A Beginners Guide to Byker Grove:

The idea for Byker Grove came about when Anna Home, the BBC Head of Children's programmes wanted a Teen Drama Series that was new and different. Byker Grove was created by Andrea Wonfor and Adele Rose and Matthew Robinson (a veteran TV director) was commissioned as the producer. Matthew Robinson was later succeeded by Helen Gregory (who'd worked as the script editor for numerous years) as the producer of the series and it has continued to grow from strength to strength.

Andrea Wonfor the then Head of Zenith North.

Adele Rose, creator of Byker Grove.

Now Britain's best-loved and most popular teen drama, with a viewing audience of over six million -currently awaiting it's Tenth Series -Byker Grove continues to impress fans and critics alike by the way it deals with serious contemporary issues affecting young people. Examples of the numerous hard-hitting stories have included teenage crime, drug addiction, single parenting, racism, exercise addiction, and a gay relationship.

Byker Grove is probably so appealing to it's younger audience because it's about young people passing through a transitional stage in their development - that awkward stage between childhood and the inevitable traumas of the teenage years.

Byker Grove is set in an inner city suburb in Newcastle with easy access to the city centre, the river Tyne, the quayside and the Metro centre. It is also close enough to the edge of the town to allow access to the countryside.

Run by the "indefatigible" Geoff Keegan, and Sian, the Grove is much, much more than just a Youth Club.