I’ve resumed by long-delayed re-watch of Grange Hill, starting up again with probably it’s most infamous series. In the opening months of 1986, the show’s ninth series caused a huge stir.
I’m trying to remember if we, as viewers, knew the big reveal about Zammo’s drug addiction before we saw it on screen. I have a feeling we were primed for it by discussions and items on other shows, but what’s clear is that once the storyline was announced, it caused a furore.
On Thursday 5th September 1985, this was the Mirror’s front page:
If it was splashed this big in the Mirror, no doubt the S*n did the same. It made the local papers too.
While they didn’t name the character, it must have clearly been on our minds that autumn, and come the new year, we were given the clues and left to make our own guesses.
Immediately after the series finale though, they had a follow up special edition of Newsround.
