Culture
Sir Phil Redmond says the upcoming Grange Hill movie will “look at the way Britain is now”
2 years ago
Sir Phil Redmond, creator of Grange Hill has said the big screen return of the popular show ātake a look at the way Britain is now, not the way policymakers would like us to think it isā.
Grange Hill is about life in a London comprehensive school ran from 1978 to 2008 and made headlines for its gritty social realism, tackling issues such as racism, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, mental illness and HIV and Aids.
Creator Sir Phil Redmond said the show āchanged the perception that childrenās television should all be Secret Garden and Enid Blytonā.
Discussing the pressure of bringing it back, he told BBC Breakfast: āIf my hair could get any greyer it would do.
Popular TV series āGrange Hillā is making a comeback to the big screen š„
The programmeās creator Sir Phil Redmond tells #BBCBreakfast heās been asked nearly every day for the last 15 years, to bring it back š®https://t.co/YDFYz2KAtU pic.twitter.com/XvfJdFXmCU
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) January 7, 2022
āWeāve only just started like working through the script. We go into production this year for release next year, so if anybody wants to form an orderly queue in the casting line, they can just wait a couple of months, thatād be great.ā
Asked about how the new incarnation will tackle modern issues, he said: āYou just go out as honestly as you can and try and reflect society as it is, trying to be as truthful as you can within the bounds of fiction, and do the research properly.
āOne of the things Iāve always done is work with great young teams to actually deliver the vision so weāll just take a look at the way Britain is now, not the way policymakers would like us us to think it is.
āWe will take a realistic view of what education is like now and what that means to kids going through it.ā
Sir Phil, who is also the creator of soaps Brookside and Hollyoaks, said he has been rebuffing requests for a return of Grange Hill āover about 15 yearsā, adding: āItās kind of the thing that wonāt go away. Itās this thing thatās been following (me) around.
āNearly every single day someone says to me: āWhy donāt bring you bring it back? Do something.’ā
The show made household names of characters such as Zammo McGuire, played by Lee MacDonald, and Tucker Jenkins, played by Todd Carty, and asked who of the famous pupils would be returning, Sir Phil said: āWe canāt say anything at this stage, itās going to be really difficult, we wonāt be able to bring back all the alumni, obviously.
āIāve also got all the old Brookie crew and Hollyoaks gang saying theyād love to be in it.
āSo who knows, if weāre gonna do Grange Hill this year possibly go to Brookie next and Hollyoaks the year after that.ā
Headteacher or naughty pupil?! š¤
'Grange Hill' is making a comeback to the big screen next year and @TVNaga01 wants to be part of the legendary cast list.
Which role do you think she should go for?! Send in your suggestions š¤ pic.twitter.com/g2rG3czaSg
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) January 7, 2022
Sir Phil added he is still not sure what kind of platform the Grange Hill reboot will appear on, but added: āWeād love it to go into the cinema and just have that great experience, but of course, weāre in the streaming age now.
āSo who knows where itāll end up? But I think weāll probably do that great thing and have a great premiere, walk down the red carpet and see all the old faces and things like that.
āBut on what platform it eventually settles on, who knows?ā