Phoenix Rise

Children’s TV hasn’t been the same without Grange Hill, Phil Redmond’s seminal series, but the new kid on the block, Phoenix Rise, is taking up the baton for teen drama.

It’s singularly British: realistic and gritty, but also laugh-out-loud funny – and never patronising. With an urban soundtrack and a diverse cast, American high-school glamour thankfully feels a world away.

As Matt Evans, co-creator of the 20-part BBC iPlayer series, admits, “There has been a Grange Hill-shaped hole in the schedule.”

Set in a West Midlands school, the series will follow a diverse group of troublesome teens who are trying to find their path in mainstream education after being excluded. 

Nicholls will play Carl, the dad of 15-year-old Billy and 11-year-old Rihanna, who goes missing while on a driving job in Europe, leaving the two kids all alone for months. 

The six misfits come together to show that being an outsider is the best club to be in, forming unlikely friendships that help boost them and their determination to not be left on the sidelines.