BBC show Grange Hill ‘to return’ after 17 years but will ‘feel different’ from ‘trans issues to trolling’

The iconic secondary school drama was watched by millions and is reportedly set for a reboot, but could look and feel very different with a focus on issues important to today’s Gen Alpha viewers

Grange Hill is reportedly set to return after 17 years – but a TV Insiders warned it will “feel different”. The iconic BBC show set in a secondary school was watched by millions from 1978 until 2008, with generations of Brits raised on characters like ‘Tucker’ Jenkins and Zammo.

But overgrown kids expecting a nostalgic trip back to their school days have been warned they may be disappointed, as the show is set to have a different look and feel. In its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, Grange Hill was hugely popular thanks to its hard-hitting storylines ranging from heroin addiction to knife crime.

Its characters struck a chord with viewers who were going through the same term-time trials and tribulations. One of the most famous was Peter ‘Tucker’ Jenkins, who landed his own spin-off show in Tucker’s Luck before actor Todd Carty went off to play Mark Fowler in Eastenders.

Now the show is set to return, according to The Sun – but a source said different topics will be on the timetable to appeal to today’s Gen Alpha viewers.

“Grange Hill is very much viewed as being a show which was ‘of its age’ due to the kinds of subjects it touched upon,” the TV insider told The Sun.

“But they still think it has huge scope to be refashioned to deal with topics that chime with today’s youngsters — from trans issues to online trolling. Many of these weren’t problems when Grange Hill was first on our screens, so it’s likely to look and feel very different.”

Grange Hill creator Phil Redmond went on to write Channel 4 soaps Brookside and Hollyoaks.

Former Grange Hill stars have both enjoyed – and unfortunately endured – varying fortunes.

Some have tragically passed away while others have been faced with homelessness and another thrown in jail. On a lighter note, there’s heartening success on the silver screen while another runs a casino.

Your Daily Star has previously looked back at where some of the former cast members are now and what they’ve been up to since that school bell rang for the last time.

Meanwhile, Grange Hill’s Lee MacDonald has thrown himself into campaigning following two frightening cancer scares within 18 months.

Lee implored both men and women to undergo skin checks, saying: “If you’ve got something there, go and get it checked, please.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.