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Grange Hill

Started by jamiefairlie, February 22, 2019, 10:33:57 PM

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Norton Canes

Didn't Stewart Lee once helm a radio documentary about how the arrival of Grange Hill heralded a dumbing-down of childrens' TV drama? The thrust seemed to be that 'traditional', literary dramas (I think Children Of The Stones was raised as a case in point) were more intellectually edifying.

pigamus

Quote from: DrGreggles on February 26, 2019, 11:23:43 PM
Watched it for a few years probably aged 11 to 14, but can't really recall much about it.

There was the Zammo smack stuff, Mr Bronson v Danny Kendall, and a dark-haired lass I fancied.
I think she was called Georgina. Not sure if that was the character or the actress.
Definitely had a thing for her though but, you know, at that age it didn't take much.

JUST SAY NO more wanking ...for a bit.

Oh yeah! I've just remembered the Buckfield twins being in it as well...

a duncandisorderly

Quote from: Phoenix Lazarus on February 27, 2019, 07:26:04 AM
I heard of the move to Liverpool, years after I'd last watched.  Was it overtly stated that the school itself had moved from London, or was nothing said, and it therefore implicitly purported that the school had always been there?  If the latter, that was surely a gross abandonment of continuity, as the original was clearly set in London.

it was motivated at least in part by redmond taking over production of the show & doing a bit of empire-buidling at mersey-tv or whatever it was called by then. he'd bought an actual old school, near where I used to walk my dog back when I worked on the close, & it also became the location of the migrated production centre & the set for the row of shops in 'brookside' (which, in the show, were adjacent to the close, but in reality some four or five miles away.)
I've no idea how they explained the move, but redmond won't have been too concerned by that. discretely hired to revive 'emmerdale farm', he dropped an airliner on them, five years after lockerbie.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/emmerdale-cooler-than-brookside-1243523.html

DrGreggles

Quote from: Norton Canes on February 27, 2019, 09:55:26 AM
Didn't Stewart Lee once helm a radio documentary about how the arrival of Grange Hill heralded a dumbing-down of childrens' TV drama? The thrust seemed to be that 'traditional', literary dramas (I think Children Of The Stones was raised as a case in point) were more intellectually edifying.

I think that was on Screenwipe.

Glebe

If Zammo hadn't of gone 'chasing the dragon', he wouldn't of nae got all fucked and sat vacant-eyed on the floor in a locker room or summit creating one of the most enduring images of eighties British television.

imitationleather

Quote from: DrGreggles on February 27, 2019, 11:13:58 AM
I think that was on Screenwipe.

Was that his bit about Skins being rubbish? (Something I massively disagree with.) Can't remember if it mentioned Grange Hill, but it would make sense that he would think children's TV has been bad since the recent year of 1978.

Skins wasn't even children's TV, Stewart!

Replies From View

Quote from: Norton Canes on February 27, 2019, 09:55:26 AM
Didn't Stewart Lee once helm a radio documentary about how the arrival of Grange Hill heralded a dumbing-down of childrens' TV drama? The thrust seemed to be that 'traditional', literary dramas (I think Children Of The Stones was raised as a case in point) were more intellectually edifying.

Grange Hill came in 1978 so he's putting the death of children's telly quite early in our collective memories.

DrGreggles

Quote from: imitationleather on February 27, 2019, 04:29:42 PM
Was that his bit about Skins being rubbish? (Something I massively disagree with.) Can't remember if it mentioned Grange Hill, but it would make sense that he would think children's TV has been bad since the recent year of 1978.

Skins wasn't even children's TV, Stewart!

I think his point was about how children were portrayed on TV generally, rather than specifically on children's shows.
Been a while since I saw it though.

Sebastian Cobb

I think I watched it sporadically. I remember the one where the kid licked the fake tattoos that turned out to be microdots and had to be talked off a ledge by Francesca Martinez. I also remember Jay's dad from The Inbetweeners being a violent abusive dad, battering his kid for shooting his model aeroplanes with an air gun.

I was much more into Biker Grove.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on February 27, 2019, 09:27:01 PM
I think I watched it sporadically. I remember the one where the kid licked the fake tattoos that turned out to be microdots and had to be talked off a ledge by Francesca Martinez. I also remember Jay's dad from The Inbetweeners being a violent abusive dad, battering his kid for shooting his model aeroplanes with an air gun.

I was much more into Biker Grove.

Byker, please. (Blodwyn mentions the two times he *starred* in Byker Grove)

Scuba Diver

Quote from: BlodwynPig on February 22, 2019, 11:37:22 PM
Jaimie, you might be able to tell me which episode was the one they all went to school after hours to look for a ghost and were in a box room. They got a big fright and scarpered through a window but the camera caught (at the time it seemed unintentionally) one of the boxes levitating off the ground. Scared the crap out of me.

Having watched through every episode (admittedly I was only half-watching some of the later poor-quality series) a few years ago, I don't believe this ever happened in Grange Hill. Did you ever used to watch Murphy's Mob in the 80s? I wonder if you're thinking of the levitating box from an episode of that:

https://youtu.be/lCx3qbjohsQ?t=523

gilbertharding

Does anyone else remember the Grange Hill books? If I remember correctly there were two 'novels' with stories not from the show, and a book of short stories which were based on show plots. We're talking Tucker/Benny/Big Alan era here. The second novel was from the no-uniform years.

Oh, and no-one's mentioned Tucker's Luck. If Grange Hill was for me a template/warning of what Secondary School was going to be like, then Tucker's Luck did the same job on the prospect of leaving school at 16. All I can remember of it now though is Tucker spraying aftershave on his balls (something I've consequently never tried) and being sick off the back of a bus after scarpering from some bastards (ditto).

*googles* Three series? Fuck about!

Jockice

I was actually in the first year at secondary school when it first started so it was massively influential, not just on me but in general. The place was full of lads thinking they were Tucker Jenkins when they were actually Justin Bennett. And when they once had a protest when the pupils turned their blazers inside out, half of the pupils at our place did the same thing the next day.

Incidentally my girlfriend (who lest we forget was in the same class as me from second to fifth year) wasn't allowed to watch it. Posh parents. Bad influence. No wonder we never spoke in all the time we were there. We had nothing in common at all.

pigamus

Quote from: Scuba Diver on February 28, 2019, 09:12:45 AM
Having watched through every episode (admittedly I was only half-watching some of the later poor-quality series) a few years ago, I don't believe this ever happened in Grange Hill. Did you ever used to watch Murphy's Mob in the 80s? I wonder if you're thinking of the levitating box from an episode of that:

https://youtu.be/lCx3qbjohsQ?t=523

I definitely remember the episode with Bertie Bassett and Mrs McCluskey in a question-mark jumper. And a donkey.

Jerzy Bondov

I barely remember any of the characters or storylines but I grew up in the Grange Hill sweet spot where I could watch the early 90s episodes in the afternoon and relive the old years through the weekend repeats. At the time I preferred the old theme but, having just listened to them both, the 90s theme is an absolute banger and has given me an overwhelming rush of nostalgia. Really though I found the programme itself pretty dull. I'd already been at school all day, I didn't want to come home and watch school. What I really wanted, pretty much exclusively, was dramas where children find magical relics and/or space-age technology and then have to hide it from their parents.

pigamus

I always quite liked the early 90s theme as well. Unjustly maligned.

PowerButchi

Quote from: gilbertharding on February 28, 2019, 09:40:21 AM
Does anyone else remember the Grange Hill books? If I remember correctly there were two 'novels' with stories not from the show, and a book of short stories which were based on show plots. We're talking Tucker/Benny/Big Alan era here. The second novel was from the no-uniform years.

Oh, and no-one's mentioned Tucker's Luck. If Grange Hill was for me a template/warning of what Secondary School was going to be like, then Tucker's Luck did the same job on the prospect of leaving school at 16. All I can remember of it now though is Tucker spraying aftershave on his balls (something I've consequently never tried) and being sick off the back of a bus after scarpering from some bastards (ditto).

*googles* Three series? Fuck about!

I bought this absolute brahma from Oswestry market last year.


I always thought Tucker was a bit backward.

kalowski

Sddot eurt sevol was one of my favourite storylines.

Quote from: gilbertharding on February 28, 2019, 09:40:21 AM
Does anyone else remember the Grange Hill books? If I remember correctly there were two 'novels' with stories not from the show, and a book of short stories which were based on show plots. We're talking Tucker/Benny/Big Alan era here. The second novel was from the no-uniform years.

There were more than two.  The covers should be available on the links.

First one was 'Grange Hill Rules OK', published 1979.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Rules-K-Lions/dp/000671658X/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383011&sr=1-10&keywords=Grange+Hill

Second one was 'Grange Hill Goes Wild', published 1980.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Goes-Wild-Lions/dp/0006718124/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383011&sr=1-11&keywords=Grange+Hill

Third one was 'Grange Hill For Sale', published 1981.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Sale-Robert-Leeson/dp/0006718132/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383011&sr=1-8&keywords=Grange+Hill

Those were all by Robert Leeson, all original novels that weren't based on any TV episodes, but there was also one called 'Tucker And Co', published 1982, which was a collection of original short stories rather than a novel.  One was about Roland, another one or two about Zammo and Jonah, and a couple about Tucker and Trisha.  I think this one was by Phil Redmond.  Not Leeson anyway.  For some reason, it seems to be incredibly difficult to find an internet image of the cover, so, sorry, I don't seem to be able to link to one.  But it's orange with yellow lettering, with a picture of a moody Tucker on one side with a group photo of Zammo, Jonah, Roland, Fay, and Annette beside it.

'Grange Hill Home And Away', by Robert Leeson, again, I think an original novel, published 1982.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Home-Away-Lions/dp/0006720919/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383011&sr=1-2&keywords=Grange+Hill

There was also 'Great Days At Grange Hill', by Jan Needle, published 1984, a novelisation of the first series.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Days-Grange-Hill-Lions/dp/0006722113/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383206&sr=1-17&keywords=Grange+Hill

'Grange Hill After Hours' by Phil Redmond, 1986.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-After-Hours-Magnet/dp/0416646409/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383921&sr=1-15&keywords=Grange+Hill

'Grange Hill On The Run', by Phil Redmond, 1986.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Run-Phil-Redmond/dp/0416955401/ref=sr_1_20?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383206&sr=1-20&keywords=Grange+Hill

'Grange Hill Heroes' by Phil Redmond and David Angus, 1987.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Heroes-Magnet-book/dp/0416045723/ref=sr_1_12?

'Grange Hill Partners' by Phil Redmond and David Angus, 1988.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grange-Hill-Partners-Magnet-book/dp/0416031722/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551383921&sr=1-9&keywords=Grange+Hill

There were quite a few annuals too.

QuoteOh, and no-one's mentioned Tucker's Luck. If Grange Hill was for me a template/warning of what Secondary School was going to be like, then Tucker's Luck did the same job on the prospect of leaving school at 16. All I can remember of it now though is Tucker spraying aftershave on his balls (something I've consequently never tried) and being sick off the back of a bus after scarpering from some bastards (ditto).

There were three Tucker's Luck novels as well.  According to this site, they were

'Forty Days of Tucker J' by Robert Leeson, 1983
'Tucker's Luck' by Jan Needle, 1984
'Tucker in Control' by Jan Needle, 1985

http://tuckersluck.com/books.html

Mr Banlon



the

Quote from: Gulftastic on February 28, 2019, 08:37:59 PMLovely bit of Tucker's Luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQaA2cJ81f4

Just noticed an odd coincidence:

In the series 2 title sequence, the Routemaster has the same Sharp microwaves advert on the side as the Routemaster in The Young Ones, Summer Holiday.

(Though in TYO it's on the other side, the left side has a Sharp copiers advert)

the

And I thought this split-second moment from the series 1 title sequence deserved a perpetual GIF:


     

PinkNoise

Quote from: Glebe on February 25, 2019, 03:47:26 PM
I always remember Ro-land bunking off school, and watching Bagpuss or summit eating bananas and crisps.
He was watching Fingerbobs. Nothing says "skiving off in the middle of the day" more than the theme music to Fingerbobs. Mike "Eureka" Savage played his dad.

I started secondary school around the same time that Roland was introduced to the Hill and had the same glasses, hairstyle, slovenly appearance and portly demeanour as he did. Consequently my school days were pure hell with not a day passing without someone saying "Ro-land" or "I only want to help you Ro-land."

Remember that one where they all went to Wales and the episode ends with them all dancing to "Wot!" by Captain Sensible?

Uncle TechTip

Grange Hill Graffiti was another book, because I had it, with main storyline about that sodding Speaking Wall (signs the show had gone to shit), and from memory, a B plot where Gonch and Hollo climbed the school roof and larked about before Hollo crashed through the roof and into a sealed room with no doors or windows. Gonch at one point actually leaves him to try and come up with a plan, it's incredibly traumatic.

Andy147

I've got "Grange Hill Goes Wild" (school trip in which they go camping) and "Forty Days of Tucker J" (Tucker's dad tells him if he doesn't earn £25 in the next 40 days, he has to go back to school). No idea why I got copies of those two but none of the others, nor why I've still got them.

jamiefairlie

Quote from: PinkNoise on February 28, 2019, 11:06:22 PM
He was watching Fingerbobs. Nothing says "skiving off in the middle of the day" more than the theme music to Fingerbobs. Mike "Eureka" Savage played his dad.

I started secondary school around the same time that Roland was introduced to the Hill and had the same glasses, hairstyle, slovenly appearance and portly demeanour as he did. Consequently my school days were pure hell with not a day passing without someone saying "Ro-land" or "I only want to help you Ro-land."

Remember that one where they all went to Wales and the episode ends with them all dancing to "Wot!" by Captain Sensible?

That's a two parter too! That and the one where they visit the zoo and Jonah falls in the sealion water are great.

Ferris

I saw Cheltenham-based ska band [spunge] play the Birmingham Academy, circa 2005. During their set, they did a cover version of the Grange Hill theme, before jamming into a ska version, then abruptly stopping because it was shit.

This is entirely true. Hope to have advised.