Grange Hill

Episode 1 (2x1)

Air date: Jan 02, 1979

Baxter and Mitchell discuss the new headmaster, Mr Llewellyn. Baxter has doubts about his "progressive style". Benny asks his mother for a £1 deposit for the school camp. She says the family cannot afford the entire cost. Benny finds 50p on his way to school. On the orders of Llewellyn, the forms are reordered and renamed after G,R,A,N, etc, One Alpha largely becomes G1. Ann (unseen) and Justin are moved to form R1, which includes Alan Humphries, Penny Lewis, Susi McMahon and Andrew Stanton. R1's form mistress is Miss Summers. New arrivals in G1 include Simon Shaw and Cathy Hargreaves. Another new invention of Llewellyn's is the six-day timetable. Initially there are timetable clashes. Mitchell and another teacher go to consult the master timetable to resolve confusion over G1's form room. While the class are unsupervised, Tucker and Doyle fight and a window is broken (Benny is involved also). Llewellyn and Garfield arrive on the scene. Mitchell arrives back and is given a humbling talking-to in front of G1 by Llewellyn for leaving the class unattended. Simon and Benny go to (local rivals) Brookdale school to play in the first leg of the District Football Cup Final. Benny happens to be the last out of the changing rooms. Benny greedily tries to score a goal when a pass may have been a better option, much to Baxter's annoyance ("What are you doing boy?"). Joey Singer commits a Vinny Jones-esque tackle. From the resulting free kick Brookdale score (1-0). That is the full time score. Singer is suspended from the team by Baxter for "alehouse football" In the changing room a boy discovers that 50p of his has been stolen. Baxter makes the boys turn out their pockets. Benny has 50p in his pocket.....and he was last out of the changing room before the match. He is strongly suspected of the thieving but the evidence is circumstantial so Llewellyn can't take the matter further. The rest of the football team ignore Benny, saying they won't play with a thief.