Grange Hill series 7

Grange Hill
Season 7
No. of episodes18
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release3 January (1984-01-03) –
2 March 1984 (1984-03-02)
Series chronology
← Previous
Series 6
Next →
Series 8
List of episodes

The seventh series of the British television drama series Grange Hill began broadcasting on 3 January 1984, before ending on 2 March 1984 on BBC One. The series follows the lives of the staff and pupils of the eponymous school, an inner-city London comprehensive school. It consists of eighteen episodes.

Cast and characters

Pupils

Teachers

Episodes

No. Episode Writer(s) Director Original airdate
1 Episode One Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Carol Wilks 3 January 1984
It's the first day of a new term and Zammo collects girlfriend Jackie on the way to school. Suzanne is nearly 16, and is desperate to leave. Mr. Hopwood has left Grange Hill and Mr. Smart finds out he is H5's form tutor. Zammo leaves Jackie at her school, Brookdale, and makes some new enemies with the other Brookdale boys. Jonah's moved away and his cousin Jeremy Irving is now going to Grange Hill. Jeremy tells Zammo that Brookdale is merging with Rodney Bennet and that is why he moved. Stewpot's impression of Mr Smart goes down well and Mr Smart turns up and overhears it. Annette's first incident with Miss Gordon, who is Miss Mooney's replacement, isn't good. Jeremy finds the print room is an excellent place to make fake bus tickets.
First appearances: Miss Gordon and Jackie Wright
2 Episode Two Phil Redmond and Margaret Simpson Carol Wilks 6 January 1984
Randir starts a chain letter but Pogo uses the scheme for himself to make money, but the math side of it is too difficult. Claire gives out Biorhythm readings to her classmates of H5. She tries the staff, but some won't co-operate, like Mr Smart. Stewpot and Pogo spend the maths lesson trying to get round the chain letter idea. Miss Gordon seems to be getting the attention of the male teachers and the girl pupils are shocked to see her in Mr Smart's car.
3 Episode Three Phil Redmond and David Angus Nic Phillips 10 January 1984
Zammo is waiting for Jackie to arrive, but Jeremy convinces Zammo he saw Jackie get in a car with an older man. A few moments later, Jackie appears and sees Zammo walking with Jeremy. Zammo and Jeremy are stopped on their way to school by the Brookdale lads who had seen Zammo with Jackie-who goes to Brookdale and they tell Zammo to stay away from Jackie. Jeremy uses his fake bus pass and gets away with it. Annette bets with Fay and Julie she can wear eye makeup without being spotted-by wearing sunglasses and it actually convinces one teacher until she encounters Mrs. McClusky. Roland seems to be in the money, and starts lending it to others - with interest added. Jeremy uses his fake bus pass but then gets caught out by a bus inspector...
4 Episode Four Phil Redmond and David Angus Nic Phillips 13 January 1984
Jeremy has been suspended due to the fake bus pass. Fay feels hurt when her hockey teacher criticizes her. Jackie gives Zammo strict instructions to stay clear of Brookdale bully Gluxo. Janet follows Roly home, nagging him about his weight whilst trying to find out what's up with him. Annette plans to enter a fashion competition by sending in photographs of herself and tells her friends that she is going to get them done professionally. However, she goes to a photo booth and does them. Mrs McClusky calls Zammo to her office because she believes he has something to do with the fake bus pass business.
5 Episode Five Phil Redmond and David Angus Nic Phillips 17 January 1984
Pogo's chain letter scam starts to lose interest as they don't feel as they are getting anything out of it. Pogo uses one of the computers to work out the chains. An epidemic of head lice sweeps the school. Pogo's getting grief from his unhappy customers, but Miss Lexington and Mr. Howard save his bacon - until he gets out to the playground.

Final Appearance: Allyson Rees as Miss Lexington

6 Episode Six Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Carol Wilks 20 January 1984
Jeremy is being obnoxious when he returns from suspension. Annette's got a letter from the fashion competition, because she's made it through to the finals, but Miss Gordon tries to persuade her that modelling is a shallow career and won't give her the afternoon off to go. In biology, dissection of a rat is the order of the day, and some of the more squeamish members of class stay in the other room. Jeremy puts the dissected rat away into a cupboard afterwards and then puts Diane's bag in there too! Diane screams and is allowed to go home but Annette uses this as an excuse to get out of school. She turns up for her modelling final - and finds a huge queue of girls waiting. At the pool, Jeremy seems determined to be as annoying as possible. The swimming teacher, Mr Devereux, insists everyone stays out the water but no one listens and Annette's behaviour keeps Miss Hartley away. Jeremy throws Fay's bangle in the water and goes to retrieve it. The second time he does it, people assume he is showing off when he takes a long time at the bottom of the pool. The alarm is called and Mr Devereux dives in and tries, with Mr Baxter's help, to resuscitate Jeremy, but it's too late

Final appearance: Jeremy Irvine

7 Episode Seven Phil Redmond and Frances Galleymore David Bell 24 January 1984
N3 are struggling to come to terms with the shock Jeremy's death. Miss Gordon tries to reassure the class that it was his heart that gave out. Annette comes to school late, and seems calm and easy. Mr. Baxter offers his resignation because he feels responsible for Jeremy's death but Mrs. McClusky refuses to accept it. The United Nations weekend is looming, but Suzanne is unhappy to find she must wear school uniform. There have been fights with Brookdales again and more talk of merging the schools. Annette finally breaks down in tears when the reality of Jeremy's death sets in. Precious's hairdressing skills are put to the test on Christine.
8 Episode Eight Phil Redmond and Margaret Simpson TBA 27 January 1984
It's the weekend of the UN association's conference and Grange Hill are representing Tanzania. It doesn't take long for Stewpot and Duane to find female company. Pogo and Stewpot both show an interest in Trudy. Glenroy gets involved with other black kids and Suzanne finds herself left out. David Bellamy gives a speech on the World Food Problem and then the other countries have their say. Afterwards, Glenroy tells Claire she should 'tell it like it is' rather than dressing up her speech with fancy words. Suzanne and Claire go off for lunch with the 'Russian' delegates.

Featuring Gina Bellman as Trudy

9 Episode Nine Phil Redmond and Margaret Simpson TBA 31 January 1984
The UN association weekend continues and Claire hasn't turned up for the afternoon session because she's out with a boy who is from a public school. In a discussion about trade, Glenroy gets carried away on his rant about poverty, and Grange Hill's chance to talk is shortened. Glenroy's about to pack his bags and go, but is persuaded to stay. At the dinner dance, Claire waits for Guy whilst Stewpot waits for Trudy and then they find that their partners are an item. Fed-up Claire dances with upper-class twit John Eastlake, then runs off to her bedroom. Stewpot goes to find her, and persuades her to come back to the dance.

Featuring Gina Bellman as Trudy

10 Episode Ten Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Edward Pugh 3 February 1984
The girls have taken over the gym for gymnastic trials and Fay is fantastic at it. Sarah and Mandy are jealous of Fay and suggest that she prefers girls, especially Miss Gordon. This causes Fay a lot of upset and she runs away. Meanwhile, the boys run round the school to practice for the sponsored walk. Mr Baxter finds them behind the bins and makes them do 10 laps. While running round the block, Zammo and Kevin read a newspaper headline that confirms that Grange Hill will merge with Brookdale and Rodney Bennet. Miss Gordon tells Fay that she's been selected for the gymnastic team and can't understand her lack of enthusiasm.
11 Episode Eleven Phil Redmond and Jane Hollowood TBA 7 February 1984
Roly's taking bets on the participants of the sponsored walk. Stewpot asks Pogo to chat up Christine so can talk to Claire on her own. Jackie's walking with Zammo, but only just avoids meeting Gluxo. McClaren steals a butcher's boy's bike. Claire has a talk with Fay about the rumour of her having a crush on Miss Gordon and to put her at her ease talks about the time she used to write secret diaries about her and Mr Hopwood. Pogo runs off during the middle of the walk when he spies his St. Mary's girlfriend, Lucinda. He takes her to a café, but she is more interested in eating cream cakes than talking to him. Zammo and Jackie come across a depressed Roland, and then McClaren turns up, hotly pursued by an angry Gripper. Everyone goes their separate ways - including McClaren, who has a black and white dog on his trail.

Guest appearance: Gripper Stebson

12 Episode Twelve Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Nic Phillips 10 February 1984
Zammo hasn't given Gluxo's note to McClaren because Jackie's prevented him to get involved in the gang trouble. Suzanne feels she is growing out of school life and Mr McGuffy sympathizes with her situation but Mr Smart's harsh attitude causes her to walk out of school. Roland's father tells Janet that Roland's mother has left them and tells her to leave. Grange Hill go to the gangfight arranged between them and Brookdale at a warehouse and await for them to turn up. Suddenly, the front doors slam shut and a note from Gluxo is pushed underneath - it tells them that they are trespassing on private property. The sound of police sirens are heard shortly after...

Final appearance: Duane Orpington

13 Episode Thirteen Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Nic Phillips 14 February 1984
Diane continues to talk about her boyfriend. Annette comes in happy with a new Polaroid camera and shows off about how much money her mum gives her. Janet nags Roland incessantly trying to find out more about his missing mother. Mrs McClusky talks to her staff about the merger with Brookdale and Rodney Bennet. Annette is so upset about her missing camera that Julie relents and gives it back but Annette reacts violently. When Annette's getting changed, which she does only reluctantly, Julie notices she has bruises down her arms. The gym teacher also has noticed them and asks Annette about it privately, but she just claims she fell. Fay and Julie ask her about the bruises after the gym teacher leaves, the truth emerges as Annette explains that her mum hits her sometimes, when she is depressed.
14 Episode Fourteen Phil Redmond and Frances Galleymore Edward Pugh 17 February 1984
Mr McGuffy teaches Diane's class drama. Miss Gordon's has a nude life model planned for the art class, but Mrs McClusky might take some convincing. Diane has trouble keeping Mark up and fakes a photograph. She takes her mother's ring and claims it is an engagement ring from Mark. Diane's mum finds letters apparently from Mark, and is convinced Diane's up to no good, and forbids her to see Mark any more. After school, Diane seems to have been stood-up by an imaginary Mark. When Diane goes home, she finds her mother has realized the truth. After a heart-to-heart, Diane hands back the borrowed ring. The following day, Diane is crying - her "boyfriend" has moved up North.
15 Episode Fifteen Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Nic Phillips 21 February 1984
Julie and Fay talk about how Annette's mother hits her and they decide to speak to Miss Gordon. McClaren gets Roly to borrow a saw from metalwork and steal Annette's bike. Roland then takes it to the local second-hand shop, and sells it for twenty quid. Annette is found crying near her lost bike and Mr Knowles calls the police. Meanwhile, Miss Gordon has gone round to Annette's mother to talk about Annette's physical abuse. Mrs Firman breaks down and admits to hurting Annette and agrees that Annette should spend some time away from home. The next day, Annette is angry with Fay for telling Miss Gordon and they fight. Mr Knowles breaks up the fight and takes them to Mrs McClusky, who calms the situation, and tells her the bike has been found.
16 Episode Sixteen Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Nic Phillips 24 February 1984
Mr Knowles and Mr Baxter have taken N3 to the countryside on an orienteering course. Everyone pairs off, but Roland finds himself with Mr Baxter. Roland seems to be doing rather better at Orienteering than Mr Baxter. Mandy and Sarah hide a control marker, which causes Roland and Mr Baxter to get hopelessly lost. Mr Baxter tries to climb a steep slope, but slips back and is incapacitated. Back at camp, there's growing concern at the missing pair, and a search party commences. Mr Knowles tries and fails to find them and send everyone else back to the hostel, while a proper search and rescue is arranged. At the hostel, Sarah and Mandy admit they hid the control marker. As evening turns into night, things are looking awful but then Roland's whistle is heard. Mr Baxter goes to hospital for an x-ray and Roland is given a hero's welcome back at the hostel.
17 Episode Seventeen Phil Redmond and Jane Hollowood TBA 28 February 1984
It is exam time at Grange Hill but Pogo isn't worried because he has a job in double-glazing lined up. Stewpot panics in the first exam but Mrs McClusky shakes some sense into him. The art club is fed up with drawing twigs and really want a real life model. They manage to talk Mrs McClusky round, but just for the art club. Suzanne turns up in a Boy George outfit to meet her old classmates and talks to Mr McGuffy about the difficulty of finding work. News of the nude model spreads to the likes of lecherous Pogo and Miss Gordon is surprised to find new recruits applying for the art club. Suzanne finds herself left out when she turns up to meet Claire and bursts into tears and tells her life outside school isn't what she expected. She has an encouraging talk to Mr McGuffy about college courses.
18 Episode Eighteen Phil Redmond and Barry Purchese Edward Pugh 2 March 1984
It's the end of term and tempers are getting frayed setting up a disco and Glenroy's enormous sound system that can only play Reggae. In celebration of the merger with Rodney Bennet and Brookdale, some members of Rodney Bennet school are at Grange Hill. Zammo is pleased when Jackie turns up, but she tells him that two helpers behind the bar aren't Rodney Bennet at all and they are from Brookdale. Suzanne turns up and is put to use trying to convince Glenroy to share the sound system. Mr Baxter confronts the Brookdale kids when the takings seem low. McClaren works out that Gluxo's been receiving the money, and confronts him intent on emptying his pockets one way or the other. Annette blows her chance with the Rodney Bennet boy she fancies and Nigel's not having much luck. Mrs McClusky dances with Mr McGuffy while both Mr Smart and Mr. Howard are dismayed when Miss Gordon chooses Mr Knowles. Can Pogo's music work its magic for Claire and Stewpot?

Final appearance: Mr Keating, Mr McGuffy, Pogo Patterson, Mr Knowles, Suzanne Ross, Anita Unsworth, Glenroy, Rhandir Singh, Miss Gordon and more.


Release History

The seventh series of Grange Hill was released on DVD on 11 November 2019. This series includes English subtitles on all 18 episodes on three DVD discs, with format of 4:3 and total running time of 449 mins. (7hrs 29min)

In 2021 the seventh series was released on the streaming platform BritBox.

Notes

References