Byker Grove

Byker Grove was a British teen drama and coming-of-age series that ran from 1989 to 2006, first on BBC One and later on CBBC. The show was set in a youth club in the Byker area of Newcastle upon Tyne, though it was actually filmed in nearby Benwell. The concept was developed by Andrea Wonfor and Matthew Robinson, with Adele Rose writing the pilot episode. Aimed at older teenagers and young adults, the series tackled serious and sometimes controversial topics. It is remembered for featuring the first gay kiss on children’s television and for breaking the fourth wall during its final series.

The show spanned 18 series. In 1987, Wonfor approached Rose, and together they made a single pilot about children aged 8 to 11 at an after-school club. In autumn 1988, Wonfor got backing from Anna Home, then Head of the BBC’s Children’s Department, who greenlit a first series of six 25-minute episodes. The characters’ ages were raised to 12 to 16 after input from the first producer-director, Matthew Robinson. The first series focused on young teenagers moving from childhood to adulthood.

In March 2008, Gallowgate Productions—owned by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly—bought the rights to Byker Grove. In July 2023, Ant & Dec, who had played characters PJ and Duncan on the show, announced they were producing a reboot called *Byker* for 2024, with their production company Mitre Studios and Fulwell 73. As of September 2024, the project was still in early development.

The youth club set was not in Byker but at The Mitre in Benwell, a former nightclub and pub. After the first series succeeded, the BBC’s London property department bought The Mitre and gave Zenith Television a permanent filming licence. Real Byker landmarks like the Metro station and the Byker Wall were used as backdrops. For Series 15, scenes set at Denton Burn Youth Club were filmed at Raby Street Youth Club, next to Byker Primary School.

The BBC announced the series’ end on 11 May 2006, as part of a strategy to focus CBBC on primary-school-aged viewers. Richard Deverell, head of CBBC, discussed the decision on Newsround. Filming wrapped on 24 August, and the final series aired on the CBBC Channel from 7 October 2006. In July 2025, STV Player and ITVX signed a co-exclusivity deal with Mitre Studios to stream every episode.