Last update: 10 November, 2002
Last update:
10 November, 2002
Throughout its run, Grange Hill has always sought to break the boundaries of children's TV. And it succeeded on several occasions, especially in the early days. Canteen table-top protests, drug taking and knifings all came under fire on "Points Of View".
The Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) carpets Grange Hill frequently. Where indicated, click to read the BSC's adjudication on a complaint made against the show. For more information visit the BSC web site (details below). So now let's remember those GH storylines that brought out the Victor Meldrew in us...
SWIMMING POOL MADNESS 1978 Grange Hill's first run-in came after programme 5 in the first series. The boys were having a swimming lesson when one of them cut his foot and had to be taken to the sick bay. Hence Tucker, Benny and the gang were left unattended by the poolside. So to pass the time they threw benches into the water and used them as rafts! REACTION: Teachers accused the BBC of gross irresponsibility, saying they would never leave a class unattended in the school pool. Consequently the episode was pulled from the repeat run in the late 70s, but was aired again in 1993.
CANTEEN CHAOS 1979
Jessica Samuels (Sara Sugarman) headed the Student Action Group, a mindless bunch of militants calling for the abolition of school uniform and other things. In a memorable episode, Jessica was incensed that pupils receiving free meals had to sit on designated tables.
So she jumped on the table demanding "We Want The Head!" and everyone else joined in. Sure enough, headmaster Mr Llewelyn was sent for. Once Samuels put her grievance to him, he abolished free meals tables with immediate effect.
REACTION: So incensed were a few MPs by this episode it was debated in the House of Commons. No doubt schools everywhere put themselves on alert for copycats.
Click here to watch a clip of this protest
(RealPlayer 8.5 required)
SAG TAKES OVER THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE 1979 Having secured a climbdown on canteen seating, SAG thought they had nothing to lose. After Mr Llewelyn threw out proposals to abolish school uniform , Jessica Samuels took drastic action - and stormed Janet's office along with her cronies, plus Trisha Yates and Cathy Hargreaves. They called the press claiming a riot was taking place at the school, but Mr Llewelyn talked his way out of trouble. Eventually Bullet Baxter broke the door down; Samuels and cronies were expelled. Trisha and Cathy managed to flee the office but were later caught and suspended.
REACTION: None documented. But no doubt schools feared copycat seiges...
PUPILS MARCH IN SUPPORT OF SCRUFFY 1983 Pupils' champion Scruffy McGuffy was suspended for his role in organising an underground school magazine. The pupils were furious and demanded his reinstatement. In the last show of Series 6 the whole school marched in support of Scruffy, led by Claire, Suzanne and Christine. Their plan was to storm the school hall, but Mrs McClusky was wise to this and locked the entrances. But she didn't reckon for Jonah who sneaked into the school and unlocked the doors. The invasion went ahead. Then it emerged that Scruffy was asked back prior to the march, and pupils were furious they'd been hoodwinked again. REACTION: None first time round, but the 1995 repeat sparked a copycat protest in support of a teacher who was sacked at one secondary school.
Watch an edited clip of the march.
(RealPlayer 8.5 required)
JEREMY IRVINE DROWNS IN SCHOOL POOL 1984 Jeremy Irvine had been winding his classmates up ever since he moved to Grange Hill. But his final prank ended in tragedy. While the school swimming pool was left unattended, Jeremy threw Fay's bangle in the water and dived in to retrieve it. Then Zammo went after him to "whip his trunks off". Zammo was horrified to find Jeremy lifeless at the bottom of the pool, and raised the alarm. Mr Devereaux pulled him out and Bullet tried resuscitating him, but to no avail. Zammo looked on in horror. REACTION: Parents were upset by the graphic scenes of Jeremy's lifeless body. No doubt teachers were up in arms because they would never leave the pool unattended in real life.
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IMELDA INJURES ZIGGY
WITH FIBREGLASS 1986
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GH's resident bad girl, Imelda Davis, is determined to get revenge on Ziggy Greaves for pushing her in the school pond. She discovers fibreglass in the boiler room and stuffs it down his shirt. Ziggy's back is so badly lacerated he's off school for a while. REACTION: A copycat incident occurred at Bideford School, Devon (the webmaster's old school!) One teacher blasted the programme after the incident, which injured at least one boy. |
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CONDOM DEMONSTRATIONS 1995 Ahead of the storyline in which Lucy Mitchell's mum died of an AIDS-related illness, Year 10 had an AIDS awareness workshop and learnt how to put on condoms using courgettes. Predictably, the girls took the exercise seriously but Dennis and the lads treated it as one big joke! REACTION: One parent complained to "Points Of View" - the clip was shown in "From Grange Hil To Albert Square" two years ago.
KEVIN GETS INTO GUNS 1996
For most of the 1990s Grange Hill behaved itself. But in 1996 the show incurred the full wrath of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission when it included a storyline about guns. Kevin Jenkins was desperate to be accepted and Wayne's gang introduced him to ball bearing guns. Wayne dared him to shoot a duckling but the gang was disturbed. At school the weapon was found on Kevin - in his attempts to conceal it he shot Sarah-Jane in the arm.
REACTION: Uproar. The BCC panned the BBC for showing such a provocative storyline and two months after transmission, the Dunblane massarcre shocked Britain. When Series 19 was repeated in the autumn, the guns storyline was erased completely.
Watch Kevin's secret revealed
(RealPlayer 8.5 required)
JUDI IS KNIFED 1998
Sinister Sean Pearce joined Grange Hill, and used violence to get what he wanted. His best pal Alec fancied Judi, but she was dating Wayne. Also, Wayne saw through Sean's evil and stood up to him. One wet evening, Wayne lent Judi his coat as she waited for a bus. While he returned to The Arches to fetch his wallet, a masked gang jumped Judi (thinking her to be Wayne) and slashed her face. Judi was permanently scarred. Sean was scared he'd get found out and succesfully plotted to get Wayne suspended from school. Wayne defied the exclusion to prove his innocence. Eventually, Sean and Alec were arrested after a cross-school police chase.
(RealPlayer 8.5 required)REACTION: One parent wrote to "Points Of View" to complain about the slashing scene. The following week, a teenage viewer contacted POV to defend the storyline.The Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) also upheld complaints from viewers who felt the episode was too violent. Click here to read the BSC's adjudication.
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JUDI
DIES 1999
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| Sean may have gone, but Judi's problems didn't end there. Alec was desperate to make amends with her so he sneaked into school and cornered her in a store-room. Unfortunately they got locked in and Alec's smoking started a fire. Alec managed to jump out the window but Judi panicked and fell to her death. | |||
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REACTION: Two viewers complained to the BSC about the "disturbing" death scene. But the BSC threw out the complaint, taking the view that Judi's demise was not "overly graphic". Click here for their full summary.
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Series 23 got off to a dramatic start when Spencer's racist dad coshed a black man in the street, leaving him seriously injured. Unknown to Mr Hargreaves, Spencer looked on in horror.
REACTION: One viewer complained to the BSC that the attack was presented as socially acceptable. Once again the complaint was rejected, the Commission felt the attack was neither condoned or glamourised given the isolation Spencer felt as a result. Read more here.
| RAPE, LESBIANS AND HARDCORE RACISTS 2001 | ||
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Grange Hill was the hardest-hitting ever in 2001. The sixth form were having trouble with hardcore racist thugs, Kelly was the subject of gossip because of her friendship with a lesbian girl and Tom raped girlfriend Leah without realising what he'd done. REACTION: Mother-of-two Catherine Firth complained to the Radio Times (31 March-6 April 2001), saying she was "appalled Grange Hill was raising the topics of lesbianism and rape" during a programme scheduled for 5pm. She added these were issues with which her 8-and 9-year-olds should not have to be concerned. Nigel Pickard, the BBC's Controller of Children's Programmes, defended the show in his reply, saying the issues had been handled in a responsible manner and from the child's point of view. The Broadcasting Standards Commission also received complaints from viewers but these were not upheld. |
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Other plots not as shocking but still near the knuckle...
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1980 - ANTONI KARAMONOPOLIS
DIES Tucker and the lads defy a ban on visiting the local precinct. Antoni falls to his death after climbing on to the car park roof. |
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1981 - MR HICKS
HITS STEWPOT Evil swimming teacher Mr Hicks (a proto-Mr Deverill) knocked Stewpot around in his class. When Baxter caught him, he whacked Hicks who got the sack. |
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1987 - SCHOOL RADIO
PROTEST Pupils hijack the school radio station and barracade themselves in the sixth form common room in protest at closed pupil profiles |
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1989 - DANNY KENDALL
DIES Gonch, Ziggy and Robbie find the school rebel lifeless in Bronson's car. |
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1992 - CHRISSY'S
PREGNANCY All soaps have done it recently, but Chrissy Mainwaring's underage pregnancy was the first storyline of its type. |
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1996 - VIOLENT FILM |
All images from the Webmaster's video library
And there's more - if you can stand it! Further judgements on Grange Hill from the Broadcasting Standards Council can be found on the BSC web site. Click on the icon left.
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