Series 21 review (part two)

If we’re being really harsh, we’d say that the most well-developed new character this year was the CCTV system.

Mrs. Holmes has agency to do something about the site security, and (by implication) permission from Mr. Robson to spend some money. A security guard patrols in the early episodes, quickly replaced by a full television system. It would be an easy way to let the teachers see that something was wrong, and the writers can be praised for using it sparingly.

Another candidate is the games hut, an outbuilding that is near the school, but not quite of the school. It’s a place for secrets and hiding – Tess the dog, a seance, stolen gear, liaisons of all kinds. Will the hut be torn down over the summer, or will Mr. Jones have to find a better use for it?

Mr. McNab, the former headteacher, had never been shown on screen, which lessens the impact of his sudden departure. Mr. Robson’s wobbles about taking the job are entirely in character, we’ve seen him be indecisive and open to influence many times in the past. If he knew his own mind and acted a little more decisively, he would have married Martha Jordan by now. Right to feature this on screen, and right to wrap it up in the opening episodes.

Dennis’s disability is already fading into the background – it’s accepted as something that comes along with the friend. Limits his mobility, causes him mood swings and irritation, but it hasn’t changed him irreducibly. The compensation payout is a large amount of money, and it only briefly goes to Dennis’s head. He has friends to keep him grounded, and return his grand gestures. (In 2019, Dennis might expect to get two or three million quid, in part because inflation doubles all prices, but mostly because his life expectancy is much better)

The Gang of Five were foils for Alec Jones, but lost that role when he was transformed into Sean’s unwilling sidekick. It left them at something of a loose end, relying on outside activities – roller hockey, snakeboards, racing mice – to justify their place. The dynamic of the group is interesting, Gemma has been accepted as a full member and rivals Speedy as the leader. Had they not bothered with the First Form, they could have explored this group of five, as a counterpoint to the Fifth Form.

The other highlight was some inspired music choices. Our faves were the recurring motif of “Not the girl you think you are” around Joanna Day, and – for sheer pluck – the ultra-obscure Wannadies’ “Might be stars” as Laurie redecorates Chris’s room, the right song in the right place.

Our lowlight was how many episodes were bleak and depressing. With only a few exceptions, there’s nothing to raise a smile between the snakeboarding switch in episode 6 and Gregory’s comeuppance in episode 16. That’s a lot of down, and it resulted in an unbalanced series.

Most of the strong characters this year were boys, and many of the strong girls were defined by their relationships. A lot of episodes in the middle of the series come perilously close to failing the Bechdel test – where two named female characters talk about something other than a boy. At least one episode passes only because there’s a throwaway conversation between Mrs. Holmes and Miss Carver. The producer has allowed this to happen, it wasn’t likely under Christine Seacombe’s watch.

A long list of goodbyes. We’ve already said farewells to Amy Philips (Jessica Arnold) and Fiona Wade (Joanna Day). The rest of the sixth form, and mostly not actors afterwards:

Alan Cave (Dennis Morris)

Steven Hammett (Dudley Wesker)

Jamie Groves (Josh Davis) – has done voiceover work for computer games

Melanie Joseph (Lauren Phillips)

Belinda Crane (Lucy Mitchell)

Tracey Murphy (Claire Sullivan) – remained in acting until about 2005, with a dozen small roles.

Lorraine Woodley (Carlene Joseph) – also remained in acting until 2005-ish.

Francesca Martinez (Rachel Burns) – the standout pupil of the class, now an accomplished comedian and disability campaigner.

Nitzan Sharron (Gerald) – done a lot of stage work, picking up leads in Baghdad Wedding (2007) and The Prophet (2012).

Two of the Fifth Form love geometricians also leave us here. Sian Welsh (Laurie Watson) exited the limelight. Ben Freeman (Chris Longworth) remained famous; he moved straight to ITV’s soap Emmerdale where he played the womanising car mechanic Scott Windsor until 2007. His soap career was cut short after he was accused of rape; he was acquitted at trial. Since then, he’s moved to musical theatre, including time as the love interest in Wicked and Fonz in Happy Days.

Ayesha Antoine (Poppy Silver) leaves after four years. She took some time to complete university and work on stage, before returning to telly as Rachel Baptiste (Holby City, 2008) and Devine in Mouth to Mouth (2009).

Iain Robertson (Sean Pearce) won’t return next year. He’s had a long list of credits, most notably Craig Stevenson in Sea of Souls (2005-6), Gash in Rab C Nesbitt (2010), and Stevie O’Hara in River City (since 2017).

From the staff side, we lose Dominic Carrara (M Christophe Urdy) and Karen O’Brien (Mrs Siobhan Maguire). Neither has had a significant acting career since.

Behind the scenes, Leigh Jackson leaves Grange Hill after thirteen years as script editor. While we weren’t impressed with his direct writing style, we have to acknowledge Leigh’s work in keeping the show on a very tight rail. There wasn’t a fluffy scene, every minute advanced something of the plot. Leigh left to complete Warriors, a landmark primetime drama shown in 1999, about the UN peacekeeping operation in Bosnia. He later worked on The Project, a miniseries about the New Labour project. Leigh also left to battle his own body: cancer had been detected in 1997, returned in 2001, and took his life in March 2003.

This was the second and final series produced by Steven Andrew. He’s gone on to make a career full of top-drawer children’s programmes – Girls in Love for CITV, CBBC’s comedy dramas My Almost Famous Family, Scoop, and The Legend of Dick and Dom. He has The Lodge for Disney Channel, and the international hit Secret Life of Boys.

And that concludes the Grange Hill Rewatch rewatch of the 1998 series. We plan to return with the 1999 series on 28 January.

Series 21, episode 20

The Double Dare Gang’s mouse racing scheme rapidly spirals out of control. As the sixth formers prepare to leave. Dennis receives a goodbye he will never forget.

2 April 1998, repeated 20 December 1998, 22 November 2002, and 2 May 2003

“Do you want to be a rich self-pitying cripple?”

The last episode of any Grange Hill series has to serve two purposes. For those of us watching in March, it’s got to close off most of the loose ends from the series, bring the curtain down on the drama. For those watching the repeats in December, it’s got to have some sort of hook, some open questions to tempt us back.

Last year, for instance, the final episode combined some development of Jessica’s character with a spectacular stunt at Alec’s expense. There was a hostage to fortune, Mr. Robson saying he could never be headteacher, a throwaway line we’d examine further in this series.

Two years ago, Grease literally brought the curtain down on the series, and saw the sixth form out in style. There was resolution of Mrs. Maguire’s pregnancy, and something between Lucy and Dennis to pick up.

And we can go back further: Becky and Jacko’s balloon ride in ’95 covered up some holes in their relationship. The choir trip in ’94 helped to develop the mystique around Anna Wright, setting her up for a big plot in the new series. The wedding in ’93 was a party, but left us wondering about Jacko’s mother.

This year, it does feel like everything was tied up more neatly than usual. Bridges weren’t burned, but we’re not going to go back again.

What happened? Dennis attends an interview for this trek across Australia. Bad traffic in central London means he can’t get a taxi straight to the door, but he can get out and walk wheel himself to the office. We learn that he hasn’t got the job, but he can fund himself to go along as a helper.

Kevin finds out that his mother is going on the ski trip. He’s not pleased at all, and shuts himself off in his room. Mrs. Jenkins decides to use her maiden name on the trip, and not be associated with Kevin at all. It helps, and even before the coach has left, Kevin is being flirted at.

Arnie gives Chris some home truths. No, Arnie will not withdraw from the ski trip; he already withdrew, but Chris has been so full of himself that he won’t listen. Dill doesn’t have time for Chris, and Laurie completely blanks him; both are beginning to find a little common ground, and we hope they find their friendship while away.

Instead, Arnie (and Nathan) are waiters at a not!dance in the school hall. It’s a surprise party, a “thank you” to Dennis, celebrating everything he’s done for Grange Hill. He remembers hiding under the blocks to spy on Bits and Pieces’ play, and remembers the crass idea to use Jessica as a bomber jacket mule. And then he’s sent into the hall, and into the spotlight.

There are cameos for most of the graduating class of ’98: Josh has gone off on his own business, Joanna takes an orange juice, Jessica and Gerald both show their faces. There’s comedy, as Nathan spills a bucket of ice over Mr. Robson; there’s humanity, as Mrs. Holmes is pleasant to the departing Sixth Form.

But what do we have for the next series? They could explore the ructions in the whole Arnie-Chris-Laurie-Dill triangle. They could do something more with the Gang of Five, who are (yet again) hauled up before Mr. Robson after busting the mouse racing escapade. Will Wayne and Judi get their happy ending? There might be some interesting work with Alec, reintegrating himself into civil society.

This episode, though, was all about tying up loose ends. Look to the past, it’s only just come to an end.

Music “Love is all we need” by Mary J Blige in the caff… “London lights” by Blur as Dennis wheels himself to his interview… “Love has passed away” by The Supernaturals while Dennis and Dudley muse in the caff… and “A design for life” by the Manic Street Preachers as they drive to the casino… “Who do you think you are”, the Spice Girls as Dennis enters his party… some techno we don’t recall… and “Let’s all meet up in the year 2000”, Pulp looks to the distant future… The end credits play over Ben E King’s “Stand by me”.

Passing through
Taxi Driver – Tom Bushe
Interviewer – Ian McKillop
Neither had a long acting career.