The Dumping Ground | |
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Genre | Children's drama |
Based on | The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson |
Directed by | Various |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Jeremy Holland-Smith |
Composer | Simon Rogers [1] |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 11 |
No. of episodes | (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
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Production locations | Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Series 1) High Spen, Gateshead (Series 2–4, 9–10) Rowlands Gill, Gateshead (Series 2–8) Morpeth, Northumberland (Series 5–8) Hexham, Northumberland (Series 11-) |
Animator | David Gregory (series 1–6) |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 28 minutes (regular episodes) |
Production companies | BBC Children's Productions (2018–2022) BBC Studios Kids & Family (2022–) [2] |
Original release | |
Network | CBBC |
Release | 4 January 2013 – present |
The Dumping Ground (also informally referred to as The DG) is a British children's television drama series that focuses on the lives and experiences of young people who live in a children's home with their care workers in care. The series has broadcast ten series, the show has continuously aired on CBBC since its inception in 2013. The series is a continuation of Tracy Beaker Returns , which aired from 2010 to 2012, and is the third television series in the Tracy Beaker franchise.
The Dumping Ground broadcast its 100th episode on 16 March 2018, which was the tenth episode of series six. [3] [4]
In 2024, the eleventh series of The Dumping Ground marked a complete revamp of the show, including a new house, new title sequence and logo, and the animated sequences are no longer a part of the show. [5]
The series revolves around the life of children in a care home; typically each episode follows one or more characters' life and includes subplots featuring other characters. The Dumping Ground deals with issues related to the care system as well as social issues such as friendships, family, relationships, mental health, adolescence, racism and LGBT parenting. [6]
The first series, consisting of thirteen, thirty-minute episodes, was commissioned in March 2012. [7] [8] A second series, also with thirteen, thirty-minute episodes, was announced in May 2013. [9] The third and fourth series, announced in 2014 and 2015 respectively, both had an increase in episodes: twenty, thirty-minute episodes. [10] In 2018, it was confirmed that two further series, with 24 episodes in each series, would be made. [11] [12]
The first series was produced in summer 2012 at the former La Sagesse convent school in the Jesmond area of Newcastle-upon-Tyne which had previously been used throughout Tracy Beaker Returns. The former Fathers' house was used as the exterior of Elm Tree House, whilst the show's interior scenes were filmed in a grander building elsewhere on the same site. Property owners Barratt Homes decided to redevelop the school buildings into a luxury housing estate following the first series and production was forced to move to another area of Newcastle. The recognisable cream and red exterior of Elm Tree House has since been demolished in 2014 though the building used for interior scenes partially remains intact.
Between series two and four, interior scenes were filmed at the former Hookergate School in High Spen, Gateshead, which had previously been used as the Bradlington High School in CBBC series Wolfblood. A nearby children's respite care home, Kites Rise, on Smaile's Lane in Rowlands Gill doubled as the exterior of new care home Ashdene Ridge. The move was addressed in the series 2 opener, in which residents and staff can be seen unpacking boxes and bags. The nearby housing estates in Rowlands Gill doubled as the fictional surrounding Talbot Ward area of Pottiswood, where the show is set. The exact location of Pottiswood has never been explicitly said within the programme, though landmarks such as the Tyne Bridge have been seen across the various series and characters have addressed the fact that they are in the North East of England. In Series 10, it is shown on a map to be north west of Ponteland in Northumberland. The garden exterior scenes were filmed against the back of a building at Hookergate School, and therefore did not accurately match the exterior of the front of Kites Rise.
From series five, the filming of interior care home scenes and garden scenes were moved to the former Loansdean Fire Station in Morpeth, Northumberland following Gateshead Council's decision to redevelop the Hookergate School. Kites Rise's façade continue to double as Ashdene Ridge.
Principal filming returned to the Hookergate School in series 9, and following a change of ownership at Kites Rise a replica of the building's frontage was constructed around an old caretaker's house on the school site. The replica is noticeably smaller than the real building and in wide shots the adjoining garage can be seen just to be a wooden façade. The original chimney of the caretaker's house can be seen above the Ashdene Ridge roof. This arrangement continued into series 10.
In the final episode of Series 10, Ashdene Ridge caught on fire and therefore production moved to a former middle school in Hexham for Series 11, doubling as the interior and exterior of new care home Porter's Lodge. [13]
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 13 | 4 January 2013 | 15 March 2013 | |
2 | 13 | 10 January 2014 | 28 March 2014 | |
3 | 20 | 10 | 14 January 2015 | 13 March 2015 |
10 | 5 October 2015 | 8 December 2015 | ||
4 | 20 | 10 | 28 January 2016 | 25 March 2016 |
10 | 29 September 2016 | 2 December 2016 | ||
5 | 22 | 12 | 20 January 2017 | 31 March 2017 |
10 | 12 October 2017 | 15 December 2017 | ||
6 | 24 | 12 | 11 January 2018 | 30 March 2018 |
12 | 20 September 2018 | 7 December 2018 | ||
7 | 24 | 12 | 4 January 2019 | 15 March 2019 |
12 | 27 September 2019 | 6 December 2019 | ||
8 | 24 | 12 | 11 January 2020 | 27 March 2020 |
12 | 25 September 2020 | 5 February 2021 | ||
9 | 20 | 10 | 11 June 2021 | 13 August 2021 |
10 | 21 January 2022 | 25 March 2022 | ||
10 | 20 | 10 | 30 September 2022 | 2 December 2022 |
10 | 21 April 2023 | 23 June 2023 | ||
11 | TBC | 10 | 26 January 2024 | TBC |
TBC | TBC | TBC |
Ceremony | Award | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2013 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards | Best Children's Television Script | Elly Brewer for "What Would Gus Want?" | Won |
Emma Reeves for "The Truth is Out There" | Nominated | ||
2013 British Academy Children's Awards [14] | Best Drama | The Dumping Ground | Won |
2014 British Academy Children's Awards [15] | BAFTA Kid's Vote – Television | The Dumping Ground | Nominated |
Best Actor | Kia Pegg as Jody Jackson | Nominated | |
2015 British Academy Children's Awards [16] | Best Drama | The Dumping Ground | Nominated |
Interactive: Adapted in 2015 | The Dumping Ground: You're The Boss | Won | |
2016 Royal Television Society North East and the Border Awards | Drama in 2016 | The Dumping Ground | Won |
2016 British Academy Children's Awards [17] | Best Drama | The Dumping Ground | Nominated |
2018 Royal Television Society NETB Awards | Best Drama (Long Form) | Ian Kershaw for "Farvel" [18] | Nominated |
Performance of the Year | Annabelle Davis [19] | Won | |
Lewis G Hamilton [20] | Nominated | ||
Rising Star | Jordan Barrett, Script Editor [21] | Nominated | |
Rachel Smee, Make Up Trainee [21] | Nominated | ||
Professional Excellence – Costume and Make-up | Michael Birtley [22] | Won | |
2018 British Academy Children's Awards | Performer | Annabelle Davis [23] | Nominated |
2019 Royal Television Society NETB Awards | Best Drama (Long Form) | Ian Kershaw for "Heroes" [24] | Won |
2019 British Academy Children's Awards | Best Drama | The Dumping Ground [25] | Nominated |
Performer | Emily Burnett [25] | Won |
Dame Jacqueline Wilson is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for featuring realistic topics such as adoption and divorce without alienating her large readership. Since her debut novel in 1969, Wilson has written over 100 books.
The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British children's book first published in 1991, written by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt.
Tracy Beaker is the lead character in the Tracy Beaker franchise. After first appearing as the main character in Jacqueline Wilson's 1991 book The Story of Tracy Beaker, she appeared in the children's television drama of the same name, portrayed by Danielle Jane Harmer, and its sequel series Tracy Beaker Returns, as well as numerous spin-offs, Jacqueline Wilson books, a play and a video game. Harmer reprised her role as Tracy in the 2021 television series My Mum Tracy Beaker followed by The Beaker Girls.
Danielle Jane Harmer is an English actress, television personality, and former singer. She is best known for her lead role as Tracy Beaker in the CBBC series The Story of Tracy Beaker (2002–2006), Tracy Beaker Returns (2010–2012), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA in 2010, The Tracy Beaker Survival Files (2011–2012), My Mum Tracy Beaker (2021), and The Beaker Girls (2021–2023).
The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British television programme series adapted from the book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson. It ran on CBBC for five series, from January 2002 to December 2005 and also contained a feature-length episode, Tracy Beaker: The Movie of Me, broadcast in February 2004, as well as a week of interactive episodes for Children in Need. The theme song was written and produced by Brian Harris and Nigel Lowis and performed by Keisha White.
Tracy Beaker Returns was a British television programme. Based upon the novels by Jacqueline Wilson, it is the sequel series to The Story of Tracy Beaker. The series stars Dani Harmer reprising her role as protagonist Tracy Beaker. The third and final series ended on 23 March 2012. A sequel spin-off entitled The Dumping Ground started airing on 4 January 2013.
Richard David Kevin Wisker is an English actor and television presenter, best known for his role as Liam O'Donovan in Tracy Beaker Returns (2010–2012). He also portrayed Rich in the CBBC series Dani's Castle (2013–2015) and Declan in Millie Inbetween (2017–2018) and its spin-off Flatmates (2019–2021). Between 2011 and 2015, he was a presenter on Friday Download.
Daniel Pearson is an English actor and presenter, best known for his role as Rick Barber in the BAFTA-winning British children's television series, Tracy Beaker Returns and in the BAFTA winning spinoff series, The Dumping Ground.
The second series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 10 January 2014 on CBBC and ended on 28 March 2014. The series follows the lives of the children living in the new fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of thirteen, thirty-minute episodes. It is the tenth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.
Kia May Pegg is an English actress and television presenter. She portrayed Jody Jackson in the British children's drama show Tracy Beaker Returns (2012), as well as the spin-off series The Dumping Ground (2013–2022). Then in 2022, Pegg began appearing in the BBC soap opera Doctors as receptionist Scarlett Kiernan. She also began occasionally presenting episodes of Saturday Mash-Up! for CBBC in 2022, having previously appeared on their live links.
The first series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker began broadcasting on 8 January 2002 on CBBC on BBC One and ended on 4 April 2002. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Stowey House, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-six, fifteen-minute episodes. It is the first series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.
The fourth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 29 January 2016 on CBBC and ended on 2 December 2016. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty, thirty-minute episodes, airing in two halves in January and October 2016. It is the twelfth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.
The fifth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 20 January 2017 on CBBC and ended on 15 December 2017. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-two, thirty-minute episodes, airing in two halves in January–March and October–December 2017. It is the thirteenth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.
The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British children's drama media franchise that focuses on the lives and experiences of young people and their care workers in care. The franchise began with the publication of The Story of Tracy Beaker on 14 February 1991. Since then, the franchise has had six further books, three television series and their spin-offs, a television movie, a Children In Need special, a musical and two magazine collections. The Story of Tracy Beaker merchandise has also been released.
The sixth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 12 January 2018 on CBBC and ended on 7 December 2018. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consisted of twenty-four, thirty-minute episodes, airing in two halves in January and September; ten episodes for the second half premiered a week early on BBC iPlayer. It is the fourteenth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.
The seventh series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 4 January 2019 on CBBC and ended on 6 December 2019. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consisted of twenty-four, thirty-minute episodes; from episode two onwards, episodes premiered a week early on BBC iPlayer. It is the 15th series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.
The ninth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 11 June 2021 on CBBC and concluded on 25 March 2022. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty, thirty-minute episodes. It is the 18th series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise. This series is shorter than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and substantial delays in filming. This marked the last regular appearance of Annabelle Davis as Sasha Bellman prior to her new acting role in Hollyoaks as Lacey Lloyd.
The tenth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 30 September 2022 on CBBC and ended on 23 June 2023. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It is the 20th series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.