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Should Children "soaps be brought back? |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Mar 2011
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Should Children "soaps be brought back?
Okay do they are not technically soaps, but when I was a young lad there were some long running series aimed at children that focused on topical issues. Without a doubt the most successful was Grange Hill, but there was also Byker Grove and Children's Ward.
Unless I'm mistaken, there's nothing really like these shows for the youth of today any more. The thing is, they were actually really useful. There are a few soap actors today who actually learned the ropes by working on these shows. They were a great way for young actors to get experience. Not just the actors, there are writers such as Russell T Davies and Gaynor Faye's mom who started out writing for children shows. So would it be beneficial if some of these shows were brought back or if they introduced new shows under a similar format? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Loved Byker Grove and Grange Hill, such a shame they was axed, I think once they moved CBBC over to its own channel and abandon the 3-5 slot they use to have that was it, the shows become to grown up for a children's channel.
I don't know if they do anything like what they did in the back 90s/00s but think it probably be to un PC for today's telly. |
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#3 |
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Quote:
Loved Byker Grove and Grange Hill, such a shame they was axed, I think once they moved CBBC over to its own channel and abandon the 3-5 slot they use to have that was it, the shows become to grown up for a children's channel.
I don't know if they do anything like what they did in the back 90s/00s but think it probably be to un PC for today's telly. I used to watch them all
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#4 |
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Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: It's CHRISTMASSSSSS!
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Since Waterloo Road there hasn't been anything really, however Channel 4 have recently comissioned a secondary school drama called 'The ABC' which is set to launch next year and is aimed at 11 - 15 year olds I think.
http://www.examiner.co.uk/whats-on/f...ilmed-10052457 |
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#5 |
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Join Date: Aug 2016
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I guess you could say that the Dumping Ground (I'm sure you've heard of it but just in case you haven't it's a comedy/drama that follows the lives and stories of children in a childrens home) would class as one, as it's a continuing programme and has an ensemble of different characters.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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Used to love Children's Ward. Rewatched a lot of them on Youtube last year.
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jan 2016
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The Dumping Ground is a soap for kids technically. It has been running since the early 00's but use to be focussed around Tracey Beaker.
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jun 2011
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They should do another soap similar to waterloo road
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#9 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: With MyAndy!
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Quote:
Okay do they are not technically soaps, but when I was a young lad there were some long running series aimed at children that focused on topical issues. Without a doubt the most successful was Grange Hill, but there was also Byker Grove and Children's Ward.
Unless I'm mistaken, there's nothing really like these shows for the youth of today any more. The thing is, they were actually really useful. There are a few soap actors today who actually learned the ropes by working on these shows. They were a great way for young actors to get experience. Not just the actors, there are writers such as Russell T Davies and Gaynor Faye's mom who started out writing for children shows. So would it be beneficial if some of these shows were brought back or if they introduced new shows under a similar format? As someone mentioned the dumping ground is still going which originally started off as Tracey beaker. Interestingly Danni Hartman who played Tracey Beaker never seemed to break out of the kids to role |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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Tracey Beaker, I remember briefly.
I think Byker and GH got a bit to dark with stabbings, rapes etc it tried to go lighter but I think the move for Grange Hill ultimately killed it, after it moved to Liverpool it just wasn't the same. I use to love UGETME and Queen's Nose, very teen orientated. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Carlisle
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Quote:
I remember those shows. Do they not still have kids series on the kids channels (if they still exist)
As someone mentioned the dumping ground is still going which originally started off as Tracey beaker. Interestingly Danni Hartman who played Tracey Beaker never seemed to break out of the kids to role |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Feb 2014
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Quote:
I actually really like the Dumping Ground, even though I'm in my 20s. I try to tune it whenever it's on. It has some quite gritty storylines such as the one where Lily had that accident on the roof but obviously it has to have lots of lightheartedness as well.
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#13 |
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,988
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Quote:
Okay do they are not technically soaps, but when I was a young lad there were some long running series aimed at children that focused on topical issues. Without a doubt the most successful was Grange Hill, but there was also Byker Grove and Children's Ward.
Unless I'm mistaken, there's nothing really like these shows for the youth of today any more. The thing is, they were actually really useful. There are a few soap actors today who actually learned the ropes by working on these shows. They were a great way for young actors to get experience. Not just the actors, there are writers such as Russell T Davies and Gaynor Faye's mom who started out writing for children shows. So would it be beneficial if some of these shows were brought back or if they introduced new shows under a similar format? |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,800
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Loved Children's Ward, The Ward, Byker Grove and Grange Hill.
Children's Ward, the Ward, helped out the ITV Soaps. Grange Hill the BBC Soaps. These programmes wouldnt work these days, as all the Children's Channels, are mainly aimed for the 7/12 age market. It was changing the age the programmes had to be aimed at, killed Grange Hill. Grange Hill, for me finished when it moved from Elstree to Liverpool. The epsiode when the school blew up on Mr Robsons reception killed it. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Nov 2012
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Quote:
Used to love Children's Ward. Rewatched a lot of them on Youtube last year.
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#16 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
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A few cast members from the dumping ground has appeared in EE, like the others use to be a good platform for young actors.
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#17 |
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Join Date: Jul 2015
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I remember when Noddy came on to Gary in 'Byker Grove', everyone was talking about it the next day. We were quite immature about it, but to get a load of kids to talk about
gay attraction in a Catholic school* in suburban Cheshire - Talk about the power of television. I like to think it made at least a few people think that one of their mates might be gay and might need to know they could be open about it - That it might convince someone to be a bit more sensitive about these things. You can lose sight of how much has changed in 20 years. Although I was more likely to watch 'Grange Hill' at the time - Looking back, I think 'Byker Grove' might have been the better show. The cast were less obviously stage school kids, for one thing. 'Grange Hill' was ground-breaking, but at a certain point it got a bit too preachy and hung up on it's social responsibility. 'Byker Grove' could raise serious matters without getting too po-faced about it - There was always that North-East ability to deflate pomposity within the show. Also 'Byker Grove' was better at integrating grown-up characters. Although some of the teachers are fondly remembered, 'Grange Hill' had a tendency to portray parents, whenever they appeared, in a rather two-dimensional way. *I should add, the school was not anti-gay, as such. It was more a case of not mentioning homosexuality, at all. I remember in the sex education classes, there was not even a hint that two people of the same sex might become involved with each other. |
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