A vintage kids' TV classic is being rebooted by the BBC, 17 years after it last featured on our screens.
Grange Hill was known and loved by Brits from 1978-2008, and will ring bells for the millions who were raised watching it.
It starred beloved characters like Peter “Tucker” Jenkins — who was played by EastEnders actor Todd Carty, whose catchphrase “flippin’ ’eck” and cheeky smile were so well recognized that it got him his own spin-off show, Tucker’s Luck.
Other recognizable pupils included Alan Humphries (played by George Armstrong from Bill), Benny Green (Terry Sue-Patt), Suzanne Ross (EastEnders actor Susan Tully) Steven Banks (Tim Polley) and Sammy “Zammo” Mcguire (Lee MacDonald).
At the peak of the show’s popularity in the 1980s, Grange Hill bravely covered a diverse range of topics, from Aids to drug abuse, and the reboot will be tailored for today’s Gen Alpha audience.
An insider told the Sun: “Grange Hill is very much viewed as being a show which was ‘of its age’ due to the kinds of subjects it touched upon.
“But they still think it has huge scope to be refashioned to deal with topics that chime with today’s youngsters — from trans issues to online trolling.
“Many of these weren’t problems when Grange Hill was first on our screens, so it’s likely to look and feel very different.
“So any new reboot is likely to be a turn off for the older generation tuning in to the new show for some kind of nostalgic trip down memory lane.
“It’s likely to look and feel very different.”
Grange Hill was such a smash success that its creator Phil Redmond went on to write famous Channel 4 shows Brookside and Hollyoaks.
The show was pitched for a movie two years ago, but that idea didn’t end up making it to the big screen.
A film reboot of the series was mooted two years ago but never went ahead.
