In this opening episode of the long-running series about an outer-London Comprehensive, we meet some of the pupils on their first day at 'big' school - not to mention some of the teachers too.
We soon see that the children come from a whole range of diverse backgrounds - from the comfortably middle-class, to the more 'earthy' children; with one boy (Benny) whose parents can't even afford to buy him a proper school uniform.
We watch them getting ready at home, and share in their nerves as they enter into the unknown world of their new school. Cheeky and rascally Tucker Jenkins finds he has no class to join, and soon falls foul of no-nonsense Mr Foster - as well as enjoying winding up fellow student Trisha Yates.
I still remember seeing this for the first time back in the 70s - not long after I'd started at a big Comprehensive myself, and could really relate to the characters - as I'm sure numerous others did at the time too.
This is certainly a lively opening episode where we get a good insight into the pupils we'll soon grow to know and love, as well as the authentic and gritty feel of reality - with many scenes filmed at a real school. This scholastic soap opera certainly made for a real landmark in the history of children's television - and it all literally started right here.
We soon see that the children come from a whole range of diverse backgrounds - from the comfortably middle-class, to the more 'earthy' children; with one boy (Benny) whose parents can't even afford to buy him a proper school uniform.
We watch them getting ready at home, and share in their nerves as they enter into the unknown world of their new school. Cheeky and rascally Tucker Jenkins finds he has no class to join, and soon falls foul of no-nonsense Mr Foster - as well as enjoying winding up fellow student Trisha Yates.
I still remember seeing this for the first time back in the 70s - not long after I'd started at a big Comprehensive myself, and could really relate to the characters - as I'm sure numerous others did at the time too.
This is certainly a lively opening episode where we get a good insight into the pupils we'll soon grow to know and love, as well as the authentic and gritty feel of reality - with many scenes filmed at a real school. This scholastic soap opera certainly made for a real landmark in the history of children's television - and it all literally started right here.
