Phoenix Rise: Kids’ drama rises from the ashes
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.”