Hope and Glory (TV series)

Hope and Glory
DVD cover
Genre	Drama
Created by	Lucy Gannon
Directed by	Juliet May and others
Starring	Lenny Henry Amanda Redman Clive Russell Gillian Kearney
Theme music composer	Nick Bicât
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	16
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mal Young and Lucy Gannon
Producer(s)	Nicolas Brown
Running time	50 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC One
Original release	22 June 1999 – 5 November 2000
Chronology
Related shows	Waterloo Road

Hope and Glory is a BBC television drama about a comprehensive school struggling with financial, staffing and disciplinary problems, and faced with closure. It starred Lenny Henry as maverick "Superhead" Ian George, enlisted to turn around the school's fortunes.

It was created by Lucy Gannon, who had previously created Soldier Soldier, and was inspired by a real head teacher named William Atkinson, who had turned around a secondary school in London which had been placed into special measures.

Ian George, the head of an exclusive school, is asked to take a look at Hope Park Comprehensive School, which is in special measures, and asked to confirm its closure. When he visits the school, he's greeted by disaffected students and teachers alike. The sixth form centre was derelict after it was torched a few years previously, and the music room is full of expensive equipment, unused because the school could not attract a music teacher. The outgoing head (Peter Davison) breaks down during his farewell speech and delivers an emotional rant against the students, telling them how worthless they are.

After meeting staff and pupils at the school, in particular pupil Keeley Porter and teacher Debbie "Debs" Bryan, Ian George believes there is some hope for the school. He is offered help by the chair of governors, whose son died young and would have been at the school. Ian turns down a Governmental job to take over as the new Head.

With the help of Deputy Head "Debs" (Redman), George rectified these issues. He identified the talents of rebellious students, and the music equipment was finally used.

Romances developed between Ian and Debs, and Tony (Lee Warburton) and Sally (Sara Stephens).

Philip Whitchurch played Derek, the chair of governors, who was desperate to save the school. The refurbished and replenished library was subsequently dedicated to his dead son. The Chief Education Officer was played by Richard Griffiths.

Bushey Hall School in Watford, Francis Coombe School in Watford and Langleybury School in Three Rivers, Hertfordshire, were used as locations for the school.

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