Press Gang
| Press Gang | |
|---|---|
Opening titles
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| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Created by |
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| Written by | Steven Moffat |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 43 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Lewis Rudd |
| Producer(s) | Sandra C. Hastie |
| Camera setup | Single camera |
| Running time | 25mins |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV Network (CITV) |
| Original release | 16 January 1989 – 21 May 1993 |
Press Gang is a British children's television comedy-drama consisting of 43 episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993. It was produced by Richmond Film & Television for Central, and screened on the ITV network in its regular weekday afternoon children's strand, Children's ITV, typically in a 4:45 pm slot (days varied over the course of the run).
Aimed at older children and teenagers, the programme was based on the activities of a children's newspaper, the Junior Gazette, produced by pupils from the local comprehensive school. In later series it was depicted as a commercial venture. The show interspersed comedic elements with the dramatic. As well as addressing interpersonal relationships (particularly in the Lynda-Spike story arc), the show tackled issues such as solvent abuse, child abuse and firearms control.
Written by ex-teacher Steven Moffat, more than half the episodes were directed by Bob Spiers, a noted British comedy director who had previously worked on classics such as Fawlty Towers. Critical reception was very positive, particularly for the quality of the writing, and the series has attracted a cult following with a wide age range.
Famous journalist Matt Kerr (Clive Wood) arrives from Fleet Street to edit the local newspaper. He sets up a junior version of the paper, The Junior Gazette, to be produced by pupils from the local comprehensive school before and after school hours.
Some of the team are "star pupils", but others have reputations for delinquency. One such pupil, Spike Thompson (Dexter Fletcher), is forced to work on the paper rather than being expelled from school. He is immediately attracted to editor Lynda Day (Julia Sawalha), but they bicker, throwing one-liners at each other. Their relationship develops and they have an on-off relationship. They regularly discuss their feelings, especially in the concluding episodes of each series. In the final episode of the third series, "Holding On", Spike unwittingly expresses his strong feelings to Lynda while being taped. Jealous of his American girlfriend, Zoe, Lynda puts the cassette on Zoe's personal stereo, ruining their relationship. The on-screen chemistry between the two leads was reflected off-screen as they became an item for several years.
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Wikipedia