Grange Hill. Series Two – Episode Eleven | Archive Television Musings

Written by Phil Redmond. Tx 6th February 1979

SAG are becoming increasingly militant. The first flashpoint occurs over a dispute in the school canteen, but much to their dismay Mr Llewellyn accedes to their demands. So they decide to target extra-curricular sport activities – which means that they’ll meet Mr Baxter head on …..

This episode is a fascinating time capsule of the period. Industrial unrest was an everyday occurrence in late 1970’s Britain and here we see that Grange Hill isn’t immune. SAG decide to organise picket-lines across the changing-rooms and do their best to stop their fellow pupils crossing them. The rhetoric spouted by Jess and her followers has become increasingly heated. Whereas in the earlier episodes it was possible to believe that they had a genuine desire to abolish school uniform on a point of principle, here it appears that they’re simply looking for any cause that’ll allow them to create the maximum amount of disruption.

Was this Phil Redmond having a none too subtle dig at the unions? The speedy resolution of the canteen crisis seems to confirm this, as Jess seems very disappointed that Mr Llewellyn accepted that all their points were valid. The problem centered around a table designated for those (such as Benny) who were receiving free school dinners. The stigma this causes, which Doyle gleefully uses to pick a fight with Tucker and Benny, has been a bone of contention for some time.

There’s another example of (mild) bad language, which is nevertheless a surprise to hear. But this pales into insignificance when Jess stands on the table, insisting that the Headmaster is brought to them immediately. Others follow suit and all of the pupils make a lot of noise. It’s not exactly a riot, but it’s still a scene that would have no doubt provided more ammunition for those who contended that Grange Hill was a bad influence.

When Mr Llewellyn arrives, Jess outlines their grievances. “This is merely a demonstration to highlight the humiliation, the degradation and the embarrassment a lot of students have to suffer. Not only due to their family circumstances, but because they’re forced into a situation which stigmatizes the poor.” It’s another dramatic moment which shows how the series had evolved from the fairly low-key first series.

Tucker is also able to wring from the Headmaster another concession – that the older pupils will no longer serve the younger ones with their meals. He’s unhappy that some, like Booga Benson, have been short-changing them. This is the first time that Booga (later to become Tucker’s nemesis) is mentioned but it’ll be some time before we actually see him in the flesh.

Mr Baxter later refers to the SAG committee as louts and there’s a telling confrontation between him and the SAG leaders on the playing fields. They might be able to intimidate some of the other teachers, but there’s no doubt that Mr Baxter isn’t going to back down. However, he does require the help of some of the older pupils (led by Gary Hargreaves) to ensure that the cricket team (heading off to play a match against Brookdale) are able to reach the school bus unmolested.

Several players are pressurised to step down, so Tucker, Alan and Justin step in. This leads to some classic comedy moments between Tucker and Mr Baxter. Tucker is keen as mustard – he wants to be the wicket-keeper, but Mr Baxter tells him to get out into the field instead. And when it’s their turn to bat, he’s constantly trying to get onto the pitch, but Baxter tells him that he’ll only get a turn when he’s given up hope!

If I had seen this episode back when originally shown (I was exactly one year, one month and one day old!), I might not have been so interested, as I’ve never much been into sports, and a significant chunk of this one is indeed sport based (cricket. I’ve always felt I WANT to like cricket, the gentleman’s game, but still never have…). But thankfully, there’s still enough good moments in this one, to keep the interest level up regardless. And much of that is, once again, to do with Jessica Samuel’s, that delightfully protester-of-everthing.

The scene in the dining room, where Tucker dares to sit with free-meals Benny – pupils who recieve free meals are supposed to sit away from the other pupils on their own designated table. Tucker – in rebellious if misguided “standing up for what’s right” mode which made him such a popular character – feels this is wrong and has joined him. When Tucker rightly points out to Jess – who has already been strongarmed him and other pupils to wear their blazers inside-out to protest about school uniforms – should have supported him, she naturally sees it as the latest opportunity to kick up a fuss and protest. I really like how she’s portrayed as a character passionate about simply always having to prove some point, cause some commotion, regardless of what the cause actually is.

The ensuing trouble, with her and various other pupils up on the canteen tables protesting, is the most badly behaved we’ve seen GH pupils behave up until now (it will be surpassed in the next episode…), is is a really good scene; made even better by the way Mr. Llewellyn agrees and and compromises with many of their points – much to the visible irritation of Jess, a great moment! Llewellyn is quite an interesting character – really in tune with school life and how to deal with problems in one respect, and yet completely out of touch or unreasonable when it comes to some other things (including the issue with Cathy and Miss Summers over the previous two episodes).

Incidentally, regarding the mildly “bad” language which Series Two occasionally features more of than most other years, there is a notable instance before the protest, when Doyle and an accomplice are trying to bully Benny for receiving free meals, to which Doyle’s sidekick taunts “Your dad’s always bleedin’ sick, ain’t he”.
Additionally, Mr. Llewellyn is dealing with the protest, Tucker makes mention of “Booger Benson”, yet to actually appear on-screen, but the blog is actually incorrect – it’s actually the second time the name has been mentioned in the series (the first was in s01e06), although there’s nothing yet to suggest him as being a menacing bully. I may be wrong, but I hazily recall a very old interview where Phil Redmond mentioned the name/nickname belonging to someone from his own schooldays.

Elsewhere, we get some more Justin and Andrew “action”, if you can call it that, not having seen much of this pairing since the events of Episode Three. I genuinely love – obviously allowing for Andrew’s problems at home – how delightfully innocent these two are, Andrew’s occasional love of novelty joke props about as boisterous as exuberant as things ever got. Although at school I would have wanted to have either been friends with Tucker or to BE Tucker, in truth I would have been much more like these two and would have probably drifted towards them.

This is also a Baxter-heavy episode, and any episode to feature one of Grange Hill’s best ever teachers is good in by book. When Jess and her S.A.G. cohorts try to protest in various ways about uniforms, it gives Michael Cronin some great moments to get his teeth into, an always very watchable actor.
The outwitting of S.A.G. with the the school van, packed with a lot of older boys whom Jess wouldn’t dare stand up to, is wonderful – it would have been my talking point for several weeks! – and the look on the again outwitted Jess’s face is priceless.

The rest of the episode is cricket stuff. Meh. Not of major interest to me, but “star” player Andrew going out early on, Tucker continually boasting how good he is, and Justin – only pestered into playing just to make up the numbers – turning the tables and helping win the match. Considering what a quiet and not always popular boy Justin was, it’s maybe a shame his newly acquired hero status wasn’t followed up on in the subsequent episode, as there might have been some good material there.
The sports sections drag a bit for me, but the great S.A.G. and Baxter stuff make this another enjoyable episode.
(By the way, since Episode 6Alan seems to have managed to convert Tucker into a chess player, as they are seen to be sat playing together on Alan’s travel chess set during this episode!)

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2 thoughts on “Grange Hill. Series Two – Episode Eleven”

steveresin says:

July 24, 2022 at 9:40 pm

Nice to see Keith Jayne of Stig of the Dump and Murphy’s Mob make an appearance here as an extra, helping Cathy’s brother keep SAG away from the minibus.

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P.j. Gathergood says:

July 9, 2025 at 7:07 pm

If I had seen this episode back when originally shown (I was exactly one year, one month and one day old!), I might not have been so interested, as I’ve never much been into sports, and a significant chunk of this one is indeed sport based (cricket. I’ve always felt I WANT to like cricket, the gentleman’s game, but still never have…). But thankfully, there’s still enough good moments in this one, to keep the interest level up regardless. And much of that is, once again, to do with Jessica Samuel’s, that delightfully protester-of-everthing.

The scene in the dining room, where Tucker dares to sit with free-meals Benny – pupils who recieve free meals are supposed to sit away from the other pupils on their own designated table. Tucker – in rebellious if misguided “standing up for what’s right” mode which made him such a popular character – feels this is wrong and has joined him. When Tucker rightly points out to Jess – who has already been strongarmed him and other pupils to wear their blazers inside-out to protest about school uniforms – should have supported him, she naturally sees it as the latest opportunity to kick up a fuss and protest. I really like how she’s portrayed as a character passionate about simply always having to prove some point, cause some commotion, regardless of what the cause actually is.

The ensuing trouble, with her and various other pupils up on the canteen tables protesting, is the most badly behaved we’ve seen GH pupils behave up until now (it will be surpassed in the next episode…), is is a really good scene; made even better by the way Mr. Llewellyn agrees and and compromises with many of their points – much to the visible irritation of Jess, a great moment! Llewellyn is quite an interesting character – really in tune with school life and how to deal with problems in one respect, and yet completely out of touch or unreasonable when it comes to some other things (including the issue with Cathy and Miss Summers over the previous two episodes).

Incidentally, regarding the mildly “bad” language which Series Two occasionally features more of than most other years, there is a notable instance before the protest, when Doyle and an accomplice are trying to bully Benny for receiving free meals, to which Doyle’s sidekick taunts “Your dad’s always bleedin’ sick, ain’t he”.
Additionally, Mr. Llewellyn is dealing with the protest, Tucker makes mention of “Booger Benson”, yet to actually appear on-screen, but the blog is actually incorrect – it’s actually the second time the name has been mentioned in the series (the first was in s01e06), although there’s nothing yet to suggest him as being a menacing bully. I may be wrong, but I hazily recall a very old interview where Phil Redmond mentioned the name/nickname belonging to someone from his own schooldays.

Elsewhere, we get some more Justin and Andrew “action”, if you can call it that, not having seen much of this pairing since the events of Episode Three. I genuinely love – obviously allowing for Andrew’s problems at home – how delightfully innocent these two are, Andrew’s occasional love of novelty joke props about as boisterous as exuberant as things ever got. Although at school I would have wanted to have either been friends with Tucker or to BE Tucker, in truth I would have been much more like these two and would have probably drifted towards them.

This is also a Baxter-heavy episode, and any episode to feature one of Grange Hill’s best ever teachers is good in by book. When Jess and her S.A.G. cohorts try to protest in various ways about uniforms, it gives Michael Cronin some great moments to get his teeth into, an always very watchable actor.
The outwitting of S.A.G. with the the school van, packed with a lot of older boys whom Jess wouldn’t dare stand up to, is wonderful – it would have been my talking point for several weeks! – and the look on the again outwitted Jess’s face is priceless.

The rest of the episode is cricket stuff. Meh. Not of major interest to me, but “star” player Andrew going out early on, Tucker continually boasting how good he is, and Justin – only pestered into playing just to make up the numbers – turning the tables and helping win the match. Considering what a quiet and not always popular boy Justin was, it’s maybe a shame his newly acquired hero status wasn’t followed up on in the subsequent episode, as there might have been some good material there.
The sports sections drag a bit for me, but the great S.A.G. and Baxter stuff make this another enjoyable episode.
(By the way, since Episode 6Alan seems to have managed to convert Tucker into a chess player, as they are seen to be sat playing together on Alan’s travel chess set during this episode!)

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