Dan F Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 From Broadcast: BBC rings final bell for Grange Hill The BBC is axing Grange Hill after 30 years, despite efforts to revamp the programme for a younger audience. The move comes less than a month after creator Phil Redmond slammed the BBC for softening its gritty plots, and publicly called on the corporation to drop the show. CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist said today: "The lives of children have changed a great deal since Grange Hill began and we owe it to our audience to reflect this. "Part of CBBC's reputation for reflecting contemporary Britain back to UK children has been built upon Phil Redmond's brilliantly realised idea and of course it's sad to say goodbye to such a much loved institution." Tony Wood, creative director at Lime Pictures which produces the drama added: "It has been a privilege to be involved with one of the great titles in the history of British television." Gilchrist added that the broadcaster remains committed to gritty programmes. "Yesterday we announced two Newsround Specials tackling divorce and knife crime and we will continue to make programmes about the ups and downs of contemporary Britain," she said. "We're actively seeking out new and exciting ways of bringing social realism to the CBBC audience through drama and other genres." From BBC News: BBC to shut gates on Grange Hill The BBC is axing children's TV school drama Grange Hill after 30 years. CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist said: "The lives of children have changed a great deal since Grange Hill began and we owe it to them to reflect this." The series began on 8 February 1978 and featured some tough storylines about social issues including drugs and teenage pregnancy over the years. There will be one more series this year, in which producers want to focus on the younger children of Year Six. The show's creator Phil Redmond was reportedly unhappy with the strategy and felt the programme was losing its gritty purpose. "I don't like keeping things going when the point has been lost," he told the Observer recently. "I do now think the point of Grange Hill has been lost, and 30 years is a nice time for it to hang up its mortar board." The show's most controversial story was in 1986 when Zammo Maguire began taking drugs. It led to the Just Say No campaign and a top 10 single. Jon East, head of CBBC Drama, said: "For 30 years, Grange Hill has become a byword for realistic and contemporary children's drama. "It's now time to apply what we've learned over the years to some of the new ideas we're exploring." It was also a nurturing ground for young talent. Among its stars were Todd Carty, Susan Tully and John Alford. Ms Gilchrist added: "Part of CBBC's reputation for reflecting contemporary Britain back to UK children has been built upon Phil Redmond's brilliantly realised idea. "Of course it's sad to say goodbye to such a much loved institution." The BBC has announced a series of new shows to fill the gap. They include Half Moon Investigations, about wrongdoing in the school playground, and Paradise Cafe, described as a beachside mystery with a supernatural twist. There will also be We Are Family, following a family who are the house band on a talk show, and Roy, about a cartoon boy marooned in the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Bee Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Its a sad, sad day indeed I totally loved Grange Hill when i was young, i remember rushing in from school to watch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I love music Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 So very, very sad at the axing of Grange Hill , I grew up with it and loved watching. I have to agree tho, it had lost its edge over the last two years or so, all that brilliant "gritty realism" of the 1980s was just being replaced by run-of-the-mill school storylines. I mean, just look at some of the topics it covered over the years: bullying, attemped suicide, drugs, racism, mental illness, homelessness... It was way, way ahead of its time, before any other soap had even thought of it, Grange Hill had gay characters, disabled actors, black and Asian students and teachers; they had someone who had witnessed his father kill his mother, someone who discovered she had an identical twin she didn't know (yes, way before Kirsty and Laura ), someone who was raped by her boyfriend who didn't seem to think he'd done anything wrong (yes, way before Kane and Dani), a student who was "groomed" on the internet by someone pretending to be her own age... Nor was it all doom and gloom, there were often very funny moments too and I loved all the teenage romance. It was the greatest soap ever and I don't think any other TV show can beat it...tho H&A and PCBH hae come pretty close... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistified Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I loved it too, around 1988 I think. Then Home and Away came along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Just watched Seasons 1-4, took me back to my childhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I love music Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Just watched Seasons 1-4, took me back to my childhood. You grew up...???!!! Sorry, Ryan, just being funny. Do you mean they're showing episodes on a channel and if so what channel? (I have digi *hopes*) or have you just taped them? I'll prob get your answer tomorrow if you reply as I'm off to bed now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted April 13, 2008 Report Share Posted April 13, 2008 Sorry, completely missed this thread. They've released the first four series on DVD, episode I had some recollection of I'm sure from the 90's. The final series of Grange Hill starts tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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