Series 26 arrives 25 years after Grange Hill's first series, but is now produced from Phil Redmond's Liverpool based studios, rather than BBC's Elstree Studios. What we have, somewhat in disguise, is a rehash of the very first episode in 1978.
For starters, if you check the characters' names, especially their initials you'll find a little joke being played out. Tucker Jenkins-Togger Johnson; Trisha Yates=Tanya Young; Judy Preston=Emma Bolton (Bolton is near Preston!), Benny Green=Abel Benson, Ann Wilson=Annie Wainwright.
There are other storyline similarities - Togger's left unselected in the hall, just as his uncle, Tucker was, and there's the elastic band flicking of Togger to Tanya is history repeating itself too. Annie, like Ann Wilson before her, is missing as the names are called out, but this is not just Ann Wilson running the wrong way, and getting misled by bullies, but the start of a great long story arc involving Annie and her brother Baz, and their difficult home life.
Many fans do not like the series from here on: there is something missing - a gradual decrease in actual classrooms activities, for instance, along with an unexplained increase in Liverpool accents. On the other hand, it seems to me that the quality of acting, especially of the new youngsters who start this year, is outstanding.
This is also the last series for the incredibly long-lasting Mr. Robson, whose total episode count is heading towards the 300 mark, and a link back to the Grange Hill golden era in the mid 80's.
For starters, if you check the characters' names, especially their initials you'll find a little joke being played out. Tucker Jenkins-Togger Johnson; Trisha Yates=Tanya Young; Judy Preston=Emma Bolton (Bolton is near Preston!), Benny Green=Abel Benson, Ann Wilson=Annie Wainwright.
There are other storyline similarities - Togger's left unselected in the hall, just as his uncle, Tucker was, and there's the elastic band flicking of Togger to Tanya is history repeating itself too. Annie, like Ann Wilson before her, is missing as the names are called out, but this is not just Ann Wilson running the wrong way, and getting misled by bullies, but the start of a great long story arc involving Annie and her brother Baz, and their difficult home life.
Many fans do not like the series from here on: there is something missing - a gradual decrease in actual classrooms activities, for instance, along with an unexplained increase in Liverpool accents. On the other hand, it seems to me that the quality of acting, especially of the new youngsters who start this year, is outstanding.
This is also the last series for the incredibly long-lasting Mr. Robson, whose total episode count is heading towards the 300 mark, and a link back to the Grange Hill golden era in the mid 80's.
