 WHAT
FUTURE FOR GRANGE HILL?
As you will have seen from our Noticeboard
article, and the popular thread in our Forum, Grange Hill is set
to focus on an even younger target audience from next year to fit
in with CBBC's new brief to serve the 6-12 year old audience. Not
to mention the programme's future lies AWAY from its traditional
heartland of BBC1. Several of you believe CBBC is treating Grange
Hill's teenage audience with contempt:
 Robert
Hosie contacted the head of CBBC, Richard Deverell, and was told
that CBBC is now refocusing on 6-12s because of "extensive
audience research": "Obviously,
the views of children over the age of 12 don't count, although they
are still LEGALLY children. Much as it hurts me to say this, I think
it's the death knell of Grange Hill, especially if it's tucked away
on CBBC with no publicity. To me - and I'm sure a lot of others
- it's a waste of a good programme. Of course, the next [last?]
series might not be as bad as we think if they start again as they
did in 1978." Hi Robert - a lot of similar views
have been echoed on the Forum this month. It seems most illogical
that a programme FOR and ABOUT secondary school is now so unrealistically
shackled just so it can continue to be a CBBC programme. Why doesn't
CBBC do the decent thing and hand Grange Hill over to another department
to ensure it caters for its traditional audience? I suspect CBBC
doesn't want to let Grange Hill go because it's one of their flagship
"brands" - never mind that CBBC is no longer the right
place for it, but hey, TV is run by marketing men.
Andrew Gregson: "GH really is a mid
teens show and as such feels out of place on CBBC. BBC1 is the much
more natural place for it. I think you suggestion that if BBC insist
on keeping it on CBBC sadly it may be time to consider that the end
may be in sight for GH and an alternative show addressing the needs
of the audience may be required. Like you I would be very sad to see
this happen. I have been watching GH most of my life and can't imagine
a Jan-Apr without GH but I guess all great things end sometime."
John Carter (a fan since the first series) writes: "I
have been waiting to hear when the last series would be repeated
on BBC1 and am disappointed to read today that it won’t. I have
written to Richard Devil (!) but don’t expect that the decision
to be changed. Has this been in the press yet? I haven’t seen it.
Is it worth raising it to a wider audience in this way, as that
may have an effect. I have only recently started to receive Cable
TV channels & hope that I will see future series’ on CBBC. Is there
any plan to repeat the last series on CBBC? If so, when?"
As you say John, it's unlikely CBBC will alter their decision and
it doesn't help that all those complaining about GH being kept off
BBC1 are all over 18! So that in itself is unlikely to prompt a
rethink. The press are unlikely to be interested since Grange Hill
rarely makes the headlines these days - still, let us know if you
receive a reply from Richard!
"Hi, My name's Nikki and I'm a huge
fan of Grange Hill and I was totally disgusted to hear that the
CBBC boss is refusing to show series 30 on BBC1 and is talking about
changing it to suit little children when there's nothing wrong with
the show as it is now. I think that the quality of CBBC has disintegrated
badly, if I was aged 6-12 I wouldn't want to watch any of the shows
myself. It needs to cater for older kids as well, don't you think?
But I was wondering, have you considered starting an online petition
for people to sign if they're against these plans?If you get enough
people to sign it, it might change the bosses mind, or maybe even
spark a load of media interest! It's just an idea that's worth considering
if it hasn't already been done." Hi Nikki - CBBC
IS planning a new teen strand to compliment the existing CBeebies
(0-6 years) and CBBC (6-12). It is due to start broadcasting later
this year, and will be headed by Andy Parfitt, former controller
of Radio 1. The problem is, CBBC want to keep Grange Hill as their
show and that means it will have to fit in with their new target
age range, even if that is detrimental to the show. Richard Deverell
has said the final decision on shifting Grange Hill back towards
a teenage audience would lie with Phil Redmond, the show's creator,
but as Phil has already complained Grange Hill was aiming at "too
old an audience" we can't see this happening any time soon.
 Details
of Lisa a Heartbeat away
Dave Wells: "Hi Simon, just been
looking through your Grange Hill site. Whatever happened to Lisa
York who played Julie Marchant? I thought she was one of the better
actors! I saw 'Bring back Grange Hill' and she was good enough to
be in that, so why no more info? I think I last saw her in an early
episode of Heartbeat, but haven't tracked the episode down yet.
Would love to know what she is doing now... good luck with the site."
Hi Dave - seems you know more about Lisa than we do if you say she's
been in an episode of Heartbeat! It must have been one of the early
shows (Heartbeat began in 1992) mind... According to Friends Reunited,
Lisa is now married with two young children and has also worked
in the City for a Futures and Options exchange. Hope this helps!
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