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The Dumping Ground

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For other books, series and films in the Tracy Beaker franchise, see The Story of Tracy Beaker (franchise).

The Dumping Ground
GenreChildren's drama
Based onThe Story of Tracy Beaker
by Jacqueline Wilson
Directed byVarious
Starring
Theme music composerJeremy Holland-Smith
ComposerSimon Rogers[1]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series12
No. of episodes(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Foz Allan (series 1–6)
  • Lis Steele (series 1–6)
  • Lucy Martin (series 6)
  • Kim Crowther (series 6)
  • Jonathan Phillips (series 5–9)
  • Jane Dauncey (series 10)
Producers
  • Louise Sutton (series 1–6)
  • Simon Nelson (series 1–6)
  • Philip Leach (series 1–6)
  • Gert Thomas (series 5–7)
  • Emma Bodger (series 8–9)
  • Jonathan Wolfman (series 10)
Production locationsJesmond, 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-)
AnimatorDavid Gregory (series 1–6)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time28 minutes (regular episodes)
Production companiesBBC Children's Productions (2018–2022)
BBC Studios Kids & Family (2022–)[2]
Original release
NetworkCBBC
Release4 January 2013 (2013-01-04) –
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, much like My Mum Tracy Beaker and The Beaker Girls.[5]

Series 12 began currently airing on 18 October 2024.

Plot

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]

Production

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]

Episodes

Main article: List of The Dumping Ground episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1134 January 2013 (2013-01-04)15 March 2013 (2013-03-15)
21310 January 2014 (2014-01-10)28 March 2014 (2014-03-28)
3201014 January 2015 (2015-01-14)13 March 2015 (2015-03-13)
105 October 2015 (2015-10-05)8 December 2015 (2015-12-08)
4201028 January 2016 (2016-01-28)25 March 2016 (2016-03-25)
1029 September 2016 (2016-09-29)2 December 2016 (2016-12-02)
5221220 January 2017 (2017-01-20)31 March 2017 (2017-03-31)
1012 October 2017 (2017-10-12)15 December 2017 (2017-12-15)
6241211 January 2018 (2018-01-11)30 March 2018 (2018-03-30)
1220 September 2018 (2018-09-20)7 December 2018 (2018-12-07)
724124 January 2019 (2019-01-04)15 March 2019 (2019-03-15)
1227 September 2019 (2019-09-27)6 December 2019 (2019-12-06)
8241211 January 2020 (2020-01-11)27 March 2020 (2020-03-27)
1225 September 2020 (2020-09-25)5 February 2021 (2021-02-05)
9201011 June 2021 (2021-06-11)13 August 2021 (2021-08-13)
1021 January 2022 (2022-01-21)25 March 2022 (2022-03-25)
10201030 September 2022 (2022-09-30)2 December 2022 (2022-12-02)
1021 April 2023 (2023-04-21)23 June 2023 (2023-06-23)
111026 January 2024 (2024-01-26)22 March 2024 (2024-03-22)
12TBA18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)TBA
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [14]
2131"The Tooth Fairy"Duncan FosterPaul Gerstenberger18 October 2024 (2024-10-18)N/A
2142"Picnic 'n' Mix"David Innes EdwardsAli Taylor25 October 2024 (2024-10-25)N/A
2153"Trouble Doubled"Meg CampbellMartin Jameson & Sergio Casci1 November 2024 (2024-11-01)N/A
2164"Same but Different"Meg CampbellOmar Khan & Martin Jameson8 November 2024 (2024-11-08)N/A
2175"Best Day Ever"Meg CampbellAli Taylor15 November 2024 (2024-11-15)N/A
2186"Swapsies"David Innes EdwardsNiki Rooney22 November 2024 (2024-11-22)N/A
2197"The Howling"David Innes EdwardsChris Grady29 November 2024 (2024-11-29)TBD
2208"Day Trip"David Innes EdwardsJulia Kent6 December 2024 (2024-12-06)TBD

Cast

Main article: List of The Dumping Ground characters

Awards and nominations

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[15] Best Drama The Dumping Ground Won
2014 British Academy Children's Awards[16] BAFTA Kid's Vote – Television The Dumping Ground Nominated
Best Actor Kia Pegg as Jody Jackson Nominated
2015 British Academy Children's Awards[17] 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[18] Best Drama The Dumping Ground Nominated
2018 Royal Television Society NETB Awards Best Drama (Long Form) Ian Kershaw for "Farvel"[19] Nominated
Performance of the Year Annabelle Davis[20] Won
Lewis G Hamilton[21] Nominated
Rising Star Jordan Barrett, Script Editor[22] Nominated
Rachel Smee, Make Up Trainee[22] Nominated
Professional Excellence – Costume and Make-up Michael Birtley[23] Won
2018 British Academy Children's Awards Performer Annabelle Davis[24] Nominated
2019 Royal Television Society NETB Awards Best Drama (Long Form) Ian Kershaw for "Heroes"[25] Won
2019 British Academy Children's Awards Best Drama The Dumping Ground[26] Nominated
Performer Emily Burnett[26] Won

References

  1. ^ "The Dumping Ground (TV Series 2013-) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Kids & Family | BBC Studios Productions".
  3. ^ "Mia Mckenna-Bruce on Instagram..." Instagram.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  4. ^ "CBBC HQ - Calling All Dumping Ground Fans!". BBC. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  5. ^ The Dumping Ground - Series 11: 1. Welcome Home, retrieved 29 January 2024
  6. ^ Wain, Deborah (2 June 2016). "The Dumping Ground: inside a social care drama set in a children's home". Community Care. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  7. ^ "CBBC commissions The Dumping Ground". BBC. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  8. ^ "CBBC's The Dumping Ground in production in Newcastle". BBC Media Centre. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  9. ^ "The Dumping Ground returns to CBBC for new series and exclusive webisodes". BBC. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  10. ^ "CBBC in-house productions announce a range of new commissions and re-commissions". BBC. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  11. ^ Whetstone, David (29 July 2016). "Series five of The Dumping Ground is taking shape in Morpeth with some new stars". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  12. ^ "BBC - BBC Children's announce raft of new commissions - Media Centre". BBC. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Former middle school used in popular BBC children's show". Hexham Courant. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  15. ^ "Children's in 2013 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  16. ^ "Children's in 2014 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  17. ^ "Children's in 2015 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  18. ^ "Children's in 2016 | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  19. ^ "Category 2A — Best Drama (Long Form)". Royal Television Society. 20 February 2018.
  20. ^ "Category 8 — Performance of the Year". Royal Television Society. 20 February 2018.
  21. ^ "Performance in 2018".
  22. ^ a b "Category 9 — Rising Star". Royal Television Society. 20 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Category 11B — Professional Excellence – Costume and Make-up". Royal Television Society. 20 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Children's Awards Winners 2018". www.bafta.org. 17 October 2018.
  25. ^ "Drama in 2019".
  26. ^ a b "Children's Awards Nominations and Winners 2019". www.bafta.org. 22 October 2019.
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