| DATE |
OFF-SCREEN |
ON-SCREEN |
| 1978 |
Production of Grange Hill begins at Kingsbury High School,
North London. |
First episode of Grange Hill broadcast 8th February 1978. |
| 1980 |
Series 3 is produced at a new school, Willesden High in north
London. The move is caused by fans disrupting filming |
 On-screen changes
not explained in the storyline. The school interior sets are
largely the same with some new classrooms, corridors etc. |
1981
(Xmas Special) |
Grange Hill moves again, to what is now Fulham Preparatory
School in Greyhound Road, Hammersmith. The new school appears
much smaller than the previous two and is set in a more run-down
area. The interior set looks completely different. |
Again, no explanation of changes in the script but Mrs McClusky
explains her office has moved "from the other building". |
| 1984 |
The BBC decides to move production of Grange Hill to a closed
studio set. The corporation has just purchased Elstree studios
from Central Television - with the main aim of producing its
new soap there, but Grange Hill is the first BBC production
to benefit from the new facilities. |
The start of an elaborate storyline in which it's announced
Grange Hill is to merge with rivals Rodney Bennett and Brookdale.
Pupils and parents are worried about the change and want answers. |
| 1985 |
Production part-moves to Elstree but interiors continue to
be shot at Television Centre, Shepherd's Bush. Final year of
exteriors from Hammersmith. |
The Elstree set becomes Grange Hill's "lower school"
and the former Rodney Bennett building. The old school is the
new Upper School building. Several characters from Series 7
disappear, to be replaced by new ones such as Mr Bronson and
Gonch and Hollo. |
| 1986 |
All of Grange Hill now shot at Elstree. The show is made as
an outside broadcast with taping taking place off-site. |
The Upper School (old Grange Hill building) is gutted by an
asbestos fire; temporary classrooms at the Lower School (Elstree)
replace those destroyed. Grange Hill has a new rival, St Joseph's
Comprehensive. |
| 1989 |
Building of a new school frontage begins at Elstree - previously
the entrance to Neptune House (a large glass-fronted building
at Elstree) doubled as the school. Playground scenes filmed
at a nearby school. |
The storylines made no mention of any building work at the
school. Occasionally you could see the builders at work in the
background! |
| 1990 |
 The new purpose-built
school frontage is unveiled. A new interior featuring a new
staffroom and office for Mrs McClusky, and crossways corridors
leading to both, is seen for the first time also. |
A panning shot of the new playground opens Series 13. Viewers
aren't supposed to notice the radical new insides though. When
Calley tries opening the door of a science lab she comments
the handles "haven't been fixed from last year"! |
| 1991 |
|
Builders move into Mrs McClusky's outer office, giving it
the look that would last until 2002. |
| 1994 |
Modifications made to the playground set, including the addition
of direction signs and a walkway between the two buildings. |
|
| 1999 |
After fourteen years of being produced as an "outside
broadcast", Grange Hill switches to single-camera digibeta
production under new producer Diana Kyle. A new filmic look
for the show is adopted, but is erroneously omitted from the
first two episodes of series 22. |
|
| 2001 |
The school is painted with pastel colours inside. A bigger
school set is unveiled with more corridors and a new assembly
hall. |
Frankie Abbott and his bungling builders are renovating the
school. A series of disasters hits them including drilling through
a water main! |
| 2002 |
The grey panels on the school exterior are painted jade green.
Bulldozers move in to demolish the exterior set in November,
but the "school gates" are left and are sometimes
still seen in EastEnders or Holby City.
|
An explosion destroys the school at the end of the series.
No indication of who lives or who dies. |
| 2003 |
Mersey Television takes over production of Grange Hill at
their Liverpool studios. The new Grange Hill frontage is unveiled;
similar in layout to the Elstree building but wider and surrounded
by greenery. "Classrooms" are exactly that - no longer
studio sets. |
Building work continues after the fire; much speculation as
to what happened by pupils. The old GH badge is readopted. |
| 2004 |
|
Grange Hill's "renovation" is complete and the tarpaulins
are thrown back to reveal a tuck shop and seating for customers. |
| 2005 |
 The CLC building
was constructed on the site of the former Brookside Parade at
Mersey TV. Too wide a shot and you would see the SU Bar from
Hollyoaks which sits right next to the CLC! |
Creative Learning Centre and exterior "ampitheatre"
is introduced. |
