The Grimleys
The Grimleys is a nostalgic comedy-drama television series set on a council estate in Dudley, West Midlands, England in the mid-1970s. It was first broadcast by Granada TV for ITV in 1999, following a pilot in 1997, and concluded in 2001 after three series. The show was written by Jed Mercurio, who had trained as a doctor and whose first series, Cardiac Arrest - written under the pseudonym 'John MacUre' - had attracted critical plaudits for its dark portrayal of life in a disintegrating British National Health Service. The filming of the school took place in Salford, Buile Hill High, Hope High and Pendleton College, although the filming of the characters' homes actually took place some 80 miles away in the Dudley area itself; around Parkes Hall Road on the Dudley-Sedgley border.
It's now 1978 and Britain is experiencing the punk revolution. Poor Miss Titley has been in a coma since her accident in 1975. Lovestruck Gordon, who is now a trainee English teacher, has visited her everyday to hold her hand and read her his poems.
Gordon takes an instant dislike to the new woodwork teacher.
Mr Holder is concerned that Miss Titley's new look will cause too much disturbance among the male pupils. Gordon enjoys camping it up on stage in the school's production of Where Eagles Dare: The Musical, until his masculinity is questioned. Geraldine is smitten with new teacher Dave.
Mr Holder is terrified when he finds out that formidable inspector Mrs Robbins is due to visit his school. Gordon discovers that she's also a scary seductress when she offers him some hands-on tuition back in her hotel room.
Dave Trebilcock decides to cool things down with Miss Titley when their relationship becomes the talk of the school. In order to rekindle his interest, Miss Titley makes him an offer no man could refuse, and it's all in the name of art. Darren, the school's resident punk, is caught selling nude photos in the tuck shop.
Gordon becomes a punk guru.
Digby aims to fill the school's trophy cabinet - with the first coming in a cricket match against a posh school.
Digby runs for his life.
Geraldine decides it's time for some sex education for her students.
Doug takes up English teaching.
Gordon plans a romantic evening with Geraldine under the stars - at Jodrell Bank.
Digby finds his dream home.
Gordon is jealous as Darren is hailed as a genius.
Gordon finally gets a girlfriend.
Gordon moves in with the Titleys.
Gordon has a chance to fulfil his dream of wooing Geraldine at the Christmas skating gala.
When Miss Titley puts on a production of Romeo And Juliet, young Gordon is first to volunteer for the part of the male lead.
Geraldine invites a former pupil to give a careers talk, which makes Doug insanely jealous, while Baz thinks it's about time Gordon stopped filling his head with dreams of university and got a proper job.
Doug puffs his chest out for the highlight of PE teachers' year, The Golden Whistle Awards. He is a bit too grand to take Geraldine and instead takes the Amazonian PE mistress, Miss Thing.
Gordon tries every trick in the book to stop leering love rival Doug Digby from whisking winsome Geraldine off for a dirty weekend.
Doug Digby may think he's a hard man, but he's a softie compared with his dad. Digby senior drops in on his son, spit-roasts his pet piglet for bacon sarnies and leaves Doug a quivering mess.
Lovelorn Gordon tries to convince Miss Titley that Digby is nothing but a brute, but she will have none of it until the grudge match against a team led by his arch-rival Ron Atkinson.
Comedy set in 1975, which tells the story of teenager Gordon Grimley's unrequited love for his English teacher and his attempts to outwit a formidable romantic rival - the thuggish sports master. Part of Granada Television's 'Comedy Premieres' strand.
| Location | |
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| Language | English |
| Release | 1999-03-08 |
| Producer |