The show proved popular with young teenagers growing up in the nineties and early noughties
The Grade II-listed Mitre building in Benwell and the former Byker Grove building(Image: newcastle chronicle)
November will be an exciting month for fans of TV classic Byker Grove as the entire series will be able to stream on ITV from November 16. All eighteen series of the show will be available for audiences old and present, allowing a whole new generation of people to become fans.
Byker Grove proved popular with young teenagers growing up in the nineties and early noughties, the series originally launched on BBC One in 1989 and quickly became a much-loved staple of after-school viewing.
ITVX has partnered with Ant & Dec’s production company Mitre Studios, which owns the rights to Byker Grove, to bring the series back into living rooms across this nation this autumn.
Set in the Byker area of Newcastle, the series follows the lives and relationships of a group of young people who spend their down time at local youth club, the Grove. Among the issued tackled on the show were drug addiction, child abuse, homophobia and abortion.
The show propelled Ant & Dec on their way to stardom, their characters of PJ & Duncan, were two of the show’s most popular and they even went on to enjoy chart success with eight top 20 singles, including the number one, ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rhumble’.
Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly(Image: PA)
After releasing their debut single as PJ and Duncan, the much loved pair have never looked back. With three albums to their name as well as a string of top 20 hits including Eternal Love, U Krazy Katz and, of course Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble.
Ant and Dec became Saturday morning and prime time TV stars hosting the likes of SMTV Live, Pop Idol, Saturday Night Takeaway and Britain’s Got Talent.
Other successful actors who got their start on Byker Grove include Jill Halfpenny, who appeared in four series between 1989-1992, and Donna Air, who also starred in four series between 1992-1995.
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, aka PJ & Duncan in 1993(Image: Mirrorpix)
Jill’s character Nicola Dobson was a big favourite with viewers and the actress remains in-demand and hugely popular with fans decades on.
Craig Morris, Director of Channels, ITVX & Acquisitions, said: “ITV audiences have grown up with Ant & Dec, so we are delighted to whisk viewers all the way back to the moment they first shared the screen together. Enjoy every moment from this iconic coming-of-age series on ITVX this November.”
Ed Sleeman, MD at Mitre Studios added: “Byker Grove on ITVX marks the return of a legendary series which made TV history, launching the careers of Ant & Dec and helping shape a generation of viewers.”
When their parts were written out of Byker Grove, Dec told Weekend magazine: “We made a pact. We said to each other, ‘Look, whatever happens, I’ll always be there for you and you’re never in this life on your own or against the world – you’ve always got a mate looking out for you.”