Ant and Dec Working On Reboot Of ‘Byker Grove’
National treasures Ant and Dec are working on a reboot of ‘Byker Grove’, the BBC teen drama which shot them to fame.
For those unfamiliar with ‘Byker Grove’, the drama was set in a youth club in the Byker district of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was known for tackling controversial subjects such as drug addiction, child abuse, homelessness, teen pregnancy, homophobia, and abortion. And, of course, also launched the careers of Ant and Dec who starred on the show as PJ and Duncan, the monikers they then used to establish a pop career, before becoming tv presenters. The original show aired (and I’m sorry to point this out) first aired 34 years ago…
The reboot series, which will go under just the name ‘Byker‘, is set to engage with a new generation of teenagers navigating the challenges young adults face today. It would also be aimed at a primetime audience, much like shows such as ‘Waterloo Road’, rather than a teen audience. The duo (a twosome, so many lyrics… *Nope! Stop that!*), will produce the series via their Mitre Studios, alongside indie production company Fulwell 73. The potential series does not yet have a broadcaster attached.
The series will “help shine a spotlight on the North East and the talent the region has to offer both in front of the camera and behind it”, according to Ant and/or Dec. “Byker Grove will always be very special to us as the show which gave us our break, so we are beyond excited. We are looking forward to bringing this fresh incarnation to a whole new generation as well as those who remember it as fondly as we do.”
The series will be filmed in Newcastle and Sunderland, although would likely be in a different location from the original series. Benwell Towers, the historic Grade II listed building where the show was shot, is now a school called Bahr Academy. Along with utilising local talent both in front of and behind the camera, Ant and Dec are also looking to integrate their Prince’s Trust Making it in Media course as part of the production.
‘Byker‘ does not have a premiere date or broadcaster at the moment, but if you want to keep track of this, or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
