BBC Axe Grange Hill

The BBC is axing children's TV school drama "Grange Hill" after 30 years.

CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist said: "The lives of children have changed a great deal since "Grange Hill" began and we owe it to them to reflect this."

The series began on 8th February 1978 and crossed five generations of children whilst courting controversy at almost every twist and turn of its storylines. Hailed in some quarters as the most important children's television series of all time, whilst damned elsewhere as the most damaging influence on our youngsters - and a prime example of everything that is wrong with television, "Grange Hill" is the best known and most significant children's television drama series ever to appear on British TV screens.

From the off "Grange Hill" went for sensitive, true-life situations, it's first 'issue' being one of racial prejudice as young Benny (Terry Sue Patt) is referred to by one student as a 'golly'. Trisha (Michelle Herbert) is quick to defend Benny and later, in a quiet moment, the two discuss the problem. Trisha tells her friend in all sincerity that she is outraged by this behaviour and anyway, Benny can't help it if he's a 'nig-nog'. It may have not been to some viewers liking but it was in fact a prime example what was going on in every multi-racial school playground in the land. "Grange Hill" was set to become an education for many adults, too.

Some issues were presented not as the fault of other school children, either, but as the fault of the education system itself. One West Indian youngster who came from a poor family became the target of school bullying, mainly because his parents could not afford to buy him a school uniform. Instead of supporting the child the school only compounded his problems further by excluding him from the school football team, in spite of his obvious talent, because he could not afford football boots. This was the real world as had not previously been portrayed in many adult dramas let alone in a children's television series.

Subjects covered in subsequent series included dyslexia and school bullying, but by far the most controversial subject was one character's addiction to heroin. When amiable Zammo McQuire (Lee MacDonald) became hooked on the drug its consequences were handled in an adult and not patronising way. The message was quite clear and was further endorsed by the cast releasing an anti drugs record called 'Just Say No' which reached number 5 in the hit parade in April 1986. The plot and its presentation was commended in the House of Commons and many of the cast were invited to the White House to meet President Ronald Reagan who wished to recognise their good work on this issue.

But "Grange Hill's" creator Phil Redmond was reportedly unhappy with recent storylines and felt the programme was losing its gritty purpose.

"I don't like keeping things going when the point has been lost," he told the Observer recently. "I do now think the point of "Grange Hill" has been lost, and 30 years is a nice time for it to hang up its mortar board."

There will be one more series this year, in which producers want to focus on the younger children of Year Six.

CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist said: "We have to not confuse our own nostalgia for something that we loved for something that children will want nowadays.

"We think we have got a lot of exciting new shows coming up that will please them and challenge them equally as well as "Grange Hill" did in the past."