Byker Grove
Encyclopedia
Byker Grove was a British television
series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose
. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround
(later moved to 5pm) on CBBC
on BBC One
. It was one of the very few television series to air on CBBC that was aimed at an older teenager and young adult audience as it tackled some controversial storylines.
in the Byker
district of Newcastle upon Tyne
, England. Byker Grove was the original idea of late TV executive Andrea Wonfor. In 1987, Andrea approached veteran soap writer Adele Rose. Together they created a single pilot episode featuring kids aged 8–11 at an out-of-school club (transmitted on Tyne Tees TV in 1988). In autumn 1988, Andrea got backing from Anna Home, then Head of drama, BBC TV. Anna gave the green light for a run of a series of six 25-minute episodes on BBC TV. The age of the main characters was raised to 12-16 after support from first producer-director, Matthew Robinson. The first series therefore centred on young teenagers crossing the bridge from childhood to adulthood. Although some of the action took place outside the youth club, the series was unusual among dramas in that the characters were rarely shown in school. One of the major settings was the foster home run by the kindly but strict Lou Gallagher, the longest-running character.
("P.J.") and Declan Donnelly
("Duncan") who are otherwise known as Ant & Dec
as well as the actress Jill Halfpenny
, Donna Air
, former CBBC
presenter Andrew Hayden-Smith
and Emmerdale
actors Dale Meeks
, Charlie Hardwick
and Victoria Hawkins
. Also appearing in the series was the now glamour model Francoise Boufhal
("Ellie Baines"). Founder producer/director (1989–95) was Matthew Robinson who, after Byker Grove, became executive producer of EastEnders
, Head of Drama BBC Wales
and now runs Khmer Mekong Films
in Cambodia
. It was also home to writers such as Catherine Johnson
(who went on to pen Mamma Mia, the ABBA
musical) and Matthew Graham
(This Life
, Doctor Who
and co-creator of BBC One's Life on Mars
). The first writer was Adele Rose
- in Series 1 she wrote eps 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, her daughter, Carrie Rose, writing ep 5 - and the most prolific was Brian B. Thompson
, who wrote 50 episodes over 12 series. Tom Hooper
directed four episodes of the show in 1997. Charlie Hunnam
now stars in American TV series Sons of Anarchy
.
area of Newcastle
. The actual youth club set was in Benwell
, which is in the west area of the City, Byker being in the east. Byker Metro station
(the suburban rail network in Newcastle and the Tyne & Wear area) and other landmarks in the real Byker (such as the famous architecture that is the Byker Wall
and surrounding estate) are used for filming backdrops.
The "youth club" building which is what the viewers see onscreen, known as The Mitre
used to be a nightclub and a pub (which was mentioned in a few storylines from episodes in the late 90s) before it was bought by Zenith Television
, who film the series. The building housed the actual set, production offices, make up suite and costume department. Currently the property is semi-vacant, and the Zenith North Television signs have been removed outside the building.
The final series started on 7 October 2006 on the CBBC Channel. Richard Deverell
, head of CBBC, was interviewed on Newsround
about the decision to axe Byker Grove.
The eighteenth and last series of Byker Grove was produced by Tim Holloway, who also produced Casualty
from 2000 until 2002.
On 11 March 2008, it was reported that Gallowgate Productions TV, the TV production company owned by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, purchased the rights to Byker Grove after the production company that made it (Zenith Entertainment) went bankrupt in 2007. According to reports, the reason Ant & Dec decided to purchase the rights was to stop a digital channel showing repeats featuring the duo during their time in the series, though this has neither been confirmed or denied by the duo themselves.
. In Series 13 (2001) rival youth club members were known as the Denwell Burners as they were from a youth club in Denwell Burn. This is a fictitious area of Newcastle upon Tyne, the name coming from a mixture of Benwell
and Denton Burn. The leader of the gang was Dave Richmond, a local drug dealer from Whitley Bay, his trademark act of violence was the "Whitley Smile."
Filming for Denwell Burn Youth Club for Series 15 was filmed at Raby Street Youth Club, in the buildings next to Byker Primary School. This is, ironically, the real youth club for the children of Byker
. In Series 16 (2004), a different youth club, Jesmond Grange (pejoratively referred to by the Grovers as 'Jezzie Grange'), became a new rival to the Grove.
subjects such as drug addiction, child abuse
, homelessness
, teen pregnancy and abortion
. In November 1994, Byker Grove became the first British drama to broach the subject of coming out
when Noddy Fishwick kiss
ed his close friend Gary Hendrix at the back of a cinema. This scene caused outrage in the British tabloids, a Sun
editorial calling for producer Matthew Robinson to be sacked. However the BBC strongly backed the storyline which received countrywide support from gay teenagers, many teachers and parents. The 2004 series saw the character of Bradley agonising over his sexuality
and eventually coming out as gay
to his girlfriend Sadie, after a romantic holiday together had failed to live up to their expectations.
The series frequently depicts life as unjust, with bad things happening to good people. One of the most shocking episodes is when P.J. is blinded in a paintball
accident. It is one of many tragedies to befall Byker Grove characters through the years. Others include Jemma Dobson being electrocuted by a faulty electricity mains socket, Flora's death from a brain tumour, Greg's fall from the roof of the Grove which left him paralysed from the waist down, youth leader Geoff Keegan's death in an accidental gas explosion
, and the latest tragedy, Ben Carter being knocked down and fatally injured by a car driven by Craig on the Quayside.
(singles: "Let's Get Ready To Rhumble", "Better Watch Out", "We're On The Ball")
(Singles include "Jellyhead" and "Luv'd Up" on Telstar Records
) "Jellyhead" reached #72 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1996.
(Single: "Little Miss Perfect")
Other bands with links to Byker Grove include:
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose
Adele Rose
Adele Rose was a prolific writer on Coronation Street, UK television's longest running soap opera, penning around 500 scripts between 1961 and her eventual departure from the programme in 1998. In addition, she also co authored the popular children's series, Byker Grove.-References:...
. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
(later moved to 5pm) on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. It was one of the very few television series to air on CBBC that was aimed at an older teenager and young adult audience as it tackled some controversial storylines.
Creation
The show ran between 1989 and 2006, and was set in a youth clubYouth club
A youth club or youth social club is a place where young people can meet and enjoy activities such as football, soccer, basketball, table tennis, or video games, and other religious, sports activities are frequently sponsored by a community center....
in the Byker
Byker
Byker is an inner city electoral ward in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the east of the city, south of the Heaton area and north of St Peter's. Byker Metro station serves the area.The area also contains the Byker Wall estate. The population of the ward is...
district of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England. Byker Grove was the original idea of late TV executive Andrea Wonfor. In 1987, Andrea approached veteran soap writer Adele Rose. Together they created a single pilot episode featuring kids aged 8–11 at an out-of-school club (transmitted on Tyne Tees TV in 1988). In autumn 1988, Andrea got backing from Anna Home, then Head of drama, BBC TV. Anna gave the green light for a run of a series of six 25-minute episodes on BBC TV. The age of the main characters was raised to 12-16 after support from first producer-director, Matthew Robinson. The first series therefore centred on young teenagers crossing the bridge from childhood to adulthood. Although some of the action took place outside the youth club, the series was unusual among dramas in that the characters were rarely shown in school. One of the major settings was the foster home run by the kindly but strict Lou Gallagher, the longest-running character.
Famous people
Byker Grove launched the careers of Anthony McPartlinAnthony McPartlin
Anthony David "Ant" McPartlin is one half of the English comedy and television presenting duo Ant & Dec, with the other being Declan Donnelly. He came to prominence in the children's drama series Byker Grove and as one half of the pop music duo PJ & Duncan...
("P.J.") and Declan Donnelly
Declan Donnelly
Declan Joseph Oliver "Dec" Donnelly is one half of the English acting and TV presenting duo Ant & Dec, with the other being Anthony McPartlin. He came to prominence in the children's drama series Byker Grove and as one half of the pop music duo PJ & Duncan...
("Duncan") who are otherwise known as Ant & Dec
Ant & Dec
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England...
as well as the actress Jill Halfpenny
Jill Halfpenny
Jill Halfpenny is an English actress.Halfpenny is best known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins in the British soap opera Coronation Street from 1999–2000, and as Kate Mitchell in rival soap EastEnders, from 2002-2005...
, Donna Air
Donna Air
Donna Air is an English television presenter, singer and actress.-Early life:As a former student of Gosforth High School, Donna attended the Drama School at First Act in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was a pupil alongside Jill Halfpenny, Ant & Dec and Dale Meeks.-Television:She became...
, former CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
presenter Andrew Hayden-Smith
Andrew Hayden-Smith
Andrew Hayden-Smith is a British actor and television presenter best known for his work with CBBC.-Early years:...
and Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
actors Dale Meeks
Dale Meeks
-Acting career:Meeks is best known for his role as Simon Meredith in the British TV drama Emmerdale. He also starred in Byker Grove as the leader of a gang from rival youth club Denton Burn between 1990 and 1992, and the 1960s set drama Heartbeat....
, Charlie Hardwick
Charlie Hardwick
Claire Elizabeth Hardwick is an English actress well known for her part in ITV's Emmerdale as Val Pollard.-Acting career:...
and Victoria Hawkins
Victoria Hawkins
Victoria Hawkins Born 24 September 1983 is an English actress. She played the role of Sharon Lambert on ITV soap opera Emmerdale....
. Also appearing in the series was the now glamour model Francoise Boufhal
Francoise Boufhal
Francoise Boufhal is an English model, actress and presenter.-Early life:Born Françoise Boufhal on December 18, 1988, in Hexham, Northumberland, England, Boufhal grew up and spent most of her childhood in Stocksfield and attended Broomley First school before moving into Newcastle Upon Tyne...
("Ellie Baines"). Founder producer/director (1989–95) was Matthew Robinson who, after Byker Grove, became executive producer of EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, Head of Drama BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
and now runs Khmer Mekong Films
Khmer Mekong Films
Khmer Mekong Films is a major Cambodian film and video production company based in Phnom Penh, capital city of Cambodia.It grew out of the team created and trained by the BBC in 2004 to make a 100-episode TV drama about HIV for Cambodian television...
in Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. It was also home to writers such as Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson is a British playwright, producing works for stage and television. She is best known for her script for the musical Mamma Mia! and screenplay for the film of the same name, which became the highest grossing UK film of all time and the biggest selling UK DVD of all time in January...
(who went on to pen Mamma Mia, the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
musical) and Matthew Graham
Matthew Graham
Matthew Graham is a British television writer, and the co-creator of the BBC/Kudos Film and Television science fiction series Life on Mars, which debuted in 2006 on BBC One and has received international critical acclaim....
(This Life
This Life
This Life is a BBC television drama that was produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two. Two series were broadcast in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007....
, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and co-creator of BBC One's Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
). The first writer was Adele Rose
Adele Rose
Adele Rose was a prolific writer on Coronation Street, UK television's longest running soap opera, penning around 500 scripts between 1961 and her eventual departure from the programme in 1998. In addition, she also co authored the popular children's series, Byker Grove.-References:...
- in Series 1 she wrote eps 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, her daughter, Carrie Rose, writing ep 5 - and the most prolific was Brian B. Thompson
Brian B. Thompson
Brian B. Thompson is a British television and radio writer whose work includes BBC1 children's show Byker Grove, for which he penned over 50 episodes. He also created the continuing detective series Trueman and Riley, broadcast on BBC7 and BBC Radio 4...
, who wrote 50 episodes over 12 series. Tom Hooper
Tom Hooper (director)
Thomas George "Tom" Hooper is a British film and television director of English and Australian background. Hooper began making short films at the age of 13, and had his first professional short, Painted Faces, broadcast on Channel 4 in 1992. At Oxford University Hooper directed plays and...
directed four episodes of the show in 1997. Charlie Hunnam
Charlie Hunnam
Charles Matthew "Charlie" Hunnam is an English actor. He is perhaps best known to UK audiences as Pete Dunham in Green Street Hooligans and as Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 hit drama Queer as Folk and to US audiences as Vice President of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original Jackson...
now stars in American TV series Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
.
Production
Byker Grove was not filmed in the BykerByker
Byker is an inner city electoral ward in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the east of the city, south of the Heaton area and north of St Peter's. Byker Metro station serves the area.The area also contains the Byker Wall estate. The population of the ward is...
area of Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The actual youth club set was in Benwell
Benwell
Benwell is an area in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Benwell village was recorded in A.D. 1050 known as Bynnewalle which roughly translates as "behind the wall" or "by the wall". Referring to its position relative to Hadrian's Wall...
, which is in the west area of the City, Byker being in the east. Byker Metro station
Byker Metro station
Byker Metro station is located in Byker, an area in the east-end of Newcastle upon Tyne. The station is on the Yellow line of the Tyne and Wear Metro system, and opened in 1982...
(the suburban rail network in Newcastle and the Tyne & Wear area) and other landmarks in the real Byker (such as the famous architecture that is the Byker Wall
Byker Wall
The Byker Wall is the name given to a long unbroken block of 620 maisonettes in the Byker district of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The block was designed by the notable architect Ralph Erskine assisted by Vernon Gracie, and was built in the mid-1970s. The Wall, along with the low rise dwellings...
and surrounding estate) are used for filming backdrops.
The "youth club" building which is what the viewers see onscreen, known as The Mitre
The Mitre, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Mitre is a building situated in the Benwell area in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade II listed building.A tower house known as Benwell Tower was built in 1221, and became the residence of the Bishop of Newcastle in the 1880s...
used to be a nightclub and a pub (which was mentioned in a few storylines from episodes in the late 90s) before it was bought by Zenith Television
Zenith Productions
Zenith Productions was a British independent film and television production company which made a number of drama series including Inspector Morse for ITV, and several series including Byker Grove and Hamish Macbeth for the BBC...
, who film the series. The building housed the actual set, production offices, make up suite and costume department. Currently the property is semi-vacant, and the Zenith North Television signs have been removed outside the building.
The final series started on 7 October 2006 on the CBBC Channel. Richard Deverell
Richard Deverell
Richard Deverell is Controller of CBBC, the department within the BBC responsible for output aimed at children.-Reputation:Since assuming his post in 2006, Deverell has been ruthless in his efforts to re-align CBBC towards a target audience of 6–12 years...
, head of CBBC, was interviewed on Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
about the decision to axe Byker Grove.
The eighteenth and last series of Byker Grove was produced by Tim Holloway, who also produced Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
from 2000 until 2002.
On 11 March 2008, it was reported that Gallowgate Productions TV, the TV production company owned by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, purchased the rights to Byker Grove after the production company that made it (Zenith Entertainment) went bankrupt in 2007. According to reports, the reason Ant & Dec decided to purchase the rights was to stop a digital channel showing repeats featuring the duo during their time in the series, though this has neither been confirmed or denied by the duo themselves.
Rival youth clubs
Until Series 10 (1998) the rival youth club was known as Denton BurnDenton Burn
Denton Burn is an area situated to the west of the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne in England, United Kingdom. It is officially designated a suburb of the city, where it is linked to Carlisle by the A69 and A1 roads...
. In Series 13 (2001) rival youth club members were known as the Denwell Burners as they were from a youth club in Denwell Burn. This is a fictitious area of Newcastle upon Tyne, the name coming from a mixture of Benwell
Benwell
Benwell is an area in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Benwell village was recorded in A.D. 1050 known as Bynnewalle which roughly translates as "behind the wall" or "by the wall". Referring to its position relative to Hadrian's Wall...
and Denton Burn. The leader of the gang was Dave Richmond, a local drug dealer from Whitley Bay, his trademark act of violence was the "Whitley Smile."
Filming for Denwell Burn Youth Club for Series 15 was filmed at Raby Street Youth Club, in the buildings next to Byker Primary School. This is, ironically, the real youth club for the children of Byker
Byker
Byker is an inner city electoral ward in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England. It is in the east of the city, south of the Heaton area and north of St Peter's. Byker Metro station serves the area.The area also contains the Byker Wall estate. The population of the ward is...
. In Series 16 (2004), a different youth club, Jesmond Grange (pejoratively referred to by the Grovers as 'Jezzie Grange'), became a new rival to the Grove.
Grove staff
There have been several youth leaders working at the Grove over the years. The following is a list of all the ones shown onscreen.| Character | Actor/Actress | Duration | Role |
| Geoff Keegan | Billy Fane | 1989-2000 (character died) | Youth leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akili Johnson | Patrick Miller | 2000–2006 | |
| Alison | Vicky Murray | 1989–1995,2000 returned for Geoff's funeral | Assistant Youth Leader |
| Sian | Charlie Hardwick Charlie Hardwick Claire Elizabeth Hardwick is an English actress well known for her part in ITV's Emmerdale as Val Pollard.-Acting career:... |
1995–1999 | |
| Tina Meredith | Lynne Wilmot | 2000–2002 | |
| Dom Meredith | Daymon Britton | 2002–2006 | |
| Cher Coates | Jody Baldwin | 2003 (former Grove member) | |
| Chrissie Harrison | Sarah Lawton | 2004–2006 |
Storylines
Byker Grove has tackled some controversialControversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
subjects such as drug addiction, child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, teen pregnancy and abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. In November 1994, Byker Grove became the first British drama to broach the subject of coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
when Noddy Fishwick kiss
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
ed his close friend Gary Hendrix at the back of a cinema. This scene caused outrage in the British tabloids, a Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
editorial calling for producer Matthew Robinson to be sacked. However the BBC strongly backed the storyline which received countrywide support from gay teenagers, many teachers and parents. The 2004 series saw the character of Bradley agonising over his sexuality
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
and eventually coming out as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
to his girlfriend Sadie, after a romantic holiday together had failed to live up to their expectations.
The series frequently depicts life as unjust, with bad things happening to good people. One of the most shocking episodes is when P.J. is blinded in a paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
accident. It is one of many tragedies to befall Byker Grove characters through the years. Others include Jemma Dobson being electrocuted by a faulty electricity mains socket, Flora's death from a brain tumour, Greg's fall from the roof of the Grove which left him paralysed from the waist down, youth leader Geoff Keegan's death in an accidental gas explosion
Gas explosion
A gas explosion is an explosion resulting from a gas leak in the presence of an ignition source. The principal explosive gases are natural gas, methane, propane and butane, because they are widely used for heating purposes. However, many other gases like hydrogen, are combustible and have caused...
, and the latest tragedy, Ben Carter being knocked down and fatally injured by a car driven by Craig on the Quayside.
The bands of Byker Grove
A number of Musical acts have been spun off from the series, these include:- Michelle CharlesCharleyCharley may refer to:*Hurricane Charley , the name of several tropical cyclones, namely the storm which impacted Florida in 2004*Charley Pollard, a character from the audio plays based on the television series Doctor Who...
- "The Best Thing In My Life", "For the Good Times"
- PJ & DuncanPJ & Duncan discographyThis is a discography of official releases by the pop duo PJ & Duncan, who were later rebranded as Ant & Dec.-Studio albums:*1994 Psyche *1995 Top Katz...
- who became Ant & DecAnt & DecAnthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England...
for "The Cult of..." album
(singles: "Let's Get Ready To Rhumble", "Better Watch Out", "We're On The Ball")
- Byker Grooove - who evolved into the duo Crush with Jayni Hoy and Donna AirDonna AirDonna Air is an English television presenter, singer and actress.-Early life:As a former student of Gosforth High School, Donna attended the Drama School at First Act in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was a pupil alongside Jill Halfpenny, Ant & Dec and Dale Meeks.-Television:She became...
.
(Singles include "Jellyhead" and "Luv'd Up" on Telstar Records
Telstar Records
Telstar Records was a record label founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,000. It was founded as a specialist compilation marketing label and had hits with a range of compilation franchises such as the Deep Heat, Kaos Theory and 100% ranges...
) "Jellyhead" reached #72 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1996.
- Summer Matthews - aka Emma Miller
(Single: "Little Miss Perfect")
- Boyband Point BreakPoint Break (band)Point Break were a British pop group who found brief success between 1999 and 2000. Launched as a new boy band in 1999, the group featured Brett Adams, Declan Bennett and David "Ollie" Oliver who had acted in TV's Byker Grove. Within a year, they clocked up five UK Top 30 hit singles and an album...
which included Brett Adams and David Oliver who played Noddy and Marcus respectively.(Singles include "Freakytime" on Eternal RecordsEternal RecordsEternal Records is a subsidiary label of Warner Bros. Records....
)
Other bands with links to Byker Grove include:
- Freefaller - includes member of Point Break
- Kane GangKane GangKane Gang were a Blues rock trio from North East England that had a few UK hits and two U.S. hits in the 1980s. Named after the movie, Citizen Kane, the trio recorded for the indie record label, Kitchenware, that was also home to Prefab Sprout.-Career:...
- writers of the original theme music, a development from the "Ooh Gary DaviesGary DaviesGary Davies is a British broadcaster. During the 1980s and 1990s he was a BBC Radio 1 disc jockey and also a regular presenter of Top of the Pops.-Early career:...
on your radio" jingle for BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
.