Byker Grove
Genre	Dramatic programming
Created by	Adele Rose Andrea Wonfor
Developed by	BBC Zenith Entertainment
Directed by	Mervyn Cumming
Theme music composer	Kane Gang
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of series	18
No. of episodes	344
Production
Executive producer(s)	Andrea Wonfor (1989-90) Ian Squires (1990-92) Ivan Rendall (1992-95) Matthew Robinson (1995-98)
Producer(s)	Matthew Robinson (1989-95) Helen Gregory (1995-97) Morag Bain (1999-01)
Location(s)	Newcastle upon Tyne
Running time	25 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Picture format	4:3 & 16:9
Original run	November 8, 1989 – December 10, 2006
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Byker Grove is a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround (later moved to 5pm) on CBBC on BBC One. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Kane Gang was a blue-eyed soul trio from North East England that had a few UK hits and one U.S. hit in the 1980s. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 1. ... 4:3 is a ratio. ... The 16:9 aspect ratio (also known as widescreen) is an aspect ratio that is 16/9 or 1. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Adele Rose was a prolific writer on Coronation Street, UK televisions longest running soap opera, penning around 500 scripts between 1961 and her eventual departure from the programme in 1998. ... Newsround (originally called John Cravens Newsround, before the departure of Craven) is a BBC childrens news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was the worlds first television news magazine aimed specifically at children. ... Current CBBC Logo CBBC - short for Childrens BBC - is the brand-name for the BBCs childrens television programmes aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years old. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 1. ...

Creation

The show ran between 1989 and 2006, and was set in a youth club in the Byker district of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Byker Grove was the original idea of late TV executive Andrea Wonfor. In 1987, Andrea approached veteran soap writer Adele Rose. Together they created a single pilot episode featuring kids aged 8-11 at an out-of-school club (transmitted on Tyne Tees TV in 1988). In autumn 1988, Andrea got backing from Anna Home, then Head of drama, BBC TV. Anna gave the green light for a run of a series of six 25-minute episodes on BBC TV. The age of the main characters was raised to 12-16 after support from first producer-director, Matthew Robinson. The first series therefore centred on young teenagers crossing the bridge from childhood to adulthood. Although some of the action took place outside the youth club, the series was unusual among dramas in that the characters were rarely shown in school. One of the major settings was the foster home run by the kindly but strict Lou Gallagher, the longest-running character. Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A youth club is where teenagers can meet and enjoy popular activities such as football, tennis or games console. ... Byker is an inner city electoral ward in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Famous people

Byker Grove launched the careers of Anthony McPartlin ("P.J.") and Declan Donnelly ("Duncan") who are otherwise known as Ant & Dec, as well as the actress Jill Halfpenny, Donna Air, former CBBC presenter Andrew Hayden-Smith and Emmerdale actor Dale Meeks. Founder producer/director (1989-95) was Matthew Robinson who, after Byker Grove, became executive producer of EastEnders, Head of Drama BBC Wales and now runs Khmer Mekong Films in Cambodia. It was also home to writers such as Catherine Johnson (who went on to pen Mamma Mia, the ABBA musical) and Matthew Graham (This Life, Doctor Who and co-creator of BBC One's Life on Mars). The first writer was Adele Rose - in Series 1 she wrote eps 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, her daughter, Carrie Rose, writing ep 5 - and the most prolific was Brian B. Thompson, who wrote 50 episodes over 12 series. Anthony Ant McPartlin (born November 18, 1975) is one half of the acting and television presenting duo Ant & Dec alongside Declan Donnelly. ... Declan Joseph Oliver Dec Donnelly (born September 25, 1975) is one half of the acting and television presenting duo Ant & Dec alongside Ant McPartlin. ... Ant & Dec is the name of a duo of British light entertainment television presenters, which consists of Novocastrians Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. ... Jill Halfpenny Jill Halfpenny (born 15 July 1975) is a British actress. ... Donna Air (born August 2, 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is an English television presenter, singer and actress. ... Current CBBC Logo CBBC - short for Childrens BBC - is the brand-name for the BBCs childrens television programmes aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years old. ... Hayden-Smith as Jake Simmonds. ... For the 1994 debut album by The Cardigans, see Emmerdale (album). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the track star, see Matthew Robinson (athlete). ... Albert Square in the 1980s. ... BBC Wales (Welsh: ) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. ... Catherine Johnson is the name of two British writers. ... The Prince Edward Theatre on Old Compton Street Mamma Mia!, a musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, is based on the songs of ABBA. The title of the musical is taken from the groups 1975 chart-topper Mamma Mia. ... Abba redirects here. ... Mathew Graham is a British television writer, and the co-creator of the BBC / Kudos Film and Television science fiction series Life on Mars, which debuted in 2006 on BBC One and has received critical acclaim. ... This Life was a BBC television drama, produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two, running for two series in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007. ... This article is about the television series. ... Life on Mars is a BAFTA and International Emmy award-winning British television drama series, which was first shown on BBC One in January and February 2006. ... Adele Rose was a prolific writer on Coronation Street, UK televisions longest running soap opera, penning around 500 scripts between 1961 and her eventual departure from the programme in 1998. ... Brian B. Thompson is a British television and radio writer perhaps best known for BBC1 childrens show Byker Grove, for which he penned over 50 epsiodes. ...

Production

Byker Grove was not in reality filmed in the Byker area of Newcastle. The actual youth club set was in Benwell, which is in the west area of the City, Byker being in the east. Byker Metro station (the suburban rail network in Newcastle and the Tyne & Wear area) and other landmarks in the real Byker (such as the famous architecture that is the Byker Wall and surrounding estate) are used for filming backdrops. Byker is an inner city electoral ward in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Benwell is located in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne. ... Byker Metro station is located in Byker, an area in the east-end of Newcastle upon Tyne. ... The Byker Wall is the name given to a long unbroken block of 620 maisonettes in the Byker district of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. ...

The "youth club" building which is what the viewers see onscreen, known as The Mitre used to be a nightclub and a pub (which was mentioned in a few storylines from episodes in the late 90s) before it was bought by Zenith Television, who film the series. The building housed the actual set, production offices, make up suite and costume department. Now, at the end of 2006, the property is semi-vacant, the Zenith North Television signs have been removed outside the building. The Mitre is situated in the Benwell area in the west end of Newcastle Upon Tyne. ...

The final series started on 7 October 2006 on the CBBC Channel. Richard Deverell, head of CBBC, was interviewed on Newsround about the decision to axe Byker Grove. is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Deverell took up his role as Chief Operating Officer for CBBC in June 2005. ...

The eighteenth and last series of Byker Grove was produced by Tim Holloway, who also produced Casualty from 2000 - 2002. The last series was a radical departure from the usual Byker style. Casualty is the longest running emergency medical drama series in the world[1], first broadcast in 1986 and transmitted in the UK on BBC One (with repeats on UKTV Gold). ...

On 11 March 2008, it was reported that Gallowgate Productions TV, the TV production company owned by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, purchased the rights to Byker Grove after the production company that made it (Zenith Entertainment) went bankrupt in 2007. According to reports, the reason Ant & Dec decided to purchase the rights was so to stop a digital channel showing repeats.^[1] is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Rival youth clubs

Until Series 10 (1998) the rival youth club was known as Denton Burn. In Series 11 (1999) rival youth club members were known as the Denwell Burners as they were from a youth club in Denwell Burn. This is a fictitious area of Newcastle upon Tyne, the name coming from a mixture of Benwell and Denton Burn. The leader of the gang was Dave Richmond, a local drug dealer from Whitley Bay, his trademark act of violence was the "Whitley Smile." Filming for Denwell Burn Youth Club for Series 15 was filmed at Raby Street Youth Club, in the buildings next to Byker Primary School. This is, ironically, the real youth club for the children of Byker. In Series 16 (2004), a different youth club, Jesmond Grange (pejoratively referred to by the Grovers as 'Jezzie Grange'), became a new rival to the Grove. Denton Burn lies 4 miles to the West of Newcastle upon Tyne. ... Benwell is located in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne. ... , Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. ... Byker is an inner city electoral ward in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. ...

Storylines

Byker Grove has tackled some controversial subjects such as drug addiction, child abuse, homelessness, teen pregnancy and abortion. In November 1994 Byker Grove became the first British drama to breach the subject of coming out when Noddy Fishwick kissed his close friend Gary Hendrix at the back of a cinema. This scene caused outrage in the British tabloids, a Sun editorial calling for producer Matthew Robinson to be sacked. However the BBC strongly backed the storyline which received countrywide support from gay teenagers, many teachers and parents. The 2004 series saw the character of Bradley agonising over his sexuality and eventually coming out as gay to his girlfriend Sadie, after a romantic holiday together had failed to live up to their expectations. A controversy is a contentious dispute, a disagreement over which parties are actively arguing. ... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... Child abuse is the physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect of children. ... Bag lady redirects here. ... Teenage pregnancy refers to the controversial social issue of teenage girls getting pregnant. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... For other uses, see Coming out (disambiguation). ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... For the track star, see Matthew Robinson (athlete). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sexual orientation refers to the direction of an individuals sexuality, usually conceived of as classifiable according to the sex or gender of the persons whom the individual finds sexually attractive. ... GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ...

The series frequently depicts life as unjust, with bad things happening to good people. One of the most shocking episodes is when P.J. is accidentally blinded in a paintball accident. It is one of many tragedies to befall Byker Grove characters through the years. Others include Jemma Dobson being electrocuted by a faulty electricity mains socket, Flora's death from a brain tumour, Greg's fall from the roof of the Grove which left him paralysed from the waist down, youth leader Geoff Keagen's death in an accidental gas explosion, and the latest tragedy, Ben Carter being knocked down and fatally injured by a car driven by Craig on the Quayside. A woodsball player firing at opponents from behind cover. ... A brain tumor is any mass created by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells either found in the brain (neurons, glial cells, epithelial cells, myelin producing cells, etc. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ...

The series eventually ended when the Grove was set alight by local hooligan Wayne Green from Local Gang, The Team 18s.^{[citation needed]}

The bands of Byker Grove

A number of Musical acts have been spun off from the series, these include:

• PJ & Duncan - who became Ant & Dec for "The Cult of..." album

(singles: "Let's Get Ready To Rhumble", "Better Watch Out", "We're On The Ball") This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by British pop duo PJ & Duncan, now known under their real names of Ant & Dec. ... Ant & Dec is the name of a duo of British light entertainment television presenters, which consists of Novocastrians Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. ...

• Byker Grooove - who evolved into the duo Crush with Jayni Hoy and Donna Air.

(singles include "Jellyhead" on Telstar Records) Donna Air (born August 2, 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is an English television presenter, singer and actress. ... Telstar Records was a record label founded in 1982 by Sean OBrian and Neil Palmer with government loan of £120,000. ...

• Summer Matthews - aka Emma Miller

(Single: "Miss Perfect")

• Boyband Point Break which included Brett Adams and David Oliver who played Noddy and Marcus respectively.(Singles: include "Freakytime" on Eternal Records)

Other bands with links to Byker Grove include: Eternal Records is a subsidiary label of Warner Bros. ...

• Freefaller - includes member of Point Break

• The Kane Gang - writers of the original theme music, a development from the "Ooh Gary Davies on your radio" jingle for Radio 1.

The Kane Gang is a pop/ soul trio from London England who named themselves after the movie Citizen Kane. ... Gary Davies (born Manchester, 13 December 1957 was one of the UKs most popular disc jockeys of the 1980s. ...

References

This article is about a British tabloid. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• CBBC
• Grange Hill

Current CBBC Logo CBBC - short for Childrens BBC - is the brand-name for the BBCs childrens television programmes aimed at children aged between 6 and 12 years old. ... Grange Hill is a British childrens television drama series which is shown on BBC One. ...

External links

• Geograph Page - The Mitre, Benwell
• CBBC - Byker Grove at bbc.co.uk
• Byker Grove episode guide
• Byker Grove cast list
• Byker Grove at the Internet Movie Database