Sir Phil Redmond, creator of TV shows Grange Hill and Hollyoaks, has criticised modern broadcasting for lacking courage. Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Sir Phil argued that gritty programming is important, especially for today’s youth. He also suggested that watchdog rules should be broken more often, and singled out social media as an area requiring frank discussion through TV dramas.
Sir Phil was joined on the programme by Lord Michael Grade, Chairman of Ofcom, and Grange Hill star Michelle Gayle. Lord Grade argued there was “absolutely no harm at all” in upsetting Ofcom. He also praised Grange Hill for changing youth TV from “the world of Enid Blyton” to more realistically reflecting young people’s anxieties about growing up.
Gayle said she was never labelled a “diversity hire” during her time on Grange Hill. She identified a real issue with “TV getting a grip, getting young boys to watch so they are outside this toxic echo chamber [of social media]”. Meanwhile Sir Phil said social media itself was the problem to tackle and suggested Grange Hill used to offer solutions to young people and the message that “you’re not on your own”.
Grange Hill was a BBC series that ran from 1978 to 2008. It was known for exploring racism along with drug abuse, mental illness, teenage pregnancy and HIV and AIDS, and was praised for its gritty social realism
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