as a film, with open auditions taking place throughout the past year for its young cast. Roland, who has given Zammo some of his lunch, goes for another meal and delays the bus ride back to school. . [2][3][4] As well as dealing with school-related issues such as bullying, learning difficulties, teacher-pupil relationships and conflicts, Grange Hill "broke new ground over the years, with the kind of hard-hitting storylines not usually seen in children's dramas",[3] such as racism, drugs (e.g. Series seven and eight including the 1981 Christmas Special were released on DVD on 11 November 2019. It was mentioned as "upcoming' in several home computer magazines of the time, was not released. The uniform was compulsory from the First Year to the Fourth Year and optional for the Fifth Year and above. bipolar disorder), divorce, cancer (e.g. Many of the pupils were from council estates. The uniform was compulsory from the First Year to the Fifth Year (later Year 7 to Year 11). The Observer reported on 13 January 2008 that the BBC's intention was to shift the action away from Grange Hill School and into The Grange completely. However Mr Butterworth, a History teacher making an enjoyable one-off appearance, recognises their work as he bought the same book! Kaiser Chiefs playing Pub in the Park's drive in Garden Party at Knebworth House. Controversially, we saw him degenerate into a heroin addict, despite the efforts of his girlfriend Jackie Wright (1984-1987, Melissa Wilks) and his friend Kevin Baylon (1984-1986, Mmoloki Chrystie). Who could forget that montage of comic strips? Harry Rule's Mews flat. The classic Grange Hill of the '80s spanned two fairly distinct eras (with a bit of overlapping). * Michael Cronin (Mr. Baxter) is now a successful childrens author. grangehill1 Posts: 1,119. Grange Hill had its own dedicated magazine, but this only lasted two issues and a holiday special. Filmed in real schools in the 1980s, the trials and tribulations of the pupils at Grange Hill had a nation of teenagers gripped. :P Just getting in there before he does lol, Yes, a fair few real schools were used Television Centre years: 19781985. Well, a key ingredient was that nothing like it had been seen on UK TV before (especially not on, , kids TV dramas had all been jolly hockey sticks and Billy Bunter.. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. All Rights Reserved. Kaiser Chiefs playing Pub in the Park's drive in Garden Party at Knebworth House. The first of these would be Kingsbury High School in north London, which was used as the Grange Hill setting for the first two series. The first was the Peter 'Tucker . There was a comedic element to the duo's relationship that worked well with viewers. Grange Hill: With Stuart Organ, Gwyneth Powell, Lee Cornes, Sally Geoghegan. Production guide and directory with crew, equipment, digital media, pre-production, post production, production support and talent services. Did everyone have London accents coarse enough to strip the paint off the classroom doors? In 1989, a musical play titled Tucker's Return based on the series was staged at Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. One of the most famous storylines during this time was that of Zammo McGuire (played by Lee MacDonald) and his addiction to heroin. In 2003, Redmond's company Mersey Television began producing the programme instead . (Image: Alan Davies), BritBox, the streaming service set up by BBC and ITV, and also including content from Channel 4 and Channel 5, has a huge selection of movies, documentaries and series to watch, from the 1960s through to recent must-see series. Some commentators have noted an analogy between this episode and Little Red Riding Hood, the youths playing Hungry Like The Wolf stalk two potential Red Riding Hoods. Tuckers loyal buddies for much of this period were Alan Al Humphries (1978-1982, George Armstrong) and Tommy Watson (1978, James Jebbia; 1980-1981, Paul McCarthy). Among the show's other favourite characters during this period were Gonch and Hollo, played by John Holmes (also credited as John McMahon) and Bradley Sheppard. I always assumed it was actually filmed at a school in Grange Hill itself. Knebworth House was used as a filming location for St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. Geoff warns N2 to call him Mr Baxter or Sir once they return to Grange Hill. Free delivery for many products! In 2001 a more colourful sequence was introduced, this was due to Grange Hill being broadcast in widescreen for the first time, the opening theme had been cut slightly shorter for the first time since 1990. The uniform was compulsory from the First Year to the Third Year and optional for the Fourth Year and above. In series 9, the Upper School building was condemned after a fire, allowing production of Grange Hill to fully move to Elstree including studio work. Most of the scenes were filmed in the Cedar room, while some of the outdoor spaces were used for the awkward conversations that took place between . Grange Hill returns with a film later this year. Grange Hill was, at this time, made as an outside broadcast in the same way as its stablemate, EastEnders. (Photo by Eric Harlow/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images) When the final bell rang on Grange Hill in 2008, it marked the end of one of the longest-running shows on British TV. Following an eventful coach trip to Hill View centre, Michael Doyle seeks revenge on Justin Bennett for getting him into trouble. Popular, too, was Fay Lucas (1982-1987, Alison Bettles), the pretty blonde who had a relationship with her maths teacher. On New Year's Day 1988, a documentary titled Behind The ScenesAt Grange Hill aired, presented by Lee MacDonald. The show was cancelled in 2008, having run every year for 30 years. Edition: Box Set. In 2006, the BBC had announced big plans for the show's 30th birthday including special programming on BBC2, possible repeats and a lavish reunion of former stars during 2008. Redmond had been planning a hard-hitting storyline to return Grange Hill to its gritty origins in series 31, and although he signed off the changes he believed it wasn't his show any more. The girls are found safe and well. "Life after Grange Hill: Where are they now", "Kids drama that introduced gay teachers is axed", "GRANGE HILL A TELEVISION HEAVEN REVIEW", "Grange Hill creator Phil Redmond says BBC show could be revived", "Grange Hill is coming back as a movie from show's creator", "GRANGE HILL ONLINE | Timeline Of Past Changes", "School's out for the gang as Grange Hill heads north", "Shut down Grange Hill, says its creator", "BBC plans 30th birthday party for Grange Hill", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8QXjdYSrfs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBz-u7TCbwE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjA2CqGC-PY, "Grange Hill for the Commodore 64, XGD.com", "Grange Hill: Complete BBC Series 1 & 2 Box Set", "Grange Hill: Complete BBC Series 3 & 4 Box Set", "Grange Hill (BBC TV Series 5 & 6 Boxed Set) [DVD]", "Grange Hill (BBC TV Series 7 & 8 Boxed Set) [DVD]", "Grange Hill (BBC TV Series 9 & 10 Boxed Set) [DVD]", The Grange Hill Blackboard (Grange Hill Discussion Forums), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grange_Hill&oldid=1141993935, 1970s British children's television series, 1980s British children's television series, 1990s British children's television series, 1990s British LGBT-related drama television series, 2000s British children's television series, 2000s British LGBT-related drama television series, Television shows shot at BBC Elstree Centre, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2010, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 23:35. Yes? Real schools in the locality were also used including Croxteth Comprehensive, Holly Lodge Girls' School and St Hilda's C of E High School in Liverpool. At Heston Grange where Helen lives, there's a postbox on a post . Listed on 2023-03-03. Why, yes. And who could forget that theme tune (Chicken Man, by Alan Hawkshaw)? Tucker (1978-1982, played by Todd Carty) was an absolute star (as was Todd) and is still regarded by many as the shows poster child. In 1990 a new title sequence was introduced which showed pupils and staff travelling into school in a slightly grainy CCTV style. In 1991, Simone, now 51, landed a role in the film Dirty Weekend, but it . Please select the style of the location map in the table below. Mr Bronson cuts a very eccentric figure in these episodes as he tries to catch the eye of the organiser Mrs Hamilton, wearing a succession of very strange outfits and even looking at the price of property in the area. * Grange Hills first theme tune, Chicken Man, was also used between 1979 and 1982 by gameshow Give Us a Clue. Later that evening, Raymond makes the mad axeman story come true and scares Matthew Pearson. Many of the pupils were from council estates. Pupils of Onslow St Audrey's in Hatfield mixed with Grange Hill characters back in the late 1980s when the schools 'merged' on set for filming. Susi and Penny are lost in the woods. Roland falls off a bunk in amusement and sprains his ankle. If you grew up in the 1980s but dont have a fondness for Grange Hill, theres probably only one explanation: you were banned from watching it. A deeply unimpressed Trevor comments this could only be organised by Selina his nickname for Mr Scott. The announcement was made by CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist just two days before the show's official 30th birthday. School drama Grange Hill is set to return as a film by the series' creator. Geoff and Terri muck in. Grange Hill Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. The documentary featured: auditions, rehearsals and filming for series 11, the child actors opinions on being tutored and chaperoned and what impact being in Grange Hill had on their schooling, as well as dealing with fame. Roland decides to use a tape recorder to capture reminiscences from the citys older residents. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. In 1990, Neptune House was replaced with a different building on the same site. A 1960s office block, Neptune House in the facility now doubled as Hill's "lower school". A loveable rogue, he was instantly recognisable by his cheeky grin, black drainpipes, and black leather jacket (clearly he modelled himself on The Fonz). The Wye Valley - the 'Sex Education' house location. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can If you fancy yourself as a real-life Protector then you may be in luck, as the house has come up for sale more . [1], In 2019, Redmond spoke about possibly reviving the show and dealing with current social issues. The programme lost its way in later years, coming to an end in 2008 for good (although Tucker came back to help finish things off). We lapped it up like puppy dogs! Claire Scott is chosen to speak at the conference on behalf of the school in front of chairman Dr David Bellamy (playing himself in a rare real-life cameo for the programme) and is very nervous. She played Kitty Rayford, and for a few episodes in 1997 she shacked up with David Jasons DI Frost. Our critics take us on a tour of some of their favourite locations Beats (2019 . In another, "Veggin' out", a girl and her classmates smuggled animals from a local petting farm into school, believing they were destined for slaughter. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Picture: Robert James Ryder (Image: Robert James Ryder). Theres a puma on the loose! For series 3 (1980) exterior filming moved to Willesden High School (now Capital City Academy) in Willesden Green, which was similar in looks to Kingsbury and was also situated in a residential area of the capital. (1985 - 1990), Kingsbury High School, Kingsbury, Middlesex, England, UK The uniform was reinstated and was compulsory from the First Year to the Fourth Year, extended to the Fifth Year from Series 6. Ever firm but fair, Mr Mitchell, aware of the boys palpable relief, decides the agony of the situation has been punishment enough for them. Here, too, was the first generation who accepted mixed-race society as a matter of course (for the most part!). Let us know here. Mrs McClusky, perhaps Grange Hill's best known head teacher, was demoted to deputy head temporarily in 1985 having had to reapply, unsuccessfully, for her post following the merger of Grange Hill with Brookdale and Rodney Bennett. The emphasis was now on younger characters with a group of Year 6 pupils regularly coming to use The Grange from primary school; storylines were much lighter and fantasy sequences were introduced. There was a good deal of bullying, too, of course. N2 are on an outward bound course in Wales. Gwyneth Powell, Grange Hill headteacher actor, dies aged 76. It was ground-breaking and, like anything that upsets the status quo (think of rock n roll! As Todd Carty told the Daily Mirror in 2007, Before Grange Hill, kids TV dramas had all been jolly hockey sticks and Billy Bunter. Grange Hill was gritty, realistic, and wonderfully working-class. (exterior of Grange Hill series 1 & 2) 1 of 1 found this interesting. The series . What's more, the fictional London borough name of Northam was occasionally used within the show. The school serves Year 7 (previously known as the First Year) to the Upper 6th. St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold was partly filmed at Knebworth House with the Hertfordshire mansion doubling for the infamous girls' school. We will take a realistic view of what education is like now and what that means to kids going through it.". . Freddie has his style cramped. From 1985, Grange Hill was filmed at Neptune House . Registered in England & Wales | 01676637 |. Covering the cast's trip to the USA, on location with the canal trip, filming for the end of term cricket match and fun run, and backstage at Elstree, these amazing photos show Here, too, was the first generation who accepted mixed-race society as a matter of course (for the most part!). The cover art for series 1 features a cast photograph (and small photos of specific individual characters) from series 3, as some characters pictured therein do not feature in that series. Containing strong language and adult humour, The Inbetweeners stars Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas as Rudge Park Comprehensive pupils Will, Jay, Neil and Simon respectively. Before the ferry docks, Tucker and Alan help Tommy to secretly get back aboard the coach. He still keeps his hand in with a spot of acting, though, so keep your eyes peeled. The first was the Peter Tucker Jenkins era. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Dolwen. Grange Hill was a drama surrounding a comprehensive school in London, created by Phil Redmond. s first theme tune, Chicken Man, was also used between 1979 and 1982 by gameshow. Later the pupils have to do an underground tunnel activity which scares Roland Browning, so he pretends he has completed it by covering himself in mud. In addition, there are several Grange Schools and Grange Academies across London, but none with the exact school name. Additional comic strips occurred in School Fun and in the Radio Times. Softly-spoken Mr Scotts problems (with the difficult class E3) are put to one side. Grange Hill returned on 14 April 2008 with its final series, including a return of the original theme music. . Although this story caused outrage among parents, it led to UK involvement in Americas Just Say No campaign. In 1994, two characters were introduced with disabilities: Denny Roberts (Lisa Hammond), who had dwarfism, and Rachel Burns (Francesca Martinez), who had cerebral palsy. Job specializations: Healthcare. Jump directly to the content. , theres probably only one explanation: you were banned from watching it.