Gates shut at Grange Hill for last time

LONDON (Reuters) - Long-running children's TV show "Grange Hill" comes to an end on Monday when the last episode of the school drama is broadcast after 31 series.

The hard-hitting show, which broke new ground in its depiction of teen pregnancy, drug use and racism, was created in 1978 by Phil Redmond, and made stars out of many of its actors who went on to appear in soaps, stage shows and film.

However BBC bosses decided to axe the programme earlier this year because they felt it did not reflect modern British school life while producers were also forced to comply with policy that afternoon shows must be suitable for young children.

The much-loved show looks set to go out with a bang, literally, as that is the title of the last episode which sees an unexploded bomb found in the sewer system beneath the school.

It will also feature the return of one of the original characters Tucker Jenkins, played by actor Todd Carty who went on to become a star of "Eastenders".

Earlier this year Redmond, who was also the show's executive producer, had urged the BBC to axe the show, saying the corporation had robbed it of its purpose.

"I do now think the point of Grange Hill has been lost, and 30 years is a nice time for it to hang up its mortar board," he said in a newspaper interview.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Steve Addison)