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Metro
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Fans 'in love' as they cancel plans to binge iconic 90s TV series
Byker Grove fans have been spending their weekends binging the iconic drama, which is now available to stream for the first time ever. The children's soap opera, which originally aired between 1989 and 2006, was added to STV Player earlier this month. It's just the latest in a long line of cult series that have been added to the Scottish streamer, joining Brookside, Take The High Road and New Zealand hit Shortland Street. Byker launched the careers of some of telly's biggest names including Ant and Dec and Jill Halfpenny, as well as Hollywood star Charlie Hunnam. The show follows the daily exploits of the children and staff who frequent a fictional youth club in the Byker district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Groundbreaking for the time, storylines included teenage pregnancy, homelessness, drug abuse and the first gay kiss on children's television. The scene, which saw Noddy Fishwick (Brett Adams) peck Gary Hendrix (George Trotter) on the cheek, saw calls for executive producer Matthew Robinson to lose his job. It's without a doubt that the best remembered episode concerns Ant McPartlin's character PJ being blinded in both eyes with a paintball gun. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Now, fans have flocked to social media to share their delight at the Grove's return to our screens, with one saying they were going to binge the episodes across a weekend. Emma said she was 'going to watch them all' after losing track in adulthood. 'Has anyone else let their kids watch it yet? I let my son (13) watch this morning for the first time, he has fallen in love with it,' asked Lee. In response, Raymond said: 'My kids are 12 and 16 and they love it. I live in Newcastle so I like to look at how things have changed from when I was young.' Superfan Zoe, who travelled seven hours to visit the show's filming location – a former tower house and pub which is now an Islamic school – added: 'Sadly, my kids just think it's really lame and old fashioned.' You can't please everyone! Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! Despite that, she might've made a breakthrough: 'Since I've started re-watching Byker Grove, my youngest has asked when we're going back to Newcastle.' 'Watching this as an adult brings a whole different perspective,' she continued, reflecting on a story that saw siblings Spuggie (Lyndann Barrass) and Fraser Campbell (John Jefferson) in care. More Trending 'Back then I thought the adults were being unreasonable.' Iain agreed: 'The storyline about Fraser's family life was really hard hitting. Never appreciated this at the time I watched it originally. 'Suppose that's what made it a really good programme as it didn't shy away from those issues.' View More » Series 1-13 of Byker Grove is available to stream on STV Player now , with further series coming soon. MORE: 90s Nintendo classic Mario Paint is now on Switch 2 with mouse controls MORE: Star Wars is getting a new trigger warning 26 years later MORE: All Neighbours spoilers for next week as 90s legend returns to Ramsay Street
Scottish Sun
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Legendary 90s kids show coming to streaming for first time ever – after launching the careers of TV's biggest stars
Scroll to find out where fans will be able to watch the beloved programme beloved series Legendary 90s kids show coming to streaming for first time ever – after launching the careers of TV's biggest stars Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ICONIC 90s kids show is coming to streaming for the first time ever. The popular show made multiple cast members into enduring household names. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Byker Grove is coming to streaming for the first time Credit: ITV/STV 4 The popular kids drama launched Ant & Dec's careers Credit: Alamy 4 Jill Halfpenny featured on Byker Grove early in her career Credit: Rex Features Classic episodes of Byker Grove will be available to stream for free on STV Player and ITVX. Ant & Dec featured prominently in the series, playing best friends P.J. and Duncan. The streaming services have partnered with Ant & Dec's production company Mitre Studios - which owns the rights to Byker Grove - in order to relaunch the series. Viewers across the UK can stream it now on STV Player and on ITVX from later this year. Ant & Dec's characters, PJ & Duncan were among the most popular and enjoyed chart success with eight Top 20 singles - including Let's Get Ready to Rhumble. Having launched on BBC One in 1989, Byker Grove fast became an after-school viewing staple for teenagers. The series takes place in Byker, Newcastle - while following the lives of young people at local youth club, the Grove. During its run, Byker Grove tackled social issues such as abortion, drug addiction and homophobia. In 1994, it also featured the first gay kiss on UK children's TV - when character Noddy Fishwick kissed his friend Gary Hendrix. Past cast members also include Jill Halfpenny, who featured from 1989 to 1992. Watch as Ant and Dec bring back their classic 90s Byker Grove roles - live on I'm A Celeb In addition, Donna Air starred in four series from 1992 until 1995. Byker Grove follows another legendary British drama, Brookside onto STV Player. The streaming service relaunched classic episodes of the iconic Merseyside soap. Richard Williams, STV's Managing Director, Audience: Video & Technology, said: 'Just when you thought the 90s revival might have been slowing down, we've only gone and brought back one of the seminal TV shows of the decade. 'Byker Grove was an integral part of so many British childhoods and we're delighted that those original viewers – now of a slightly more mature vintage – can relive all the nostalgic action on STV Player. "And if any Gen Z viewers want to find out who really started the baggy trousers trend, look no further than Byker Grove!' Craig Morris, Managing Editor, ITV Channels & ITVX, said: 'We are so excited to bring this iconic coming-of-age series to ITVX, marking the first TV appearances of two ITV stalwarts. "Relive all the great moments with us later this year.' Ed Sleeman, MD at Mitre Studios added: 'We're delighted to be teaming up with ITVX and STV Player to give a new generation of viewers the opportunity to watch this iconic series from the start and to see where it all began for Ant & Dec.'
Metro
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Iconic 90s show featuring TV legends finally free to stream
Rejoice! For the first time ever , legendary children's soap opera Byker Grove is available to stream from the very beginning. The serial, which was set in a Newcastle youth club, originally aired on BBC One and CBBC between 1989 and 2006. Across 18 series, Byker acted as a platform for a number of North East youngsters to launch their careers including Jill Halfpenny and Donna Air. Most notably, Ant and Dec played best pals PJ and Duncan in the original episodes and will serve as executive producers and creative consultants on an upcoming reboot, which was announced in 2023. Here is what you need to know. Now, fans can go right back to the beginning and relive all of the Geordie drama on STV Player. Soaps fans will of course know the streaming service as the home of Brookside, which has been dropping classic eps weekly since 2023. They also own the rights to air New Zealand soap Shortland Street. Although STV is the Scottish version of ITV, viewers across the country can tune in regardless of where they live. It'll also land on ITVX later in the year. STV's Managing Director, Audience: Video & Technology, Richard Williams said: 'Just when you thought the 90s revival might have been slowing down, we've only gone and brought back one of the seminal TV shows of the decade. 'Byker Grove was an integral part of so many British childhoods and we're delighted that those original viewers – now of a slightly more mature vintage – can relive all the nostalgic action on STV Player. 'And if any Gen Z viewers want to find out who really started the baggy trousers trend, look no further than Byker Grove!' The show's brand was bought by Ant and Dec in 2008. STV has teamed up with their production company, Mitre, to bring the action to new audiences. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! Ed Sleeman, Managing Director at Mitre Studios added: 'We're delighted to be teaming up with ITVX and STV Player to give a new generation of viewers the opportunity to watch this iconic series from the start and to see where it all began for Ant & Dec.' More Trending Memorable stories across the years included PJ being blinded by a paintball gun, a gas explosion which killed youth leader Geoff (Billy Fane) and the first gay kiss on children's television. When Noddy Fishwick (Brett Adams) kissed Gary Hendrix (George Trotter) at the back of a cinema, there were calls for producer Matthew Robinson to be sacked. The first three series – comprised of 44 episodes – are available to view now, but Metro understands that the series will eventually be added in its entirety. View More » Stream Byker Grove on STV Player now. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: James Martin reveals extra precautions to protect himself after London attack MORE: This 'controversial' Buffy episode was replaced on TV with two hours' notice MORE: Ghost legend Patrick Swayze was 'the 10th choice' for iconic 90s movie
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Byker Grove makes surprise return to screens after 20 years with Ant and Dec
Byker Grove has been added to ITVX and STV after 20 years off our screens - and fans will be able to stream the iconic teen drama in full for free. The classic BBC show launched the careers of Ant and Dec, Jill Halfpenny and Donna Air when it first aired in 1989. Now, ITV has announced that it is adding Byker Grove to its streaming library, with the series arriving on ITVX later this year. Craig Morris, Managing Editor, ITV Channels & ITVX, said: 'We are so excited to bring this iconic coming-of-age series to ITVX, marking the first TV appearances of two ITV stalwarts. Relive all the great moments with us later this year.'
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jill Halfpenny opens up about the challenges of life as an actress - as she admits being out of work makes her feel 'pointless'
Jill Halfpenny has opened up about the challenges of being an actress - and how long periods out of work make her feel 'pointless'. The Strictly Come Dancing winner, 49, who recently starred in Channel 5 drama The Feud, said as she gets older the lack of structure in an actor's life has gotten harder. And Jill admitted that she's quick to warn up and coming performers about the dark days of being out of work. 'When ever anyone asks me for advice about being an actor, I always say, "How to do you operate in your downtime", because they are the most challenging times,' she said. 'The work when it arrives is easy, but it's when you're in your own head, going, "I'm so pointless". I literally need to put points in my day to make me feel that there's a point to me being here today.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The Byker Grove star continued: 'When I am out of work and I've been out of work so much in my career, I've had long spells when I am not doing anything and I realise that I like structure, for my day to be punctuated with certain things. 'I really struggle, maybe now more than ever with just waking up and my boyfriend will say, "So what have you got on today." 'In my head I am saying "Nothing, absolutely nothing." I have to give myself structure and its mentally hard.' Speaking on Sophie Ellis Bextor's Spinning Plates podcast, the Geordie actress revealed that she sometimes envies her friend with their so called, normal jobs. 'Some of my friends don't like their jobs and they'll say, "Oh I've got an 8.30am meeting and it's with a person I hate and I've got a two hour meeting with them". 'And I find myself thinking, "I wish I had a meeting with someone I didn't like" because at least it would be something and I'd have something to whinge about, like "Oh that meeting was dreadful." 'But no, there's nothing to say, you're out of work, never knowing if you'll work again. You have the faith and think, logically something will come up, but there are no facts there.' TV favourite Jill has come through a tragic time following the death of her partner Matt James, who collapsed at his local gym from a heart attack in 2017, aged just 43. The terrible event was especially triggering for the star, who had been through the trauma of losing her own father to sudden heart failure after he died playing football when Jill was only 4 years old. Writing in her recent Memoir, A life Reimagined, she spoke about how the aftershock of her father's death led to a period of unprocessed grief in her 20s. She said: 'I realised a lot of my behaviour was down to this unprocessed grief. I got divorced, I stopped drinking alcohol and then it all seemed so clear – the jigsaw pieces fit.' But then when she was forced to go through a season of grief in her 40s, she now feels that she emerged, a 'better person.' 'Grief has made me a better person. Processing the grief has softened me and I've become less judgemental about myself. I am my own worst critic, but I have got better,' she said. Now Jill, who is based in Newcastle, has found love again with marketing executive Ian McAllister and the pair recently enjoyed a romantic trip to Paris together. In her memoir she said: She said: 'For the first time since Matt died, I have met someone and fallen in love. 'The relationship has helped me understand the importance of all the work I have done before I met him. 'I can allow myself to be happy and in love without feeling any guilt. I can be vulnerable and scared and understand where it's coming from. 'I can be free and open, allowing myself to be seen without fear of abandonment. Jill was previously married to actor Craig Conway from 2007 until 2010 and together they are parents to 17-year-old son Harvey.
