Phil Redmond says BBC should axe Grange Hill!

http://www.grangehill.net

I doubt many people are surprised by the news although the timing of the announcement - just two days before the show's official 30th birthday - is most ironic.

Sad as it is, I believe it's the right decision.

It's the right time to retire the show, it's been a part of my life for almost 15 years, so I will be sad to see it go.

This says it all about CBBC really - it doesn't matter because they've commissioned a couple of news reports instead:

""Yesterday we announced two Newsround specials tackling divorce and knife crime and we will continue to make programmes about the ups and downs of contemporary Britain."


Surely the future of Newsround must now be in doubt considering all the Harry Potter books have now been released?

I see that Anne Gilchrist is now "controller of CBBC". When did this happen?

When you were in the can.

Early 2006 i think, shes been in the job quite a while now. She's in charge of CBBC, with Michael Carrington in charge of CBeebies. I though there jobs were called 'creative directors' but perhaps they've now changed that. But its just a change of name, nothing else. Richard Deverall is still in charge of the whole department.

I will be very very very surprised if Blue Peter is still going by the end of this decade at this rate. I think the thing is that we're now in the generation of the internet, and TV on demand, and about 20 different kids channels all widely available - something which just ten years ago you wouldn't have been able to say.

ITV1 gave up years ago, and sadly I can see the BBC doing the same in the near future.

I would consider you to be the expert in this field, Bill, given we've watched you grow to adulthood on this very board.

I'm just quite pleased that I got to enjoy Saturday morning kids telly like Swap Shop, and the heyday of Pip Schofield in the broom cupboard etc etc. Its all changed now.

It'll only ever run out of subjects if panda bears become extinct.

Of course it is sad to hear of the axing of Grange Hill , but in its present state, it should, IMO, at least be 'rested' (á la Doctor Who ). The quality of it has been falling steadily since around 2000, and with the previous few series has gone into a nosedive.

Does this mean we won't see The Grange 's 'multimedia learning centre'? I feel CBBC's output would be better if it didn't rely on a few ancient iMacs, some beanbags and a cubicle with a green screen.

I Will Miss Grange Hill!

I Loved The 90s Theme!

I Remember Alot Of The Old Grange Hill on CBBC's Saturday Aardvark!

Sad to see it go - I always used to watch this as a kid.

More info - http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/tv/features/article.aspx?cp-documentid=6900043

Newsround has just run a piece on Grange Hill's demise. Ironically the reporter was Lizo, who also did the "move to Liverpool" report in 2002.

If anyone managed to record the piece could they please contact me? Thanks.