TV Series

Series Name:	Grange Hill
Format:	TV Series
IMDB:	IMDB Page
Years:	1978 - 2008
Country:	UK
Language:	English
Genre:	Children & Family, Drama
Rating:	6.3 Rate
Collection:	Seen It Wishlist
Community:	20 Have Seen
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Selected Cast	Todd Carty as Peter "Tucker" Jenkins
	Susan Tully as Suzanne Ross
	Lee MacDonald as Samuel "Zammo" McGuire
	Erkan Mustafa as Roland "Roly" Browning

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Comments and Reviews


biffbampow 16th May 2015		So... to series 10-12. Series 9 was pretty much impossible to follow for sheer dramatics but series 10 did have it's moments mostly centering around the odd lad Danny Kendall and the creation of a school radio station. This ended up being the final series with Zammo's lot, all now in the 6th form and sadly, they seem like intruders as they're rather boring and lifeless and Zammo now post-smack was a really irritating character to the degree one wishes he'd overdosed. Imelda's reign of terror continues and eventually ends and Trevor Cleaver steps up as a bully with his strange hate campaign against new teacher Mr Scott. Unfortunately this was also the series with the stupid storyline about the donkey which was a total unbelievable waste of time and characters, especially since Ziggy and Robbie were a major part of that saga. Then there was the introduction of Freddie Mainwaring, a smug git who believed himself to be a ladies man who really irritated me and sadly we'd be stuck with him mugging the show for series 11. Despite these grumbles series 10 is enjoyable as Ziggy, Robbie, Trevor, Vince, Rinnie, Calley and co get better storylines and there is much humour throughout. Series 11 again has much humour but overall comes across as being a bit of a bland year. It was time to introduce some newer younger students and too much focus was placed on one called Matthew. Sure, the poor sod was a victim of child abuse, but the guy couldn't act to save his life. Then you had the curious saga with tearaway Tegs and Justine... again, a bit too much focus on that but they do end up being rather likeable. With Imelda gone the new bully was Mauler McCaul... Mauler was pathetic - a cartoon caricature who liked to dress in American football clobber. Hollo was suddenly gone without any explanation so Gonch's schemes began involving Ziggy and Robbie. Ronnie gets caught shoplifting and there's a comical saga as attempts to get Robbie and Calley on a date are sabotaged by Trevor who instead gets Vince to go on the date with her! Plenty to enjoy but a rather muted series as Mr Bronson barely featured in any noteworthy storylines and Michael Sheard feeling the character was being wasted decided to leave after the next series... Series 12 was the final series I watched, and I was in my final year at school. Aware of Sheard's unhappiness with how Bronson had degenerated, the writers really ramped things up for him as the spat between he and Danny Kendall reaches it's climax. Kendall vanishes then is found dead in the back of Bronson's car... he actually died naturally due to a long term health condition but Bronson is viewed by the entire school as more or less being akin to a murderer and his character unravels and mellows leading to him suddenly discarding the toupee which he tells Cleaver "is at the cleaners!" The scene when Bronson hands in his resignation to McCluskey is Grange Hill drama at it's very best hence this series ends up being a sensational send off for Bronson. The newer characters introduced in series 11 improve but get rather a minor amount of screentime compared to the older ones who I'd grown to love and adore, so the focus is on them for the entire series and they just have a rollicking time with all sorts of madcap adventures and schemes with one or two episodes - notably one involving a radio reporter - actually being more like full on comedy episodes as Gonch and Bronson both keep getting foiled in their attempts to be interviewed. Cleaver ends up with a drink problem which wreaks havoc on a trip to the Isle of Wight where he's almost drowned... which also puts an end to him stalking Georgina. This is where some go on work experience schemes, Gonch attempts a computer dating agency with comical and disastrous results and where Ziggy and Georgina fall for each other though Ziggy is to leave to return to Liverpool... the final episode is an ominous warning for the future as they stage a full on prom. McCluskey frowns upon the idea and when told they have them in America, she rolls her eyes and mutters in frustration and unfortunately since then proms have become part of the British school life. The prom episode of course being Grange Hill is an amusing affair where Vince Savage finally gets a wonderful revenge on Trevor Cleaver. Series 12 is for me the most enjoyable because it's not just good fun but there's no episodes where it sags - it hits the ground running and sure, it may be more light hearted in tone but just wonderful fun. I left school shortly after the series ended and with it, my days of watching Grange Hill came to an end. It had been an 11 year rollercoaster journey with plenty of drama and humour and they remain enjoyable to watch even now as a middle aged git.



biffbampow 15th May 2015		By the time series 8 began, I was in my first year in Senior school, so the new intake of students - including Gonch, Hollo, Robbie, Trevor Cleaver etc - were technically “my” age so their time in Grange Hill went hand in hand with my own time in senior school hence series 8 to 12 have a special magic to them for me. I feel by pure chance, the Grange Hill production team struck gold - they had a strong bunch of elder students and the newer younger ones were pretty strong and enjoyable from the word go. The final stroke of Genius came with the casting of the renowned Michael Sheard as the toupeed Mr Bronson who didn’t suffer fools at all gladly. Series 8 had the boring Stewpot and Claire saga dragged on minus the rest of the students they were with as they were given an extra years reprieve by putting them in the 6th form and horror of horrors, Stewpot two timed Claire by going off with the dreaded Annette. Series 8 mainly got on with introducing us to the newer students and straight away the double act of Gonch and Hollo provided much amusement with their endless schemes aimed at making money... which of course always ended in disaster. Roland also ends up in a romance with a French girl during an exchange and suddenly goes mad, wearing a beret and talking only in French then does a runner to France. In general series 8 is rather light hearted in tone... and then came series 9... Straight away it’s evident that Zammo is not his usual self as he starts acting deviously, constantly scrounging money... yep, it’s 1986 and series 9 is the infamous Zammo on smack saga. Thankfully the loathsome Annette is gone, having moved away and instead we gain one of the greatest characters of all - Scouser Ziggy Greaves who quickly forms a partnership with Robbie and go on to provide many wonderful funny moments. Another pair of new students Ant Jones and Danny Kendall both end up being under the fanatical scrutiny of Mr Bronson and its in this series that Bronson explodes into life becoming the most feared teacher in the school with his catchphrase being “YOU... boy!” Michael Sheard gave the performance of his life - we all loved to hate him, but when one watches them again as an adult, there’s much more than meets the eye as he’s a rather complex and fascinating character, multilayered as opposed to most teachers who by comparison were rather bland and uninteresting. With Gripper gone, the role of school bully falls to the vicious Imelda... how vicious was she? How about shoving rock wool down the back of Ziggy Greaves? With her cohorts goofy Helen and the cutesie Georgina, they go about wreaking havoc at Imelda’s beck and call. Gonch and Hollo keep up with their idiot schemes and an amusing rivalry between Trevor Cleaver and Vince Savage gets underway. Then of course there’s the Zammo saga. It ended up becoming a big anti-drugs campaign “Just Say No” complete with a godawful hit record and even getting to meet Nancy Reagan on a tour of the States where apparently half the male cast were smoking dope! It’s strange because the famous episode where Zammo is discovered zonked off his brain at the very end is one of the most boring episodes of the show since it takes place during half term and the entire episode is split unevenly between Laura Regan and her pal in some boring story which guzzles up most of the time intercut with Zammo pestering Roland in an amusement arcade where Roland works... but that final scene complete with freeze framed close ups certainly packed a punch and the following episodes as Zammo goes utterly insane have some excellent dramatic moments. Series 9 is regarded by Grange Hill fans as perhaps the very best of them all. It’s not my personal favourite but it is a gem and contains many great moments from almost everybody. I just wish the producers had the nerve to go all the way and kill Zammo off - that would had been nasty but more realistic than what did happen as he ended up in rehab and though it lingered by series ten, it was almost as if nothing exteme had actually happened to Zammo though he was a lot more irritating and boring by then.



biffbampow 15th May 2015		Yep - the school uniform storyline was in 1979... a BIG mistake by the BBC to allow the pupils of Grange Hill to actually triumph. Real schoolteachers really did have to stay on their toes watching the show as was proved in 1988. There was a certain episode where Trevor Cleaver's campaign against Mr Scott reached breaking point when he started humming a drone in class, and the rest of the class joined in... this caused Mr Scott to crack. The following morning after that was shown, my first lesson was Chemistry. Sure enough, one person started humming and we all joined in. The chemistry teacher just stood there with a grin on his face and shouted "Don't waste your time... I saw that last night as well!" Cue immediate end of humming and back to work!



carryonsidney 15th May 2015		that reminds me, school uniform protests, there was one at my school [sec. mod.], the ringleaders were all rounded up and given 6 of the best, result no more protest! { circa about 1980}.



biffbampow 15th May 2015		Series 5 to 7 is a curious era. Having introduced the Stewpot/Claire/Suzanne lot in series 4, series 5 also introduced another younger year giving us our first sightings of Zammo, Ro-land and of course, Gripper Stebson. So, the show became ever more split as episodes were divided between the two factions and the Stewpot lot as mentioned before, just became a huge crushing bore for me. What didn't help series 5 either were blink and you'll miss it cameos of random members of the original cast, like Benny appeared briefly all of a sudden in an episode which was his final appearance and stranger still right near the end of the series is suddenly an episode featuring Tucker. There was a lot going on as the writers had a newish lot to build upon and introduce a younger set of characters. Roland made an immediate lasting impression being given a major storyline where things get uglier for him as Gripper Stebson begins his reign of terror in earnest and Roland was his main victim. Seeing school bullying tackled on such a level and with genuine brutality was shocking and upsetting (yes, I was regularly a punchbag for bullies myself) I know many recall Suzanne with fondness but to me she was simply Trisha Yates mark 2. This does become noticeable over the years - the original cast comprised of strong template characters so each new intake would feature a Trisha type who always rebelled against uniforms etc and did her own thing fashion wise... and sorry but I always thought Susan Tully was a right sour faced sod which didn't endear her to me either. Claire became a bit of a pin up but I always felt she was a bit... well... "fake" and her on/off romance with Stewpot bored me rigid. So, the Zammo lot ended up carrying the weight for me and make series 5 tolerable but God I couldn't stand Annette Firman. She was one of the nastiest bitchiest two faced characters in the shows history and whilst later on valid reasons were offered as to why she was that way, it still didn't excuse her in my eyes... she was just plain spiteful. Series 6 was more of the same this time adding race problems into the mix which ends in a climactic showdown which finally gets Gripper expelled by a raging Bullet Baxter. By now "Bridget" Mrs McClusky had settled in as headmistress having joined in the fourth series and one couldn't help but admire her as she tried her hardest to be tolerant and fair but sure was a tough cookie you wouldn't want to mess with either. Roland was a great character and found himself constantly being pestered by Janet who called him "Ro-LAND" and his attempts to try and get rid of her were always amusing. Fay Lucas also began becoming more ahem... noticeable... she was much fancied by my schoolmates! Series 7 saw the Zammo/Roland lot become ever more prominent as the Stewpot faction faded during their final year so was a more enjoyable affair than series 5 and 6 as we got to warm ever more to Zammo and co, despite Gripper's absence (save for a brief cameo in one episode) and the storylines not being as hard hitting. The series - and Stewpots lot's time on the show came to a limp end with a school disco. However there is no denying that compared to most of the first 12 series, series 7 did feel rather bland and it was clear a major shake up was needed... the production team certainly thought so too... Little could we had guessed that come series 8 things were about to get REALLY interesting again as another new bunch were introduced and with them a certain Mr Maurice Bronson...



RadoxTheGreen 14th May 2015		I remember watching an episode of The Young Doctors (Aussie soap) where Dennis Jamison gave Tania Livingston a 7" record because he thought it was a tune she would like. When she played it, the track was a full version of the theme from Grange Hill.



biffbampow 14th May 2015		@TopPopper - yes, you're right - the Christmas 81 episode was written by some kid in that competition. It was actually filmed after series 5 had been completed but transmitted before it, so technically it was the true last episode featuring many of the original characters. Whenever I watch them again, I always watch that episode after series 5. It works better than the last appearance of Tucker, Alan, Cathy and Trisha in the McGuffy school concert near the end of series 5. It was like one last hurrah - notice how grown up Susi suddenly is compared to the last time we'd seen her in series 4. (Speaking of Susi, there's some bizarre moments in series 3 or 4 where her eyebrows magically appear and vanish from scene to scene!) After leaving Sun Hill, Tucker himself made an appearance in the very last episode of Grange Hill as the uncle of one of the pupils (his opening line was yes... "Flipping 'eck!") and the very last scene was rather poignant with one character sabotaging the school signs sending new pupils in the wrong direction just like in the very first episode... Tucker observes this, smiled, rode off on his motorbike, camera pulled out and that was the end of Grange Hill. It nice way to end it all, a complete full circle.



BiggieTembo 14th May 2015		Come on, Sir! We're the only kids in Britain that never say...



TopPopper 14th May 2015		Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure someone will!), the Christmas disco episode which was Tucker's last hurrah, was written by the winner of a Blue Peter competition. I remember at the time thinking how odd it was that Tucker was included, considering he'd been out of the show for some time, and that the kid who won the comp must have still thought of Tucker as a mainstay of the program. I seem to remember he was portrayed as spending his life hidden away in the art room, as if that would account for our not having seen him attend school for the past 9 or 10 months. Anyway, he went on to appear in Tucker's luck and then Eastenders when it turned out that Suzanne Ross from Grange Hill (real name, Michelle Fowler) was really his sister. Last I heard of him, he was working as a policeman in Sun Hill.



biffbampow 14th May 2015		Flippin' 'eck! Where does one start with this one? I'm gonna have to do 3 or 4 posts on this because it started when I had started school, so it ran parallel to my own schooldays and I watched it from the very first episode to the end of the 12th series... by the time that was broadcast, I was just about to end my schooldays and with it, I stopped watching Grange Hill. I have copies of all that and have watched the lot two or three times over the last ten years... OK... the early days - the first 3 or 4 series... the Tucker Jenkins era. Made quite an impact at the time. It's curious seeing the first series again since it was in reality a bunch of self contained dramas centering on one or two of the characters. They're pretty good and it's a pity Roger Sloman's nasty PE teacher never appeared again, but then again he was replaced by the legendary Mr Baxter, so... Series 2 is where it kicks into it's stride as it adopted a soap like format with continual storylines and added a few more new characters. Tucker, Alan and Benny were just legends as they got up to their tricks and japes. Trisha Yates and Cathy Hargreaves were another classic pairing and I fancied Cathy. It was in this series where they had the infamous school uniform protests which I understand was replicated in some real schools at the time... yep... all school teachers HAD to watch Grange Hill to get an idea of what their own pupils might try on them next. Michael Doyle was one of my fave characters as the bully but he was rather tame compared to who would soon come in series 5. There was the nerdy kid Justin Bennett who finally got a friend in Andrew... when one watches these episodes now there is no denying there was a strong undercurrent of homosexuality going on there between Justin and Andrew... subtly done but it's there though they never dared go far down that route. There was also things dealt with like period pains, and even the dimwitted Pogo tried using "that time of month" as an excuse in one episode, totally unaware it was a girls thing! And there was Susi being embarrassed to wear a bra which she tossed into a river only for Andrew to fish it out for her... stuff like this had NEVER been seen in kids TV shows before and it's easy to forget how groundbreaking it was at the time. Series 3 was again, great stuff though there was a shocking moment in the penultimate episode when Antoni Karamanopolis did a dare that resulted in his death... I do remember that and being genuinely shocked by it. By now we'd gotten used to the cast but, they were mostly already older than 16 so Series 4 introduced a newer younger year and the series was split between episodes featuring the old faves and the newer ones. Unfortunately, I didn't like the new lot - Stewpot, Claire and Suzanne etc - at all. I just could never warm to them as the torch was passed on and they became the dominant pupils in the show. The Tucker era ended in fine style - save for a handful of cameos in the 5th series - with the 1981 Christmas special, entirely shot on film involving a school disco that is great fun and ended up being the last time we'd see the likes of Doyle. Justin, Trisha, Tucker, Alan, Benny and Tommy all appeared in series 5 but either in brief blink or you'll miss it cameos or doing one last turn in an end of term school concert which collapses into chaos. Great stuff... obviously very dated now but an interesting encapsulation of the era and I can still enjoy watching them now. Next time, I'll deal with the era that followed...



BiggieTembo 14th May 2015		Zammo chased the dragon and got a smack on the nose!



shnozzle 14th May 2015

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