Show’s creators series say they aim to portray ‘authentic stories’ and celebrate teenagers’ resilience
When Grange Hill first aired in 1978, it was groundbreaking in the way it covered the reality of teenagers’ lives, from heroin addiction to HIV/Aids and knife crime. Now, 15 years after it was axed, the BBC is returning to school dramas to attract teenage audiences, with a new series described as “Grange Hill meets The Breakfast Club”.
Phoenix Rise charts six pupils previously excluded from school who start back into mainstream education through a pupil referral unit. Its writers hope to portray young lives with the same accuracy that Grange Hill did over the course of its 31 series.
Phoenix Rise will air on BBC iPlayer from 21 March and on BBC Three.
